Nimbus: A Steampunk Novel (Part One) [Kindle Edition]

B.J. Keeton (Author), Austin King (Author)

Book Description

NIMBUS is a steampunk novel for people who don't know they like steampunk! This is the first volume in a complete, four-part steampunk fantasy serial that came out of the authors' desire to do something new and interesting with ebook technology, while also dealing with a wide variety of narrative goodies–from airships to demon possession.

(The collected omnibus edition of all four parts of NIMBUS is also available.)

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Seedy corporations and airship factions, demons and rogues, zealots and thieves…an epic tale of power, greed, and corruption.

Jude Finley is a new recruit aboard the Gangly Dirigible, an airship that extracts water from rainclouds. Having only lived above the Skyline for a year, Jude is still getting used to the way things work in the world above the clouds. While working aboard the airship, Jude and his friends uncover a secret which may or may not help them against a growing uprising that could spell doom for everyone on the planet.

Meanwhile, Demetrius Rucca, wheelchair-bound son of a prominent religious leader, begins recruiting followers for his own subversive cause. As allegiances are sworn to him and his followers grow, he begins to discover the new powers that lie within him. This power could be the salvation Demetrius is looking for–or it could be the destruction of the known world.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

AUSTIN KING has written plays, poems, novels, and short fiction, but he spends most of his time making sure his credentials sound more impressive than they really are.

B.J. Keeton is a writer, teacher, and runner. When he isn't trying to think of a way to trick Fox into putting Firefly back on the air, he is either writing science fiction, watching an obscene amount of genre television, or looking for new ways to integrate fitness into his geektastic lifestyle.

Product Details

• File Size: 307 KB
• Print Length: 123 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007YJ5A82
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,279 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
  • #5 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Science Fiction > Steampunk
  • #81 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Science Fiction > Adventure
  • #89 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy > Epic

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars [Review] Nimbus (Part One) by B.J. Keeton and Austin King May 4, 2012

By Naithin (Jonathan)

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've never read anything which could even be remotely classed as being, `Steampunk' before. I know some people go crazy for the aesthetic and idea of the whole thing, but it was never really for me.

I don't mean to say I hated the genre, I just wasn't in any particular rush to go try it out. Ditto for anything indie or self-published for that matter. I didn't have any first hand experience upon which to carry anything quite so heavy as hatred, again, just not in any particular rush to test the waters myself.

Several stars came into alignment to make Nimbus my first read within both realms, Steampunk and self-publishing. For one thing, this is a Steampunk and Fantasy cross-over genre-mashing thinger. And that sounded far too intriguing to pass up. Secondly, each part of Nimbus is roughly novella length. I needed something novella length to see me with sanity intact through the span of time between Mistborn Group Read sections.

Finally -- and in the interests of full disclosure -- B.J. Keeton (aka @professorbeej) is someone I have followed for a while and interacted with in the past. We've never met in real life, and I wouldn't constitute us as bestest of buds or anything of the kind, but nonetheless an acquaintance I have great respect for. It was his advice which finally tipped me toward buying a Kindle instead of any of my other eReader options!

So I offered to review his (and Austin King's) work after seeing it published on Amazon. It didn't even occur to me at first that I mightn't like it and thus put myself in an awkward situation. That worry came later. Then I started to wonder if I'd need to create a new online identity, because man, drama.

When I started reading, I discovered I needn't have worried.

It's important to note that Nimbus is being serialised into 4 parts, which will ultimately constitute a full novel length work. Keeton and King's backgrounds in TV culture seem to shine through, as by the end of Part 1 I felt like I had just done the reading equivalent of watching to the end of a pilot episode.

It introduced the critical elements to the story early and slowly revealed more through the course of the `show', bringing in more elements of intrigue, answers questions which in turn simply reveal yet more questions. To end, it caps off on a high note leaving you really hankering after the next episode.

That is essentially what the experience of reading Nimbus (Part One) was like!

I teeter back and forth between thinking the first sections dragged a wee bit in terms of pacing. On the one hand, despite there being interesting elements introduced early -- such as Hosing and the fog that consumes flesh below the Skyline -- it wasn't until nearer the midway point that I saw any edge-of-my-seat content. On the other, as a proportion of the whole story? This is actually slightly less than one quarter. And there was edge-of-my-seat stuff already.

The quality of copy-editing in Nimbus (Part One) is also most excellent. I had heard some absolute horror stories of other self-published works mistaking their/there/they're, getting the wrong homophone, being riddled with typos... None of that here, I was never once jolted out for reasons a good ol' copy-editing session could fix.

However, there is the very rare occasion where a turn of phrase seems to break its ankle rather than dance. "Fritz talked with the wide-eyed enthusiasm of an elderly man in a borderline coma," particularly stood out to me. What is this saying? It seems a bit contradictory even.

