God Save the Queen

God Save the Queen: a perhaps-antisocial young woman living in a supernaturally-drenched world discovers that things aren't what they seem, and neither is she (do I even need to mention the inevitable love interest of standard characteristics and loyalty?). While not wholly original, this formula is one I enjoy, and pursue knowingly.

Kate Locke's God Save the Queen is a fun little romp that could have been so much more, if Locke wasn't so concerned with the current trend in the supernatural genres. As opposed to focusing on her own story and creative endeavors, she seeks to write against other popular stories, which only works as a disservice to her own book. It's all well and good to offer alternative mythologies, and (as I've said just recently), tastes will vary even among loyal genre-fans, but the drive to be-or-not-be can overshadow a text. After the anti-Twilight barb in her introduction (which itself unnecessarily defends her own mythology - probably because she fears the same kind of backlash Meyers faces), quotes such as this: "Now, they write romances and make foolish teen films about {vampires and werewolves}" not-so-subtlely allude to the same text. What this does, however, is not separate Locke from Meyers by adopting a popular criticism of the series, but rather illustrates her own ignorance of the tradition and evolution of the genre in which she is publishing by arguing against vampires and werewolves as romantic figures. Not only is Dracula (1897) show more romantic, but so are "Carmilla" (1872) and "Christabel," (1797) to name just three of many examples. I won't argue that in-depth knowledge of the genre is necessary to write successfully within that genre, but I will argue that one should conduct better research before publishing such barbs.

I will be reading the second in the series, with the hope that another book will bring greater confidence on the part of the narrative as its own creation. show less

There are a number of things that are wrong with this book, but I'll get to those in a bit. Admittedly, Locke created a very interesting world - it's politically fraught where the aristocrats are vampires (including Queen Victoria, about to celebrate her 175th year of rule) and werewolves, and their half-blood children serve as their protectors. Xandra is a halvie serving on the Royal Guard. While investigating her sister's disappearance and later death, she discovers that her world is more complicated and dangerous than she believed it to be.

First, I did enjoy the book. It's a quick read, and a fun one. The plot moves along briskly and the world-building was extremely interesting.

There are a few things that kept throwing me out of the book, though. The first was that the writing seemed amateurish at points, which is weird considering that Locke has published a number of other books under different names. But the words "chocolatey goodness" should never appear on the pages of a professionally published book. The author also tried a little too hard to make the book seem English - using "kerb" and "colour", for example. Xandra also throws in the odd "Oy". The book's setting is the Britain that Americans believe to be Britain.

Also, I got the feeling the author wrote this to piggyback onto the steampunk craze, even though this book contained very little actual steampunk (actually, pretty much nothing - there were no steam engines). Steampunk is more than corsets and tiny show more hats. And it pisses me off when things are labeled "steampunk" when it's obviously just a ploy to get people to buy it because steampunk is the 'in' thing right now.

The plot was interesting, and I did consider reading the next one but the awful shallowness and marketing around this book just turned me off. show less

I would go buy this book if I didn't already have it. It is excellent. The world is fresh/original, the nature of the werewolves and vampires is fresh/original and the story is engaging, interesting and well-written. We also have a "new" intelligent species introduced (goblins) who even play a proper role in the story.

What I liked most about this book is that it is such a fresh take on the typical urban fantasy female hero "saves her world" theme that has flooded the marketplace over the past couple years. Oh, and the main character does not whine! That's also a nice change. And I really like the variation of vampire/were origins. Seriously, I read a lot of books in this genre and this is the first time in ages that the story/setting/origins were fresh.

There is even a little romantic thread that makes sense and was not creepy or inappropriate and didn't cause the heroine to become all "sappy"... Overall, this was a nice change in a tired genre and I'm going to be looking for more books by this author.

4.5/5
Very unusual. I can tell you that straight away.


Most steampunk novels operate in fictional Victorian era. Kate Locke completely turned this notion on its head and instead gave us present steampunk society where Queen Victoria never died and instead became the undead and rules for all eternity.


After the Plague during Victoria's reign the virus slowly turned the aristocrats into vampires and some of them (especially the Scottish variety) into werewolves.


In the present time, London operates as usual, only the aristocrats and the Queen are still ruling. The vampires have some sort of celebrity status, while normal people live no different apart from donating a pint of their blood occasionally and keeping a record of their DNA with state's hospitals so they can be monitored for the virus development.


Of course there is unrest and attempts of revolution which will give people more rights and diminish the rule of aristocracy. There is also a strange destructive drug that allows people to borrow the supernatural strength of those affected by The Plague, but the downside of it, - you burn out pretty quickly. Women wear corsets, phones and computers are adjusted to steampunk aesthetics, etc.


Xandra Vardan is a halvie, who works as a part of Royal Guard protecting the Queen and nobility during official events and ceremonies. She is quite content with her life, until her younger sister goes missing, and a body burned beyond recognition is supposed to be buried in her place.


Xandra show more investigation uncovers the darkest secrets and makes her question everything she believes in about the order of things and her own origins.


This book is dark and quite brutal. The Pace is breathtaking. Some bits of it reminded me of Meredith Gentry and Toby Day's series by Seanan McGuire. I loved Kate Locke's non nonsense style, and I'll definitely be reading more. It's very visual, bright and pure urban fantasy wrapped in attractive steampunk packaging.


Very much recommended. show less

God Save The Queen / Kate Locke.
Reviewed from Advance Reader Copy received via LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program.
The year is 2012, and Britain is ruled by the undead. Queen Victoria and the aristocracy are vampires (unless they’re Scottish, in which case they’re werewolves) and there are man-eating goblins in the sewers. Xandra Vardan is a half blood, a daughter of the vampire Duke of Vardan and a human “breeding courtesan”. She’s also a member of the elite Royal Guard, charged with protecting the royal family. When her younger sister, Dede, disappears, Xandra starts turning over stones to find her, and discovers way, way more than she bargained for. Locke’s steampunky alternate history London is fun (in an “I’m glad this is a book and I don’t have to go there” way), Xandra is a strong character, and the plot rattles along handily. Aside from a couple of minor false notes (for example, Xandra referring to her scientist pal as a nerd, when slang from our world has been so carefully avoided in the rest of the book), it’s a fun read. Recommended.

This book is lots of good fun. The heroine is legitimately tough and capable of taking care of herself; when she runs into danger, she doesn't need her friends in high places to get her back out of it. I am a bit tired of the heroines in urban fantasy being one of a kind special creatures, but in this case I can go along with it; her strength earns it for her, in a way. And her love interest the werewolf alpha is everything that an alpha should be, avoiding the usual literary pitfalls. He's confident and sometimes cocky but not overbearing; people follow him because he is a leader. He has her back but doesn't treat her like she needs protecting because she's anything less than him, and if she tells him to let her handle something alone, he stays out of the way. I am looking forward to spending more time with them and learning more about their world.

