As soon as I received this, I dropped every other book I was reading and then binge-read through the entire night to finish. This has been one of my favorite series and although I am sad that it is definitely ending the second trilogy and is perhaps the last in the Elizabeth Barnabus books, it was a deeply satisfying and engrossing read. I have to applaud author Duncan in that each of the 6 books was very different and very distinct.

Story: Elizabeth has learned that her brother is alive in Oregon - but she is trapped on the East Coast in the hands of the Patent Office. They want information from her about New Foundland and she wants safety for Julia and Tinker. She must escape them to travel to Oregon but at the same time guarantee that Julia and Tinker aren't implicated in her 'crimes.' Meanwhile, Edwin Barnabus is the first counselor and court magician to the king of Crown's Point on the Oregon coast. His position is precarious - it even cost the life of his mother, who held the job before him. As New Foundland and Oregon look to make an alliance that could topple the Gas-Lit Empire, Elizabeth and Edwin will play key roles in the coming future of North America.

The book is about Elizabeth and Edwin, told in their two POVs. Fortunately, we don't wait the whole book for them to meet. A lot of the book is about the twins struggling to remember their lives together (they've been separated since they were 7) and the differing stories and philosophies of their parents. As well, Edwin has a rival who seeks his downfall and Elizabeth has the patent office ready to spring on her as soon as she surfaces. As with previous volumes, there are the conflicts of those in power and the authority they hold over Elizabeth's (and Edwin's) head. The counterpoint in this third book is that the Oregon Kingdom is very similar to a medieval one - just with the invention of the gatlin gun. This juxtaposes the hard living warrior-society of New Foundland in book 2 and the free-living pirates of the Sargasso sea.

As with every other book, our protagonists survive by their wits and what luck they can find. Elizabeth's journey to Oregon is not without incident and Edwin's political machinations are equally daunting. As with all the books, there is a pervasive air of desperation that is not lightened by levity. A failure at any junction is death for both Elizabeth and Edwin; but they are trapped in the struggle all the same. But that is the genius in the storytelling here: we have a heroine who is all show and little tell; such a contrast to most fiction today and a character whose exploits we want to follow as she succeeds and fails based on her intelligence.

Much of the story comes full circle at the end and ties up well for an excellent ending. All the same, there is some room for more tales with a new start for Elizabeth - only time will tell if author Duncan chooses to continue her story. But I have enjoyed the well-thought out plot in every novel and greatly appreciated the scope of the world building in this alternate universe historical fiction. Oh, and I'd love to read more of Gilad! Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

I am a newbie to this author and was pleasantly surprised by this book, it’s not my usual fare but it kept me engaged and interested

Elizabeth Barnabus, also sometimes known as Edwin in her manly disguise is wanted for capital crimes back in England. Leaving her lover, an agentn of the dreaded Patent Office, far behind, She searches acvross America into the wilds of the Oregon Territory in search of the brother, the real Edwin, she barely remembers. Politics and prophesy mesh as Elizabeth finds Edwin embroiled in court intreague with a king who believes he's destined to conquer the world – and he has the weapons to do it. The fate of the Gas Lit empire, and Elizabeth and Edwin, could hand on one daring conjuring trick. This looks like the end of the two Elizabeth Barnabus trilogies. I recommend you start with the Bullet Catcher's Daughter

Elizabeth Barnabus, our intrepid adventurer, having made it to the Free States of America, is pursued, caught, and eventually escapes the custody of Gas-Lit Empire agents. She flees to a kingdom in Oregon, where a power-hungry monarch has plans for eastward conquest. Only a grand illusion and an assist from a long-lost ally can save her skin and keep the world from falling into ruin.

This is the sixth and final(?) adventure for Elizabeth and these books have been really enjoyable. This specific trilogy has improved with each subsequent installment, with each book exploring a new frontier and story type. Book 1 was a seafaring tale, Book 2 a revenge story, and Book 3 now deals with court intrigue and politics. While I’m less interested in the world-altering events that Elizabeth continues to be mixed up with, her personal journey is the hook that keeps me coming back for more. The smaller moments of this book that deal with Elizabeth finding her identity, her family, and her real place in the world are exceedingly well done. 

In all, this is a satisfying conclusion to a six-book, two-trilogy saga that has been supremely entertaining and well-told by an author with a wonderful flair for storytelling.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Elizabeth Barnabus still believes in the Gas-Light Empire, even after being labelled as an Mutineer. Elizabeth is slatted for a Mutineers execution (hanging) unless she can get something ground breaking for the Patent Office. So Elizabeth escape and flees into the Oregon wildness to find her brother, Edwin, and secure her freedom.

This novel was great as the reader gets to witness the clashing of two ideals and kingdoms: Oregon and the Gas-Lit. Each kingdom has good and bad elements with neither one being truly good or bad. It was interesting to read the arguments both Elizabeth and Edwin use to support their kingdom and why it is a better ideology for the world at large.

Elizabeth and Edwin are amazingly well-written characters. The two siblings don't meet until later in the book so there isn't a lot of interaction between the two. And when they do talk together it's usually them trying to remember their childhood together or about old magic tricks. I really wish I could have seen them joking or laughing with each other. The scene where the were almost caught by Janus was perfect as they worked together well while also improvising.

The conclusion between Elizabeth and John was so sweet that I almost cried, I'm glad they got their HEA.

My one minor complaint with this novel, and hence why I removed one star, was that I found the middle dragged a bit. There was just too much magic and politics and not enough action.

Overall, this was a great steampunk sci-fi novel that I strongly recommend.

Thanks to Angry Robot Publishing and Netgalley.

The Fugitive and the Vanishing Man is an alternate history epic and the third book in the Map of Unknown Things series by Rod Duncan. Due out 14th Jan 2020 from Angry Robot, it's 400 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

This was a compelling read and a beautifully well engineered and plotted denouement to a really enjoyable series. It is ostensibly an alternate timeline fantasy but there are so many more themes explored here: the notion of family, loyalty, personal freedom at what price, and always against a backdrop of war and espionage. The prose is evocative and immersive. There were several times while reading that I looked up to find that I had been completely unaware of the passing of time and an hour had slid by unawares.

It had been a while since I read the other books in this series and I didn't have any trouble following the plot. I suspect it would work fine as a standalone (but I strongly recommend the author's other works, so read them all).

I like the intelligence and fearlessness of the twin protagonists. This is quite a personal story, set against a background of politics and war.

Definitely one of my best reads this year. Five stars.