Hang onto your bowler hats, agents Books and Braun of Britain’s top-secret Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences are back in The Janus Affair. In their second wildly imaginative, utterly fantastic steampunk adventure, authors Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris carry readers back to an alternate history Edwardian England, where suffragettes are inexplicably disappearing in flashes of lightning, and the brainy, intrepid Mr. Books and his partner, the fearless, lovely, weapons-loving Eliza Braun, must get to the bottom of the nefarious matter—while confronting high-flying assassins, a traitorous turncoat, and the Queen of the Underworld herself. The Janus Affair is the British TV classic, The Avengers, updated for the 21st Century and given a delectable steampunk twist—an Affair that will satisfy fantasy lovers, graphic novel aficionados, and dedicated fans of the novels of Gail Carriger.
The Janus Affair
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Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
Review
...provides action, mystery, undercurrents of a personal nature and a pace that is sure to keep a reader's interest. The blend of story, characters, action, mystery, and humor worked really well. The combination of Eliza Braun's tough, opinionated exterior and her soft interior with Wellington Books' bookish, somewhat fumbling exterior and his hidden depths is a wonderful dynamic. (Top Pick)
-Night Owl Reviews
Morris and Ballantine just get better and better with Eliza and Welly, and I have difficulty thinking of anything I didn't like about the characters or the world in which these authors set the story. I have read THE JANUS AFFAIR several times now and I am delighted every time. Describing a novel as delightful might sound trite but there isn't a better word to describe a book that keeps your interest and makes you laugh each time you read it.-Book Chick City
I felt The Janus Affair was tailored expertly and tightly woven, not unlike an elegant leather corset with a strong foundation and bright bits and bobs of clockwork brilliance that leaves the reader wrapped securely and held delighted beneath each thread. Highly, highly recommended.-Lit Stack
The Janus Affair isn't pretentious or overwrought. It seeks nothing but to entertain readers in the smartest and best way possible and to show the love that Ballantine and Morris have for steampunk, for larger-than-life adventurers and big stories. It's engaging, it's a page turner and above all, it's a really fun story to get lost in for a while.
-Sticky Trigger Entertainment
If you've never read steampunk before, this would be a great introduction. If you've felt steampunk wasn't for you, The Janus Affair will change your mind. If you're tired of books that take themselves too seriously and forget to let the reader enjoy the story and characters, Ms. Ballantine and Mr. Morris had you in mind. -View from Valhalla
-Night Owl Reviews
Morris and Ballantine just get better and better with Eliza and Welly, and I have difficulty thinking of anything I didn't like about the characters or the world in which these authors set the story. I have read THE JANUS AFFAIR several times now and I am delighted every time. Describing a novel as delightful might sound trite but there isn't a better word to describe a book that keeps your interest and makes you laugh each time you read it.-Book Chick City
I felt The Janus Affair was tailored expertly and tightly woven, not unlike an elegant leather corset with a strong foundation and bright bits and bobs of clockwork brilliance that leaves the reader wrapped securely and held delighted beneath each thread. Highly, highly recommended.-Lit Stack
The Janus Affair isn't pretentious or overwrought. It seeks nothing but to entertain readers in the smartest and best way possible and to show the love that Ballantine and Morris have for steampunk, for larger-than-life adventurers and big stories. It's engaging, it's a page turner and above all, it's a really fun story to get lost in for a while.
-Sticky Trigger Entertainment
If you've never read steampunk before, this would be a great introduction. If you've felt steampunk wasn't for you, The Janus Affair will change your mind. If you're tired of books that take themselves too seriously and forget to let the reader enjoy the story and characters, Ms. Ballantine and Mr. Morris had you in mind. -View from Valhalla
From the Back Cover
Evildoers beware! Retribution is at hand, thanks to Britain's best-kept secret agents!!
Certainly no strangers to peculiar occurrences, agents Wellington Books and Eliza Braun are nonetheless stunned to observe a fellow passenger aboard Britain's latest hypersteam train suddenly vanish in a dazzling bolt of lightning. They soon discover this is not the only such disappearance . . . with each case going inexplicably unexamined by the Crown.
The fate of England is once again in the hands of an ingenious archivist paired with a beautiful, fearless lady of adventure. And though their foe be fiendishly clever, so then is Mr. Books . . . and Miss Braun still has a number of useful and unusual devices hidden beneath her petticoats.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By R. Coleman
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Fastens your seat belts, folks, this one is one hell of a ride.
If you read last year's Phoenix Rising, you probably either already know what I'm about to say, or you're already nose deep into the book and not reading this review. For those of you who are coming late into the game, Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris are at it again! On May 29th, 2012, Harper Voyager released their second Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel, The Janus Affair. Once again, Wellington Thornhill Books, and Eliza D. Braun have emerged from the Archives of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences to uncover a dastardly plot that endangers Queen Victoria's England, and possibly the rest of the world.