Rare issues like that aside, I enjoyed my time with Nimbus and eagerly await the release of the next parts. I really need to find out how Jude and Rucca fair after happenings so far, and see the almost inevitable moment that their paths collide! This part really did feel like a pilot episode to me, replete with not-quite-but-almost-sort-of-cliff-hanger ending.

Ultimately, Nimbus worked for me. The fantastic elements of the story fit like a glove into the steampunk aesthetics. The world constructed is interesting and certainly no run of the mill Victorian-era Earth. I want Part Two, I want to be able to continue this story.

You can pick-up Nimbus (Part One) yourself from Amazon provided you have a Kindle, although B.J. and Austin hope to have the story available on the Nook store and perhaps others in the near future. Or! You can read Part One for free on B.J. Keeton's Blog, as they're releasing it chapter by chapter each week!

Be on the look out for the interview I'll be posting with B.J. Keeton and Austin King shortly! There will be a giveaway! :)

-- Originally posted on the blog, Once Upon a Time.

4.0 out of 5 stars Need Part 2 April 24, 2013

By dlc

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The first book was a good start, but I really felt dropped off in mid air. I will pick up the second book. The characters are engaging and makes me ask questions about their back stories. I do hope the author explores more of the world it's set in and how it got to where it is with the separation of life above the fog and below. It feels well written, reads easily and was a page turner.

4.0 out of 5 stars Nimbus is Pretty Awesome! May 14, 2012

By Barry Rich

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I recently had a Twitter conversation with author B. J. Keeton (@professorbeej on twitter. . .you should follow him if you don't) and expressed how hard it is for me to write a review of anything because I feel like I can be a little too critical at times. I also told him that this is the reason why I hadn't already written a review of his and Austin King's Nimbus: A Steampunk Novel (Part One), and honestly, this is true. I have started and stopped writing my review several times, and each time, I have thought that I might be being a bit too hypercritical. However, as I have let the thoughts sit, I know that I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading it, and although the first part isn't perfect, I really enjoyed it. Now, I'm going to tell you why as briefly, succinctly, and honestly as possible

The Good

The characters- Both Jude Finley and Demetrius Rucca are fully fleshed out characters that I find to be completely believable. While both characters are interesting in their own right, Jude takes up the mantle of our main hero as he manages his life aboard the Gangly Dirigible and is confronted by increasingly difficult situations up until his cliffhanger. Rucca (as he is referred to throughout the novel) lives the life of a highborn crippled man, and it becomes obvious quickly that this has affected him as he literally takes to the skies to rid himself of his existence. Moreover, each has another hidden layer that surfaces as the story continues. . .

The story- It's original and unlike anything I've ever read before, but moreover, it puts a new spin on the steampunk genre, which can be dry for me at times. From the beginning, the readers are shown the importance of water and how difficult it is to gather in turn through Jude's story. With Rucca, we are brought into the problems of someone stuck in his own skin, feeling the limitations and hoping to be able to bypass them somehow. And. . .AND it has demon possession which will serve as a huge plot device within the remaining parts. . .I find this to be really awesome.

The Concept of Serialization-They're releasing the novel in four parts on Amazon, but they're also releasing it chapter by chapter on Keeton's blog professorbeej.com. I've oftentimes thought of how interesting it would be to read something serially, like the Victorians once did (and others... I know that too). This indulges my fancy and allows me to see how it would function. Also, I think that this is a brilliant way to build suspense, especially with the overall strength of the writing. It makes the overall premise great.

The Not so Good

Imbalance with alternating plots early on- While the writing and the story were really, really strong overall, I found myself at times feeling like the alternating chapters between Jude and Rucca's points of view were a bit uneven in terms of their overall pacing and interest level. This occurs mainly toward the beginning and slowly begins to work itself out as both plot lines amp up in terms of action. Give it the first few chapters, and I assure you that you will be drawn in (that's why I make this point).

Awkward phrasing at points- Although this doesn't happen that often, there were a few times in this section of the novel that I was left scratching my head at the connection of ideas in a sentence or at just the structure of a sentence. For example, at one point there is discussion about a character that has been damaged by the fog: "His fingers, hands, and arms were also damaged. Muscle tissue and, like the spot on his right hand, even bone showed through." I understand what was meant to be said here within the context of the larger scene; however, it took me reading this passage a few times to get the exact meaning. These types of issues occurred very infrequently, which shows you that the copy editing / proofreading was done with great care and attention to detail.

Overall- 4 of 5 Stars

I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars because it is provocative, the concept is interesting, and the characters, especially the main ones, are well written. I enjoyed it thoroughly and anxiously await the second part to know what happened to both our hero and the budding villain. Honestly, it is pretty fantastic for only 2.99 at the Amazon Kindle Store. Go buy it today!!