For Steam And Country - A Review

 

Steampunk is as popular now as ever, and so I thought I would take a moment to review one of the more successful steampunk YA series' currently out there. For Steam And Country is the first in a series of several books (book #6 is about to be released, if I recall correctly), and I'll say from the outset that it is rather enjoyable. I had a pleasant time reading it. It is also, however, very formulaic, with a few unique twists thrown in just to make things interesting.

Its author, Jon Del Arroz, is not someone whose political opinions I agree with. I also don't agree with his claim that he is the "leading Hispanic voice in science fiction." (That title belongs to Ty Franck, and it isn't even close how much more successful Franck is.) But those disagreements go on the back burner in this post, as I evaluate the story on its own merits.

Zaira begins much the way all other "hero's journey" stories begin. She's young (16), self-reliant, lives a simple life on a farm, and she's an orphan, as a messenger has just informed her that her father, long missing, has been presumed dead. But unlike Luke Skywalker or Harry Potter, this young protagonist is a girl, which makes for an interesting change. This is the first and last politically correct thing Del Arroz does.

In typical fashion, Zaira inherits her father's legacy. Only in this version of the story, it comes in the form of an airship - one of the last and most decorated in the fleet of Rislandia, her home country. Naturally, this confers upon her the title of Captain, as private ownership of airships is more respected than military rank or experience (which explains something of why there are so few airships left in this story). This detail seems forced, because it is. After all, Zaira can't very well be the heroine of the story if she isn't in charge of the ship. Naturally, she does something foolish with the ship, nearly getting herself and her crew killed, and forcing the Rislandian monarchy to remove her from command, thus highlighting this particular plot absurdity.

A unique twist rescues the plot. A rumor emerges that Zaira's father, the Baron Von Monacle (No, really. As a German-American, I choose to ignore this ham-handed cultural stereotype, but it's still a foul cliché.), might not be dead. This naturally preys on her mind. So, of course, she decides to do something extra foolish and go behind enemy lines, into the country of Wyranth, in a stupid rescue attempt.

In spite of everything, her scheme nearly works. Her friends learn of her plan and decide to help her, in spite of the risk. She succeeds in finding her father, and they are just about to make their escape, when the inevitable betrayal of a friend results in their capture.

Here, a simple detail (and the incompetence of the Wyranth guards) allows for a prison break. I don't wish to spoil too much, but there follows a reunification between the Baron and his old airship, and a final battle that is satisfying, if a bit telescoped.

In all, the formulaic structure of the story is both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. It seems rather easy to see certain things coming, as the clichés are obvious, and yet the final version is just different enough to keep you guessing, and consequently reading further. For example, the plot twist that Zaira's father isn't really dead. That's been used before (Darth Vader), but this time in enough of an altered form that it is pleasantly surprising. It's a time-honored technique used by everyone from Agatha Christie to Dean Koontz, and it's used because it works. For Steam and Country delivers in both style and enjoyability because it sticks to that formula, and deviates from it only just enough.

Yet for all its enjoyability, the story does feel too much like a prototypical steampunk adventure. It checks all the boxes so emphatically that it feels like pandering. The story seems like something deliberately written at a subgenre rather than within a subgenre. True steampunk fans can feel it. In particular, the battle cry, "For Steam and Country!" is especially forced. It's a blatant rip-off of "For King and Country." (And why-oh-why would such a battle cry originate in a nation with an actual monarchy?) But this is YA fiction, and so the typical reader will likely be too young to notice.

In short, this book is an enjoyable tale, but is evidently written explicitly to be marketed. It is not written by one who is in love with all things steampunk, and it shows. But it is written well enough to entertain, and at the end of the day (and the book), that's what's most important.

Eric

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