Nights of Steel (Ether Chronicles, book 2) by Nico Rosso
In the world of The Ether Chronicles, the Mechanical War rages on, and appearances are almost always deceiving. The Prim Professor Daphne Carlisle may be a scholar, but she's far more comfortable out in the field than lost in a stack of books. Still, when her parents are kidnapped by a notorious warlord, she knows she'll need more than quick thinking if she is to reach In the world of The Ether Chronicles, the Mechanical War rages on, and appearances are almost always deceiving. Still, when her parents are kidnapped by a notorious warlord, she knows she'll need more than quick thinking if she is to reach them in time.
Daphne's only hope for getting across enemy territory is an airship powered and navigated by Mikhail Denisov, a rogue Man O' War who is as seductive as he is untrustworthy. The Jaded Mercenary Mikhail will do anything for the right price, and he's certain he has this mission—and Daphne—figured out: But as they traverse the skies above the Mediterranean and Arabia, Mikhail learns the fight ahead is anything but simple, and his lovely passenger is not entirely what she seems.
The only thing Mikhail is certain of is their shared desire—both unexpected and dangerous. The Ether Chronicles 3. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Skies of Steel , please sign up. Lists with This Book. Mar 03, Elkin rated it liked it. While there can be no doubt, that this work is soft science-fiction, it equally cannot be questioned as being an example of adventure science-fiction, with a heady romantic element that serves as the main driving mechanism for the plot. The reader is by no means disappointed.
Professor Carlisle, might be a woman in distress, but she is most certainly no idle damsel waiting for someone to rescue her. No, from the earliest moments it is made quite clear that she intends to take matters into her own hands, and in doing so manages to trick a jaded mercenary not once, but twice. The authors even give us an excellent reason for his interesting hair style. While the reader must overlook a few matters related to physics and chemistry, and even though the ending feels a little rushed, despite that a few of the events are a little predictable, the work is a fine example of a steampunk style world, without steam.
View all 3 comments. Sep 22, Amber at Fall Into Books rated it really liked it. I am going to be honest. I requested this book from Edelweiss simply because the guy on the cover had a mohawk, and I have a weakness for punk guys. I didn't know anything about this novel when I began reading it, but I was pleasantly surprised. This is a steam punk novel, not punk rock, but Mikhail still puts the punk in steam punk. Skies of Steel had excellent world-building, two great leading characters, and a captivating and action-packed plot.
I couldn't put this book down. Mikhail and Daph I am going to be honest. Mikhail and Daphne both were terrific main characters.
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Mikhail had that tortured thing going on, but he wasn't angsty. He was strong and rebellious, but he had a good heart. I completely adored him. Daphne was completely kick ass. She didn't rely on a man for anything, and if it came down to doing what she felt she was supposed to do or giving up everything for a guy? She did what she felt she was supposed to do. I really admired that about her. My one complaint about this book is that the secondary characters were not developed at all. I would have loved to have gotten to know Mikhail's crew better.
As it stands, all the secondary characters were simply filler characters, and I didn't like that. One of the things that totally blew me away was the amount of research Archer put into this book. How she characterized the field of anthropology at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century was spot on. At that time, the field was basically known as salvage anthropology. Daphne stated that she enjoyed documenting cultures before they were crushed under the wheels of modernity, and that was an actual quote from that time period.
Of course, we now know that these cultures can sustain the supposed modernity and that the ideas of primitive vs. Daphne, being the advanced girl that she is, hints at that by stating that cultures can adapt and change and grow into something even greater. The accuracy regarding this field of study for that specific time period really made the book so much more enjoyable and realistic for me. The plot was full of action and suspense.
I really didn't know if Mikhail and Daphne would both make it out of this alive, or if they'd end up together. Because of that, I was forced to keep reading. I had to know how the story ended! There were a lot of battles and close calls that kept up the feeling of suspense for the whole pages. The other complaint I have is that I wish this book had been longer. The pacing was perfect, and I didn't feel cheated out of anything, but I wanted more of Mikhail and Daphne! The romance was kind of sweet and kind of steamy. This wasn't erotica, but there was sex in it obviously.
I liked that the characters got to know each other AND had a mutual attraction. I don't really enjoy books where the characters just screw each others' brains out with no actual feelings other than lust involved. This book had some depth, though, and I liked that.