The winds of change are blowing across the face of the empire, as women all over England are demanding the right to vote, spurred on by visits of New Zealand suffragettes who have come to help their disenfranchised sisters in the mother country. But this change is not welcomed by all. Books and Braun are returning from Edinburgh to London on the latest hyper steam train when a terrified woman vanishes from right in front of them in a burst of lightning. This incident turns out to be the tip of the iceberg, as a quick search of the Archives reveals that a number of influential members of the Women's Suffrage Movement have disappeared in similar cases. Cases which have been closed half-investigated by their fellow agents in the Ministry.
With Miss Braun's mentor, Kate Sheppard, come from New Zealand to further the cause, along with her son Douglas, Eliza's former fiancé, the duo must take the investigation into their own hands. This leads to a fast-paced romp over and above the streets of London as the leadership of the Movement begin disappearing one by one.
Second books in a series often take a bad rap as pale imitations of their predecessors. Fear not, gentile reader, this is NOT the case with the Janus Affair. Ballantine and Morris have exceeded themselves with an excellent tale of intrigues and machinations as Books and Braun try to track down the missing women and discover who is behind their disappearances, Douglas attempts to renew his romance with Eliza, and Wellington discovers feelings of jealousy he hadn't been aware of. On top of all this, there is a traitor in the Ministry, working to bring the Ministry down.
The book is beautifully written. The characters are real, and the dialog rings true in a wonderfully snarky way. This is a great story and a great read, and it looks like the next book, By Dawn's Early Light, will continues in this vein. If you're a fan of Steampunk or Adventure and don't mind a love triangle or two thrown in, I think you'll love this book.
If you read last year's Phoenix Rising, you probably either already know what I'm about to say, or you're already nose deep into the book and not reading this review. For those of you who are coming late into the game, Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris are at it again! On May 29th, 2012, Harper Voyager released their second Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel, The Janus Affair. Once again, Wellington Thornhill Books, and Eliza D. Braun have emerged from the Archives of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences to uncover a dastardly plot that endangers Queen Victoria's England, and possibly the rest of the world.
The winds of change are blowing across the face of the empire, as women all over England are demanding the right to vote, spurred on by visits of New Zealand suffragettes who have come to help their disenfranchised sisters in the mother country. But this change is not welcomed by all. Books and Braun are returning from Edinburgh to London on the latest hyper steam train when a terrified woman vanishes from right in front of them in a burst of lightning. This incident turns out to be the tip of the iceberg, as a quick search of the Archives reveals that a number of influential members of the Women's Suffrage Movement have disappeared in similar cases. Cases which have been closed half-investigated by their fellow agents in the Ministry.
With Miss Braun's mentor, Kate Sheppard, come from New Zealand to further the cause, along with her son Douglas, Eliza's former fiancé, the duo must take the investigation into their own hands. This leads to a fast-paced romp over and above the streets of London as the leadership of the Movement begin disappearing one by one.
Second books in a series often take a bad rap as pale imitations of their predecessors. Fear not, gentile reader, this is NOT the case with the Janus Affair. Ballantine and Morris have exceeded themselves with an excellent tale of intrigues and machinations as Books and Braun try to track down the missing women and discover who is behind their disappearances, Douglas attempts to renew his romance with Eliza, and Wellington discovers feelings of jealousy he hadn't been aware of. On top of all this, there is a traitor in the Ministry, working to bring the Ministry down.
The book is beautifully written. The characters are real, and the dialog rings true in a wonderfully snarky way. This is a great story and a great read, and it looks like the next book, By Dawn's Early Light, will continues in this vein. If you're a fan of Steampunk or Adventure and don't mind a love triangle or two thrown in, I think you'll love this book.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wherein Our Intrepid Heroes Find Themselves in a Fix and Our Equally Intrepid Authors Prove that Their Sophomore Novel is More!
May 29, 2012
Format:Kindle Edition
Part of the utterly delightful entity that is "The Janus Affair" is the seamless transition from "Pheonix Rising." The heartpounding entrance into the story immediately pulls you right along with the two women desperately trying to survive a trainride from an approaching force that is nipping at their heels. What provides the perfect hook to button the scene - a connection to one of our heroes!
From that rather exciting and intriguing beginning unfolds a story that had me gulping down the rest like my favorite tea with so many delightful biscuits!
Now, I have to unburden myself with a bit of a confession here. I've been looking for a way to convince my son to read the first book. Apparently it is NOT acceptable for a teenage son to like reading something his `ancient mother' enjoys. I asked him to read me some of the book as I drove (free audio performance) and he hasn't put it down yet. So, as I have Pheonix in my head as I read this I'd like to comment on what I noticed.