When her baby sister Dede goes missing, Alexandra "Xandra" is the only one in her family of half-siblings to question the official story they're given. Deciding to keep her suspicions even from her brother and their other sister, she decides to set out on her own investigation, knowing it will likely lead to her to places unexpected. Just how unexpected, however, she never could have imagined.

The England of the Immortal Empire series is a brilliant mix of the Victorian era along with 2012. There's electricity, but Queen Victoria is still on the throne. People still take horses and carriages, yet there are things, as well, mirroring modern transportation. There are also paranormal creatures - a result of the plague, Not all infected with the plague died in this version of events, rather a gene mutation was caused resulting in vampires, werewolves, goblins and some half-bloods.

Xandra herself is a halvie, half-vampire and half-human. Just how it effects her -- and other halvies -- is explained in the book but it makes her a very interesting character. She's not a vampire yet she's not human, either. In fact, the entire society and culture that Kate Locke has created here is very original and a ton of fun. (Though when it's all first explained it is a bit tricky following just how all of the 'genetics' works.)

It was nice not to get weighed down by lots of talk about hierarchy or packs, structure or the goblins vs the weres vs the vampires and why they didn't all like each show more other, etc. It was as much a part of the story as it needed to be but the focus was really on Xandra. There's enough action, violence, drama and danger surrounding her and her quest for the truth as it is. We find out more about her, her past, her family, those closest to her, and some new characters as her story unfolds.

I love that as much of the world that Kate Locke created was able to be so effectively brought into such a character-centric book.

Both Xandra's DNA, the make-up of the society, the tension between the different beings (as whole groups and individuals) as well as the fantastic setting make this an incredibly enjoyable read. The way that Victorian and modern day settings are woven together is pretty brilliant - it's almost a reverse steampunk idea in a sense. With Victoria still reining and others around from her era as well, they've kept Victorian period things as part of modern society and/or things have evolved in a different manner. It's strange to explain but works so well in the book.

God Save the Queen does remind readers a bit of the Steampunk Chronicles (the YA series that starts with The Girl in the Steel Corset) and Gail Carriger's YA Espionage & Etiquette -- likely her adult series as well, but I've yet to read it -- so fans of either series will likely enjoy this. It should be noted, however, that The Immortal Empire is an adult series and contains a bit of adult content and quite a bit of adult language.

I can't wait to read the next book (and then be anxiously awaiting Number 3, out this fall). show less

If you like the Parasol Protectorate books, this book is for you! I am exactly in this book's target audience, and I say, get me the sequel to this book, stat!

One thing I liked about this book was the mixture of eras/styles. The year is 2012 but Great Britain is still, literally, in the Victorian age. The characters have computers, television, and cell phones, but women wear bustles and corsets. I love how the author describes the protagonist's clothes -- and this is something that can go either way for me in a book. I'm normally not big on description but it works here (though there is a sadly high attrition rate on my favorite outfits).

Sure, the ideas aren't exactly new, but they are *so* much fun here. Vampires, werewolves, aristocracy, and oh yeah, goblins. Also siblings you adore but who occasionally drive you nuts. Drawing-room manners, with guns. Seriously, give this book a try. I got an ARC from LTER but it's out now for your reading convenience.

It's 2012 and Queen Victoria still rules England with an iron fist due to the mix of disease and genetics that creates vampires. Only aristocrats can be vampires, half-vampires, or goblins due to their genetics and experience extremely long lives, a stronger constitution, inhuman strength and sense, an abhorrence to light, the list goes on. Xandra Vardan is a halvie and a member of the prestigious Royal Guard. She has set records in her schooling using her exceptional strength and speed and believes wholeheartedly that the aristocrats need their protection against the treacherous, vermin-like humans. Then her sister dies, but she knows that her sister has really gone missing. Her quest to find her sister plunges her into a plot that will turn her world upside down.

God Save the Queen is a unique steampunk novel in that it takes place in an alternate present day where Queen Victoria is still alive. This idea results in a world wherea version modern day technology is meshed with Victorian fashion, style, sensibility, and mentality. Both fashion and technology are permanently stunted because the country is led by one really old woman who knows what she likes. There are some changes and advances, but are much more slow moving because the aristocracy is basically immortal. Women are still wearing bustles, corsets, and the like. Hysteria is a common diagnosis for female behavior. Cell phones and computers exist, but not in the same way they do now. It just feels less developed show more and more clunky, like modern technology through a steampunk lens. Cylinders are used to store audio and video files and cell phones still have rotary dials. Science has also progressed and plays a large role in the novel. Historical figures from the past 175 years are still walking around and looking pretty good for their age, like Winston Churchill. The only thing I think is out of place is the acceptance of homosexual relationships. It's not even fully accepted currently, so I don't think a stunted, decidedly old world would fare any better.

Another aspect of the society I love is the disease. The plague mixed with the aristocratic genetics creates either vampires, half vampires, or goblins. (The same is true for werewolves.) The plague mixed with run of the mill commoner genes results in death. Upward mobility is now impossible for humans because of their genes. This clear distinction and huge difference between classes makes tensions run extremely high. The Great Insurrection of 1932 made matters worse when humans tried to overthrow and eradicate the aristocracy, but they failed, leaving both factions bitter and angry. Both are typically prejudiced of each other except for an underground faction where a few can work together. I love this system. It makes for great political intrigue and just a fascinating new world.

The characters are pretty awesome. Xandra is a hot head and throws herself wholeheartedly into everything she does. This fiery red head is strong and completely prejudiced against humans. She loves her family and will fight to the end for any them. Her sense of justice and familial fealty are huge parts of her character and change over time. I love seeing this world through her eyes. Throughout the novel, her prejudices and preconceptions change as she sees the truth. I honestly can't get enough of her humor and sarcasm. Vex is her lover and the leader of the werewolves. Werewolves are usually awful and obnoxiously alpha male and abusive. Vex is the opposite. He's quite sweet and the romance between him and Xandra is both steamy and tender. He manages to be protective and strong without being condescending or overbearing. He is the best male interest I have seen in a while.

I can't get enough of this vibrant world that merges the present day with the Victorian era. I like that science and technology can be an integral part of a magical fantasy world, showing that science fiction and fantasy can support each other and produce amazing results. In a growing genre, God Save the Queen manages to stand out in the crowd of steampunk. The only flaw is the beginning takes a little while to gain momentum. There is a little too much time before anything really happens. I eagerly await the next installment of the series. show less

God save the Queen by Kate Locke is a captivating urban fantasy about Xandra, a kick-butt, tough, elite fighter in Queen Victoria's Royal Guard. In 2012 in this alternative magic-filled steampunk universe, goblins snatch children from the sewer grates of London, werewolves prowl, and the aristocracy (including the queen) are undead (and sarcastic as hell!) Xandra's sister goes missing and Xandra puts everything on the line to find her, unraveling some but well-hidden secrets about her family and herself in the process.

