The Fugitive and the Vanishing Man
Book III of The Map of Unknown Things
by Rod Duncan
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Pub Date 14 Jan 2020 | Archive Date 14 Dec 2019
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Description
Elizabeth Barnabus is a mutineer and a murderer. So they say. The noose awaits in Liverpool as punishment for her crimes. But they’ll have to catch her first.
Disguised as a labourer, Elizabeth flees west across America, following a rumour of her long-lost family. Crossing the border into the wilds of the Oregon Territory, she discovers a mustering army, a king who believes he is destined to conquer the world, and a weapon so powerful that it could bring the age of reason crashing down.
In a land where politics and prophecy are one and the same, the fate of the Gas-Lit Empire may come to rest on the perfect execution of a conjuring trick…
Advance Praise
“Steeped in illusion and grounded in an alternative history of the Luddite Rebellion, Duncan’s strong supernatural mystery serves ably as both a standalone adventure and the start to a series. Strategically placed steampunk tropes inform but do not overwhelm Elizabeth’s headlong quest to find a missing aristocrat sought by the Patent Office, which is fixated on both achieving perfection and eliminating ‘unseemly science.’ A hazardous border crossing into the permissively corrupt Kingdom of England and Southern Wales provides ample excitement, and a glossary at the novel’s conclusion hints enticingly at a much more involved story to come.”
– Publishers Weekly
“It’s all steampunk and circus wonder as we follow the adventures of Elizabeth Barnabas. The double crosses along the way keep the plot tight and fun, and the conclusion sets us up nicely for book two.”
– The Washington Post
“I've read all of the books in the Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire series, and I love how inventive the whole series is. Each book has a strong story and fantastic characters. The Map of Unknown Things series takes us outside the main Gas-Lit Empire to other parts of the world that the author has created. I love that these are great adventure stories, but also have a more thoughtful side to them - the worlds we visit are all very different and flawed in very different ways, but inhabited by people who have been shaped by the nature of those worlds. It's very clever, but also very engaging - I find myself completely drawn in, unable to predict what will happen next. I also have a strong sense that there is an overall plan to the whole series - this is building into a fantastic overall tale. Really looking forward to the next instalment!”
– Clare Littleford, author of The Quarry
“I absolutely loved The Queen of All Crows. It’s a gripping alternative history adventure set in an intriguing world. Among the fast-paced plot twists the novel also provides keen insights into power structures, particularly when it comes to gender roles as social constructs. Elizabeth Barnabus is possibly my favourite steampunk main character ever: resourceful, fearless, unusually observant and emotionally intelligent. I was thrilled to follow her to the ends of the world as a reader.”
– Emmi Itäranta, award-winning author of Memory of Water
“The Queen of all Crows is a smart and entertaining read, among the best of the steampunk subgenre I’ve read. It continues the story of Elizabeth Barnabus in an alternative history where they take intellectual property protection a little too seriously.”
– Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist and Craigconnects
“Let’s get this out of the way: The Queen of All Crows is an excellent book, full stop. Duncan has managed to infuse the world of the Gas-Lit Empire, and the character of Elizabeth Barnabus herself, with a new jolt of life, color, and depth. Clear your schedule, because you won’t want to stop reading this until you’ve finished, and then you’ll want more.”
– Eric Scott Fischl, author of The Trials of Solomon Parker
“Elizabeth Barnabus is a uniquely intriguing character who will take readers on a fascinating journey through the strange landscapes of the Gas-Lit Empire. Rod Duncan’s storytelling skill brings his fictional world to a mysterious, vibrant life.”
– Stephen Booth, bestselling author of the Cooper & Fry series
“If I had a bowler hat, I’d take it off to the author of this beautifully crafted steampunk novel.”
– Chris D’Lacey, author of the Last Dragon Chronicles
“Rod Duncan’s The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter is a magic box pulsating with energy. Compulsive reading from the get-go, the blend of steampunk alternate history wrapped in the enigma of a chase makes for first-rate entertainment in this finely crafted novel.”
– Graham Joyce, author of Year of the Ladybird
“The winner of the 2018 Leicester Book Prize was Rod Duncan, for his novel The Queen of All Crows. This was a hugely imaginative, compelling and ambitious work of speculative fiction, which frankly I loved, start to finish. I’ve never read anything quite like it.”
