In an alternate Renaissance (one that’s not so re-birth-y), one city holds out against the hordes of desperate plague victims outside its walls. Within, two families vie for power – each employing a rival scientist. Leonardo and Galileo put their minds and science (which looks a lot like magic) to work on holding back the dread plague, and inventing gadgets. So far, both have refused to create weapons of war. The balance of power is delicate, the remedies that hold back the disease are losing efficacy, and it looks like humanity may well be doomed.

Against this backdrop, a scientist's apprentice, Lorenzo, falls in love with the daughter of the rival family, Lucia. Lucia becomes a pawn in a plot involving control of the city. Lorenzo is distraught – but a mysterious assassin-like figure who seems to be possessed of great knowledge and skills appears and tells him that in order to save Lucia he must first save civilization…

The background setting for this was original and entertaining. I liked the whole steampunk-renaissance-with-plague-hordes concept. However, I felt like it didn’t live up to its full potential. The story itself was rather prosaic, with a few too many familiar tropes. However, it was still pretty entertaining – up until the end. It felt like the author got to the home stretch, suddenly said, “Wait! I didn’t explain anything! I have bits in here that don’t make much sense!” and went to extreme lengths to quickly cobble together a far-fetched and ridiculous excuse for the whole scenario which involves bringing in whole new levels of plot that weren’t previously even hinted at – and still don’t really make that much sense.
Still – it’s pretty decent up until the very end.

Copy provided by NetGalley! Thanks to Angry Robot for allowing me to read this book! ( )

You would think that a book that starts off with a character saying "Tar my bung hole and use me for a keg!" would be epic. The beginning of this book is. There is a plague that is hitting the countryside and everyone is dying. Inside the walls of this kingdom though the scientist/apothecarists have discoved some spices that can be brewed as tea that staves off the plague. Two main families control that trade. Enter Romeo/Juliet type scenario.
The first 45% of this book was just so fun. There was even talk of making a huge iron man to fight the other family.

Enter into the second half. I have no clue where this story wanted to go. I did finish it and still don't really understand it. The ending was just..well I finished it.

I recieved a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I think it may be more like 2.5 stars for me.

Full review: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2014/05/19/the-shadow-master-by-craig-cormick/

The Shadow Master by Craig Cormick was a different read for me. It is a bit steam punk (Prepare yourself for a plethora of devices consisting of cogs! Everything and anything can be made, if you just have some cogs and a bit of wire) with some humor thrown in, and a central romance of star crossed lovers. The central premise of the story is interesting. The land has been ravaged by plague, with no one safe or immune from its devastating effects. No one that is, outside of the Walled City. Within these walls they hold the secret to keeping the plague at bay, so the fortunate people within live unmarred and healthy. But of course, that does not mean they live in harmony.

Within this oasis from the plague, the people are divided between two households (the Medicis and the Lorraines) to the degree that a brief glimpse at a man’s facial hair will speak of his allegiance, which house he supports. Oh, and of course, this is a Romeo/Juliet love story, so our star-crossed lovers are from the different houses. (Brief confession here, I kept expecting to hear songs from West Side Story break out while reading).

Our star crossed lovers have seemingly always caught each others eye and seek each other out from across their church or anywhere else they may cross paths. You know the, love and infatuation that is just created by some unseen chemistry that pulls these two into a tide where they are always reaching, searching, rarely finding one another. They have never even spoken, but yet they are drawn to one another. At least the attraction is mutual and not stalker-y. My main comment with the characters is that they are rather 2 dimensional. But I also think that is typical of this type of story, and really all that uncommon. Kind of like Disney movies where a maiden fair is drawn to a dashing prince; The story is more about the evolution of the magical relationship rather than the characters themselves. You get the basics, some feel for them, but nothing much beyond that.

I will say I like the introduction of the Shadow Master, some mysterious figure whose allegiance is either unknown or non-existent. Without knowing his side or motivation, it keeps us guessing why he takes the actions he does and what he may do next.

