Rafe Lancaster is reluctantly settling into his role as the First Heir of House Stravaigor. Trapped by his father’s illness and his new responsibilities, Rafe can’t go with lover Ned Winter to Aegypt for the 1902/03 archaeological digging season. Rafe’s unease at being left behind intensifies when Ned’s fascination with the strange Antikythera mechanism and its intriguing link to the Aegyptian god Thoth has Ned heading south to the remote, unexplored highlands of Abyssinia and the course of the Blue Nile.
Searching for Thoth’s deadly secrets, Ned is out of contact and far from help. When he doesn’t return at Christmas as he promised, everything points to trouble. Rafe is left with a stark choice – abandon his dying father or risk never seeing Ned again.
Karen's Rating:
‘The God’s Eye’ is the third, and rumor has it, final story in ‘Lancaster’s Luck’ the Victorian Era Steampunk trilogy by Anna Butler.
In ‘The Gilded Scarab’ we were introduced to Rafe Lancaster and followed his return back to civilian life after leaving the Britannic Imperium’s Aero Corps. As Rafe tries to find his bearings upon returning to civilian life the reader goes on a journey with him while he learns about running a coffee house, deals with a jealous ex-lover, fends off murder and kidnapping attempts and begins a new relationship with Ned Winter, first heir to Gallowglass House…it was only meant to be a brief dalliance but as fate keeps drawing them together, it turns into something stronger, something more…possibly the key to Rafe’s future happiness.
Then in ‘The Jackal’s House’ the reader travels to Aegypt with Rafe and Ned on an archaeological excavation in the temple ruins of Abydos where strange things began to happen…things that became dangerous…life threateningly dangerous. At every turn they find themselves facing more and increasingly dangerous things. It soon becomes clear that if they’re going to survive, they need to get to the bottom of what’s happening and quickly.
And now in ‘The God’s Eye’, Rafe and Ned’s once again find themselves in jeopardy. Rafe is to become First Heir of House Stravaigor and as his father hovers on the brink of death leaving Rafe tied to a future he never wanted but knows he must accept he finds himself unable to accompany Ned to Aegypt for the archaeological digging season. Rafe’s deepest worries are realized when Ned fails to return from a trip to the remote, unexplored highlands of Abyssinia.
As much as he is reluctant to do so, Rafe knows he must follow his heart and leave Londinium with its house and familial commitments behind to travel to Aegypt and ultimately Abyssinia in search of Ned so he can bring him safely home.
When I first began reading this series, I said that not only was this Ms Butler’s wheelhouse but she was in the driver’s seat…my belief in this has not changed. Although it’s been a while since I read ‘The Jackal’s House’ slipping back into the steampunk world of Victorian era London was effortless.
While there’s a very definite romance in this story…actually in all of them for the most part it’s the action and adventure that holds center stage. So admittedly if you’re someone who wants their romance front and center than you may not enjoy these stories as much as I did. But also know that there is a very definite romantic relationship between Rafe and Ned and while it’s not always the main focus neither does it ever become completely lost to the story.
Once again Ms Butler has maintained the world she’s created while taking the reader on an epic adventure with some very memorable characters. Many of which we’ve met in previous stories but here in ‘The God’s Eye’ we are given a closer look at some of the people in Ned and especially Rafe’s life. I think for me one of the main reasons that I’ve enjoyed this series so much has been the authors writing style and that she’s not only written a story that feels like it’s set in steampunk Victorian Era England and that it holds such an intimate feeling to the era that in the best possible ways it feels like she lived it.
Just a little side note here…as well as my recommendation in previous reviews to read the series from the beginning and in order. I would also encourage visiting series page on the author’s website where you’ll find links to a lot of fun and interesting information on the series and on steampunk London. It’s a fun place to poke around and add a more visual feel to the story in terms of the era and how things appeared as well as things specific to this series, it’s information that can only add to your reading experience.
“The God’s Eye” may be the final book in ‘Lancaster’s Luck’ I’m hoping that it’s not the authors only foray into the world of Steampunk London and for me the only thing that could have made this better would be if I could enjoy it all over again on audio…“le sigh!” a girl can hope…right?
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An ARC of ‘The God’s Eye’ was graciously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
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