I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

What promises to be a simple and easy payday turns into a planetary battle for survival as a small crew aboard an airship discovers an ancient ring and a deadly secret that brings an armada of different enemies knocking on their doors in author R.J. Theodore’s “Flotsam”, the first book in the Peridot Shift series.

The Synopsis

A fantastical steampunk first contact novel that ties together high magic, high technology, and bold characters to create a story you won’t soon forget.

Captain Talis just wants to keep her airship crew from starving, and maybe scrape up enough cash for some badly needed repairs. When an anonymous client offers a small fortune to root through a pile of atmospheric wreckage, it seems like an easy payday. The job yields an ancient ring, a forbidden secret, and a host of deadly enemies.

Now on the run from cultists with powerful allies, Talis needs to unload the ring as quickly as possible. Her desperate search for a buyer and the fallout from her discovery leads to a planetary battle between a secret society, alien forces, and even the gods themselves.

Talis and her crew have just one desperate chance to make things right before their potential big score destroys them all.

The Review

I absolutely loved this book. As a sucker for genre mashups, I truly enjoyed getting to see this blend of sci-fi, steampunk, and fantasy all blended into one epic story of adventure, secrets, and camaraderie. The world-building the author utilized here was fantastic, giving readers a great sense of imagery as this world was brought to life while still leaving enough room for readers to want more backstory and history in future installments. The balance of mythos that went into the story with the character’s personal growth was amazing to watch unfold here and gave readers so much to absorb as the story went on.

The characters themselves were so diverse and fantastic to read. The complicated history and pasts of these characters were well fleshed out in the novel, and never felt like the exploration of these pasts ever took away from the main plot. The action was great, as the narrative took on a very cinematic quality and made this first book feel like the first season of a new streaming show steampunk and sci-fi fantasy fans are craving right now.

The Verdict

A memorable, entertaining, and brilliant steampunk and sci-fi fantasy novel, author R.J. Theodore’s “Flotsam” is the perfect first novel in a brand new series! The rich history and mythology the author built here with a cast of characters readers can’t help but care for and brilliant action makes this genre-bending novel a true standout. If you haven’t yet, be sure to preorder this novel or grab your copy on February 1st, 2022. 

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

R J Theodore is an author, graphic designer, podcaster, and all-around collector of creative endeavors and hobbies. She enjoys writing about magic-infused technologies, first contact events, and bioluminescing landscapes.

Her love of SFF storytelling developed through grabbing for anything-and-everything “unicorn” as a child, but she was subverted by tales of distant solar systems when her brother introduced her to Star Trek: The Next Generation at age seven. A few years later, Sailor Moon taught her stories can have both.

She lives in New England, haunted by her childhood cat.

https://rjtheodore.com/

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