Eliza D. Braun and Wellington Books aren't exactly exiled from England, but they have been sent to America in a hurry. Paired with their counterparts from America's Office of the Supernatural and Metaphysical, Books and Braun find themselves caught in the middle of a case that leads them to the worst machine imaginable: a death ray. Now rubbing elbows with figures like Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, the agents have to tramp around the continent to try and save whoever the targets are of this dastardly machine.
And worse, Eliza and Welly aren't exactly getting along. They shared a kiss back in the Archives, and Wellington refuses to say anything about what happened there.
That's my summary. Here's the one I pulled from http://www.ministryofpeculiaroccurrences.com/novels/
After being ignominiously shipped out of England following their participation in the Janus affair, Braun and Books are ready to prove their worth as agents. But what starts as a simple mission in the States—intended to keep them out of trouble—suddenly turns into a scandalous and convoluted case that has connections reaching as far as Her Majesty the Queen. Even with the help of two American agents from the Office of the Supernatural and the Metaphysical, Braun and Books have their work cut out for them as their chief suspect in a rash of nautical and aerial disasters is none other than Thomas Edison. Between the fantastic electric machines of Edison, the eccentricities of MoPO consultant Nikola Tesla, and the mysterious machinations of a new threat known only as the Maestro, they may find themselves in far worse danger than they ever have been in before…
My Thoughts
It's refreshing to have a scenery change in these novels. The culture clash between the proprietous Wellington Books and the rugged, somewhat crude Bill Wheatley makes for some great humor and even better tension. In fact, tension is the theme of this whole book. Foremost, we have the peculiar mysteryof the case, issues that send the agents all over the U.S. Then there's the romantic tension not only between Eliza and Welly, but involving Bill and his partner Felicity and their attractions to our Ministry agents. When our dashing archivist and colonial pepperpot meet their counterparts, well, that comparison goes to a couple levels. In so many ways, Felicity and Welly would just make sense together, as would Bill and Eliza. Morris and Ballentine really stepped things up by giving us not the tired trope of a love triangle, but the ever more frustrating love rhombus.
On the whole, this novel ramped risk up even more than the previous novels did, and I was drawn into the action, at least during the more crucial scenes. This series still somehow lacks the true ability to seize my attention and not let go, but it's still a good read. A thumping good read, in fact. I will be moving right into book four!
Would I Recommend This Book? Why, yes! The setting change makes for an extra layer of unease for our intrepid heroes, and their problems didn't stay behind in England. The stakes are raised, and things are just going to get more complicated from here! I give Dawn's Early Light an American (yeah, I had to) 4 of 5 stars.
For more on the author, visit http://www.ministryofpeculiaroccurrences.com/authors/
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