I also feel the second half of the book was lacking a clear focus or direction. Things kept happening, but I really didn’t get a good feel for motivations which made it just feel random. It involved ‘madmen’, and I did feel that was rather apt. Once again, I left wondering how much of what I found humorous about this book was by design. Some of his humor was too blunt for my taste, the kind of satirical humor you would find in a prime time comedy TV Show. Most people like it, but it tends to fall flat for me, not just in this, but anything like that I read (Dresden Files being a very popular example).

This is a fast read, so if you are in the mood for a quick light read with a bit of steampunk Romeo/Juliet and humor, then give you could give it a shot, maybe it will work for you.

( )

I would like to thank NetGalley & Angry Robot for granting me the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Though I received this e-book for free that in no way impacts my review. I give this book 2.5 stars, but in systems that only allow whole numbers I'm not comfortable rounding up, so it will get 2 stars.

In a land riven with plague, inside the infamous Walled City, two families vie for control: the Medicis with their genius inventor Leonardo; the Lorraines with Galileo, the most brilliant alchemist of his generation.

And when two star-crossed lovers, one from either house, threaten the status quo, a third, shadowy power – one that forever seems a step ahead of all of the familial warring – plots and schemes, and bides its time, ready for the moment to attack...

Assassination; ancient, impossible machines; torture and infamy – just another typical day in paradise.

Wow. What to say about this book? This story had so many different things going on that at times I felt lost, not necessarily understanding the relationships or motivations of some of the players. Clearly there are many themes during the Renaissance period that have been approached with a truckload of artistic license. Examples include the feuding between the Medicis and the Lorraines, (possibly a reference to the House of Lorraine?), a spin off of Romeo and Juilette, the Walled City, the High Priest Savonarola, and naming a pivotal Councilman Sforza. But then who are the Nameless One and the Shadow Master supposed to be a riff on?

This book does take a bit of effort to read in the beginning, but once you've read maybe 10 percent it gets easier to make sense of all the different threads being woven in to create the greater story. Yet it remained somewhat of a challenge for me, based upon my rough knowledge of history, as seen below.

The Medicis sponsor Galileo, while the Lorraines sponsor Leonardo (despite what the Goodreads blurb above states). They never give last names, but clearly are referring to Galileo Galilei and Leonardo da Vinci. The two ruling Houses are constantly trying to supplant the other and take complete control of the city, totally disregarding the City Councilmen and their City Guard. They each try to gain advantage by using devices that their resident inventors create. Yet both Galileo and Leonardo refuse to invent/remake anything that the 'ancients' created - anything warlike, for they believe that is how all the knowledge of the ancients was lost. Yet some of the machines of the ancients are also references to works by Galileo and Leonardo, but that may make sense in light of the the ending.

There is an attack on the two Medici brothers early on which took place while they were leaving church. That could almost be lifted straight out of history books, for there was once a conspiracy to depose the family by killing Lorenzo and his younger brother Giuliano during Easter services. Both assassination attempts, real and fictional, ended the same. In retaliation Cosimo hires the Nameless One to kidnap and hold the Lorraines' only child, a daughter named Lucia. And here is where things begin to get a bit strange, for I don't know what to make of the Nameless One throughout the entire book.

Meanwhile the rest of the world is being ravage by a deadly plague. The Walled City is the only plague-free place left known in the modern world. The Walled City was most likely Verona, particularly as that was one of the two settings for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juiliette, which is clearly used as the model for the relationship between Lorenzo, who is Medici-sponsored Galileo's assistant, and Lorraines' daughter, Lucia.

Since the Walked City is rumored to be plague-free, it becomes a Mecca for all those with the plague. There is a daily lottery to allow a few of the hundreds of supplicants into the City. The plague itself is possibly meant to reflect something else on another level, and all I can come up with is a sending from God (based upon my very loose interpretation of the end of the book). What is being done to those that win the lottery to enter the Walled City is another mystery to me. Again I am sure that there is more going on here than I am getting, but what it makes me think of is The Island of Doctor Moreau. Maybe I'm reaching, but that's where my mind went upon reading some passages.