The world-building in this novel is awesome. When I first picked it up, I thought, steampunk, vampires, werewolves...yawn, it's been done before -- but this world is amazing, interesting, full of supernatural creatures of all sorts, and completely captivating. The world is described in beautiful detail, but it is dark and gritty and scary. The monsters that walk side by side with humans are fear-worthy. The goblins are the stuff of nightmares, and their characterization makes Xandra's journey through the goblin caves to find her sister all the more courageous and compelling.

The character-building is even better than the world-building! I fell in love with the characters, main and minor -- even casual characters have depth and personalty. Feelings are beautifully described, and Xandra is a sympathetic and vulnerable heroine, not withstanding all her toughness and rough edges.

I have only read the first book, but I already pre-ordered the next in the series. show more I might just read this one again while I am waiting for the next one to come out. show less

This one pulled me in immediately and I soon started to desperately hope this wouldn't be another disappointment.
It didn't quite manage to fulfil all my hopes but I still enjoyed it immensely in general.

What I particularly loved was the attention to detail in the world-building. A lot of effort went into explaining all the stuff that's different in this universe from history to science as well as how these differences actually manifest in current technology.
Simultaneously lots of eye-rolling happened regarding the pseudo-science going on around the supernatural elements.
If you base your supernaturals on science please try to get the science part of your explanation right.
There are so many unnecessary mistakes in the pseudo-science that have nothing to do with the supernatural element of these explanations and its basic stuff like Mendel, not some complicated and obscure genetics detail.
Although considering the endnote, this was more the fault of the people helping her with the science stuff which leaves a bit of a bitter taste to the profuse thanks to them.

With that out of the way this story initially showed signs of something I really hate which is taking shit from people because they are family. This is more of a personal dislike tho, seeing how often I've read these kinds of situations it might be a somewhat unpopular opinion? I think just because people are related to you doesn't mean they have some special rights. If you have important family members acting like show more dicks please show me what they have done as a person to deserve leniency.
I hate it every time when I read "but she is my sister" as an excuse to forgive some bullshit.
Just being genetically related shouldn't matter.
Everyone is immediately on board with this concept the other way around in cases of adoption for example. Why not this way as well? This always has seemed really strange to me.
Ultimately this wasn't a major force driving the plot at least which is something I particularly dislike.

A few words and phrases are being used excessively in this work and I believe the editor should've corrected that. If I have to read that someone is "hatters" again I might actually go hatters myself.

I was initially aversed to reading this one because of a few pretty bad reviews by somewhat prominent people on gr I usually agree with but I really couldn't see where their criticisms came from. It seems a lot of the dislike for this book comes from unmet expectations and not some failing of the book itself.

In conclusion, this was a very enjoyable read that managed to feel fresh and gave me a glimpse into a fascinating world. I rate it a low 4 stars. It realized a good part of its potential but there is room for improvement.

Edit:
Sadly the rest of the series does not even come close to the polish and attention to detail this first book has shown. The third one actually is so bad that I had a hard time justifying even the 2 stars I gave it.
Long story short, you should probably enjoy this as a standalone and ignore the existence of the sequels. show less

I had the delightful opportunity to not only meet Kate Locke but to also see her at a panel at ALA and both times I walked away impressed. While she is a not a new author, she was new to me, but it was the impressions she left on me that led me to pick up God Save the Queen and boy am I glad I did.

The book just made me smile, well at least 3/4 of the way through until it got serious(then I just couldn't put it down). It was a delightful romp, with fun characters, an interesting background - Queen Victoria is still alive, still running Britain and a vampire... There was much growling, hunky males, strong females, and a whole new vocabulary to be learned - Oh Fang me! I am eagerly awaiting the next volume and now have become the newest member of the Kate Locke fanclub - oh thank you bookmobiles!!

This is the first book I've read in quite awhile that had me so caught up that I stayed awake until 3 a.m. to finish it. The mix of adventure, mystery, creepy-cool world building, family drama, and romance had me completely invested.

That said, if having a heroine who is a Special Snowflake bothers you, the premise and execution of this story might drive you batty. I can go either way with that particular theme; it worked for me here.

Characters: The primary focus was on the heroine-narrator, Xandra. She's a half-vampire royal bodyguard, loyal to a fault but with a sense of play that keeps her from being too self-serious. The supporting cast is fleshed out enough to seem real, but they aren't the focus of the attention. This includes Xandra's love interest, who I liked in theory perhaps more than I did in execution (their relationship was just a bit too smooth). I will say the age of Xandra and her siblings seemed awfully young to me (she's 22 or 23), but maybe that's just a sign that I'm getting old.

World: Really cool. The steampunk and paranormal elements were pretty much what you'd expect, but the way the author describes them makes them shine... or makes them creepy, depending on the scene:
I shook my head, but didn't open my mouth to vocalise my refusal. An open mouth was an invitation to a goblin to stick something in it. If you were lucky, it was only food, but once you tasted their poison you were lost. ... I pushed through the crowd, moving deeper into the lair show more despite every instinct I possessed telling me to run. I was looking for one goblin in particular and I was not going to leave without seeing him. Besides, running would get me chased. Chased would get me eaten.

Plot: For the first 80%, a mix of twisty intrigue, betrayal and double-cross mixed with fun action scenes. The last part was... well, it was way past my bedtime, which might have had something to do with it, but it seemed to tie together a little too smoothly, be a little too convenient. It's not a cliffhanger though, for which I am very grateful.

Overall, I liked it quite a lot and am very much looking forward to the next in the series. show less

This is the first book in the Immortal Empire series by Locke. Right now there are three books planned in this series. The second book is scheduled for a Feb 2013 release and will be titled, The Queen is Dead. The third book, Long Live the Queen, is scheduled for a Sept 2013 release. This was a creative and well done novel.

Our heroine Xandra, lives in a world where Queen Victoria is still ruling as a Vampire and a horrible plague has caused part of the population to mutate into vampires and werewolves. Xandra works as one of the Royal Guard and gets swept up in an investigation when her sister is mysteriously moved into the Bedlam insane asylum.

I really enjoyed this book. It's an interesting blend of Victorian sensibilities, steampunk, alternate history, and good ole urban fantasy. It took me a bit to really engage with the characters, but by the end of the book I was very attached to them.

