The Affinity Bridge by George MannMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
A little slow to start, but a few chapters in and The Affinity Bridge by George Mann (Doctor Who: Engines of War, Star Wars: Myths and Fables) soon ramps up to become an engrossing, fast paced and exciting, steam punk detective read.
Sir Maurice Newbury is an employee of the crown, working out of an office at the British museum as an anthropologist with a penchant for Laudanum, who specialises in the occult and who aids Scotland Yard in their more paranormal investigations when the need arises. The need definitely arrives in this novel, when Scotland Yard captain Sir Charles Bainbridge asks for assistance with some bizarre murders which have been taking place, committed by a glowing blue policeman. Just as Newbury and his recently employed assistant, Veronica Hobbes begin to aid in the one investigation, they're quickly called away by the queen to look into the strange crash of an airship across town.
Whilst clearly influenced by Steampunk ideas, this never feels too obvious and the world of Victorian Britain ticks along as expected, only with an added technologically advanced nuance. Cabs powered by noisy steam engines; strange electronic devices and medical contraptions; clockwork automatons all make an appearance throughout this novel.
On top of this, a revenant "zombie" plague is ravishing the area of Whitechapel. It's up to Newbury and Hobbes to assist with solving all of these cases, reporting to the crown and meeting a whole host of unusual, menacing, interesting and funny characters along the way.
This book almost has too many themes for it's length - magic, the occult, zombies, steampunk, clockwork, detective fiction - but somehow Mann manages to piece them together in such a way the ideas never feel overwhelming, and it is a true detective story at heart and this shines through as the characters purposefully continue to search for evidence and make connections where others may not see it.
It's such a nice read, that when the more brutal parts take place (and it really can be quite gruesome) I felt almost shocked, but this adds to the good pacing and makes you remember this is actually a fantasy book very much for grown ups.
With a rousing and slightly unexpected conclusion, I was happy that I felt like I'd cracked it before the end, but not quite and was able to discover some revelations for myself. A perfect mix of satisfaction and surprise.
This an excellent first entry to a series, and for detective and fantasy fans this is a no brainer. For fans specifically of River Of London, Warlock (and Sherlock) Holmes, The Vinyl Detective etc.
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