Skies of Steel: The Ether Chronicles [Kindle Edition]

Zoe Archer (Author)

Book Description

In the world of The Ether Chronicles, the Mechanical War rages on, and appearances are almost always deceiving . . .

The prim professor

Daphne Carlisle may be a scholar, but she's far more comfort-able out in the field than lost in a stack of books. Still, when her parents are kidnapped by a notorious warlord, she knows she'll need more than quick thinking if she is to reach them in time. Daphne's only hope for getting across enemy territory is an airship powered and navigated by Mikhail Denisov, a rogue Man O' War who is as seductive as he is untrustworthy.

The jaded mercenary

Mikhail will do anything for the right price, and he's certain he has this mission—and Daphne—figured out: a simple job and a beautiful but sheltered Englishwoman. But as they traverse the skies above the Mediterranean and Arabia, Mikhail learns the fight ahead is anything but simple, and his lovely passenger is not entirely what she seems. The only thing Mikhail is certain of is their shared desire—both unexpected and dangerous.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Zoë Archer is a RITA^® Award-nominated romance author who writes novels chock-full of adventure, sexy men, and women who make no apologies for kicking ass. Her books include the Hellraisers paranormal historical series and the acclaimed Blades of the Rose paranormal historical adventure series. She enjoys baking, Tweeting about boots, and listening to music from the '80s. Zoë and her husband, fellow romance author Nico Rosso, live in Los Angeles.

Product Details

• File Size: 531 KB
• Print Length: 336 pages
• Publisher: Avon Impulse (October 9, 2012)
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
• Language: English
• ASIN: B008TW1CTE
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #55,717 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice Steampunk adventure romance October 14, 2012

By ~ Bitten By Love Reviews ~

Format:Kindle Edition

In the world of The Ether Chronicles, the Mechanical War rages on, and appearances are almost always deceiving . . .

The prim professor Daphne Carlisle may be a scholar, she would rather be out in the field than stuck with a bunch of books in a library. After he parents are kidnapped by a notorious warlord she knew she needed to act fast before it was to late. Daphne's only chance to get across enemy lines is by an airship...and that means she needs to find a rogue Man O' War Mikhail Denisov who is as seductive as he is untrustworthy.

The jaded mercenary Mikhail will do anything for the right price, he is certain he has this mission and Daphne figured out: a simple job and a beautiful but sheltered Englishwoman. As they travel the skies about the Mediterranean and Arabia, he learns the fight ahead is anything but simple, and his lovely passenger is not exactly what she seems. Mikhail is only certain about one thing and that's their shared desire, both dangerous and unexpected.

I have many different genres, this was the first Steampunk adventure and romance that I have ever read. Though it is a lifestyle I am very familiar with the story about how a love grows between two people from totally different sides of the spectrum is something I am familiar with. Opposites do attract and Zoe Archer brings that up front and center. Though they are different in the end they come to understand they both stand for one common interest. Want to see how these to beat the odds of war and see how they come together, then I say go pick up this book and the others from the series.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good steam punk story January 8, 2013

By Fall Into Books

Format:Kindle Edition

I am going to be honest. I requested this book from Edelweiss simply because the guy on the cover had a mohawk, and I have a weakness for punk guys. I didn't know anything about this novel when I began reading it, but I was pleasantly surprised. This is a steam punk novel, not punk rock, but Mikhail still puts the punk in steam punk. Skies of Steel had excellent world-building, two great leading characters, and a captivating and action-packed plot. I couldn't put this book down.

Mikhail and Daphne both were terrific main characters. Mikhail had that tortured thing going on, but he wasn't angsty. He was strong and rebellious, but he had a good heart. I completely adored him. Daphne was completely kick ass. She didn't rely on a man for anything, and if it came down to doing what she felt she was supposed to do or giving up everything for a guy? She did what she felt she was supposed to do. I really admired that about her. My one complaint about this book is that the secondary characters were not developed at all. I would have loved to have gotten to know Mikhail's crew better. As it stands, all the secondary characters were simply filler characters, and I didn't like that.

One of the things that totally blew me away was the amount of research Archer put into this book. How she characterized the field of anthropology at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century was spot on. At that time, the field was basically known as salvage anthropology. Daphne stated that she enjoyed documenting cultures before they were crushed under the wheels of modernity, and that was an actual quote from that time period. Of course, we now know that these cultures can sustain the supposed modernity and that the ideas of primitive vs. modern are problematic within themselves. Daphne, being the advanced girl that she is, hints at that by stating that cultures can adapt and change and grow into something even greater. The accuracy regarding this field of study for that specific time period really made the book so much more enjoyable and realistic for me.

The plot was full of action and suspense. I really didn't know if Mikhail and Daphne would both make it out of this alive, or if they'd end up together. Because of that, I was forced to keep reading. I had to know how the story ended! There were a lot of battles and close calls that kept up the feeling of suspense for the whole 100 pages. The other complaint I have is that I wish this book had been longer. The pacing was perfect, and I didn't feel cheated out of anything, but I wanted more of Mikhail and Daphne! They were great.