Xandra is a fun character; she’s a halvie (half vampire, half human) and has excellent fighting skills. There are a lot of awesome action scenes in this book. In the course of her investigation Xandra uncovers some interesting secrets about her own past.

There are a number of intriguing supporting characters as well. Vexation is the werewolf alpha who kind of tumbles into Xandra’s life and becomes both an ally and a lover. He is an excellent character and has this whole respectful, yet dark and dangerous thing going on. Churchhill is Xandra��s instructor in all things fighting show more and investigative, he adds an interesting dimension to the story as well.

The setting is incredibly interesting. It’s a fairly dark setting. There is a lot of oppression against halvies and some rather unsavory activities that happen in the ranks of the vampiric aristocracy. It’s interesting how having a ruling class that is centuries old makes the world a blend of old traditions with new technologies.

This was a very fun read. I love how goblins play a prominent role and I love their part in whole big picture of the plague and how it was formed. Locke’s created a very good history here and a very complete world. The story has some excellent twists and turns that are hard to predict, the book was very engaging and hard to put down.

On that note there is a glossary and afterward that explain in detail how the plague came about and how the genetic modifications work. I strongly recommend reading this before you read the book so that you aren’t so lost in all the strange terminology early on.

Overall a strong start to a wonderful new steampunk/urban fantasy series. Xandra is a fascinating heroine and has an excellent staff of supporting characters. This is a fun new world that is very creative and intriguing. Mostly this book is just good fun; full of interesting races, a wonderful world, and lots of action. Recommended to those who like a little steampunk in their urban fantasy. I can’t wait to see what The Queen is Dead holds for us! show less

I don't use star ratings, so please read my review!

People have been fascinated with the British monarchy for a long time. When Prince William got married last year, record numbers of viewers tuned in to watch, both in England and here in the States. So you have to wonder: what would England under an immortal ruler be like? Kate Locke has created a detailed and riveting look at a country headed by a vampiric matriarch in God Save the Queen, first in the Immortal Empire series.

(Description nicked from B&N.com.)

“Queen Victoria rules with an immortal fist.

The undead matriarch of a Britain where the Aristocracy is made up of werewolves and vampires, where goblins live underground and mothers know better than to let their children out after dark. A world where being nobility means being infected with the Plague (side-effects include undeath), Hysteria is the popular affliction of the day, and leeches are considered a delicacy. And a world where technology lives side by side with magic. The year is 2012 and Pax Britannia still reigns.

XandraVardan is a member of the elite Royal Guard, and it is her duty to protect the Aristocracy. But when her sister goes missing, Xandra will set out on a path that undermines everything she believed in and uncover a conspiracy that threatens to topple the empire. And she is the key-the prize in a very dangerous struggle.”

I have to give props to Locke for some truly spectacular worldbuilding. She has actually taken the time to figure out how show more the plague could have mutated human DNA to create such creatures as vampires, werewolves, and goblins. In fact, there’s an interesting “essay” in the back of the book that details exactly how these disparate races came about from a single disease. I appreciate that she did so, because it shows a degree of thought and attention to detail that I don’t often see. It’s too easy to “handwave” an explanation for the supposedly unexplainable, so seeing someone do the legwork to make it all plausible is great.

The author sets the reader up with a lot of expectations right off the bat—goblins eat children, certain kinds of racial mixing can’t happen, etc.—and then proceeds to merrily break them down. In fact, much of the book is about the dangers of simply believing what is put before you. Before the novel begins, Xandra has accepted many facts about her life and the world she lives in without question. As these expectations and beliefs begin to crumble, she faces the daunting of choice of what to do with her newfound knowledge. These decisions drive the novel’s plot.

The other area in which the author excels is in characterization. No one character is two-dimensional—most of them have motivations that they pursue alongside the main plot elements, and they are not incompatible with the plot. This makes several of the characters appear morally ambiguous, but I don’t mean that in a bad way. It allows the author to gradually reveal what’s really going on, stripping away those layers to get to the heart of these people and what they really want. Oddly enough, my favorite character was the one who had the fewest layers to reveal: the goblin prince. Old fashioned and courtly, he does have his own agenda but is unfailingly courteous and polite throughout the book.

There are fights aplenty in this novel, and a great deal of action and subterfuge, so there’s rarely a dull moment to be found. Readers go on a tour of an alternate London, visiting Bedlam asylum, Buckingham Palace, and the Underground, to name a few. All of the elements that you’ve come to expect in a novel that takes place in this ancient city are there, grounding this alternate history in familiar landmarks and customs. Again, the author has done her research, and she paints a convincing picture of how 2012 London would look in a world with supernatural beings on the rise.

I’m very glad that there’s a sequel to this book, because Xandra and her friends aren’t people that I’m ready to say goodbye to. God Save the Queen is a stellar first novel, packed with great characters and well thought out story elements. I’ll be keeping an eye out for anything Kate Locke writes in future, because her freshman effort impressed me quite a bit.

This review originally appeared on Owlcat Mountain on July 17, 2012. show less

A great ER read! Xandra Vardan is a 'halvie': half human, half vampire. She lives in a current day version of England in which the Black Plague and inbreeding resulted in massive genetic changes among the upper echelon and ruling classes--Queen Victoria is an undead vampire, and all the other royals are vamps, werewolves, or goblins. This was a steampunkish look at a world in which the undeath of the ruling class has led to some interesting changes in life, technology, and society: proper balls are still in vogue, portable music is still large and cumbersome, corsets are the apparel of choice for women, and subway systems are nonexistent due to the cannibalistic goblins ruling the underground. Oh, and every British (human) citizen is required to give blood on a monthly basis to support the appetites of the gentry. A quick, enjoyable read--this one was reminiscent of the Alexia Tarabotti series for me, but the author is a bit weak on character development, especially for the first 100 pages or so. I had a hard time getting into the story because all the characters were just rather haphazardly dumped on the reader at the beginning--no real intro for most, so I was left lost as to who was who for the first few chapters. Once I got everyone sorted out, however, this was an inventive and entertaining read--I will keep an eye out for the next in the series, certainly!

Update: I loved this book. I liked the direction that the author took with the character, but I can't really say why without some major, major spoilers, but those of you who like a good story won't be disappointed. One thing that I did enjoy is that the main character was surrounded by her 'people'. In a lot(most?) of UF the main character is so solitary they may as well have grown up in a test tube--despite years of life, there is no 'life' around them. Not here, Xandra's is full of siblings, mentors, long-term acquaintances, etc. It is as full and messy as real life and I appreciated that aspect.

If you are looking for PNR or the detailed love scene, I'm not sure this is the book for you. There is a love interest, but that is not the end game to the story, and while Xandra has a healthy respect for sex, it no more rules her story than it does her mind.