The word-building was excellent as well. Archer didn't describe too much, so I didn't get bored and irritated with the descriptions, but she shared enough details that I could easily picture the world she created. I love the idea of a "bionic man," and the author explained the side effects of becoming a Man O' War, but she didn't go into depth about the scientific explanation, which I found refreshing. I hate when authors try to make scientific sense of things that aren't scientific, and since I'm no scientist, I don't care how things work as long as they do, haha.
Obviously when reading a work of fiction, one must willingly suspend disbelief. That was easily accomplished with this novel due to Archer's excellent research. Basically, I'd recommend this book to fans of adult romances and fans of steam punk. It's a short, quick, and enjoyable read. You don't want to miss the fantastic world that Archer has created! Oct 11, Meghan rated it it was amazing Shelves: I am not a huge fan of the steampunk subculture. Sure, I find all the clockwork jewelry appealing, and who doesn't love a gaslight lamp from time to time? But, forming a totally unfair bias, I have just had a couple of unusually unpleasant run-ins with the steampunk crowd and I think it's colored my opinion of the subculture in general.
Which I will readily and easily admit is unfair, and not really a reflect at all on what this genre or trend is about at all. So, having di Okay, full disclosure: So, having disclosed my predisposition to not be all that into this book I loved the characters: Besides handling well what Archer always handles well—heated romance, the fine razor line between frustration and attraction, sharp-paced action sequences and heroines so badass they must have uteri of steel—what impressed me most about this book was its capable handling of some really complex relational themes, namely, How do we regain trust, once lost?
What motives excuse untrustworthy behavior between lovers? Those are questions I think most of us don't have the answers to, and seeing Archer's characters struggle familiarly and honestly with them is deeply moving and deeply honest. We sometimes, in Romance, see two people overcome insurmountable odds to find love with one another, and sometimes I admit I feel cheated by their triumph, as though the author hasn't truly made them earn it. Archer's Daphne and Mikhail earn the outcome they end up with, earn it with blood, sweat, deep midnight panics, and some seriously impressive vodka consumption.
Avon Books, an imprint of HarperCollins, provided me with a free ARC of this book, though I was under no legal responsibility to provide a review. I also am acquainted with the author personally—a pleasure that makes reading her books no less an authentic experience. Sep 25, Secretly Reading rated it really liked it Shelves: Originally Reviewed for The Book Vixen Great steampunk world with two great leads and a strong adventure plot. The world building is stellar here. The adventure plot is a steampunk Originally Reviewed for The Book Vixen Great steampunk world with two great leads and a strong adventure plot.
The adventure plot is a steampunk Indiana Jones movie mixed with the Tomb Raider video game. Along the way they meet warlords riding mechanical camels, warring airships and hostile locals. I particularly love a sequence where Daphne and Mikhail have to break into a guarded room to steal an astrolabe and do so by swinging on priceless tapestries and solving a lunar puzzle. This is an action packed plot that flowed perfectly. I have to also remark on the delicious description of Mikahil. The cover does a decent job of showing him but the book describes him as a mix between a tattooed MMA fighter and biker boy with his Mohawk and ear piercings.
This is a truly satisfying read and though not quite as erotic as I like my romance, it was a great read. Any steampunk fan will enjoy this book as I did. Joint review with Joy originally posted here: Out now How we got this book: Still, when her parents are kidnapped by a notorious warlord, she knows s Joint review with Joy originally posted here: Thanks for joining me Joy. They have taken the approach of writing alternate books set in different parts of the same world. I really enjoyed the first two installments so when we were offered a chance to review Skies of Steel I leaped on the chance.
I was expecting voyages, steampunk, intrigue, a feisty heroine, and a larger than life hero. I certainly got that and much more. Definitely not a Mary Sue. The story was non-stop action to be sure. But at times, I felt disconnected from it. I suppose that could have been a result of not having read Skies of Fire first.
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I think reading the first book would have given you more of the technology and a bit more about the war. Like you I loved how Daphne was characterized. Seeing the different aspects of her personality unfold and her sheer inability to give up on achieving her goal was delightful.
