I enjoyed this spin on what would have happened if the South would have won the Civil War. Well written and imaginative.
Many thanks to The Book Whisperer and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

In this Steampunk novel, readers see what would have happened if the South had won the Civil War.

First off, I loved that this Steampunk universe was set in America. Usually people associate it with Europe, specifically London. He had his own unique versions of automatons and how they would be incorporated in the time.

Secondly, this was such an intriguing concept to go with. Michael Maxwell brought this horrid time to life, immersing readers in the "What ifs?" of a well known period of history. Readers see how bad it gets for POCs, along with a new Underground Road and rebellion. I loved the found family aspect readers briefly get as well.

My only issues were that some of the scenes didn't match up from each character's perspective, but it didn't take away from the story too much. I am also sad that currently it doesn't seem like readers can find this or the sequel on retail sites, because I would love to continue this series.

Thank you to Net galley for the copy of this to read. I'm not sure what I expected from this story but it wasn't what I got. "Gone with the Wind meets the Wild Wild West?" Not so much. I didn't love it. The writing and the story were just okay for me. I understand that it as an "alternate history" story but it still seemed a little farfetched to me. I think it was a very interesting concept but just not executed as well as it might have been.

I just finished this short read and am immediately diving into part 2, Gauges of Freedom.
This is dan alternative history, which builds out an intriguing story inside of a framework of a steampunk America.
A hint at love, a family & town dictator, slaves, and a strive for freedom for all.
I think you’ll find this as enjoyable as I have. Moving right along into Part 2!!

‘He was going to locate Anna and lead their company in bringing down the evils of the slave world. Freedom would prevail. He would stake his life on it.’

I was attracted to this book as I love alternative plays on historical timelines. On this occasion it does that and so much more. Imagine the alternate take on the American civil war meets the Wild West meets steampunk! And it works!

This book supposes that the South won the American civil war. The characters - both good and bad - are interesting and the battle continues with the fight for rights for both slaves and women.

Ending on a cliffhanger, this book is a great introduction into the ‘Civil Rebellion’ and it will be interesting to see how the fight continues with Simon Barlow and the alternative history.

‘She wanted so badly for everything to be perfect … to be able to lead the greatest revolution against slavery ever known, but was that all possible?



This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. What an interesting story! It is a story about the wild west, with steam punk, history, all rolled into one. A different twist on history. Definitely would recommend.

I have had a hard time with this book. It’s taken me a minute to write a review because I can’t get into it. I think I’ll have to try reading it again to give it a chance.

This book is an alternative history steam punk adventure story based on the south winning the civil war. The main character is Evangeline Latimer, the daughter of the Governor of the New Providence of Oklahoma. She works with Simon Barlow from the north, to try to eradicate her fathers grip, one in which he misuses slaves and his indentured servants. She is meant to be marrying his second in command too, as part of her father's dark regime. Between herself, Simon and a network of allies, they manage to free the slaves and send them to safer places while risking their own lives. On top of that there is a deeply held family secret buried in the bloodline of the slaves which I found increases the tension too.
This is a real alternative history story, with an age of new technology, automatons and even new transportation methods. We see Evangeline, who is a mechanical genius at making various new automatons which can help guard her in her dangerous undertakings.
A story I really enjoyed! I loved the steam punk being mixed with alternative history too.
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for my copy of this book.

Gauges in Time by Michael Maxwell takes one to an alternate universe where the South won the war, there's an evil tyrannical governor in Oklahoma, and automatons. It took me a page or 2 to get into the story. I love the characters, the romance, and the different take on history. In fact, I had to go to my Kindle to get Gauges of Freedom book 2. I am anxiously waiting for the next one. I will recommend. Thank you for letting me review this book.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. I had never heard of steampunk novels, but glad that I came across this book. The author's writing style is clean and moves the story along at a good pace. My only concern was with how abruptly the book ended. I knew it was only the first book in a series, but I turned the page, not expecting to hit a wall. It could have been improved by leading into the next book, maybe teasing what might be to come. I enjoyed the main characters, was horrified by the accuracy of the atrocious actions of the governor as things that really happened in our country's past, and look forward to the next book.

