In a desert wasteland, one king rules with absolute power and unquenchable lust, until the cogsmith’s daughter risks everything for vengeance.

Two-hundred years ago, the steam-powered world experienced an apocalyptic flood. When the waters dried up, the survivors settled around their moored steamship in a wasteland they named Desertera. Believing the flood and drought were caused by a scorned goddess, the monarchs demanded execution for anyone who commits the unforgivable sin—adultery.

Today, King Archon entraps his wives in the crime of adultery, executing each boring bride to pursue his next infatuation. Most nobles overlook King Archon’s behavior, but when Lord Varick’s daughter falls victim to the king’s schemes, he vows revenge.

When Aya Cogsmith was a young girl, King Archon had her father executed for treason. Orphaned and forced to turn to prostitution for survival, Aya dreams of avenging her father’s death. When Lord Varick approaches Aya with plans for vengeance, she agrees to play the king’s seductress—even though it puts her at risk for execution.

Packed with high-society intrigue, dappled with seduction, and driven by revenge, The Cogsmith’s Daughter offers the perfect mixture of conspiracy and romance. The first novel in the Desertera series, it marries steampunk styling with a ravished dystopian world.

Review: This is the best steampunk novel I have read to date. The whole idea of a kingdom in the form of a ship, the tying of futurism to the mystery of the past, the use of a lowly cogsmith’s daughter (in itself a touch of genius) to uncover the king’s murderous schemes, and the pure originality of the whole setting takes this genre to a new level.

The story is very well written with strong characters, and natural flowing conversations. It keeps one expecting anything to go wrong at any time.

It is a truly pleasurable read… Love the Originality!