– Jonathan Taylor, author of Entertaining Strangers
“Rod Duncan’s writing is a joy because his pseudo late-Victorian narrative runs along the smooth rails of a framework powered by an invisible, but well-oiled word engine that hums away in the background making sure the reader gets all the thrills and spills while retaining a good sense of the story as it relentlessly barrels along.”
– Strange Alliances
“A tumultuous and utterly wonderful series.”
– Smorgasbord Fantasia
“I’m one of those people who only grudgingly give a book five stars. But when I was finished with this book, I knew there was simply no other rating for it. The Custodian of Marvels was simply the perfect book for me. Whereas I had anticipated an exceptional book, I instead was gifted a rather extraordinary one, filled with action, suspense, and returning characters that left me cheering. I sincerely endorse the Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire series for your next reads!”
– Victorian Soul Critiques
“Any writer who can, without info-dumping, bring me directly into a fantastical and outrageously unlikely alternate steampunk world earned their scarce book-buying dollars. He gave such reality to the conundrum of how to simply exist as a woman in the world he’s made that I was wincing, squirming, and blushing for the privilege that being male has always brought. Please believe me, this is powerful storytelling talent working so smoothly you can’t feel the strain.”
– Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud
“Elizabeth Barnabus might just be one of my favourite female characters of all time. The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter is an exciting, intriguing novel, full of theatrical wonders and sci-fi spectacle.”
– Why Words Work
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780857668448 |
| PRICE | US$14.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 400 |
Links
Featured Reviews
Andrea j, Reviewer
As soon as I received this, I dropped every other book I was reading and then binge-read through the entire night to finish. This has been one of my favorite series and although I am sad that it is definitely ending the second trilogy and is perhaps the last in the Elizabeth Barnabus books, it was a deeply satisfying and engrossing read. I have to applaud author Duncan in that each of the 6 books was very different and very distinct.
Story: Elizabeth has learned that her brother is alive in Oregon - but she is trapped on the East Coast in the hands of the Patent Office. They want information from her about New Foundland and she wants safety for Julia and Tinker. She must escape them to travel to Oregon but at the same time guarantee that Julia and Tinker aren't implicated in her 'crimes.' Meanwhile, Edwin Barnabus is the first counselor and court magician to the king of Crown's Point on the Oregon coast. His position is precarious - it even cost the life of his mother, who held the job before him. As New Foundland and Oregon look to make an alliance that could topple the Gas-Lit Empire, Elizabeth and Edwin will play key roles in the coming future of North America.
The book is about Elizabeth and Edwin, told in their two POVs. Fortunately, we don't wait the whole book for them to meet. A lot of the book is about the twins struggling to remember their lives together (they've been separated since they were 7) and the differing stories and philosophies of their parents. As well, Edwin has a rival who seeks his downfall and Elizabeth has the patent office ready to spring on her as soon as she surfaces. As with previous volumes, there are the conflicts of those in power and the authority they hold over Elizabeth's (and Edwin's) head. The counterpoint in this third book is that the Oregon Kingdom is very similar to a medieval one - just with the invention of the gatlin gun. This juxtaposes the hard living warrior-society of New Foundland in book 2 and the free-living pirates of the Sargasso sea.
As with every other book, our protagonists survive by their wits and what luck they can find. Elizabeth's journey to Oregon is not without incident and Edwin's political machinations are equally daunting. As with all the books, there is a pervasive air of desperation that is not lightened by levity. A failure at any junction is death for both Elizabeth and Edwin; but they are trapped in the struggle all the same. But that is the genius in the storytelling here: we have a heroine who is all show and little tell; such a contrast to most fiction today and a character whose exploits we want to follow as she succeeds and fails based on her intelligence.