This is a solid UF more along the lines of Kate Daniels than Cat & Bones. I am not sure that calling it UF is correct, it is more of an alternate, steampunky version of the world we live in and I'm not sure if there is an official name for it; it just feels like a UF to me.

Big pluses for me were that despite the fact that this is the 1st in (hopefully a nice long) series, there is no cliffhanger. Nice. This is a self-contained story and my what a good one it is.
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Oh my goodness. Reading the 1st 4 chapters (for free on Kindle) and pre-ordered at 39% in. Hopefully they are long chapters because this is GOOD. New show more take on vamps and other supes. The steampunk elements work well in a Great Britain setting.

I hope the writing and plot live up to the sample. If so, heLLO new favorite author! show less

Well Kim Newman did Queen Victoria as a vampire in his Anno Dracula series but this is an interesting twist on a similar idea. Set in an alternative present where the black death mutated and produced people who are largely immortal. Three different aspects of this mutation produced Vampires, Werewolves and Goblins, with varying sensitivity to light and issues. These people become the nobility, many of them already were.
Xandra Vardan is a halfie, not quite one of the elite but one of the guards for the elite, she works hard, knows her place in the scheme of things and parties hard when she can. Her life changes utterly when her sister dies and her investigations brings her down paths that will change the empire forever.

Interesting concept, interesting characters and I'm looking forward to what's going to happen next with the characters and their lives. There are several good background characters that I'd like to see more of and Xandra's brothers and sisters seem a little thin, character wise, but otherwise it's quite an interesting story.

Hmm. Look, it's fun, and there's a delightful punk bloodthirstiness about it that's something of a rare commodity in urban fantasy these days (these vampires and werewolves definitely still have fangs). But something about it just made it more of a mental exercise than an emotional or visceral one, and this sort of book - a Westwood-meets-Emilie-Autumn romp - should have its strength in the experiencing, not the thinking. It's not really full of Ideas, but for me, the betrayals and the romances were made more distant through the first-person narration, rather than bringing them closer to felt.

But hey, it was fun.

I am not going to give this one a star rating.

It's the start of a new series with a new pseudonym by the author. Well written. Characters that were not one dimensional and actually had relationships besides just the love interest.

If you enjoy genres like alternative history, steam punk, paranormal romance, urban fantasy and like lots of British tv imports like Torchwood (or conspiracy theories like in X-Files) -- it's your thing.

I knew was steam punk going in but read on a friend's recommendation who knew I liked goblin stories (okay, the Goblin King in Labyrinth, George MacDonald's Curdie/Princess tales, and Jim C. Hines' goblin books). Touted as original. And had original storyline and cast of characters. Most of the world building was Victorian "early reign" stuff and there was no way you were not aware was set in Great Britain. I do realize author was deliberately going for that setting and fondly noted the cylinders and aethernet references as homage to all the lovely cliffhanger black and white SF serials I used to watch.

It fit well with a penpal read here at goodreads (and you have to love the expression on character's face on the bookcover), so I started to read.

Personally, I have just had all the steam punk I can take (well, okay, I still like Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and all the contemporary SF writers from the era) and too many chick lit books have Britished me out. Alternative history--very rarely something I like.

That's a matter of personal taste (I also show more can't stand Torchwood or most of the conspiracy type of reads/shows) and is why I am not giving a star rating.

Again, writing was very good and storyline was original, characters engaging.

I waded thru 30% and yelled at friend recommending. Almost got interesting for me. After 50% still did not like (again, kept almost but not quite getting interesting for me) and did manage to finish for penpal read. Maybe last 5 to 10% of book, after investing my time, I was into the action and what was happening to conclude the story. Less because I got any more interested than that I had put in the time. For me, tried both too hard and not hard enough with the pseudo-science behind the worldbuilding; and, as an American, I don't think I am one to judge how well done the British aspect was (in my opinion, rather formulaic on the British stuff as seen thru a typical American anglophile-author's eyes versus someone who spent any amount of time in England).

I actually think it could be the start of a very good series. If it's your thing. show less

Xandra is a half-vampire, her father a vampire and her mother one of the courtesan carriers of the plagued genes. Like many halvies, she serves the vampiric and were aristos that rule the county, in her case as a Royal Guard – and one of the Royal Guard’s best. And they need to be good – after the Insurrection, there are considerable human forces constantly seeking to overrule the immortal Queen Victoria and her vampiric court.

But, despite this, Xandra finds herself caught up in one of these treasonous movements herself, despite her position as Guard. When her sister is taken in to the notorious mental hospital of Bedlam, where Xandra’s mother was said to have died, Xandra confronts her own fears to find the truth. Unwilling to be dismissed, her investigations uncover surprise after surprise – and a deep conspiracy that rocks the place of all halvies in society. She ends up torn between family and duty – and betrayed by people she trusted beyond all others.

And through that she has to learn the truth not just about her friends, her family and her society and leaders – but also about herself. Her true nature, her true being and what that really means.

This book had a very shaky start for me. I start reading and am instantly treated to one of the longest, most convoluted info-dumps I’ve ever read as Xandra mentally resumes the entire world for me, the creatures, the politics, the history, her family and her personal history. It’s huge, it’s long, it’s show more interspaced with lots of area description and emotional exposition and it’s pretty hard to follow – I actually had to re-read several parts to double check the huge amount of information being imparted.

It put me off and, if I’d been skimming in a book shop deciding whether to buy or not, I’d have put it back on the shelves, disappointed. But it is worth holding on, getting through that shaky beginning and keep on reading. The world is revealed again in more sensible terms, the characters are more developed and then the real plot kicks in.

Once you get into the book, the world is fascinating. The supernatural here is a plague – the plague – kills people but leaves some survivors with offspring that carry the plague, that eventually over the generations changes them into vampires, werewolves and – when the werewolf and vampire plagues combine or through throwbacks, the lethal and terrifying goblins. The book is set in the 21st century, but it’s a very different world from ours. It’s a world where the immortal vampiric Queen Victoria still reigns, ruling a vampiric and werewolf aristocracy that precariously rules over a majority human and disgruntled populace. In between are the half-weres and half-vampires, serving the aristos with their much greater numbers.

Because it’s 21st century, we have much of the same technology displayed as you’d expect. But because there’s also powerful elements demanding the world stand still – the Queen’s conservative sensibilities, the aristos discomfort with the modern, there’s also a very strong steampunk aesthetic. It has a really interesting mix of modern and Victorian values – with things like a deadly fear of gossip and reputation, but a casual, liberated view of sex and sexuality.


