readers advisory for all discussion

So I really really like Clockwork Angel. I like the style. I thought the background of the "underbelly of london" kind of like the Kraken was great and I like that it's victorian (I don't know if I really care about this as I could give a crap about victorians but I seem to like my magic to occur in that era).

Well now I have a problem I read City of Ashes and it's just terrible. The plot is similar but the writing is terrible. The author didn't even attempt to integrate the elements of magic with modern technology (one of the characters has supposedly lived in new york since he was ten and has managed to learn absolutely no pop culture references ever and lives by "candlelight" seriously they say this in the book torch and witchlight or something. Get some god damn wiring you are modern people.)

Basically I need a book that integrates syfy magicy things (and maybe steampunk since technically only the first of the 2 I mentioned was such) with the era they are place in and does it well. Thoughts?

P.S. when I say magic... I mean surface level magic no dragons and shit.

The Iron Thorn

The Royal Sorceress by Chris Nuttall

http://www.amazon.com/The-Royal-Sorce...

Link says ebook but paperback exists

I'm not sure I really understand what steampunk is, so this might not meet your criteria. However, you might like the Windrose Chronicles by Barbara Hambly, starting with The Silent Tower.

It's a multiverse about the intersection of current day (or current for when it was written), with another universe where magic is still done, but is losing ground as the world industrializes at about the level of early 19th century England.

The heroine is a computer programmer who is kidnapped into the other universe and plunged into the conflicts between a couple factions of wizards and the repressive religion & political groups trying to suppress magic.

It was written in the mid 1980's, so it's depiction of current day, especially computers, is a little dated, but most of the action takes place in the other world. If you can get past that, it's an excellent fantasy. One of my favorites.

Oh, you're looking for steampunk? Sweet. This is a specialty of mine.

I recommend starting with steampunk anthologies just to wet your toes. "Extraordinary Engines" and "Steampunk" (along with its two sequels) are a great place to start, as they give you a wide range of steampunk styles (because steampunk is very diverse).

From there, I recommend classics such as "The Difference Engine," which may seem a little boring to you if you liked Clockwork Angel, but it's what started the genre.

Next, there are YA books, which can often be a good place to get the adventure side of steampunk. My favorites are "The Edge Chronicles," Scott Westerfeld's "Leviathan," and "Boneshaker."

I apologize for the lack of author names here…I cannot recall many of them at the moment. I hope this gives you a good start!

Here are the links to the books Taylor mentioned.

Extraordinary Engines: The Definitive Steampunk Anthology
Steampunk
The Difference Engine
Link to a list of The Edge Chronicles books: http://www.goodreads.com/series/55386...
Boneshaker
Leviathan

Danke.

Taylor [Falling in love again and again] wrote: "Danke."

I'd say "no problem" in german but "danke" is the only word i know in that language. :)