Tags
5 stars, airship, Art, Book Review, Cecilia Dominic, mystery, pirates, romance, series, Steampunk
About The Art of Piracy by Cecilia Dominic
Sometimes the clearest skies hide the deadliest secrets.
Veronica Devine is determined to return home in triumph and show the family who disowned her that she’s made it as one of the world’s premier art historians. Her one chance – escort art rescued from an abandoned chateau to the new art museum in Terminus. A simple airship trip over the Atlantic aboard a luxury liner promises to be a much-needed break and a chance to get her head on straight before facing the disgrace of her past.
Luc, the Marquis de Monceau, abandoned his chateau in the face of the Prussian invasion and is determined to recover one of the pieces. The problem – he can’t reveal who he truly is, or he’ll be arrested for aiding pirates. The other problem – he’s not sure which of the paintings he’s searching for since the information he needs is hidden in the art itself. Perhaps the beautiful art historian who’s escorting the collection can help him.
As clouds gather above, the ocean surges below, and air pirates pursue the ship. Veronica and Luc – locked in a dance of hidden identity, secret passions, and past betrayals – need to figure out which piece of art holds the key to unlock a metaphysical mystery, or else the pirates will be the least of their problems.
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Review of The Art of Piracy
Veronica has an eye for art. Well, maybe a feeling for art. Regardless of how one describes her talent, she manages to pick the one painting everyone else seems to want. Yes, that will cause trouble. One does not think an art curator will so troublesome. That she is, makes for a good story!
Luc is one of the people looking for that painting. Trouble is, he is not sure which painting it is. He just knows that Veronica is probably the key. Looks like he is going to have to get closer to her. Such a setup for a romance!
Most of the action in The Art of Piracy takes place on the Acadia Pearl, a brand new airship on its inaugural flight. To me, airships are the epitome of steampunk, so I always enjoy the in-the-sky setting. On the airship, Aether Physics series readers will be reunited with Inspector Davidson. At the request of the captain, he attempts to expose any possible piracy on this shiny, new luxury airship.
The title of this book is a giveaway. There will be pirates, ruthless pirates – as such characters tend to be. They are present throughout the story so the eventuality of the inevitable meeting with the pirates and the good guys (Veronica, Luc, and Inspector Davidson) makes for a nice bit of anticipation. Along with that anticipation, a slow-burning romance, a series of suspicious events and a bit of magic all combine to serve up a rousing good tale of adventure and love in the sky.
As a fan of Ms. Dominic’s Aether Psychics series, I am delighted with her return to that world in her new Steampunk/Romance The Art of Piracy. This might be my favorite so far!
The author provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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The Art of Piracy is one of 25 stories in the collection Rogue Skies.
About Rogue Skies
The skies have gone rogue. Space can’t be tamed. And magic is a law unto itself.
Transport yourself to new worlds where dark magic clashes with witty witches, diabolic demons, feisty fae, and sexy shifters. Or travel through time and space with cosmic spies, space thieves, and telepathic pirates. Add in a dash of Victorian heroes and inhuman soldiers, and you have a one-of-a-kind science fiction and fantasy collection of intoxicating proportions.
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