Lou Kemp

As a devoted fan who has eagerly followed Lou Kemp's steampunk fantasy series for years, I was thrilled to return to the richly imagined world of Celwyn, Kang, and Bartholomew in The Pirate Danced and the Automat Died. This long-awaited sequel delivers everything I love about the genre - high-seas adventures, mechanical marvels, magical mysteries, and most of all, wonderfully complex characters. Most importantly, the EMOTIONS on display feel authentic, and that's what keeps me reading.

I've been enchanted by these companions since The Violins Played before Junstan, watching them grow and change against fantastical backdrops. Kemp excels at character development, infusing each with moral conflicts and inner turmoil. I was anxious to see how Celwyn's romance with the vampire Tara would unfold and what new challenges the loyal automat Kang might face.

The elements of the story, from ghosts to towers to islands to the exotic locales around the world, are described in cinematic detail. This book captures the essence of steampunk, seamlessly blending historical fiction with speculative technology and fantasy elements. The continued infusion of Verne's Captain Nemo (and Verne himself) shows Kemp's masterful ability to expand upon existing lore.

While new readers can enjoy this as a stand-alone tale, for longtime fans, it's a triumphant continuation. The story Balances emotional drama with pulse-pounding action, carrying over the previous book's central themes of freedom and loyalty. I relished revisiting these characters like old friends, while enjoying each new revelation.

With captivating style and inventiveness, The Pirate Danced and the Automat Died exceeds expectations. I'm already eager to see where Kemp will steer the crew next in this enthralling saga. For any devotee of classic adventure tales, this is a must-read.… (more)

Rarely do I start a series and run straight through all the books. I can count on one finger the number of times I’ve done that (1). It can be difficult to start a series knowing there is more coming but you can’t get to it. You read something, love the world you’ve been invited into, and then have to wait a few months or a year or more to return. And while I am glad to have been introduced to The Celwyn series by Lou Kemp and tore through the first three novels, I was informed at the very end that there will be at least two more. Foiled again.

The Celwyn series is pure steampunk, replete with classic villains, the scent of a good cigar and technological marvels that are fun to read about. The series centers around a unique magician named Jonas Celwyn and his journeys in the mid-1800s, and the inclusion of Jules Verne in the last two books is genius as the writer gets to glimpse things which could have definitely influenced his writing.

The Raven and the Pig picks up right where the previous novel, Music Shall Untune the Sky, left off. Accompanied by Captain Nemo, we are reintroduced to a mortally wounded Jonas and his companions Kang and Bartholomew on a quest to save Jonas’s life and a race to a flying machine before others get to it first. Jonas’s brother, another magician named Pelaez, has offered to help save Jonas. While they are together, their relationship unfolds. It is not unusual to find strained sibling relationships in literature, but this particular one between the two magicians was very well done.

This is a nonstop novel, one that starts with a bang and does not let up until the final page. Even if the characters are dining or strolling down a street, there is something going on in the background. Kemp’s ability to keep the reader entertained is apparent in The Raven and the Pig, and just like the previous two novels, it is the character arcs, the wit, and the building of relationships that really keeps the momentum going.

Kemp’s stylistic writing is on display here, and the descriptions paint a vivid picture of this imaginary world. The dialogue is tight, on par with the time period, and help move the story forward rather than stilt its growth.

Authors change. It’s as inevitable as the passage of time. Unless an author can pen a three-, four-, or five-book series in one sitting, the first book will not be the same as the last. In some cases, I have loved the first book (e.g., The Passage) and no longer felt impressed by the third (e.g., The City of Mirrors). In other cases, it’s the other way around. The latter is true in this case, at least so far as the third novel. The Raven and the Pig is my favorite read of the Celwyn series…until the next comes out. At that point, I will need to reevaluate my position.… (more)