Review- The Gunfighter and the Gear Head by Cassandra Duffy

The Gunfighter and the Gear Head

by Cassandra Duffy

Sept. 7, 2011

Lesbian/ Sci-fi/ Steampunk/ Western

98K words

Buy it Amazon, Smashwords

Sky-captain Gieo and her fleet of steam-powered dirigibles are humanity’s best chance to turn the tide of the war against the alien invaders, but only if Fiona can protect her from blind cultists, jealous ex-girlfriends, and a town of apocalypse cowboys with suspect sanity.

Wow, this was the most unusual and fun book to read. I don’t think I can even classify it as it’s kind of a hodgepodge of genres that come together in creative and delicious way.  

It’s post-apocalyptic America. A war with an alien invader called the Slark has basically destroyed life and the planet as people knew it. Although the time period is not clear, references to current pop culture are made so it’s clear it’s sometime in the future but not far from our current time. Since almost all has been destroyed, including most of the population, the remaining survivors have come together in pockets around the country and are slowly setting up their own little societies and factions, many resembling the lawless towns of the West in America during the 1880’s.

In this new world, particularly in the central western states, women, prostitutes from Las Vegas mainly, have come to power and have started organizing armies and weapons to finally get control of the western states, which are still controlled by the Slark.

Most of this story takes place in Tombstone, one of the last free barrier towns between the Midwestern states and Southern states, which have formed their own societies based on old world mores, and the western states. Tombstone is basically controlled by a power hungry man who is able to control everyone due to his monopoly of Slark fuel, which is far superior to oil. The hunters, those who hunt Slark and kill them, are a rough and tumble lawless group. However they’ve created their own codes of behavior, which are a bit barbaric, but which they strictly adhere to.

Fiona, one of the main protagonists, is a deliciously intense character right out of Tarantino film. She’s a Slark hunter and takes no shit from anyone. She’ll kill without flinching or remorse if anyone breaks the hunter’s code and to defend herself and what’s hers. She’s a renegade and honorable warrior rolled in one and does what she has to to survive. She’s also quite powerful in Tombstone and people don’t mess with her since she has no scruples and parades the results of what happens when she’s crossed for all to see. It’s quite the contrast to her former life as famous world top model.

Gieo, on the other hand, is a naïve genius dreamer who keeps trying to fly her dirigibles close to Slark territory to map out the areas they control. She dreams of one day being part of an air force that will wipe them out. However, she’s the sort of happy-go-lucky type that can’t imagine killing either. Her dirigible goes down in the outskirts of Tombstone and it happens to be Fiona who’s out hunting who finds her and brings her back. She’s a technological wiz and this is how she survives. Both women just happen to be lesbians and the only women in the Tombstone.

These two make an odd but colorful couple. Fiona can’t believe it when after Gieo’s first night there, she finds Gieo surrounded by the roughest of men blithely trading her fix anything tech services for machine parts and technology she needs to get her gear going again. In an interesting twist of fate, in order to protect Gieo, the only other woman in town besides Fiona and who the crazy, fundamentalist cultist who live on the outskirts of town want to kill thinking she's the devil, Fiona has to claim her as her property by law of the hunter’s code.

Gieo quite gets into this wearing a dog collar and letting Fiona treat her as property in a semi-serious, teasing and flirtatious way, which bugs Fiona since this is not what she’s about.

Their sexual interactions are subdued on the one hand, Gieo only letting Fiona rub off on her but not getting off herself and keeping some distance, and yet, there’s a smoldering sexual energy that keeps them coming back for more. They kind of dance around each other in a somewhat cocky and playful way taking turns exerting power over each other. 

I rather liked the push/pull and even the evasiveness on both parts in between some juicy sexual encounters. It’s a lust at first site but a budding love in a slow bloom, which made me root for them even with the many obstacles, including Fiona’s past catching up with her in the form of past lovers and betrayals. Fiona wasn’t a saint before she ended up in Tombstone. And Gieo, while being a straight up innocent in general, allows herself to get seduced outside of her relationship with Fiona. However, I liked the way it was handled. It showed character growth for both women. 

Outside of the very entertaining and unique plot line and world building, there are many fascinating characters in this story as well. I think Cassandra Duffy created a very sophisticated world with characters, each having their own strong personalities---entrances and departures---that fully added to this story. Particularly all the women are portrayed as strong, sometimes ruthless, but very intelligent, which I liked.

The writing is very tight, no extra lines, characters or even tangents that didn’t add to this story. Fiona and Gieo aside, I’d love to read more from this world that Ms. Duffy has created. She definitely has a unique voice.

I definitely recommend this book if you’re into any of the genres but particularly if you just want a unique, entertaining read.

Heat level: 3 ½- sexual situations but not explicitly or deeply graphically written.

Grade: Loved

Review- Wings of Equity by Sean Kennedy

Wings of Equity
by Sean Kennedy
July 2, 2010
Steam punk/ gay (m/m)/ lesbian characters
72K
Ebook- Dreamspinner Press

Buy it Amazon (paper) (Kindle), ARe, Dreamspinner

The truth is that those who make a difference usually get martyred. What good are you dead?

