I went into this novel not having read the first volume set in the same world, a bit worried that I might be lost or feel as if I were starting in the middle. But I needn't have worried, as I instantly felt at home in William Ray's excellent steampunk fantasy.
The adventure takes place in a world where humanity has broken free from the tyranny of Elven rule through a combination of railroad tracks and gunpowder. A massive Exposition is planned in one of the major frontier cities, but the brilliant engineer behind the giant steel tower planned for its heart has disappeared. We follow along with private investigator Gus as he tries to solve the mystery of the missing man, and along the way we get a grand tour of the marvelous, dirty, Sherlock-Holmes-esque world Ray has provided.
The characters are interesting, flawed, and engaging, from the dapper singling goblin who owns a nightclub to the attractive matron of the arts who may not be all she seems, up to and including our protagonist and his plucky protocol-busting female assistant. I liked these people and the world they inhabit; it all felt very alive to me, and very real.
I say "real" because this is not the soaring towers and sylvan paradises you find in most high fantasy, where no one gets dirty and all the princesses are sparkly. This is a steampunk style world, where travelers have to keep all their money on them at all times because credit cards haven't been invented, full of soot and tar and the dirty sweat necessary to build up a steam-powered society from the ground up.
Yes, there's magic, but it's usually subtle and on the edges of human experience. Until, of course, it isn't, which is too much fun for me to spoil for you.
The writing style is engaging and exceptional, echoing the feel of an Arthur Canon Doyle novel or a Victorian period piece. The pacing is a bit slow in places, as another reviewer mentioned, but that for me was part of the pleasure -- that's how books from that period were written and this stylistic choice helped nail the atmosphere.
"The Great Restoration" is neither Grimdark nor Epic Fantasy, but something delightfully unique and entirely itself. With compelling characters, an engaging plot, and a world you'll love exploring, I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something a little different in their fantasy reading.
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