Interesting Characters? Check Check
Fascinating Plot? Check Check
A rich world to explore and enjoy? Check Check
The only thing I could say that wasn't the same between the two is that since I had an ARC for Janus I couldn't curl up in bed and read it... but as soon as it's released I'm downloading IMMEDIATELY.
I'm a fan of steampunk and part of the fun of this genre is that it can be many things to many people. So while I can't tell you with any certainty what will make EVERYONE happy... I can tell you what made ME happy in this book.
The seamless way that the technology of this book is woven into the story. Sometimes when I read something `steampunk' I feel as though tech has been thrown into every nook and cranny to `give the feeling of' but never really making the tech at home in the story... this, like "Pheonix Rising" delivers that world that makes steampunk `tech' live and breathe instead of cluttering up the scene.
What about our heroes? The push-n-pull of Books and Braun, their witty conversations, their developing interaction is wonderful! Just when you think you have everything figured out, there's another little curve... another surprise. Be ready for the fun to keep coming along with the action!
Another element that really enriched the story for me was a connection to an earlier short story in their "Tales from the Archives" short story collection. Having read almost all of the stories I found myself inordinately happy to see the continuation into this book. Dare I hope there will be more connections in future novels?
Seamless... Excitement... Intrigue... Action... Books and Braun... Tea and a Pint... does it get any better than that?
Now... I just have to wait a few days for my son to finish reading "Phoenix Rising" while we drive and then we'll start in on "The Janus Affair." Go ahead, pick up your copy... have a ball!
From that rather exciting and intriguing beginning unfolds a story that had me gulping down the rest like my favorite tea with so many delightful biscuits!
Now, I have to unburden myself with a bit of a confession here. I've been looking for a way to convince my son to read the first book. Apparently it is NOT acceptable for a teenage son to like reading something his `ancient mother' enjoys. I asked him to read me some of the book as I drove (free audio performance) and he hasn't put it down yet. So, as I have Pheonix in my head as I read this I'd like to comment on what I noticed.
Interesting Characters? Check Check
Fascinating Plot? Check Check
A rich world to explore and enjoy? Check Check
The only thing I could say that wasn't the same between the two is that since I had an ARC for Janus I couldn't curl up in bed and read it... but as soon as it's released I'm downloading IMMEDIATELY.
I'm a fan of steampunk and part of the fun of this genre is that it can be many things to many people. So while I can't tell you with any certainty what will make EVERYONE happy... I can tell you what made ME happy in this book.
The seamless way that the technology of this book is woven into the story. Sometimes when I read something `steampunk' I feel as though tech has been thrown into every nook and cranny to `give the feeling of' but never really making the tech at home in the story... this, like "Pheonix Rising" delivers that world that makes steampunk `tech' live and breathe instead of cluttering up the scene.
What about our heroes? The push-n-pull of Books and Braun, their witty conversations, their developing interaction is wonderful! Just when you think you have everything figured out, there's another little curve... another surprise. Be ready for the fun to keep coming along with the action!
Another element that really enriched the story for me was a connection to an earlier short story in their "Tales from the Archives" short story collection. Having read almost all of the stories I found myself inordinately happy to see the continuation into this book. Dare I hope there will be more connections in future novels?
Seamless... Excitement... Intrigue... Action... Books and Braun... Tea and a Pint... does it get any better than that?
Now... I just have to wait a few days for my son to finish reading "Phoenix Rising" while we drive and then we'll start in on "The Janus Affair." Go ahead, pick up your copy... have a ball!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By MMaru
Format:Mass Market Paperback
The second installment in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurances series was, like its predecessor, a delightfully fun read. I closed the book today with a big smile on my face, having just very thoroughly enjoyed myself. There's plenty of action and intrigue, and our two favorite Archivists bring plenty of action and snappy dialogue. I especially loved the introduction of Douglas Shepherd who could have been played off as a simpering cad but instead ended up being a heck of a lot of fun.
However, this book had quite a few downsides to it.
Number one, the editing. This was an issue with the first book, but the second is even worse. Missing punctuation, confusing sentences, entire words missing... it was throughout the entire book and to such a degree that I found it extremely distracting. The authors put together such a great story with positively delightful characters, I wish they would do themselves and their readers the simple courtesy of hiring a proper editor.
Secondly, for some reason, this book took me a LONG time to really get into. The first book had me from the start with a great action scene, but the initial scene in this book just left me scratching my head. While I like that the plot addresses the suffragist movement and I enjoyed the various turns that it took, you'd think that Eliza's apparently heavy involvement in the movement for years would have come up even slightly in the first book, but I don't recall it ever being mentioned. I found myself really trudging through this book, wanting to finish it mostly because I dislike leaving books only half-read. Luckily it picked up and got me excited about the story eventually, but not till I was over halfway through.
