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Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel
Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel
Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel
Audiobook13 hours

Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel

Written by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris

Narrated by James Langton

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

About this audiobook

Evil is most assuredly afoot—and Britain’s fate rests in the hands of an alluring renegade . . . and a librarian.

These are dark days indeed in Victoria’s England. Londoners are vanishing, then reappearing, washing up as corpses on the banks of the Thames, drained of blood and bone. Yet the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences—the Crown’s clandestine organization whose bailiwick is the strange and unsettling—will not allow its agents to investigate. Fearless and exceedingly lovely Eliza D. Braun, however, with her bulletproof corset and a disturbing fondness for dynamite, refuses to let the matter rest . . . and she’s prepared to drag her timorous new partner, Wellington Books, along with her into the perilous fray.

For a malevolent brotherhood is operating in the deepening London shadows, intent upon the enslavement of all Britons. And Books and Braun—he with his encyclopedic brain and she with her remarkable devices—must get to the twisted roots of a most nefarious plot . . . or see England fall to the Phoenix!

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateAug 9, 2011
ISBN9780062120212
Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel
Author

Pip Ballantine

Born in New Zealand, Philippa (Pip) Ballantine has always had her head in a book. A corporate librarian for thirteen years, she has a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Library and Information Science. She is New Zealand's first podcast novelist and has produced four podiobooks. Many of these have been shortlisted for the Parsec Awards, and she has won a Sir Julius Vogel Award. She is also the author of Geist and the soon-to-be-published Spectyr. While New Zealand calls, currently Philippa calls America home.

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Reviews for Phoenix Rising

Rating: 3.6481481666666666 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences is like the Avengers mixed with the X-Files in a steampunk Victorian setting. Filled with impossible gadgets, wild adventure, a healthy dose of humour and imminently likeable characters, Phoenix Rising is a heck of a lot of fun. Eliza D. Braun is a field agent from New Zealand who loves blowing stuff up - seriously, dynamite is her number one fashion accessory - well that and her pistols, a small cannon, a special brass gauntlet and a bullet-proof corset! Because of her tendency to disregard orders and blow up stuff on missions, she finds herself demoted to working in the ministry's archives with Wellington Brooks, a proper gentlemen who would much rather catalogue exciting adventures than live them. While working in the Archives, however, Braun discovers a treasure trove of forgotten or insolvable cases, Victorian-era X-Files, if you will, one of which involves her former partner, who lost his sanity trying to solve it. Braun and Brooks' personalities clash constantly, bringing entertaining friction, and snarkiness. Not to mention the UST practically pours off the page. The writers do a good job with the Victorian-era English dialogue and reference a lot of Victorian classics - such as Lewis Carroll and Edgar Allan Poe. Phoenix Rising is an action-packed adventure, featuring carriage chases, brawls at the pub and the opera, automatons and hints of further adventures to come. Fans of steampunk will not want to miss this incredibly fun new series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Mostly entertaining, though the story got off to a really slow start. I could've done without the soft porn elements, however.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is my first Steampunk novel and I like this series so far and will continue to the next one.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Mixed feelings on this one. The premise is great, the characters are fun. James Langton is a wonderful narrator, as usual. But it really needs an editor, to trim the fat and correct some mis-usages - e.g., "detract" instead of "distract", abrupt and confusing shifts in.character development, etc. Definitely has potential.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The characters grew on me, the settings are fun to visit. The dialog between characters sort of drove me crazy. I might read more of these in the series, or not . . . the others are often co-authored - be interesting to see if that evens things out or makes them more disjoint. There's plenty to enjoy here, but not enough to sinnk your teeth into.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It's sometime in the late 1890s--late Victorian London, and Wellington Thornhill Books, Archivist for the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences is kidnapped, whisked away to an Antarctic stronghold for, ahem, questioning, and is rescued by Ministry field agent Eliza D. Braun. (Yes, Books and Braun, but really, you have to forgive the authors for it, or at least I do!) Alas, Eliza is a bit free with her use of explosives in the process, and blowing up the headquarters of the House of Usher without actually eliminating the organization was not included in her instructions. Upon returning to London, she is assigned to assist Books in the Archives. This is Ministry director Dr. Sound's version of killing two birds with one stone: Eliza Braun is too unpredictable and resistant to orders in the field, and Books is starting to think of the Archives as his.

    If the existence of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, combined with the dirigible that carried Books and Braun away from Antarctica, were not enough evidence, we quickly encounter proof that this Victorian England is not our Victorian England. Books has a working Difference Engine that he built himself, and has programmed for all manner of useful tasks. The Archives are filled not just with accounts of solves and unsolved cases, but artifacts--a map to the city of El Dorado, and a Zulu amulet that does truly dangerous things, among others. The agents, including Books, wear rings that can be tracked by the Emergency Tracking System.

    Braun is not really cut out to be an archivist, and she's haunted by one of the first cases she worked on after arriving in England from New Zealand. Known as the Rag and Bone Murders, the case revolved around bodies found dead and mutilated in a variety of gruesome ways: one drained of all blood, another with all bones removed, yet another with the skin completely removed. She and her first partner, Harrison Thorne, found no solution and the investigation became increasingly dangerous, until they were ordered to stop, and the unsolved case consigned to the Archives. But Harry didn't drop the case, and eventually disappeared for a week, only to turn up near a factory, completely mad.

    Braun can't let the case go, either, and inevitably sucks the very staid, very proper, very not-a-field-agent Books into the case with her. And that's when things really get dangerous, as they clash with a secret society with its own plans for England, agents of the House of Usher still intent upon questioning Books, a deadly female assassin, and the mad genius who's behind everything--maybe! They repeatedly escape by the skin of their teeth, due to Braun's way with weapons and explosives, or Books' way with machinery and codes. And when the final showdown comes, if they want to survive, they have to get over their mutual friction and incomprehension, and start trusting each other.

    This is a great romp through a Victorian England that's just off enough to be intriguing, and I found Books and Braun rapidly growing on me. The pace is lively, and the authors keep the reader guessing.

    A minor detail that will amuse those who remember a certain tv show: At a very dangerous and shocking house party, Books and Braun meet a couple named Collins. Barnabus and Angelique Collins. This doesn't appear to have any significance beyond the private amusement of the authors, although since this appears to be the start of a series, who knows? Maybe we'll find out the Collinses have relatives in Maine.

    Recommended for a good, light-hearted, adventurous romp.

    I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Despite a few flaws, Phoenix Rising is a highly entertaining read that’s driven by the strength of its protagonists, Eliza Braun and Wellington Books; the mysterious allure of its femme-fatale, Sophia del Morte; and the evil genius of it’s villain, Doctor Devereux Havelock.

    Eliza is a dashing heroine, reminiscent of the wonderful Emma Peel, from the 1960s TV show The Avengers. Both are intelligent, highly-skilled, and extremely well-dressed feminists who aren’t above exploiting their own sexual charms to attain the upper hand. While her relationship with Wellington replicates the same witty repartee and sense of sexual innuendo as that of Peel and Steed, Wellington is a far more bookish and charmingly awkward hero than John Steed ever was.

    The characters are so well-developed, and their relationship is so perfectly established, that’s it comes as quite a shock to realise we’re nearly 100 pages into the story before anything significant happens.

    Sophia del Morte is a femme-fatale of James Bond quality, while Doctor Devereux Havelock would be equally at home in any of the more far-fetched entries in that cinematic saga. The rivalry between Eliza and Sophia comprises the bulk of the novel‘s action, with gloriously choreographed fight scenes that see as many clothes shed as they do weapons introduced. Wellington and Havelock, on the other hand, are more intellectual adversaries, each with a deep and abiding respect for the other’s inventiveness and creativity. That’s not to say there’s anything lacking in their final confrontation, just that it’s all the more satisfying for the build-up.

    Although the story never loses its sense of fun and adventure, the final 100 pages are decidedly dark. There are some scenes of sexual depravity that go far beyond anything hinted at in The Avengers or James Bond, and a few instances of violence that are as shocking as they are surprising. It’s all entirely fitting, however, and ably serves to illustrate the very real danger that Braun and Books are up against. More importantly, the time and effort invested in establishing their characters truly pays off here, with the dark secrets hinted at in their histories giving them the strength needed to carry out such a bold and daring ruse of impersonation.

    As for the steampunk elements, they are used sparingly, but to great effect. In many cases, the gadgets are decidedly downplayed, and referenced more as an aside than as something of significance. Even the most startling inventions, such as the artificial legs of Eliza’s maidservant, are inserted quite casually, and only remarked upon after the fact. Those looking for the big, bad, bold use of steampunk technology, however, will be quite satisfied by the climactic revelations within Dr. Havelock’s secret lair.

    My only complaint with the novel is the fact that a few characters and sub-plots are so carefully set-up in the early pages of the book, and yet are never satisfactorily explored. While it’s quite likely they’re setting up future entries in the series, the way in which they’re introduced leads the reader to expect more of an immediate pay-off, with the resulting absence more of a disappointment than a tease.

    Overall, this was a great read, and one that more than lived up to my expectations. Hopefully, there will be more adventures with Braun, Books, and the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences to come.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I'm look for steampunk genre books that don't invent their own vernacular and this fits the bill very well. Strong feisty and brash female, bookish but capable and proper English gentleman male, diabolically lengthy chapter titles, engaging plot...I do believe this warrants further investigation. I'm torn between checking out the intros to a couple of other steampunk series or reading the next adventures of Books and Braun. The characters do need more flesh, and I expect that will come in subsequent stories.

    I give this four stars for its lack of clanking and for being quite entertaining, if long.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is the first book in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series. Right now there are five books released in this series. I really enjoyed this start to this steampunk series. There is a lot of action, a secret society, automatons and many crazy devices. Additionally I really enjoyed the characters; they have complex pasts and are intriguing and fun to read about. I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was very well done. Langton was a joy to listen to and did a great job on character voices and with emotion. I would definitely recommend listening to this series on audiobooks if you enjoy them.I am a huge fan of steampunk books and this was one of the better steampunk books I have read. It is much less paranormal romance in tone and has a much more urban fantasy type pace to it. It seems like a lot of the steampunk series I have read are more on the romance end of things. While there are some hints at a romance in this book it is mostly an investigative urban fantasy. I loved the pairing of Books and Braun (an excellent, if blunt, play on names here). Eliza Braun is a blow everything up, attack first, ask later kind of woman who gets sent down to the archives for acting too brashly and disobeying orders on her last case. Wellington Books mans the library...eh...archives for the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences. They could not be more different. However, when Eliza unearths an interesting case that’s been filed with the other unsolved mysteries they suddenly find themselves with a common cause.There is a lot of action, intrigue and mystery in this book. The book is chock full of interesting devices, weaponized automatons and other crazy steampunky inventions. It was great fun to read and I ended up enjoying it a ton.Overall this book was highly entertaining and I would recommend to both steampunk and urban fantasy fans. This was a fun read and I plan on continuing with the series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A fun steampunk romp. The writing here was better than I expected, and I imagine it will get better as the series goes on. Some nice characters. Very very steampunk Ian Fleming. Fun.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It wasn't difficult to read all 3 books. In for a penny and all that.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Imagine if you will, a Victorian version of The Avengers Steed and Emma Peel tossing Joss Whedon-esque bon mots back and forth whilst conducting an investigation on the outskirts of Victorian London involving a secret society straight out of Eyes Wide Shut. Yeah, with the orgies and everything.This fluffy romp is as odd a mash-up as that first sentence makes it sound. And while the premise is intriguing and it can be quite fun at times, the whole is somewhat less than the sum of its [rather derivative] parts.From the first "meet cute" between the two protagonists, nebbishy Wellington Books and gun-slinging Eliza Braun, the snappy banter is flying. And, while I must admit the characters won me over by the end, initially I was put off by their exchanges just because they’re way too reminiscent of the dialogue on TV series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Firefly, which seems an obvious influence. The wit seemed a bit forced at times.The plot itself, in all its kooky outlandishness, moves along apace, is fairly engaging and provides an element of suspense, even though it’s clearly intended to take a back seat to the humor and character development. Oh, and about those orgies, you ask? Personally, I could have done with less of the sexual element, mainly because it seemed shoehorned in just to make the book more contemporary and give it a vaguely naughty frisson.This is the first in a series and, while I didn’t love it, the authors dropped some intriguing hints about the characters that presumably will be brought to light in later installments. Believe it not, it was enough to pique my curiosity and make me consider continuing on to the sequel(s).
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read the second book in the series first and enjoyed the writing so read the first one as well. Well developed characters that while you know they won't be killed off no matter how desperate the situation, you still root that no harm will come to them. The steampunk is just right for my taste. Plan to read the next one that comes out.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    good story, nice world building, but book in serious need of an editor.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I had a very good time reading this fun steampunk adventure. The main characters (partners, Wellington Brooks and Eliza Braun) were a great pair with a lot of chemistry. The pacing and the voice were just right, and the details, from the clothing to the steampunk gadgets, hit all of the right buttons with me.

    I had a few quibbles, one of which was that most of the book was suitable for my 13 year olds, but then it had a sudden turn toward the racy that I wasn't expecting.

    This was clearly meant as the start of a series, however it was a complete story of its own, which is nice to see. The number of books lately that end with massive cliffhangers are starting to try my patience. I will definitely read the second book in the series.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Poor writing (too much tell, not enough show), poor editing, poor pacing, lazy characterizations, and a plot that managed, somehow, to be both absurd and boring. The dialogue desperately tried to be witty but always fell short.

    Also, Books and Braun? Come on, now.

    The actual steampunk bits (the gadgets and the like) were interesting, hence the 2 stars rating (because I can't give it a 1.5).

    And I still can't forgive this:

    “It was believed that Ferdinand Magellan was one of its members.”
    Eliza blinked. “Hold on. Magellan? How does a Spaniard—”


    "a Spaniard"?!?!



  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Not a bad opening to the series, but a few too many storylines, some of which were not necessarily satisfactorily fleshed out, but I suppose that is jut the point to a series now, isn't it...certainly worth a shot for fans of thrillers, scifi or steampunk.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I had never read any steampunk, but it's not my last book in that sub-genre I can tell you.Eliza Braun and Wellington Books, esquire are agents of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, but really different kinds of agents: Braun is an active field agent and Books is an archivist. But they unite to solve the mystery of why dead bodies, missing skin, blood or even bones, are found around London.Phoenix Rising is an adventure set in Victorian London and were Eliza carries more weapons than a soldier and Wellington surprises his partner with his inventions.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Despite an action packed opening and ending, the layer of colloquialisms and corny humor overlaying this story smothered most of my interest. With THE JANUS AFFAIR next on my TBR list, I kept soldiering through this book to make sure I was up to speed. I hope book two relies less on steampunk tropes and more on character growth, there are intriguing hints of future greatness sprinkled through out PHOENIX RISING that I would love to see explored.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    So, here we have a steampunk book with an archivist as a main character. Can you say awesome? I know a few archivists myself, and some of them can be quite awful and, well, stereotypical. Thankfully, Books falls firmly into the realm of the fantastic archivists. He is concerned with the "preservation of the Empire" and of the ministry's artifacts and papers (291).

    From the beginning, I identified more with Books than with the confident, flirty heroine. A librarian myself, his attempt to find a nonviolent solution, along with his nerdy love of books and research, seems the ideal method. Eliza, while a strong heroine, never really felt like a real person to me. She lacks background, except that she misses her homeland of New Zealand. All I really know about her is that she likes to make Books uncomfortable and to make things explode (likely those two things will combine at some point, but not in this book, the first in the series). Hopefully, some more character depth will be forthcoming.

    Clever people that you are, you have likely noticed that Books is a fitting name for an archivist. This naming convention continues throughout, with many of the characters wearing fitting monikers. Like the rather brawny Miss Braun. Or the female assassin del Morte. I found these little elements amusing, along with most of the old timey language. Expect pages "full of rabble-rousers, Fabians, cut-throats and Dollymops" (133). Although there are some occasional slip ups in the use of the old fashioned words, such as referring to an event as grizzly, when the authors really meant grisly.