Mikhail was a nice compliment to Daphne. Of course, he had his own baggage to deal with, but I so agree — he never really dismissed Daphne or the choices she had to make even as he struggled to come to terms with his own history. Despite being defined by his rogue status, he continued to operate within a code of honor. He was Alpha without being an AlphaHole and I appreciated the respect and consideration he gave to Daphne. I like that Archer placed Daphne in a position of having to make difficult decisions that comprised her usual sense of ethics as it brought to light some gender biases that exist in society: This scenario forced Mikhail to decide what betrayal really means and is it a betrayal when someone is operating under exigent circumstances?
Ooh I like the gender bias thought. Mikhail certainly met the description of jaded and than some. I think the whole experience woke Daphne up. With the abduction of her parents, she found herself now in the thick of it having to get involved and make decisions that directly impacted those around her. It forced her to see firsthand the affects of war on the people. In the end, I think she found a sense of purpose and realized that going back to the relative quiet life of academia would no longer satisfy her. He was described as being so massive one could hold motorized bicycle races on his shoulders.
Another passage indicated that he had to turn sideways to walk down an alleyway. For some reason, I kept picturing the Hulk without all the green but with all the sexy;- Mmm. So, I am left wondering why I felt so disconnected at times and caught myself daydreaming and having to go back and re-read passages. I have to admit that as much as I enjoyed the majority of Skies of Steel I did have a few niggles. As you mentioned above I could see why Daphne made the choice that she did because she now had a way to use all of the information she had accumulated over the years as well as direct proof that she could make a difference.
His choice seemed more spur of the moment based on his attraction to Daphne without any thought of the future. I do continue to enjoy this world and I look forward to what Archer is going to come up with next. I give Skies of Steel a B. Yes, I could totally see this as being an HFN vs. As much as I enjoyed the individual characters, I felt the actual development of relationships between those characters was at times lacking. When we first meet Mikhail, we are presented with an eight paragraph description of him yet no actual character interaction took place.
Some internal angsting is understandable, but it was a bit too frequent for me. I think that if the relationship had developed organically without the insta-attraction element, it would have helped to ground me in the story a bit more. There were elements to the world-building that also left me a bit flat. Sometimes I felt that the reference to mechanized camels, donkeys, automatons and fountains were added to scenery descriptions just to render a scene more steampunk-y.
I also found some logistical problems with some key plot elements. But overall, it was a fun, quick read. I give Skies of Steel a C Oct 10, Marlene rated it really liked it Shelves: If the first "world war" were fought, just a bit earlier, and with "ether" instead of guns and tanks and still a few horses , would you get something like the war that Archer and Rosso have envisioned in their Ether Chronicles? Skies of Fire showed the good guys the Brits and the perspective of those who serve her.
Night of Fire switched to the Western U. Skies of Steel gives us rebels. Han Solo as a bionic rebel and completely mercenary Man O'War helping a female Indiana Jones to ransom her parents from the desert warlord who kidnapped them. So when Mikhail Mikhailovich Denisov goes rogue from the Russian fleet, his airship goes with him. He's not the only rogue Man O'War, but governments don't like to talk about their rogues. Mikhail is also the man with the mohawk on the cover of the book. He likes the style.
Daphne Carlisle is an anthropologist who prefers studying cultures in the field to the academy. She may look like a simple academic, but she's anything but. She's equally deadly with a gun, or a deception.
The Ether Chronicles
Daphne deceives Mikhail over and over. Only one thing remains true. She will say, or do, absolutely anything, even the seemingly impossible, to save her parents. After the first lie is revealed, he should abandon her, take his ship, and leave. There is no profit in this fool's venture for a mercenary. But he stays and helps her anyway. With all her deceits, with all her tricks, Daphne has done one true thing. She has kept him from being bored and lonely.
Her true quest to rescue her parents challenges him to find his own true heart, if it still exists. After all, what mercenary would keep going on a job with no profit? Unless he's pursuing something completely different? The terrific part of all the books in this series so far have been the two leads, and Mikhail and Daphne are no exceptions. Mikhail's increasing ennui, his boredom, his heartbreak at the loss of his family and purpose in life, while still feeling oh so responsible for his ship and crew is intense.
He can't let anyone down, but he's already let himself down, and he's not sure what he's living for. Daphne is desperate and courageous in her desperation. She doesn't fit into the academic life, she belongs in the field.
