The message was a shock. “Jackson, Jessamine, you are needed. The Safety of the Realm is at stake.”
Fresh from their recent adventures, Jackson and Jessamine are on holiday, aboard the luxury cruising-liner, the King Leopold. Their voyage will take them to the fabled Western Isles, lands of mystery and scene of many a recent battle. After what they have been through, it should be a time of rest and recuperation, of seeing the wonders of life in foreign parts.

They find that their voyage is filled with intrigue, it appears that everyone has a secret to hide. Then there is the visitor in foreign parts, with his devastating news.
They learn that they are needed to fight a new foe, one whose threat is born of a new way of waging war. Something against which the might of Norlandia will have no defence.

The plans for the destruction of everything they hold dear must be retrieved and delivered before they can be enacted.

There will be no rest for the Orphan Detectives until this threat is dispatched.

I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review

The Safety of the Realm is the second steampunk novel from Richard Dee that I’ve read, following its prequel The Sensaurum and the Lexis. Having thoroughly enjoyed the events of that first book, I couldn’t be happier when Richard reached out to me to see if I’d be interested in beta reading this second book in the series.

Jackson and Jessamine are enjoying a well-deserved break for their honeymoon aboard a luxury cruise to the Spice Islands. While aboard, they enjoy all the luxuries the ship has to offer, and met an eclectic group of passengers with them. As the cruise unfolds, what seemed like quirks in some of their fellow guests start to arouse suspicions in the newlyweds.

More and more unusual events unfold, before receiving word that there is a plot against their country, one they must put their honeymoon on hold to unravel. The more they uncover about their fellow guests, the more troubling the situation becomes. Their kidnap, imprisonment and forced labour at the hands of a nefarious foe finally reveals the scope of a troubling plot that would have dire consequences should it not be thwarted soon.

Once again, Richard Dee has demonstrated his mastery of the art of story telling. The story is filled with the perfect amount of jeopardy to raise the tension and deliver the pace. The world is rich, suitably filled with Victoriana to suit the steampunk setting. There are wonderful, futuristic creations that are almost magical and yet still entirely believable within the world.

I love Jackson and Jessamine in their first outing, and that has only strengthened in this book. I look forward to seeing what comes next for the daring duo and their employers!

My rating: