by Steven Brust
First published 1997
James Cobham regains consciousness in a country inn on England's south coast. He has no memory of arriving there. When he writes to his cousin, he learns that everyone believes he drowned in a boating accident. They agree he should remain hidden while they investigate what really happened. James faces danger from multiple directions. Government conspirators want him. Chartist revolutionaries hunt him. His own family harbors a magical plot against him. The year is 1849, and Europe's revolutionary wave has collapsed into betrayal and revenge. The ruling powers celebrate their survival, but they scheme against each other behind closed doors. James and his cousin must navigate this treacherous landscape to uncover the truth. Their investigation takes them through every level of Victorian society, from aristocratic drawing rooms to criminal hideouts. They encounter secret societies, philosophical debates, and romantic entanglements. The adventure features swordfights, gunplay, family secrets, and women in disguise.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, 19th-century, alternate-history
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, investigation
Setting: England, Europe
Period: 1849
590 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Tor Fantasy