If you are even the least bit into the science fiction and fantasy genres of books you know how big an impact steampunk has had on them over the past few years. Unfortunately, it has already reached the point of being formulaic. So when a novel comes along that at least cracks the mold, it’s worth talking about. And Flotsam, published this past March, is just such a book. 

Written by R.J. Theodore, Flotsam mixes elements of sci-fi, fantasy and steampunk to follow Captain Talis and her crew as they take on a job that they probably should have refused. Before long, they’re being chased by the authorities and end up in the middle of a battle between cult followers, aliens and gods. But it’s all worth it, as long as they get the big score they were promised.

Set in space and involving a few planets, the author has a good feel for world building and provides enough detail to be able to really get a feel for how things look. She also writes action and fight sequences really well, ensuring the movements are realistic and the consequences make sense. The action does, however, have one issue that many steampunk novels with airships deal with – battle scenes detailing how the ships maneuver just aren’t very exciting.

The characters are relatable and the main ones are well-developed. It’s nice to have a female captain leading the way too, though the overall feeling of the ship’s crew wasn’t as cohesive as it could have been. But it was good to have the inclusion of a nonbinary character; though a secondary character, there was a lot of plot development that depended on it.

Fans of steampunk and sci-fi/fantasy in general will like this one. It stays interesting throughout and has a conclusion that both wraps things up and keeps the door open for further tales.