The Brass Queen

By: Elizabeth Chatsworth

Narrated by: Michelle Babb

She knows a liar when she sees one. He knows a fraud when he meets one. In a steam-powered world, Miss Constance Haltwhistle is the last in a line of blue-blooded rogues. Selling firearms under her alias, the “Brass Queen”, she has kept her baronial estate’s coffers full. But when US spy J.F. Trusdale saves her from assassins, she’s pulled into a search for a scientist with an invisibility serum. As royal foes create an invisible army to start a global war, Constance and Trusdale must learn to trust each other. If they don’t, the world as they know it will disappear before their eyes.

If you like the Parasol Protectorate or Invisible Library series, you’ll love this gaslamp fantasy - a rambunctious romantic romp that will have you both laughing out loud and wishing you owned all of Miss Haltwhistle's armaments.

©2021 Elizabeth Chatsworth (P)2021 CamCat Publishing

Critic reviews

“A fun, frothy blend of fantasy and romance ... Fans of humorous fantasy and headstrong heroines will be delighted.” (Publishers Weekly)

“With a satisfying bite, this steampunk venture includes an insightful twist on the British Empire ... Best of all, Constance stays center stage: a feisty, lovable heroine who is capable of rescuing herself, thank you very much.” (Foreword Reviews)

“An intriguing alternate world, filled with sharply amusing dialog and lively characters. VERDICT: A delightful gaslamp fantasy that will please readers of Gail Carriger and Kate Locke.” (Library Journal)

The ultimate steampunk whodunnit

The Brass Queen is probably the ultimate steampunk whodunnit story, featuring a weapons-running British heiress-to-be who needs to marry a landed and titled gentleman within the week, an American cowboy who has a major secret, three kidnapped scientists, three stolen steam-driven exoskeletons, and a cast of wacky and devious characters who occupy the UK's upper crust. Irreverent an irrelevant dialog saturates every scene. A fascinating story that owes a debt to Monty Python but extends the genre into the reals of mystery, romance, science fiction, and societal commentary.

Very good narration and voices, although the American cowboy sounds more like a bumbling boy than a rough-and-tough man. Chalk that up to a female voice trying to emulate a tough male character, similar to how a man usually fails to adequately imitate a tender and breathy female voice.

Fun!

steampunk, fun, verbal-humor, situational-humor, British, snarky, espionage*****

Great characters, lively imagination, lots of fun!
A British heiress trying to remain in charge of her company until her father returns from an unknown location, and American agent who is not an engineer like his brother was, and invisibility serum, a farcical villain, and more! I loved it!
Michelle Babb aces the narration with just the right touch that highlights the humor by downplaying the guffaws with a haughty kind of snark.
I won this audio in a giveaway! Yay me!

Steampunk Shenanigans with Just a Pinch of Romance

This book was great! I laughed quite a lot and found myself fascinated with the whole steampunk genre. I really enjoyed all of the characters. Even the servants were hilarious. I am hoping this is actually book 1 of a series because I would love to hear more of their stories. Michelle Babb was an excellent narrator. She even got all the accents nailed!

Fantastic in every way

This is an incredibly imaginative story, well told. What could be better than an unlikely romance between two strong-willed and engaging characters, who incidentally also manage to save their world? I can't think of a single thing that might be improved, unless I could find some alternate dimension where I might enjoy this book for the first time all over again. Kudos to the author and the performer! Highly recommended.

awesome

This was a highly entertaining story. I applaud the hero for putting up with the snooty heroine. He stayed around long enough to grow on her and show her what he was made of. Kudos to him. I needed this laughter and mayhem very much. Mission accomplished. I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this and am giving an honest review. The narrator did a great job bringing the characters and story to life.

A rollicking good read

The Brass Queen (Audible Audio), my first read from author Elizabeth Chatsworth. A rollicking good read, captivating, with well-developed characters coupled with an outstanding storyline. Chatsworth does an outstanding job with her character development. "I received a free Audible copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." I'll definitely be reading more from this author. can't wait to get & read The Brass Queen: Grand Tour (The Brass Queen, #2)! (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

Adventure, a free-spirited engineer and an American fish out of water

I enjoyed the Brass Queen, a lot. Constance Haltwhistle is an engineer in a bit of a predicament: while she is very successful in her own right (as The Brass Queen), some archaic rules require her to get married ASAP in order to keep her parents’ estate (or prove that her dad is still alive).
Add to it that someone discovered the ability for people to become invisible, resulting in an invisible army being created, starting to hunt her down. And to top it off, American JF Trusdale decided to stick around, making everything more complicated.

It’s a fun book with very witty writing that has entertained me quite well. I love the quips between constance and Trusdale, only heightened by Michelle Babb’s narration.
Babb is a master of dry humor and very vulnerable, heartfelt, emotional conversations which very much elevates the book :)

Absolutely great read!

I had a great time listening to this book! With witty banter, action scenes, & a touch of romance this was a fun & delightful read! The main character Constance is absolutely wonderful to follow! There were a few times she had me laughing out loud! There's a good mix of genres there really is a little bit of something for everyone! I really hope this is going to be a series. I would love to read more about these characters!

Steampunk romance

Set in a steampunk 1897, the Brass Queen tells the story of Constance Haltwhistle, who finds herself in a difficult situation regarding their family estate. According to popular knowledge, her father disappeared and probably died, when in reality, he’s just living in another dimension. Constance will lose the state if she doesn’t marry soon, as women cannot lawfully inherit property without a man beside them. While Constance is busy celebrating a party to try to find a prospective husband, some of her associates in her arms dealings are kidnapped by a mysterious enemy.

The premises of this story sounded quite original and attractive. A story with steampunk vibes and mentions of another dimension, I couldn’t wait! It was an entertaining book, full of snappy and witty comments and funny adventures, but it wasn’t exactly what I expected, and this is why my review might be biased. I somehow expected Constance’s father to appear more than he did, and that this would have meant some transdimensional travels and whatnot. I also expected it to be more of a character-driven story. In a way, it was, but maybe not as I expected or I would have liked. This is basically a romance with steampunk vibes and some adventure. I also expected more danger and adventure after reading the first chapter, but Constance and Truesdale were busy running around like headless chickens for the most part of the book. I think having more developed main characters would have helped me to relate to them, but they were quite bare bones. I enjoyed their adventures anyway, and I think this would be a great book for romance fans.

Michelle Babb’s narration was great and my main reason to listen to this book. She always delivers amazing character interpretations with the right nuances when witty comments are made. Jokes and funny situations get to be more powerful thanks to Babb’s narration, and this is something I thoroughly enjoy. I will definitely get out of my comfort zone regarding genres just to listen to Michelle Babb bringing characters to life.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Not for me

I didn't really care for this book. My mind kept wondering. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.