The romance was kind of sweet and kind of steamy. This wasn't erotica, but there was sex in it (obviously). I liked that the characters got to know each other AND had a mutual attraction. I don't really enjoy books where the characters just screw each others' brains out with no actual feelings other than lust involved. This book had some depth, though, and I liked that.

The word-building was excellent as well. Archer didn't describe too much, so I didn't get bored and irritated with the descriptions, but she shared enough details that I could easily picture the world she created. I love the idea of a "bionic man," and the author explained the side effects of becoming a Man O' War, but she didn't go into depth about the scientific explanation, which I found refreshing. I hate when authors try to make scientific sense of things that aren't scientific, and since I'm no scientist, I don't care how things work as long as they do, haha. Obviously when reading a work of fiction, one must willingly suspend disbelief. That was easily accomplished with this novel due to Archer's excellent research.

Basically, I'd recommend this book to fans of adult romances and fans of steam punk. It's a short, quick, and enjoyable read. You don't want to miss the fantastic world that Archer has created!

4.0 out of 5 stars Review: Skies of Steel, A- / 4 Stars December 19, 2012

By Jen K.

Format:Kindle Edition

My Rating: 4 stars: Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Originally posted at THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT

Professor of Anthropology Daphne Carlisle finds herself in a desperate situation when her parents are kidnapped by a warlord on the Arabian Peninsula. The British government refuses to get involved, which leaves Daphne to seek out the help of rogue Man O' War Airship Captain Mikhail Mikhailovish Denisov. Once a decorated Captain in the Russian navy, Mikhail is now a mercenary for hire. Daphne convinces a wary Mikhail to take her to her parents with ransom in tow.

Once underway, Daphne and Mikhail discover that each has secrets to hide, yet their attraction to one another is strong. Both fascinated with the other, but unwilling to share personal stories. They play a fragile game, revealing only the barest amount of information and only when forced into a situation which calls for the truth.

I adored the opening chapter of Skies of Steel. The whole exchange between Daphne and the Captain as she barters for passage to the Arabian Peninsula set the stage for their exciting journey! The entire scene was well written and successful at pulling me into the book! The descriptions of Mikhail ... are sublime.

"Hard angles comprised his face: a boldly square jaw, high cheekbones, a decidedly Slavic nose. The slightly almond shape of this eyes revealed distant Tartar blood, while his curved, full mouth was all voluptuary, framed by a trimmed, dark goatee. ... He'd shaved most of his head to dark stubble, but down the center of his head he'd let his hair grow longer, and it stood up in a dramatic crest, the tip colored crimson."

Right from the start the reader understands that Mikhail isn't the bad guy his reputation would leave one to believe; however, he clearly has a history he's unwilling to share. He's ashamed of his past, which includes a serious betrayal by a man he considered a brother. In spite of his history, he can't help but place some trust in Daphne - a woman unlike any he's met before. So when the reader is made aware of the fact that Daphne is lying to Mikhail, I had serious concerns that this book would end up falling into a familiar theme of "growing close, discovering betrayal, contrived separation until the end of the book, when the hero and heroine make up." However, unlike the majority of books, Skies of Steel handles the betrayal different than the norm. I like that Daphne's betrayal was discovered early on, and that we didn't get to near the end when all of the truths come out. This gave the pair a lot of time to rebuild trust and a true relationship. And although the betrayal was multifaceted (and I was groaning for a few pages), Ms. Archer spins a fabulous path for our couple, and I was completely satisfied (although my heart broke for the couple a few times).

Daphne is a heroine I can get behind. Not only is she academically intelligent, she is "street" smart, strong and capable. She is loyal, but not afraid to go out on a limb. And she is extremely witty and sarcastic! It pains her to keep the truth from Mikhail, but she's only doing what she believes necessary to save her family.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. It was exciting, action-filled and very entertaining. I love Mikhail... his description is awe-inspiringly hunky! I adore that he is flawed and he doesn't make apologies. He went down the wrong path - he isn't a "good guy." But he does have a heart, and he tries to make good choices.

I love Daphne's tenacity! She is a strong character and woman; one without apologies. She is driven and I love that she never apologizes for lying to Mikhail for doing what she believed she had to.

The story line was intense, having a bit of an "Indiana Jones" feel. The adventure was exciting. The final battle was a bit chaotic, and I would have liked a bit more with the warlord and his advisor. I would LOVE to read more about Mikhail and Daphne - they make a great pair, and I foresee wonderful adventures ahead. But I will be satisfied to read another one of Ms. Archer's wonderful tales.

More About the Author

Zoe Archer is an award-winning romance author who thinks there's nothing sexier than a man in tall boots and a waistcoat. As a child, she never dreamed about being the rescued princess, but wanted to kick butt right beside the hero. She now applies her master's degrees in Literature and Fiction to creating butt-kicking heroines and heroes in tall boots. She is the author of the acclaimed BLADES OF THE ROSE series and the paranormal historical romance series, THE HELLRAISERS. She and her husband, fellow romance author Nico Rosso, trade off writing the books in the steampunk romance series THE ETHER CHRONICLES. June 2013 will see the launch of her new gritty Victorian romance series, NEMESIS, UNLIMITED for St. Martin's Press. Zoe and Nico live in Los Angeles. Please visit her on the Web at http://www.zoearcherbooks.com/