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She never needs to be rescued, what she needs is a partner. The rescue of Daphne's parents, all the different tasks Daphne and Mikhail had to perform, that was fantastic. It also would have made an awesome video game! You could feel them knitting together as a team. But what did bother me a bit was the insta-connection in the beginning of the story. We never do find out why. They fall into instant rapport with each other. The other stories in this series were "second-chance at love" scenarios, where this one seemed to take the insta-connection as a short cut.
Maybe it's the Han and Indy thing. He fell in love with himself after all! But I still raced through the book and can't wait for the next one in the series, Nights of Steel. Oct 07, Diana rated it really liked it Shelves: Daphne Carlisle is in desperate need of help; her parents have been kidnapped and their captor is demanding a ransom. Captain Mikhail Denisov is her one chance to deliver the ransom and rescue them. A rogue Man O' War and mercenary, Mikhail has no loyalty save to his crew and the next fortune.
Helping Daphne will net him quite a profit; then he can leave and move on to the next treasure. However, when these two are forced together on a journey across countries and seas, sparks start to fly. I wil Daphne Carlisle is in desperate need of help; her parents have been kidnapped and their captor is demanding a ransom. I will admit; I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I have read Archer in the past and enjoyed the titles. I expected this book to be the same pleasant experience. Of course, I have to admit the guy on the cover did have some influence on my choice of choosing this.
I mean, come on! Dude is sporting a red tipped mohawk! How awesome is that! May I just say: I was just amazed. I've read several steampunk romances but they all seemed to be a different story set in the same scene with the same stories. I know that steampunk has a few set requirements to be called "steampunk" but these other stories just blurred together. There was nothing thrilling about them. Not like in Skies of Steel. Write a product review. Most helpful customer reviews on Amazon. Captain Mikhail Denisov is her one chance to deliver the ransom and rescue them.
A rogue Man O' War and mercenary, Mikhail has no loyalty save to his crew and the next fortune. Helping Daphne will net him quite a profit; then he can leave and move on to the next treasure. However, when these two are forced together on a journey across countries and seas, sparks start to fly. I will admit; I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I have read Archer in the past and enjoyed the titles. I expected this book to be the same pleasant experience. Of course, I have to admit the guy on the cover did have some influence on my choice of choosing this.
I mean, come on! Dude is sporting a red tipped mohawk! How awesome is that! May I just say: I was just amazed. I've read several steampunk romances but they all seemed to be a different story set in the same scene with the same stories. I know that steampunk has a few set requirements to be called "steampunk" but these other stories just blurred together.
There was nothing thrilling about them. Not like in Skies of Steel. This story had an refreshing and original feel to it that I really enjoyed. The idea of a bionic solider is not new, I'm old enough to remember the Bionic Woman and Six-Million Dollar man, but I didn't think of either of those characters when reading this story. We got the impression mechanical attributes were an everyday occurrence in society but also a sense of wonderment at the marvels of human creativity.
Archer also gave the other side of the story, too, demonstrating the cost of such of marvels. This story could have gone the way of social commentary like Tolstoy or Swift, but there wasn't a sense preaching or ranting. Instead Skies of Steel educated and entertained. I also liked the widespread representation of cultures. I don't see enough mulit-cultural stories in print as I would like, but this one gave a sense of the different ethnicities and their traditions and histories not seen much in romances today.
And they were handled very well too. There was no hint of condescension or use of stereotypes to differentiate one culture from another. There was a sense of respect and appreciation with each different group. If I had to have a problem with this story, it would have been with the pace and length of the story. Not quite novella length, more like category sized, this story was fast paced and moved well until the end.
At the end, the pace seemed to move double time and I felt rushed and left behind. Until this point, I had been right alongside of Daphne and her actions and reactions. If you want me to be honest, I wanted more story. I wasn't ready for it to end yet! This issue with pace wasn't bad enough, however, to impact my feelings to adversely. I was surprised at Daphne's and Mikhail's choice in the end and would have liked more story to demonstrate their decisions better. Overall, it was still a fantastic and engaging read; even now, having finished it some time ago, I want to go back and start reading it again.
On the contrary, they like their women strong and capable. He sports a mohawk and is as big and strong as the Man o Wars are in this series this book is a stand-alone, by the way - no connection to the other books apart from the steam punk universe being the same. He is tricked into helping the heroine of the book retrieve her parents who have been kidnapped.