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I almost gave up on this book in the first chapter when I realized that there was no real steampunk element to this novel. Although the cover screams steampunk, the setting is modern day. The only difference is that modern-day inventions (cell phones, computers, etc.) are sometimes given odd and confusing names (and then again, sometimes not). So when I realized that this wasn't steampunk, I felt cheated. I'd wanted Soulless, but I'd gotten the Hallows.

Luckily, I read on. Although the pseudo-steampunk setting continued to annoy me up until the very last chapter, everything else was terrific. This book is an urban fantasy murder mystery with a very clever plot. It was well-written and kept me turning pages to the very end. I did kind of guess the end of the book, but still enjoyed the buildup to the final chapter.

Xandra, the heroine, is someone to reckon with. She's tough but never annoying, and the man in her life is a genuine character and not a cardboard one. At times, the dialogue got a bit silly (can a British novel be *too* British?), but for the most part, the characters and the plot fell together well. The addition of the aristocracy put another spin on what might have been a tired, old theme.

I'll say it again, though. I just *hated* the way the book tried to be something it wasn't when it comes to steampunk. True, the story involves Queen Victoria (who is a vampire herself and still sits on the throne in the twenty-first century), but it seemed completely show more unnecessary to fall back on silly names for modern devices. Not only that, I was sick to death of the heroine and her long evening gowns, corsets, and the men in their cravats.

Other than that, this was a terrific book, and I look forward to reading about Xandra's next adventure. show less

This was a fun, intense and quick read. I simply could not put it down and devoured it in one afternoon.

Some people complain in their reviews and find similarities with other books, but I found the world Kate Locke created quite original and interesting. (Maybe because I did not read Parasol Protectorate series...)

The plot is based on the premise that the plague did not kill all the people that were infected but created a gene mutation. So now we have vampires and were-wolves and goblins and half-breeds. The world of today in the book is so very different than our own. There were no world wars. Adolf Hitler was just a not very talented German painter. Queen Victoria still rules in England (since she is a vampire). The fashion and technology can be best described as mild steam-punk. It was all very interesting.

The heroine Xandra is half-human half-vampire and she is in a Royal Gard sworn to protect vampire nobility. She is very good narrator, her descriptions of surroundings can be almost poetic but can also be short and precise in action scenes increasing the tension. When she was fighting sometimes I felt like I was watching the movie.
Maybe the romance part of the story was a little bit under developed, but there were so many things happening to her that I did not feel like anything was missing.
I can not comment anything that happens to her without big spoilers, but I will say that there were a couple of major unexpected twists. Did I mention that I could not put it show more down? :)

The big plus for a book is that everything is resolved in the end. There is no pesky cliffhanger to torture us until next year. I will definitively read the next book in series. show less

This a book with potential. Unfortunately, it was potential never realized. Everything in this book is too simple ... The bad guys, the good guys. Also the pacing was too fast. Too much happened with not enough explanation. Our heroine - Xandra goes from one spot of trouble to another.

Next, the science of vampires and werewolves- it makes sense, but just barely. A mutation will not change a person in this effect, and the premise that it ended up in the aristocratic blood lines is non-sense, since the bubonic plague struck everyone equally - there should be a large number of non-royal vampires and werewolves. It would have been better to use haemophilia as the basis for the change, not the bubonic plague

I do like the premise of this world - a world that became static at the beginning of the plague, with change happening very slowly. The stratified society is also very interesting. I just wish more time was devoted to this.

This novel stretches the usual Steampunk setting into the present day. But it is not the present day as we know it, but an Alternate History present day that is the home to the denizens we are with familiar seeing in Victorian times.
The setting itself is pretty much what you would expect from a Steampunk novel that has the werewolves and vampires from modern Urban Fantasy, but that doesn't mean that this is a formulaic novel. There are lots of great ideas here, and Locke manages to take the elements that make up the novel and make a very entertaining story out of them.

Locke puts a very nice twist on the origin of werewolves and vampires that I found very interesting. In fact he whole worldbuilding is very nicely done, there's much history too it, and it has many very interesting elements. There's actually quite a bit to take in here, and that is something I really appreciated. It shows that Locke can create a vivid world, and has the skill to make it come alive on the page.

The characters are also done in a realistic fashion. Xandra comes especially alive, and we get a very good insight into her. That events take her to places that are unfamiliar and uncomfortable to her adds to both her depth and her strength. She's a strong female, who is both special, and for what she is, also feels realistic. Xandra is definitely a character who is worth spending some time with.
Supporting Xandra are quite a few diverse characters, along with some historic persons who add to the show more realistic feel of the novel. All of these are well realised, and are interesting in their own right. They never feel like they exist just to be "scenery" for the main character.

On to the story. Locke gives us a story that has action and mystery from the start. Central to it is a conspiracy that Xandra is thrown into. Along the way there are lots of twist and turns, the pace is fast and there is plenty of tension.
Locke is very good at getting the balance been a fast pace and the building of tension. There is a sense of never quite being in the know that runs through the whole novel, and as we learn more we get dragged into the events. There's a real sense of the story developing before our eyes, and being taken along for the ride. And it is a thoroughly entertaining journey to go on.

This is a very good example of the Steampunk/Urban Fantasy crossover genre done right. The setting is well developed enough to satisfy fans of Alternate History, and the werewolf/vampire elements will be great for fans of that type of Urban Fantasy.
Locke has created a great world, and some great characters well worth spending time with. And I look forward to future installments in this series.

This review originally published on my blog: http://weirdmage.blogspot.com show less

This review originally appeared on my blog, Starting the Next Chapter.

Having been a fan of other works by Kate Locke (in the persona of Kady Cross), I was very much looking forward to God Save the Queen in spite of my continuing disinterest in vampire stories (the burn out continues). In many ways, God Save the Queen was as I expected. In the areas of world building and plot, this book was right up my alley. There were, however, things that just didn't work for me. Both sides of the coin will be covered in this review and I will tell you all about why I was left on the fence about continuing with this series.

Xandra Vardan as a main character left me feeling conflicted. On the one hand, she's spunky, determined, and capable of much butt-kicking. What's not to love, you may ask? For me, the dislike comes in due to Xandra's voice. I get that the story takes place in London, thus there is bound to be some English slang used. However, for much of the book it just felt like overkill. When it gets to the point that one feels intense exasperation every time the main character speaks, that says something. So far as the remaining cast of characters goes, however, I very much enjoyed the variety (vampires, werewolves, goblins, and humans) and the wide array of personalities. It definitely helped make up for a not-so-appealing MC.

The world building is probably the most well-done aspect of this book. While I hesitate to dub God Save the Queen full-on steampunk, it definitely had show more lovely flourishes of steampunk goodness. Instead, it has a distinctly urban fantasy feel that worked great with the high level of action and the background for how this world came to be. I especially enjoyed the sublevels of London where the goblins hold court. Overall, this is a gritty, dangerous world where you can never quite guess what will happen next.