Much of the story comes full circle at the end and ties up well for an excellent ending. All the same, there is some room for more tales with a new start for Elizabeth - only time will tell if author Duncan chooses to continue her story. But I have enjoyed the well-thought out plot in every novel and greatly appreciated the scope of the world building in this alternate universe historical fiction. Oh, and I'd love to read more of Gilad! Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
Paul S, Reviewer
I am a newbie to this author and was pleasantly surprised by this book, it’s not my usual fare but it kept me engaged and interested
Jacey B, Media/Journalist
Elizabeth Barnabus, also sometimes known as Edwin in her manly disguise is wanted for capital crimes back in England. Leaving her lover, an agentn of the dreaded Patent Office, far behind, She searches acvross America into the wilds of the Oregon Territory in search of the brother, the real Edwin, she barely remembers. Politics and prophesy mesh as Elizabeth finds Edwin embroiled in court intreague with a king who believes he's destined to conquer the world – and he has the weapons to do it. The fate of the Gas Lit empire, and Elizabeth and Edwin, could hand on one daring conjuring trick. This looks like the end of the two Elizabeth Barnabus trilogies. I recommend you start with the Bullet Catcher's Daughter
Mike B, Reviewer
Elizabeth Barnabus, our intrepid adventurer, having made it to the Free States of America, is pursued, caught, and eventually escapes the custody of Gas-Lit Empire agents. She flees to a kingdom in Oregon, where a power-hungry monarch has plans for eastward conquest. Only a grand illusion and an assist from a long-lost ally can save her skin and keep the world from falling into ruin.
This is the sixth and final(?) adventure for Elizabeth and these books have been really enjoyable. This specific trilogy has improved with each subsequent installment, with each book exploring a new frontier and story type. Book 1 was a seafaring tale, Book 2 a revenge story, and Book 3 now deals with court intrigue and politics. While I’m less interested in the world-altering events that Elizabeth continues to be mixed up with, her personal journey is the hook that keeps me coming back for more. The smaller moments of this book that deal with Elizabeth finding her identity, her family, and her real place in the world are exceedingly well done.
In all, this is a satisfying conclusion to a six-book, two-trilogy saga that has been supremely entertaining and well-told by an author with a wonderful flair for storytelling.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Monique W, Reviewer
Elizabeth Barnabus still believes in the Gas-Light Empire, even after being labelled as an Mutineer. Elizabeth is slatted for a Mutineers execution (hanging) unless she can get something ground breaking for the Patent Office. So Elizabeth escape and flees into the Oregon wildness to find her brother, Edwin, and secure her freedom.
This novel was great as the reader gets to witness the clashing of two ideals and kingdoms: Oregon and the Gas-Lit. Each kingdom has good and bad elements with neither one being truly good or bad. It was interesting to read the arguments both Elizabeth and Edwin use to support their kingdom and why it is a better ideology for the world at large.
Elizabeth and Edwin are amazingly well-written characters. The two siblings don't meet until later in the book so there isn't a lot of interaction between the two. And when they do talk together it's usually them trying to remember their childhood together or about old magic tricks. I really wish I could have seen them joking or laughing with each other. The scene where the were almost caught by Janus was perfect as they worked together well while also improvising.
The conclusion between Elizabeth and John was so sweet that I almost cried, I'm glad they got their HEA.
My one minor complaint with this novel, and hence why I removed one star, was that I found the middle dragged a bit. There was just too much magic and politics and not enough action.
Overall, this was a great steampunk sci-fi novel that I strongly recommend.
Thanks to Angry Robot Publishing and Netgalley.
Annie B, Reviewer
The Fugitive and the Vanishing Man is an alternate history epic and the third book in the Map of Unknown Things series by Rod Duncan. Due out 14th Jan 2020 from Angry Robot, it's 400 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.
This was a compelling read and a beautifully well engineered and plotted denouement to a really enjoyable series. It is ostensibly an alternate timeline fantasy but there are so many more themes explored here: the notion of family, loyalty, personal freedom at what price, and always against a backdrop of war and espionage. The prose is evocative and immersive. There were several times while reading that I looked up to find that I had been completely unaware of the passing of time and an hour had slid by unawares.
It had been a while since I read the other books in this series and I didn't have any trouble following the plot. I suspect it would work fine as a standalone (but I strongly recommend the author's other works, so read them all).
I like the intelligence and fearlessness of the twin protagonists. This is quite a personal story, set against a background of politics and war.
Definitely one of my best reads this year. Five stars.
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