Solid read I have to say/write. I like plot and characters. Adding steampunk bits and bobs only make the story more interesting plus I think idea of alternative history worked here just great. Cannot wait for sequel 😁. Will Evie and Simon rescue Anna or will they fall in Lattimer trap? Need to be patient with my waiting 😁.

This was really different and I got really engrossed in it. I am looking forward to the next instalment in this series. What a unique plot and the characters are really well developed.

I just love alternative history tales but the addition of the automation was unique.

I was given a copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

I really enjoyed Maxwell's writing style. The alternate history/steampunk treatment of a post-civil war America in which the South prevailed was very interesting though I found the location of Oklahoma to be a bit puzzling. Apparently in this timeline the US government didn't boot out the Native Americans from the Eastern States or at least they weren't central to this story. Be warned that the book ends with a cliffhanger but the version I read included a preview of the next book that explained what happened next. The main characters are quite appealing or quite villainous depending on their view of slavery and women's rights. I have no doubt that this is going to be a very interesting series as Evangeline and Simon organize their Civil Rebellion to fight the forces of slavery.

Always fun reading about What if when it comes to history as it forces both the writer and reader to consider potential outcomes.

Well written and enjoyable read look forward to the next

I was really excited to start this one, because I loved the idea for the storyline. However, I DNF'd it. This book is in need of a much closer edit. There were so many sentences that just did not make sense/ were worded strangely/ were sentence fragments here are some examples:

1 "When her father beat her friends turned family, it only deepened the anger that she housed within her when he tried to kill them."
2 "Knowing that thing worked and looked so real while animated gave him pause."
3. "Of that, he was sure."
4 "In no world did he ever think he'd be going to a party or be present in a home like this."
5 "Simon blinked and cut his eyes at her as he sat in awe of her."
6 "Alberto's messages led her, a dual-natured woman, in many directions - bringing more light to why her father should be indicted or killed for his dirty deeds, as his crimes were many."
7 "Her mother scrutinized her by using her full name and the actual acronym of her alter self - Eel."
8 "Her demeanor was that of a scared child, and she might as well have been."
9 "She stared at his eyes with so much intensity, it almost took him back."
10 "Nor were they make-believe either."

There were others, but I'm going to stop there. The story is an interesting premise and could be a good read, but it definitely needs a good editor/ revision. I made it to chapter 7, but I just can't finish it.

"Gauges in Time" sounded like an interesting book. I like steampunk novels; I also enjoy alternate histories. But I just could not finish this book.

Why?

There are some problems with the writing that makes it difficult to read:

- There are not enough details in general. When the male protagonist, Simon, is meeting a friend, the entire encounter feels surreal because of the lack of information. You (as the reader) don't know how this man appears, what he's wearing, why he asked to meet at this location, or why he now wants Simon to go to a secondary location to have a discussion. Supposedly both men leave the location at the same time, but they don't walk together? Simon arrives to find the other man already seated.

- The one exception to the lack of details rule - details are included when they foreshadow something just about to happen. When the female protagonist, Evie, is changing outfits to go out, most of the pieces of clothing are listed out. Evie dresses up as a man to travel around in cognito. The author never states this directly, but shows it indirectly. But...there are no details about the women's clothing Evie wears over the men's clothes.

- Sometimes physics is ignored. For example, Evie is clutching a man's hat between her knees to hide it. But she climbs into a carriage? That just cannot happen. Also, Evie owns a small mechanical spider; it is too small for steam, but there is no mention of clockward internals. The spider just works with no explanation or reason for its movement. I expect more from a steampunk novel.

- There are too many "coincidences' in the narration. Evie learns some important information right before meeting Simon, giving her even more of a reason to join forces. Evie and Simon just happen to be at the same place at the same time.

- There are also some unbelievables in the narration. For example, Evie tells Simon that she's a woman (and not the gentleman that she's dressed as) basically right away. Why tell a virtual stranger one of her secrets?

I do hope that the author fixes these mistakes, because I think there is a good story here. It just needs work.

Okay hear me out. This is NOT my normal kinda book. But with that being said, I really did enjoy this. It really made me think about how times could have been and what could have happened. Some things in here just made me heated. But really worth the read. 4⭐