Praise for the Map of Unknown Things
“I absolutely loved The Queen of All Crows. It’s a gripping alternative history adventure set in an intriguing world. Among the fast-paced plot twists the novel also provides keen insights into power structures, particularly when it comes to gender roles as social constructs. Elizabeth Barnabus is possibly my favourite steampunk main character ever: resourceful, fearless, unusually observant and emotionally intelligent. I was thrilled to follow her to the ends of the world as a reader.”
– Emmi Itäranta, award-winning author of Memory of Water
“The Queen of all Crows is a smart and entertaining read, among the best of the steampunk subgenre I’ve read. It continues the story of Elizabeth Barnabus in an alternative history where they take intellectual property protection a little too seriously.”
– Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist and Craigconnects
“Let’s get this out of the way: The Queen of All Crows is an excellent book, full stop. Duncan has managed to infuse the world of the Gas-Lit Empire, and the character of Elizabeth Barnabus herself, with a new jolt of life, color, and depth. Clear your schedule, because you won’t want to stop reading this until you’ve finished, and then you’ll want more.”
– Eric Scott Fischl, author of The Trials of Solomon Parker
“Some authors really find a groove in their series where each new book is more enjoyable than the last. But Rod Duncan has done even better with The Queen Of All Crows: he’s taken the Gas Lit Empire series into a completely new direction that is both wonderful and wondrous.”
– Surreal Tavi
The Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire
“Elizabeth Barnabus is a uniquely intriguing character who will take readers on a fascinating journey through the strange landscapes of the Gas Lit Empire. Rod Duncan’s storytelling skill brings his fictional world to a mysterious, vibrant life.”
– Stephen Booth, bestselling author of the Cooper & Fry series
“Rod Duncan’s The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter is a magic box pulsating with energy. Compulsive reading from the get-go, the blend of steampunk alternate history wrapped in the enigma of a chase makes for first-rate entertainment in this finely crafted novel.”
– Graham Joyce, author of Year of the Ladybird
“Steeped in illusion and grounded in an alternative history of the Luddite Rebellion, Duncan’s strong supernatural mystery serves ably as both a standalone adventure and the start to a series…Strategically placed steampunk tropes inform but do not overwhelm Elizabeth’s headlong quest to find a missing aristocrat sought by the Patent Office, which is fixated on both achieving perfection and eliminating “unseemly science.” A hazardous border crossing into the permissively corrupt Kingdom of England and Southern Wales provides ample excitement, and a glossary at the novel’s conclusion hints enticingly at a much more involved story to come.”
– Publishers Weekly
