Book Review: The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter by Rod Duncan
The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter by Rod Duncan
Genre: Fantasy, Steampunk
Series: Book 1 of The Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire
Publisher: Angry Robot (August 26, 2014)
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Angry Robot is making a comeback this fall with a couple of great titles, and The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter is one gem that is deserving of a lot more attention. I really had no idea what I was in for going into this book, but even before the beginnings of the story was revealed to me, I found myself already captivated by the elegant writing style.
Rod Duncan brings the Gas-Lit Empire to life in this steampunkish tale of mystery and espionage, starring a female protagonist with a big secret. Elizabeth Barnabus is the single child of a “bullet-catcher”, a term used to describe stage magicians or artists known for performing large-scale or spectacular illusions, but she has used all the tricks of the trades to fool the world into thinking she has a twin brother. In the guise of her fictitious brother Edwin the private detective, Elizabeth sets out to solve the case of a missing aristocrat while dodging alchemists and shady circus folk as well as agents of the all-powerful and tyrannical International Patent Office.
Obviously, Elizabeth is a talented, capable and intelligent young woman used to solving her own problems, often in creative and ingenious ways. So forgive me for going on a mini-ramble here while I ponder on the trend of the “daughter-in-the-title” phenomenon; that is, I notice so many book titles that seem to follow this “The ________’s Daughter” formula these days, but I call it a ramble and not a rant because I think it amuses me more than it bothers me. I find it curious especially in this case, where Elizabeth is such an awesome character and being defined by her father’s profession clearly doesn’t do her enough justice! Besides being a master of disguise, she is also very adept at taking in a situation and making snappy decisions.
I’m also impressed with the way the author has created this world using very subtle means. Instead of throwing buckets of descriptive details in the readers’ faces, he instead uses the history he has crafted for the Gas-Lit Empire to great effect. By reading about the significant events that shaped the empire, such as the war that divided England or the rise of the Patent Office, I was able to piece together the culture and mood of this alternate universe. Sights and sounds can come across easily through words, but it takes a much rarer talent to convey the intangible such as the atmosphere of a setting the way Duncan does.
The mystery in this novel unfolds gradually, and though I wouldn’t call The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter a high-octane read, it does keep up a steady level of intrigue and suspense. It also has its moments, such as when Elizabeth runs afoul of a troupe of traveling circus performers and for a few chapters I was immersed in the dark side of circus life and became acquainted with many very interesting individuals.
With its unique setting and premise, this book embodies the essence of what I’ve come to expect from Angry Robot over the years. But I would still love to know more about Elizabeth as a character. Even though the story is told through her perspective in the first person, she seems to keep the reader at arm’s length. This might be an effect of the writing style, or perhaps something Rod Duncan purposely meant to do from the start, and if that’s the case, then it’s actually pretty clever. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for someone in Elizabeth’s place to maintain a detached attitude even as she is narrating her own story, given how she must protect the secret of her double-life from the rest of the world.
In short, this was a well-written novel, the story fantastically put together with elements of alternate history and steampunk, topped off with a strong, resourceful heroine. You can’t help but be drawn to Elizabeth Barnabus. I’m definitely looking forward to continuing her adventures in the sequel.
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Angry Robot!
The BiblioSanctum 
I also agree with you about Elizabeth being somewhat aloof, but I think part of it was the Victorian-like setting, where women are expected to behave a certain way, even when they’re narrating, LOL!
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I didn’t think about that, but you’re right! The setting could have a lot to do with the characters attitude too.
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Too cover was just so bland so I did not know what to expect…thriller crime? But now this sounds good
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I actually quite like the cover, it was what drew me to the book in the first place XD
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I particularly liked the alternate world. Not being as well versed in English history as readers in England are, it did take me until the appendix to work out the entire line of the point of divergence
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I am not familiar with my history either, but also found the alternate world here fascinating when I read more of the appendix, which was an excellent inclusion.
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oh a great world, a good mystery and a character like Elizabeth? It sounds perfect for me. I didn’t know about this one I confess so thank you fot the discovery. It’s interesting to find a new steampunk story and the cover is quite intriguing too. thanks!
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No problem, I haven’t been keeping up with Angry Robot titles lately, but I was glad I discovered this one too.
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Great review. I was curious about this one; now I know that I’ll have to check it out. (I had the same thoughts about the title, btw. I think it’s a matter of, “Hey, ____ has a nice ring to it.”)
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I think you’re right, which is partly why I think the title trend has gotten so popular as of late 🙂
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Should have kept an eye out for this one. I am not sure many steampunk type books actually bother with a precise point of divergence from the real world; kind of a neat point of interest for me.
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You’re right, not many do, and many that are categorized as alternate history/reality/world rare are that.
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I do like the sound of this one from your review – it didn’t appeal to me originally for some reason but you’ve set me straight.
Thanks
Lynn 😀
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Seems to be one of those Angry Robot books that flew under the radar, I’m glad I gave this one a read!
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Interesting. I honestly had no idea what to expect from this one and decided to wait for reviews. I don’t have the best track record with steam punk for somer reason. But, this makes me think maybe I should give it a chance.
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Don’t know if this would matter, but I would say the steampunkish parts of this is actually relatively light – a small part of the greater world, which I think is probably going to be the aspect that most people will enjoy 😀
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You know, that’s a really good point about the whole “The ______’s Daughter” phenomena. Maybe the point of the title – at least in this case – is to show how dependent Elizabeth is on the appearance of male support and supervision. Like she’s actually completely fine on her own but in order to keep up appearances she has to make it seem like she’s relying on her male relatives. But I haven’t read the book so maybe I’m way off base! When I do read it I’ll be sure to let you know what my opinions are on that title weirdness.
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This sounds like a good book, Mogsy. It sounds like an interesting setting.
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Coming to this really late, but regarding the “________’s Daughter” title, I actually thought it was kind of clever in the case of this book. I spent most of the book finding it odd that Elizabeth’s father was never actually referred to as a “bullet-catcher”, but then the plot wraps around to another character who this term refers to more explicitly, so the title has kind of a dual meaning? It can describe Elizabeth, but it’s also something of a hint about a particular twist in the tale.
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