Of course between the two ruling Houses battling for supremacy, the City Guard being overwhelmed by the growing number of plague victims gathering at the gates, we also have a crazed religious faction to deal with. And it certainly seems that the character is based upon friar Savonarola. Granted that is the name of the Church's High a Priest, but in one of his final scenes something happens that runs perilously close to the real Savonarola, who later in life (and under torture) confessed his visions and prophecies were made up and was put to a 'trial by fire.'
One of his alycotes, Councilman Sforza, turned traitor. Of course in reality the Sforza family was at one point against the Medici family, then married into it later on, and in reality one of the Sforza's one took in Leonardo da Vinci for a time. So much back and forth between fiction and fact that I found myself getting confused, even when things weren't taking place in the correct era.

There are plenty of humorous moments, and silly suggestions, such as Duke Lorraine thinking to himself that someday, when the strife is behind them, he could get Leonardo to paint a portrait of his beautiful Lucia and her mysterious smile. And the metaphors are often entertaining, especially if you've ever read a romance novel or two. Finally, some new metaphors for the genitalia of both genders - and they are funny!

I don't completely understand the end of this book. I feel sure that there is something more going on in the end between the Shadow Man, Lorenzo, and Lucia, than is explained. Sadly my mind is drawing a blank at the moment, other than thinking it may be referencing a religious event or two. Certainly the changes in the city speak to a higher event, but I'll hold my pen so as not to spoil it for you. I find that I am left wondering what the real meaning of the ending is meant to be? Is it whatever we takeaway? Or are we supposed to draw parallels for different events and therefore get a deeper meaning? If so, I'm sorry to say I failed. ( )

I wish I could write a more positive review for this book, I really do. The Shadow Master has so much going for it, including a setting resembling an alternate-history Renaissance Italy, with just a touch of that steampunk flavor with its clockwork inventions and automatons. We also mustn’t forget the biggie for me – a plot thread about a pair of star-crossed lovers separated by the warring between their families. I do get a kick out of forbidden love. This book just seemed made for me, and indeed I liked a lot of its separate parts. I’m just not sure how well I liked the whole.

If the book’s description didn’t make you think it already, then I’m sure its epigraph “A plague a’ both your houses!” certainly would – the basic plot is very much reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. However, this is not a romance. In fact, one of my biggest disappointments was not feeling any connection at all between the two young lovers: Lucia, daughter of the Duke of House Lorraine and Lorenzo, whose loyalties lies with the House Medici.

With the two families at each other’s throats, the future of Lucia and Lorenzo’s relationship hangs in the balance, but without first being convinced of their bond, I found it hard to stay interested. Their love story, which should have served as the starting point and foundation of the novel, didn’t initially captivate me, and as a result the rest of the story failed to deliver the desired impact.

But as I’d alluded to, there were quite a few things I enjoyed about this book. I enjoyed the appearance of several historical figures including Galileo and Leonardo Da Vinci, even though they weren’t contemporaries, but their “war of the wits” gave the Medici vs. Lorraine battle a certain fantastical flare. Both are reluctant geniuses caught in the conflict between the Houses, receiving pressure from their leaders to design and build magical inventions that would give their side the advantage. The city is also threatened by plague, a problem literally at its doorstep as hordes of the sick and dying amass outside the gates. The first half of this book was quite engaging for these reasons.

Around the 60% mark, however, events of the story suddenly made a turn for the confusing. Kidnappings and assassination attempts and negotiations become entangled in mystical machines, madmen and ancients. The events were so jumbled and disconnected that I’m still a bit uncertain as to what really happened.

I think the language and the author’s writing style might have also made following the story a little more difficult. I didn’t click with some of the dialogue between characters spoken in riddles, and at times the prose also had a tendency to feel overly embellished with the use of euphemisms, especially during moments of intensity. Torture scenes or sex scenes were made incredibly awkward by terms like “serpent of sin”, “tower of ivory”, “fountain of relief”, “cave of wonders” and “mountains of the goddess”. There was speculation between me and another blogger that some of these were done purposely for the sake of satire, which I admit was something that hadn’t occurred to me. It’s possible, I suppose, though if that’s the case it’s not presented in a very obvious manner.

If the last half had been tightened up and more clear and consistent, I might have enjoyed The Shadow Master a bit more, but as it is, the book feels slightly unfinished and rushed. I had pretty high hopes, but in the end this one just didn’t work very well for me. ( )