SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

I really liked the anime Last Exile and wanted to see if you all had any book recs similar to it. It didn't dwell on the politics and powers players, but instead focused on the citizens and grunts and how the high-level intrigue affected them. I'm also particularly interested in ones that depict airship battles. For example, in Last Exile, the battleship strategy was superceded by the advent of fighter and bomber technology.

Maybe Boneshaker?

Have you tried the Ketty Jay series by Chris Wooding? It’s Fantasy with a Firefly feel, using airships and single-seat fighters. Retribution Falls is the first one, but I found the sequel The Black Lung Captain to be superior.

My review of Retribution Falls: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

My review of Black Lung Captain: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The have both at my library. I'll check them out this weekend. Thanks!

some of Adrian Tchaikovsky's Shadows of the Apt series are definitely steampuck with air battles

I second the recommendation for the Ketty Jay series - I have literally just read the first one and it sounds exactly like what you are looking for!

Cool. Trip to the library this weekend is definitely the plan.

Looks like Empire in Black and Gold is going to be an interlibrary loan.

Alex there is another one (currently on sale in the US Kindle Store for $2.99) that I have been eyeing for awhile- An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors that sounds like it might fit your description.

I haven’t read it yet but it seems to have decent ratings. Not sure about the airships but they are mentioned in the blurb.

Alex wrote: "Cool. Trip to the library this weekend is definitely the plan.

Looks like Empire in Black and Gold is going to be an interlibrary loan."

not sure if they get as far as the airships in that part of the series, but it's an interesting read anyway. I thought the idea of "apt" and "inapt" people was very interesting.

possibly the The Aeronaut's Windlass. the setting of the book are essentially floating cities and the main method of transport are airships. there are multiple narrators who vary from a talking cat ( im not kidding sadly pretty brief sections though) to a normal orphan to a pilot/ soldier. not too much combat in book one from memory but ending promises many battles over the ensuing books. downside is there is no news on the next book yet. probably next year sometime.

Wow, that was a great opening scene in Retribution Falls. Lots of character-building and slow reveal of the "power" of one of the characters.

Oh, The aeronaut's windlass is available at my library as an audiobook as well. Any recs on which format to check out?

Alex wrote: "Oh, The aeronaut's windlass is available at my library as an audiobook as well. Any recs on which format to check out?"

I read it in dead tree format; it's a pretty easy read.

Bryce wrote: "there are multiple narrators who vary from a talking cat ( im not kidding sadly pretty brief sections though)"

But the talking cats were the best parts of the book! I would have enjoyed it more if he left out all the human POVs.

Alex wrote: "Oh, The aeronaut's windlass is available at my library as an audiobook as well. Any recs on which format to check out?"

I did it by audiobook and enjoyed it. I generally vote for book vs audio but audios are very handy for multitasking.

Thanks! Audiobook, it is! (After Poulon's How to Change Your Mind (nonfiction about psychedelic drugs).

Haha! Let me know how that one goes. I may listen to it.

I really enjoyed the Virga series by Karl Schroeder. The Complete Virga Series: Sun of Suns, Queen of Candesce, Pirate Sun, Sunless Countries, Ashes of Candesce

It's set eons in the future. The story is set in a Dyson Sphere-like construct that limits technology. So, you have all of these people that live in what amounts to a giant air filled balloon in space with little technology past early firearms. They do have what amounts to simple jet engines - basically fuel burned through a venturi system.

The ships are all made out of wood and have to deal with things like how do you keep a candle lit when there is no gravity to circulate different temperature air (hint, they use a wind-up fan to circulate oxygen to the candle).

Habitats are spun to generate centrifugal gravity.

There are more than a few ship and fleet battles. MC is not considered politically important.

Not exactly steampunk, but not far off, either. One of my most favorite series.

Ooh! Heard of this one. Added to my TBR. Thanks!

I remember enjoying Sun of Suns but I don’t think I read the sequels. I can see why it might be considered steampunk, because it certainly has that feel, but the fact it takes place in a “small” Dyson sphere adds a new wrinkle to it.