Ezra Kneebone is most at home in the skies, piloting his airship with his best friend Jazz, even if it doesn’t quite pay the bills or warm Ezra’s empty bed. Those same skies are also the territory of a man known as Icarus, who uses his metal wings to steal from the rich and feed the poor. Icarus and Ezra could be soul mates but for one thing: Icarus has a bounty on his head, and Ezra is desperate for money.

Against the wishes of Jazz and her partner, the formidable Lady Bart, Ezra is determined to get his man… in more ways than one. But when Icarus saves Ezra’s life, Ezra realizes he would be betraying a hero—and his heart—if he turned Icarus in. Unfortunately, the bounty is tempting more than one hunter, and Ezra will find that loving a fugitive may mean becoming one too.

I know this blog is for reviewing f/f, lesbian or f/f/m ménage, but I thought I’d do a review of Wings of Equity because essentially one character Jazz is almost as prominent as the main character Ezra. Moreover, Jazz’s relationship with her partner Lady Bart also has a lot of page time considering this a m/m love story.

This is also my first steam punk book. I’ve always wanted to read one; it’s just never happened. It’s a sub-genre that I’m very attracted to, a nice mix of historical, fantasy and technology and this didn't disappoint.

I really enjoyed this book. Due to time constraints and reading other books in between, it’s taken me almost 3 weeks to finish, but not because it's boring. On the contrary, I read a little bit every night before sleep and to be honest, I’ve become attached to the characters and story. To the point that I’ll miss the mad adventures of Ezra and Jazz now that it’s come to an end.

Ezra and Jazz own a small ship (flying) that brings in a decent living doing runs for businesses. They’ve created a design of a ship that would be affordable to the average person, but need the funds to start up their business to mass produce it. Jazz’s lover, Lady Bart, is a rich socialite and has offered to give them the start up money, but Ezra is more bent on capturing a local Robin Hood for the bounty on his head to use as the seed money.

Jazz is against this, but goes along with Ezra anyway. In case you’re wondering, they argue and fight with each other throughout the whole book, but it’s a can’t live without you type of love and support for each other. They find Icarus and even capture him briefly but things go wrong---everyone else is trying to capture Icarus as well--- and Ezra and Icarus are stuck together in a fight for their lives. Of course, during this time Ezra and Icarus find a mutual attraction happening, so what will Ezra do?

Icarus is a local country man who’s been robbing trains carrying monies of the government and rich folk, and distributing them to the poor. He’s designed a set of wings that help him fly; easily maneuvering around the skies and ships to evade capture, but his time is running out. While being a local hero, everyone wants him for the reward money. So he lives a life of robbing and hiding, never being able to come out.

What I loved about this story is that even outside of the fact that steam punk is not reality anyway, certain elements in this story were really out there over and above that. Sometimes it’s nice to not be so logical and go with the flow just for the whimsical adventure of it.

Ezra is a likable character. He’s ambitious but is kind of lost in his personal life. He’s gay and can’t seem to find a steady partner, so he goes to Whiskey town to slake his needs with male prostitutes. But he wants something more satisfying. He’s hell bent on finding and capturing Icarus, but after meeting him it’s not so cut and dry. Icarus isn’t the typical bad guy and… he’s totally hot.

Jazz and Lady Bart are a colorful couple. Jazz is a rough and tumble girl who wouldn’t be caught dead in a dress and Lady Bart is one of those proper on the outside, adventurous on the inside type of women. They really enjoy each other and their relationship throughout the book is very entertaining. There’s even a small scene between them in their bedroom, but very mild with hints of how they enjoy each other. Surprising since that’s almost non-existent in m/m love story.

Icarus was the most provocative character of them all. He’s also the most mysterious and hilarious. He finds it amusing that everyone is out to get him and even after being captured, in several situations, he’s got a sense of humor, which makes in very endearing. Out of all the characters, we get the most background on him, and yet, he’s a character I wanted more on. Well, besides Lady Bart who is also captured my imagination.

While the characters are fun, what made this book for me was just the overall way this story was told. It’s absurd and crazy and not very close to reality at all. I mean, the fact that Ezra even thought he could capture Icarus when everyone else was out to get him was ridiculous. Who thinks like that? That’s like the local city folk thinking they could capture Jesse James. Both Ezra and Icarus get shot and are told to take it easy, but they act like Indiana Jones, and do all kinds of insane things without care when normally sepsis would have set in and they’d be dying.

The characters survive all kinds of calamities: the Lilliput being crashed into and fired at, fires on the ship, getting chased, beat up and they manage to escape trouble every time…. all absurdities that the mind wants to question, and yet, I loved it. It was a joy ride for me and nice change from all the reality based contemporaries I read.

I also liked that Jazz is just as important to Ezra as his lovers. She’s his sidekick as well as co-partner and they feed off of each other. It’s nice to read a m/f relationship that is like a marriage, but is about good friends who love each other. And it’s nice to read a female character that goes against the grain.

The only thing that bugged me through this whole story was that “pecker” was used for penis or cock throughout the whole book. I don’t know, that just doesn’t conjure up anything but snickers in me.

I recommend this book for several reasons. It’s a light, entertaining read that you don’t have to think too much on. The characters are enjoyable even if not too deeply characterized. And the relationship and characterizations of Jazz and Lady Bart are as prominent as any f/f or lesbian story.

Heat level: 4- softer graphic m/m sex.

Grade: B+