Review: The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher

The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher
Genre: Sci Fi
Publisher: Roc
Date: September 29, 2015

Captain Grimm is well known throughout the Spires. He’s a man whose name speaks for itself. Unfortunately, it doesn’t speak the truth. A battle seasoned veteran, Grimm is a man who nearly always does what is right, but an unfortunate turn of events in the past has tarnished his reputation nearly beyond repair. When his airship, Predator, comes under fire and becomes nearly irreparably damaged, he’s not sure what he’s going to do. But then an offer from the Spirearch of Albion allows him the opportunity to join a small, handpicked team of agents that are on a mission that could mean the future of the Spires.  It’s an offer that will give his ship the latest and greatest technology and it’s one that he simply cannot refuse.

I have a confession to make. As a confessed science fiction fan, I’ve got to admit that this is the first Butcher novel I’ve ever read. I know! I know! I can practically hear the groans and the loss of confidence in my reviews. All I can say is that I’m sorry. And I understand now what that means. I can only hope to regain some of that cred by explaining how very much I loved this story. And trust me, I did.

Filled from first page to last with steampunk adventures, pirates, warriors, and a hint of romance, this book answers any and all need a reader might have for fun, battle or fantasy. It fits the bill for all of them and does it with such a deft spirit, that it doesn’t feel overly packed or shoe-horned in. This book overflowed with so much….everything…that it was hard to imagine it was only the beginning. And yet it was. With precision steps and exquisite detail, Butcher has crafted a universe that begs to be explored. The promise of future adventures lingers at the end of this book like a ray of sunshine. I cannot wait to see what Butcher has up his sleeve for these wonderful characters in the future.

Count me firmly, unashamedly a Butcher fan from this point forward.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley.