Book Review: Murder on the Titania by Alex Acks
Colonel Geoffrey Douglas is experiencing a lot of stress recently. He’s just gotten a new job as chief of security for the Grand Duke of Denver, and his first task is to ensure that the jewelry made for the Grand Duke’s daughter’s wedding gets safely from New York to Denver. He’s not in command of his own transport, but must travel on the luxury airship Titania. There are rumors that the notorious sky pirate Captain Ramos is in the area. There’s the constant threat of the exanimate. Oh, and then there’s a murder which may or may not be related to anything else.
The actual star of this set of steampunk stories is Captain Marta Ramos, sky and rail pirate. With the aid of her long-suffering lieutenant Simms, and a band of quirky rogues, Captain Ramos steals from the rich…and might give some of it to the poor, if there’s extra.
“Murder on the Titania” is the first of five stories, and the cover story. Captain Ramos helps Colonel Douglas solve the murder while planning her escape with the jewels.
“The Curious Case of Miss Clementine Nimowitz (And Her Exceedingly Tiny Dog)” opens with Captain Ramos discovering that her latest robbery victim has already been dead for some time–murdered! The only living witness is a small yappy lapdog, which appears to have swallowed some of the loot. Some potty humor in this one.
“The Jade Tiger” has our protagonist informed of a shipment of calcite lenses being transported by a certain lord. The informant is seeking revenge because the lord stole something precious from her. Of course, that’s not the entire truth.
“The Ugly Tin Orrery” is loot from the gang’s latest train robbery. It’s cheaply built, inaccurate as to the planets’ orbits, and doesn’t even seem to have sentimental value. And yet, someone is willing to kill to get it back.
“The Flying Turk” has Ramos and Simms back aboard an airship, this one being piloted by an experimental robot. There’s another murder that needs to be solved. The major twist should be obvious to anyone who’s familiar with the history of robotics.
As is common with steampunk, this series is set in an alternate late Nineteenth Century, with anachronistic bits of technology. LGBT+ individuals exist, but their relationships are illegal, so they have to hide them. Naturally, our heroes are more accepting of these folks. There are also undead, though they are more of a background element, used to explain why the heads of murder victims are always destroyed.
I was most reminded of the 80s syndicated fantasy adventures TV series, and could see these done as highish-budget television episodes. I didn’t fall in love with any of the characters, but would be willing to spend more pleasant time with them.
Recommended for steampunk fans.
