Let There Be Light by R. Cooper

I was a little apprehensive about reading this book because I really don't know anything about steampunk. I was worried it might be overly technical and bogged down with a lot of mechanical descriptions, but it really wasn't. The story is character driven and the action is never confusing. I took a chance on this book because some friends described it as being very different and unique, two qualities I am always seeking in my fiction. I'm so glad I decided to give this book a chance, because it really is quite original. My fears about long, boring passages describing weird gadgets were completely unfounded.

The story takes place in a fantasy version of Victorian England. I guess this is pretty typical to steampunk, but like I said I am really new to the genre. Karol is a brilliant and eccentric scientist and inventor. He's also unabashedly gay and quite promiscuous. He gets away with this behavior because his skills are so valuable to the government, they're willing to overlook his indiscretions. Hart, the spy charged with protecting Karol from foreign enemies who want his secrets, is much more reserved.

These two have had quite a history together, been on many adventures and in many dangerous situations. Eventually neither can stand seeing the other in danger, and their partnership dissolves. Though there has always been tension, the two of them have never taken their relationship beyond friendship and business. Part of the reason for this is that Karol likes to take things apart, to dissect them and see how and why they work as they do, and Hart is just not comfortable under that kind of scrutiny. Also, the events of the past weigh heavily on both Karol and Hart and influence their present-day behavior. At times, the novella feels almost like a psychological portrait of these characters and how everything they've been through together has shaped the men they've become.

I highly recommend Let There Be Light. It is very different from anything I've read in a long time, and the characters are spectacular: very well-rounded, subtle, and enthralling even when they're not at their best. The author has done a great job of making them seem human. Their thoughts and actions stem logically from the events of their pasts.

If I could change one thing, I'd like this to be a full-length novel so I could actually watch Hart and Karol on their adventures instead of seeing them in flashback. This doesn't detract from the story, though. I'm just wishing for more of a good thing.

~De

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Let There Be Light