    I will undoubtedly be venturing forth into later volumes about the escapades of Books and Braun. Phoenix Rising was quite entertaining and I hope book two will be even better. If you love reading about librarians with a few aces up their sleeves, explosions and strong women, you won't want to miss this amusing steampunk novel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Book one of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series. Good, but I think the second is even better. I suppose that's the way it should be; improvement over time.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was my introduction to recent steampunk. I had to smile at the pun of the main characters' surnames. They fit the characters personalities and interests. I rather liked Book and Braun and was rooting for them to solve the case. They balance one another.The plot was action-packed. My only complaint is villain related. A villain was introduced and then disappeared for most of the book only to return at the end. It's almost as though Ballantine and Morris had him as a forgotten subplot but plan to use him as the main villain in the second book in the series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was just great fun for me to read once it hit its stride - Phoenix Rising has nice mix of the best elements: a finely tuned use of steampunk and its gadgets, two vastly different but strangely compatible, rounded main characters, amusing banter, and a plethora of smart antagonists against which to pit their brains and Braun. The first hundred pages are used quite effectively to establish each of the individual characters and the world in which they operate, but they are slower in pace than the following three hundred. Once the essential basics are nailed down and the plot has kicked in, this steampunk fantasy is a wild ride full of airship rescues, bar brawls, lots and lots of explosions, (broad)sword fighting, and multiple secret societies - obviously this is a book that kept me on my toes with twists and turns. The first in a series of at least two novels, Phoenix Rising is a good harbinger of hopefully more madcap adventures to follow in Old Blighty with Welly and Eliza.Eliza D. Braun is a "successful but not smooth" field agent and is so relegated to the Archives and Wellington Thornhill Books, Esquire. With typical gender roles reversed in this Sherlockian pairing of odd bedfellows, Eliza being the muscle and trigger-happy and Books the, well, bookish one, these two agents are an interesting mix of humorous banter, keen intelligence and walking armoury. There's no dearth of smart, capable women to be found in the book (hello, Sophia!), but Eliza manages to be both feminine and convincingly menacing in exactly her own brand (read: the girl likes weapons and knows how to use them.) It's also thoroughly refreshing to see a woman be the hero and ride in, guns blazing, to save the day her partner. Multiple times. The colonial from New Zealand's counterpart in Archivist Wellington is reserved, by the book - the straight man to her more free-wheeling approach to Ministry business. They are total opposites in nearly every manner and opinion, but their banter is truly amusing - I lol'd several times while speeding through. Wellington does come rather close to being a caricature of a librarian but his vaguely-defined personal history and a slow-reveal show him to be a rather more complicated man than it can first appear. This is obviously a more plot-driven novel, but to the credit of Phoenix Rising's cast, the characters are dimensional and can create credible pathos with the reader during their alternating POVs.*These last few paragraphs are going to get a bit spoilery.* This book has been out a year so... just be warned. Though the early action scenes lacked a certain momentum and pull, the plentiful adventures later on more than made up for it (A death carriage with spinning wheels of spiky doom a la the car race in Grease? Why not?!) With the exception of the initial and introductory part of the novel, Phoenix Rising is filled to the brim with action, death and unsavory characters. With the addition of sparingly few but appropriate gadgets (the auralscope, analytical engine, the Combobula!), these two authors create an added dimension to their supernatural world without overdoing it on the clockwork. Unlike the somewhat laughable wax/mechanical steampunk/automaton army that was shown as a national threat in Kady Cross's The Girl with the Steel Corset, these Mechamen can actually carry a palpable menace and are juuuust right for a steampunk mystery centered around a case called the "Rag and Bone" murders. Of course there are mentions of "aether" and "corsets" (bulletproof this time! Much a smarter than just steel) but by and large, the inventions here are unique and original to Books, Mad McTighe or other characters herein.Aside from my shallow and negligible complaint about the pacing of the first few chapters, all was going nearly perfectly (exception: Ferdinand Magellan was Portuguese, not Spanish) except for two little things: #1. the Phoenix Society Initiation Weekend's orgy. While it wasn't overly crass or vulgar, it also seemed totally somewhat unnecessary to the plot. The whole "women as communal property" was also distasteful, but I understood the point being made behind the sexist attitude - the orgy? Not so much. Olivia's essential pimping out (and drugging) of her young niece was also unexpected and randomly distasteful. #2. Other readers might have issues with the style of the book as well - the chapter titles are often ominous, if not outright spoilery in themselves. Titles like "Wherein Our Heroes Endure Perdition's Flames" are pretty much the general bent the authors chose. While certain key plot points and twists aren't explicitly revealed, it can take the edge off some of the adventures that are forthcoming.Though the main events and plotlines of Phoenix Rising have been neatly disposed of wrapped up, there are several plotlines that extend themselves quite naturally to the second novel. Due out later this month, The Janus Affair is sure to be a closer look at the Moriarty-like mastermind behind both the Phoenix Society and Sophia amid quarrelsome banter and unlikely escapades. I for one am quite glad I have the second novel to hand - I didn't want the first to end as quickly as it did (downed in one day) so I'll have to draw out my second outing with Books&Braun. Fans of steampunk should take note and give this inviting novel a try.Favorite quotes:"Gods... the sacrifices I make for Queen, Country, and all the pommy bastards that live in it." "The show really does go on.."
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An archivist named Books; Wellington Temperance Books, to be exact. He's gotten himself kidnapped, and it's field agent Eliza Braun's job to... well, she interprets her job as "rescue" although not everyone would be in agreement that that's what her orders actually said. Several explosions later, Eliza finds herself assigned to the Archives of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurences, much to Books dismay. And so begins a partnership that's bound to shake things up... or explode them. Now the pairs on the hunt for the mysterious society of the Phoenix, and England may never be the same.Gadgets galore, and as mismatched a pair of partners as a reader could ask for. A very promising beginning!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I wish I could say that I liked this novel better than I do, as the authors really tried to build some interesting protagonists, develop a screw-ball relationship between the two, and give you an interesting set of interlocking conspiracies. Part of the problem is that Steam Punk is rapidly setting into a formula, but the main issue is that the middle of this book kind of dragged for me, and that's the kiss of death for what should be a fast-paced thriller. I'm still interested in the next book in the series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Having heard Pip Ballantine occasionally on some podcasts (notably Metamor City) I kept hearing her voice when Eliza D Braun spoke, and it brought a smile to my mouth, however I loved Wellington Thornhill Books. He is such a great character, but then again I may be a little biased, he's such a cool archivist, though Eliza's fixing of the leak did make me squee and giggle a lot. Eliza is such a self-sufficient character. I didn't really see the scene from the cover in the book but maybe I wasn't looking hard enough, the two were cool enough without her being half-naked.After rescuing Books from certain death Braun has broken the rules once too often and she is sent to join him in the archives where, while going stir crazy, she starts to look into the last case that left her ex-partner in a mental asylum. Along the way she finds that Books is a good man to have at her side and he finds that occasionally venturing forth from the archives isn't the worst thing he could do.I really enjoyed the two characters and I'm now looking forward to the sequel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Like many others, I picked this book because of its cover. It looked too good to miss. Steampunk seems to be a genre that lends itself to cover art.I am not at all surprised that this book won the 2011 Airship Award. It is action packed from beginning to end; two great characters - Books & Braun - provide the humor that lightens the pace of the action. I love how Braun calls Books a librarian when she wants to give him a jab, and he always responds with a miffed "Archivist".The sequel has a hard act to follow.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I really don't think I like the Steampunk Genre. Or maybe I just don't like this book. Hard to say.Its got a couple of annoying characters, one with a very blatant social agenda, and another who is actually quite dull. I'm not sure how I feel about the sexual tension in this book - on one hand, it really doesn't feel natural, on the hand I do like how it was used as a weapon.I think the action scenes were well done, but the book really never slowed down and allowed a reader to catch their breathe. I do think the writing style was excellent- there is a grace and ease that this book has, but with unlikeable, boring characters, a plot that could be tightened up a bit, this book was only an OK read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is the first book in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series. I really enjoyed the interplay between the characters of Braun and Books. This will appeal to fans of steampunk and also anyone who likes a fast-paced story with lots of action and humor. I am looking forward to the sequel.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Summary from Goodreads:"Evil is most assuredly afoot—and Britain’s fate rests in the hands of an alluring renegade . . . and a librarian.These are dark days indeed in Victoria’s England. Londoners are vanishing, then reappearing, washing up as corpses on the banks of the Thames, drained of blood and bone. Yet the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences—the Crown’s clandestine organization whose bailiwick is the strange and unsettling—will not allow its agents to investigate. Fearless and exceedingly lovely Eliza D. Braun, however, with her bulletproof corset and a disturbing fondness for dynamite, refuses to let the matter rest . . . and she’s prepared to drag her timorous new partner, Wellington Books, along with her into the perilous fray."My Thoughts:This is one of those books that I just HAD to read. I saw the cover while browsing on the internet and then I read the above summary...I just knew that this was my type of book and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I'm happy to say that Phoenix Rising was as good as I hoped it would be and far exceeded my expectations! It was such a fun read and the action started on page one and didn't let up until the end of the book. One of the best things about this book was the two main characters Eliza and Books. They were completely opposite of each other in every way but it still allowed for a certain type of chemistry to develop between them. The adventures and mystery that they found themselves involved in moved the story along at a fast pace. And there were some funny moments inserted within the story as well. This all added up to a really solid read for me that I enjoyed immensely. I'm sure that this book will draw comparisons to Gail Carriger's Soulless series but I found that I liked this book for different reasons (and I'm an uber-fan of Gail's series). I'm eager to see what kind of trouble Eliza and Books can stir up next. Highly recommended especially to fans of steampunk!Bottom Line: A fun, fast-paced read that I couldn't get enough of! I just became an instant fan of this series :)Disclosure: Checked out from my local library.