Ford’s Engines of Empire is the first novel in an epic fantasy that throws about everything including the kitchen sink at you. Set in an age of swords and kings and guilds, there are also artifices and airships and jewels of power as well as giant mind-controlled machines. Moreover, there are ramshead giants, flying reptiles, trained war eagles, and all kinds of fell creatures. Magic too plays a strong role as demons and witches abound. But with all these different things, the fantasy world offered still feels genuine and authentic.

Engines of Empire, as so many novels these days do, offers a number of alternative points of view rather than just following one character through a series of adventures. The Hawkspurs Guild is though the center of attention and, not only is head of the guild Rosomon given a point of view, but each of her children, the princes and princesses, who are headstrong and full of themselves and have to mature into their roles. Conall is sent off into the military to patrol the Desolation on the borders where he must learn to follow orders and not act impulsively. Fulren is a craftsman who has to learn who to trust and what the limits of his craft are. Tyreta heads off into the jungle playing games with giant machines, but learns how to become a leader. Each of these characters begins the story well-placed with no worries but faces a world with everything they knew and relied on ripped out from under them.

It’s a terrific read right from the spellbinding action in the prologue to the last page. There’s plenty of action to keep you fascinated through many hours of reading.

Cannot wait to read more from this author. This was fantastically imaginative concept, I enjoyed it a lot. Great world building and multiple point of view. It makes for a great read as I thoroughly enjoyed this book.