Jana lives in my hometown of Atlanta and I often see her at literary and steampunk events. She told me it took intensive research to make sure the Victorian scenes were as accurate as possible.
"Last time I checked I had well over one hundred books, including biographies, court trial transcripts and period maps, to help me get the feel for London in 1888," she said. "I consulted with Victorian experts, Ripperologists, you name it. I think that's the appeal of steampunk in general, the richness of the time period in which it's set."
That kind of attention to detail allows the reader to surrender to the story. I love strong women protagonists and Jacynda is certainly that. The best part of this trilogy is that you care intensely about Jacynda, her friends Dr. Alistair Montrose and Sgt. John Keats, and the books keep you wanting more all the way to the end and beyond.
I highly recommend these books for the fine characters, authentic period detail, and pure entertainment of Jacynda's adventures.
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