While I didn't hate God Save the Queen, I also failed to completely win me over. After following this first installment of Xandra's story, I am unsure as to whether or not I can bring myself to pick up the second book. While I liked where the story was headed at the very end, I just can't tell if it will continue along the same vein. I will continue to keep an ear out for others' opinions and decide as I hear more about where things are headed and whether or not the copious use of slang subsides. show less

I had looked forward to reading this book ever since I saw the cover, but the story proved to be even more than I expected. Xandra is an interesting character in that she is judgmental and lives mainly for other people's approval at the start of the book. If she had stayed that way throughout the book, it may have bugged me, but she really grew during the course of the story. She had to learn to accept not only herself, but also that the people in her life weren't all they appeared to be either. She definitely still has some growing to do, but I look forward to reading about it.

Vex was just about perfect. He makes a good love interest for Xandra and also a good partner in crime. Plus, he's hot.

The world building is intricate and it may help to read the information in the back of the book first. I didn't, so for the first few chapters I felt a touch overwhelmed by all the info. Once I figured it all out, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Good start to a new series with superior worldbuilding and a heroine that is only worried about her own kickbuttness that she can come off foul-mouthed and brash.

Opening Sentence: I hate goblins.

The Review:

Alexandra Vardan is a Halvie, half vampire/half human and she has a hate for many things. She hates goblins ever since she was attacked as a child plus goblins love to eat meat (humans/halvies/vampires/werewolves). She hates Bedlam asylum because that is where her mother died when she was young and most especially she hates humans, they want nothing more than to see her kind dead. Unfortunately for her she will have to deal with at least two of those things as the book progresses. God Save the Queen opens with Xandra in the tunnels under London looking for the Goblin Prince. The goblins know everything and so she seeks their knowledge. Her sister Dede has disappeared and she needs to know what has happened to her. She finds out that her sister has been arrested and taken to Bedlam. Everything would be so much better if her family would tell her these things, then she wouldn’t have had to risk her life in the goblin tunnels.

Xandra wants to get Dede out of Bedlam. She tries to come up with a plan to get her out but is then hit with shocking news: Her sister is dead. Xandra refuses to believe the news as she undertakes a personal mission to discover the truth about her sister and Bedlam. But her mission discovers more show more of the truth about herself and her people, Halvies, that just blows her world apart, everything that she has been taught are lies. While all of this is happening, she begins to develop a relationship with an aristocrat werewolf, Vex MacLaughlin.

God Save the Queen has a lot of worldbuilding. While fantastic and entertaining as the book goes on, it is a little overwhelming at first. The Plague has created supernaturals as a side effect. Pure supernaturals are called Aristocrats, they hold titles and power. The Queen of England, Victoria, is a vampire. Aristocrats have very low birth rates and some of them have paid courtesans into being birth mothers. Many Halvies are born this way, but Goblins are a dangerous side effect which is another complication of how the Plague has developed and passed down through the years. This paragraph cannot do justice for how complicated this Plague is, thankfully, there is a glossary at the end of the book that explains how everything works.

Xandra is a tough, foulmouthed, kick butt character. She is often impetuous and hot-headed. She is also very stubborn which puts her in the position she is in, having to decide what is true or not. As a Royal Guard she is tasked with protecting Aristocrats with her life. It is one of the things she most values in her life and she has trained hard to be as tough as she can. She was at the top of her class. She values her teacher Church (otherwise known as Churchill) and the lessons he has taught her. She also really loves her family even though they are only related by one parent’s blood. God Save the Queen is told entirely from Xandra’s point of view.

God Save the Queen is classified as a steampunk/urban fantasy. Since London has been ruled for so long under Queen Victoria a lot of the technology has stayed industrial. A lot of the Aristocrats still drive using horse and carriage but other technology has advanced as well. The clothing and vehicles are pretty much the only thing that really comes off as steampunk. I would have loved to see more of this technology integrated into the story, especially the dirigibles. Although, once again there is a glossary at the back of the book that defines the technology and some of the British terms.

Overall, God Save the Queen was a satisfactory read. It took me a little bit to understand the Aristocracy/Halvie/Plague as it stood in the storyline but once I did, the last half of the book rushed by. Now that the world has been established, I would like to see where the next book takes Xandra and the revelations that she has uncovered.

Notable Scene:

I met his gaze evenly. He looked genuinely concerned and I felt like a cad for lying to him. I wanted to tell him how sorry I was. “They were, thank you. Sir, I . . .” I heard something that drew my attention, smelled something that brought my fangs out fast and hard – fear.

I whirled around. The orchestra still played, the dancers continued to dance. Conversation buzzed around us, but my attention went immediately to the one thing that didn’t belong.

Up on the balcony. A human with a rifle – pointed at the Queen.

“Gun!” I yelled, my voice seeming to reverberate around me. As I leapt forward, I was aware of several things at once: the music screeching to a halt, the discharge of the rifle, screams, and how sweet that human bastard smelled.

How the bloody hell could I smell him from where I was?

I moved faster than I ever had before – or at least I seemed to. One moment I was beside Church; the next I crashed to the floor, my shoulder exploding with pain as I took the Queen with me.

I sucked in air, forced myself to reach for the Bulldog hidden in my bustle. Hot blood ran down my left arm. I’d been shot. Damnation, it hurt. Felt like my shoulder was on fire. My head and stomach churned in opposite rotations.

Tetracycline. Fang me, there was tetracycline in the bullet. And the bullet was silver. It had gone straight through – luckily for me. It still hurt like hell.

“Your Majesty, are you all right?” I demanded, positioning myself so I wouldn’t drip blood on her. Plague me, even my eyes burned.

“Quite,” she replied, looking both shocked and relieved. “Young lady, you are most extraordinary.”

FTC Advisory: Orbit/Hachette Book Group provided me with a copy of God Save the Queen. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. show less

This book is fraught with problems which might not bother those readers who are big fans of the urban fantasy genre, but which bothered the more picky and demanding reader that I am. I also would use "urban fantasy" rather than "steampunk" here - even though the novel is marketed as the latter - because the book is far more a mish mash of your usual paranormals than it is a combination of past times future technology. In fact, the author's note at the beginning contained almost more technology than the story itself.

I'm not going to be entirely negative, I can see why some will find this entertaining. I love the cover and I think the GR description is fantastic... an alternate Britain where Queen Victoria is immortal and still on the throne, where vampires and werewolves roam, where goblins terrorize... it's rare that you come across something that sounds so unique. Unfortunately, it just didn't live up to my expectations.

