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Esprit de Corpse

by Ef Deal

Esprit de Corpse - Ef Deal
Part of the The Twins of Bellesfées series:
  • Esprit de Corpse
Editions:Kindle - First Edition: $ 2.00
ISBN: B0BLTGHLL4
Pages: 313
Paperback - First: $ 16.95
ISBN: 978-1949691832
Size: 6.00 x 9.00 in
Pages: 222

What secrets lie beneath the streets of Paris?

When a malfunctioning automaton runs full force into their locomotive on the new Paris-Orléans railway, Jacqueline Duval and her bohemian twin sister Angélique Laforge become embroiled in a mystery deeply rooted in their tragic past. A polytech and famed engineering prodigy, Jacqueline is fascinated by the metal man, even more so when she discovers that it is powered not by steam, but by the supernatural. Her investigation puts the sisters on a path both dangerous and mysterious as they must foil a plot to employ the dead to power a mechanical army aimed at international conquest. Aid comes from unexpected sources as the twins rush to avert this engineered war, but will they be in time?

Published:
Publisher: eSpec Books
Imprint: NeoParadoxa
Editors:
Illustrators:
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Tags:
Tropes: Burial Ground/Cemetary, Conspiracy, Enemy to Ally, Good Robots, Powerful Artifact
Word Count: 70000
Setting: France: Paris and the Loire Valley
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Continuous / Same Characters
Tropes: Burial Ground/Cemetary, Conspiracy, Enemy to Ally, Good Robots, Powerful Artifact
Word Count: 70000
Setting: France: Paris and the Loire Valley
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Continuous / Same Characters
Excerpt:

“JACQUELINE MARIE-CLAIRE DUVAL DE LA FORGE-À-BELLESFÉES.”

Jacqueline ducked her head to avoid the Paris prefect’s cynical gaze
as he examined Jacqueline’s papers. The platform of Gare d’Austerlitz
teemed with travelers anxious to board. They glared at Jacqueline,
blaming her for the delay. Even the shiny green locomotive’s blasts of
steam accused her with each passing minute.

She reached down to scratch behind the ear of the she-wolf beside
her. The wolf’s eyes closed in delight. Jacqueline squatted down to
whisper, “This is the third time this year I’ve had to rescue you from
your own indiscretions, Angélique. Next time, I’ll let you sit in jail.”

“What was your business in Paris?” the prefect asked.

READ MORE

Before she could answer, a man stepped between Jacqueline and her
inquisitor and addressed the prefect too quietly for Jacqueline to hear.
Angélique snorted a laugh. Her lupine sense of hearing must have
caught the exchange. The man strode away, and the prefect offered
Jacqueline a hand to help her rise.

“I apologize, Madame Duval. I did not realize who you were.” The
prefect returned her papers, spun on his heel, and left.

COLLAPSE
Reviews:Maria V. Snyder on Goodreads wrote:

Author perk - being able to read books before they're released! This was a fun, quick read. See my cover blurb below:

Steampunk, werewolves, spirits, and romance. All the ingredients a reader needs for a fast-paced, action-packed adventure!

William Donahue on Goodreads wrote:

I was given an advance copy of this novel for review in exchange for an honest review. Here it comes: What a beautifully written, action-packed story! From the very first chapter, novelist Ef Deal hooks the reader with an imaginative work of steampunk set in 19th century France. The cast of characters includes an automaton powered by a most unlikely source, an artistically inclined shapeshifter, and a brilliant young protagonist (literally a genius) who’s unafraid to get her hands dirty. I cannot imagine how much research Ms. Deal did to write this lush, expansive, and finely detailed book—science, geography, history, etc.—but her efforts show on each page. I am more in awe of the author’s imagination in building the world in which her characters live, love, fight, and die. A mysterious skull, necromancy, catacombs—what more could a reader want? While this is the kind of novel I would gladly return to, and I’m sure I will, I am tickled to hear that it is merely the first in a series

Chris Bauer on Goodreads wrote:

A steampunk-paranormal novel that is so well done because it's a) well researched (to get what could be validated, validated), b) beautifully word-crafted, c) well plotted, and d) so clever. Brava to the author.

Wendy S. Delmater on Abyss & Apex wrote:

This is a fun romp of a steampunk tale. Jacqueline Duval is an inveterate tinkerer, an innovator, and holds many mechanical patents in 1840s France. Her twin sister, Angélique, used to be a musical prodigy until disaster struck and she was somehow turned into…not exactly a werewolf, more of a wolf shape shifter. Ever since her transformation Angélique has pushed the envelope and been reckless with her lifestyle, companions, and sexual favors. Jacky despairs of her sister’s almost suicidal streak and the novel starts with her yet again rescuing her twin from some horrid situation of her own making, in Paris. They are taking the train home when a mechanical man is found on the tracks, stopping the train and providing a mechanical mystery for Jacky that proves very strange indeed: the automaton is very hot to the touch, and when its helmet is pried open not only does steam escape, so does a scream.

And there is just a skull and piping inside, with no visible means of propulsion.

And oh, how many players want that skull with its odd writing and odder history! While Jacqueline has the mechanical man set in luggage, bound for her forge and workshop, she keeps the skull separate to take it to Paris and have a translator look at the inscription. A British agent and a French spy get involved, because the skull is pivotal to a plot to wage war. And Jacky becomes separated from Angélique as they both discover clues: one as a wounded wolf, and the other as an engineer following a trail of mechanical bread crumbs. Wound through it all is an occult threat that threatens both of their worlds.

I’m usually not a big fan of steampunk, since I often cannot make the leap to accept many of the miniaturizations that such stories ask of their mechanical marvels. I’m glad I looked past that, though. With the exception of how Jacky re-wires and causes the automaton to become “Monsieur Claque,” everything is well-thought-out scientifically and believable. The story is also true to the time period. I especially love how she gives a “French translated into English” cadence to the book; it enhanced my enjoyment. And it has marvelous romantic subplots as well as an inevitable surprise at the denouement. Give it a try when it comes out on April 1, 2023!


What secrets lie beneath the streets of Paris?

When a malfunctioning automaton runs full force into their locomotive on the new Paris-Orléans railway, Jacqueline Duval and her bohemian twin sister Angélique Laforge become embroiled in a mystery deeply rooted in their tragic past. A polytech and famed engineering prodigy, Jacqueline is fascinated by the metal man, even more so when she discovers that it is powered not by steam, but by the supernatural. Her investigation puts the sisters on a path both dangerous and mysterious as they must foil a plot to employ the dead to power a mechanical army aimed at international conquest. Aid comes from unexpected sources as the twins rush to avert this engineered war, but will they be in time?

About the Author

Ef Deal’s short fiction has been published in numerous online zines and anthologies as well as in F&SF. Her short story Czesko was given honorable mention in Gardner Dozois' Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy. Ef has been freelance line-editing and copy-editing for over thirty years. She is currently assistant fiction editor at Abyss&Apex magazine, and video editor for Strong Women ~ Strange Worlds. Her first novel Esprit de Corpse is forthcoming from eSpec Books, the first in a steampunk paranormal romance series involving the Twins of Bellefées. Most recently, her poem Elsinboro: The Delaware, 1965 was published in the NJ Bards Review 2022. When she's not writing, Ef marches old-school alumni drum and bugle corps on soprano bugle; she also composes, arranges and directs music. She lives in Haddonfield, NJ, with her husband and two chows. She is an associate member of SFWA and an affiliate member of HWA.  Follow her blog Talespinner at efdeal.blogspot.com.