Third... ***SPOILER ALERT*** I liked seeing the rivalry for Eliza take place between Douglas and Books, but Books' inner dialogue as he struggled with his feelings read like a child's emotions. I get that he's hardly had any sort of experience with love and we're supposed to see him as naive and all, but it was eyeroll-inducing, reminiscent of a children's book where the young, inexperienced character can't quite comprehend their own feelings and end up being extremely clumsy in dealing with them once they're recognized. Eliza's realization was at least a little more mature, though still kinda 'meh.'
Overall, there were a lot of parts that I feel could have been done better, but the story was still creative and fun, and despite the many frustrations with this installment, the ending really has me intrigued to read the next volume. It was nice to see a question or two from the first book get answered in the second, but now there are half a dozen new intrigues to be sated, and I hope the authors keep up the spirit of the books!
However, this book had quite a few downsides to it.
Number one, the editing. This was an issue with the first book, but the second is even worse. Missing punctuation, confusing sentences, entire words missing... it was throughout the entire book and to such a degree that I found it extremely distracting. The authors put together such a great story with positively delightful characters, I wish they would do themselves and their readers the simple courtesy of hiring a proper editor.
Secondly, for some reason, this book took me a LONG time to really get into. The first book had me from the start with a great action scene, but the initial scene in this book just left me scratching my head. While I like that the plot addresses the suffragist movement and I enjoyed the various turns that it took, you'd think that Eliza's apparently heavy involvement in the movement for years would have come up even slightly in the first book, but I don't recall it ever being mentioned. I found myself really trudging through this book, wanting to finish it mostly because I dislike leaving books only half-read. Luckily it picked up and got me excited about the story eventually, but not till I was over halfway through.
Third... ***SPOILER ALERT*** I liked seeing the rivalry for Eliza take place between Douglas and Books, but Books' inner dialogue as he struggled with his feelings read like a child's emotions. I get that he's hardly had any sort of experience with love and we're supposed to see him as naive and all, but it was eyeroll-inducing, reminiscent of a children's book where the young, inexperienced character can't quite comprehend their own feelings and end up being extremely clumsy in dealing with them once they're recognized. Eliza's realization was at least a little more mature, though still kinda 'meh.'
Overall, there were a lot of parts that I feel could have been done better, but the story was still creative and fun, and despite the many frustrations with this installment, the ending really has me intrigued to read the next volume. It was nice to see a question or two from the first book get answered in the second, but now there are half a dozen new intrigues to be sated, and I hope the authors keep up the spirit of the books!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
The Janus Affair
Neither of the main characters is terribly interesting, the plot was boring. She should have just left that guy down in the library catacombs.
Published 12 days ago by Sherry K. Gilbert
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another score for the Ministry
The second installment of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences is just as exciting a romp as the first. Read more
Published 14 days ago by EvilGM
5.0 out of 5 stars
Even better
This one was even better than the first and so often that is just not the case. I am going to be on pins and needles until the next book.
Published 1 month ago by Oona Zbitkovskis-Gillis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great next book
I love the characters. We finally get to find out what's up with Books. It was nice to have some backround for both characters.
Published 2 months ago by Stephanie Biegala
4.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome Sequel to a Fantastic Series
*Rating* 4.0-4.5
*Genre* Steampunk
*Review*
The Janus Affair is the second novel in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series by Pip Ballantine and Tee... Read more
*Genre* Steampunk
*Review*
The Janus Affair is the second novel in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series by Pip Ballantine and Tee... Read more
Published 2 months ago by S. Romano
5.0 out of 5 stars
Braun is just so Fricken Awesome!!
Much like the first book, I could not put this adventure down, Books & Braun still have perfect chemistry and great banter. Read more
Published 2 months ago by M. Miller
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pure Adrenylin rush!
I'm addicted to the Steam Punk novels this is a tremendous thrill of a ride with story, plot, likeable characters & very entertaining! Read more
Published 3 months ago by Christy Curtis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome book
This book is fantastic for both steampunk afficionados and those new to the genre. I could not put it down. I can't wait for the next installment from Morris and Ballantine!
Published 4 months ago by Angela Pascale
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a fun series
This is a fun series and a rollicking read. Let's hope the authors resist the pressure to create a 3 (or more) book serial, which have become the bane of SF&F.
Published 4 months ago by Harold M. Lawson
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Worthy Second Effort
The Janus Affair, the second installment in what I hope will be a long running series, proves to be a worthy follow up to the inaugural adventure of Books and Braun. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Veronica L. Gonzalez