The writing felt very juvenile. I know for someone who reads mostly young adult this might seem an odd complaint, but I expected something darker, sexier and much more adult. I don't know how old Xandra was supposed to be, I'm fairly certain we weren't told, but whatever she was she read like a young teenager and this made the whole novel feel lighter and fluffier and the one night stand thing seem even weirder to me. As if the thing didn't feel unnatural enough as it was.

Also: too many creatures all at once. I understand why authors might want more than show more just one type of supernatural creature in their story, it's more exciting, caters to more people's interests, mixes things up a bit... and if we are to believe that vampires exist, why wouldn't werewolves also? And goblins? But Ms Locke tried to create a complex world in which all these creatures are major players all at the same time - it didn't work. She could (and should) have done something like [a:Charlaine Harris|17061|Charlaine Harris|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1307925926p2/17061.jpg] did and allow the readers to come to terms with one species first, before introducing the others later on in the series.

Being British myself, one of the things that struck me immediately about the book is that it is so British it just wasn't. What I mean is - and I'm sorry to disappoint people who seem to love this - we really don't say shag and bloody hell and bollocks in every sentence. Or twat. Or sod off. We say it, yeah, but Locke went crazy with it. I suppose she was just trying really hard to be convincingly British but it felt fake. Or it did to me, anyway.

If you were really looking forward to this and you have a lot of good experiences with the urban fantasy genre, then you should definitely still check it out. Unfortunately, [b:God Save the Queen|12823329|God Save the Queen (The Immortal Empire, #1)|Kate Locke|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1324511715s/12823329.jpg|17973055] just didn't work for me and I won't be returning for more. show less

This started out throwing a lot of information at you in a little time space while background action is going on. I was a bit overwhelmed and bored with the information and almost didn't continue. Luckily the set up info dumping doesn't last long and the story really takes off going into paranormal, mystery, alternate timeline story.

Although many call this steampunk, I would say it is more correctly alternate timeline. The only steampunkiness is the dresses for formal wear that Queen Victoria insists upon. The gadgetery is just a little different than our own. Computers and cell phones have their own name but it is definitely higher tech than the mechanical worlds of steampunk.

This does have some romance in it but I wouldn't call in romance it is a side bar story though needed for the plot. The sex is not erotic or with sensual kissing. No big asides of feeling and emotional battles. This is more on the UF side of the coin.

I liked the main character as she is a officer that has been well trained to believe in the system. She has her bigotries, which are same as most of her kind has. She is a half blood vampire; or is she? A lot of questions get asked and in the end they get answered and in a way I really liked. Everything didn't just fall into place and really you wonder how this is going to affect this world. Still the main story get totally fleshed out. She finds out about her mother and her heritage.

I really like this story and will be happy to get my hands on a copy show more of the next installment. I was pushed to read this as it is a library book and the due date was coming up, really glad I did. Will definitely read the next one; really liked the world and characters. 4 1/2 stars. show less

A good, well written UF read, not steampunk as I expected. There were no fantastical steam powered gadgets, just familiar ones with different names. The book is set in England and the author did a good job with the 'British' voice, not far off the mark as some similar books I've read.

I chose this title thanks to hype comparing it to Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series. While it does have a few similar settings and steampunk flavoring, they otherwise share little resemblance. The first several chapters are a marked example why 'show don't tell' is so critical. The setting up of the world allows almost no room for plot, dialogue or charterer development. After that, Locke seems to get a better sense of her pace and the book settles into a mystery. I liked the main character, but I think she suffers in being compared to Alexis, the protagonist of the Carriger series. who is a far more wry and playful personality. Overall, a good quick read for a rainy day.

This was an interesting take on vampires, werewolves, and goblins with a steampunk edge. I like the explanation given for how vamps, etc came to be, and there's an interesting mystery in the book as well. First of a planned trilogy, I will be looking for the sequels. However, this book does well as a stand-alone; everything wraps up nicely at the end of the book.

Interesting world, but I didn't get swept up in the characters' lives as much as I'd hoped.

I received this title from the Librarything early reviewers program.

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN was a fun steampunk novel set in a Victorian time. I enjoyed the language and the dress of the characters. The plot was fast paced but I found the story as a whole did not draw me in like some of my favorite steampunk novels have. I would happily recommend you grab a copy of GOD SAVE THE QUEEN from your local library if it sounds interesting to you.

I greatly enjoyed this book, it captured me from the beginning. Very fast read, leaving me ready for more. There are a couple of unexpected twists and turns.

A very interesting take on present day England. A place where Queen Victoria is a vampire and the political climate has not changed for over a hundred years.

The undead seem to be in right now. Not just the undead, but in another vine Victorian-period steampunk novels are becoming popular these days. And, strangely enough, I've found that I enjoy the steampunk elements -plus, it's hard for me to say no to an alternative Victorian history. Thus, the oh-so-fun looking God Save the Queen seemed like the perfect fit for me.

In an alternative version of England, Queen Victoria continues to rule 100 years later as an immortal. The aristocracy is immortal -werewolves, vampires and the such -and humans are left to live in fear of the nobles and a horrible plague. Young Xandra is a member of the Royal Guard and her duty in life is to protect the nobility -to the death. Yet, as Xandra digs deeper into the mysterious murder of her sister, she finds a conspiracy hidden in the depths of the London underworld that could bring down Victoria and the empire.

On paper, God Save the Queen seemed like a fun and fairly carefree book. I was expecting humorous dialog, fun moments and a fairly frothy plot. There was some of this in here -plus a good dose of the paranormal and the undead -but this just didn't hold up for me as the book went out. It didn't stay fun, the humor and witty dialog seemed to completely disappear and the plot became strangely...serious. This may seem somewhat uncharacteristic for me, but I was expecting this to be a light and fun read, but it just wasn't frothy enough.

I was also a little disappointing with the setting. The book show more promised a paranormal-driven novel with heavy Victorian steampunk elements, but the setting frequently seemed distant -hard to find sometimes. I was also unhappy with the heavy use of the vampire elements -I thought there was going to be more here than just that, but (and I don't know about you) I'm sick of vampires.

Overall, a decent book that started out okay, but didn't hold up as the story went on show less

As previous reviewers have stated very little real 'Steampunk'. However, enjoyed it as a 'good read' have decided to get the other 2 in the series. Perhaps in those, we get to travel on some of the 'aeroships' referred to. Characters were not a 'fleshed' out (pun intended) as much as I would have liked and their descriptions had gaps?

I wanted to like this book, but in the end, just couldn't deal with Xandra's personality.

A fun, quick read that I couldn't put down. I really liked the idea behind the Plague and the infection behind the vampires, weres, goblins, and halvies.

Read my response to the novel at things she read.

Not bad, spotted the new queen pretty quick though....