As rabid fans of author Jim Butcher, when The Cinder Spires series was first announced feelings here at Best Fantasy Books HQ were mixed.  Our first response was an immediate (and excessively exuberant) pro-Jim-Butcher chant that would make even SNL’s Spartan Spirit cheer-team proud.  Our second thought, however, was to wonder if this would just be Harry Dresden dressed in steampunk goggles and flying an airship.

Once again we learned that when answering questions the best plan is to stick with your first thought.  It’s normally the right one.

The Aeronaut’s Windlass (The Cinder Spires #1)

Jim Butcher

While reading The Aeronaut’s Windlass, we were AMAZED by Butcher’s versatility.  The world of The Cinder Spires brings the excitement, creativity, and character depth we have grown to expect from Butcher, but in a completely new setting.  Though we enjoyed each of the unique new POV characters and the ever changing viewpoints through which the story cinematically unfolds, a special tip of the hat must be given to one character: Rowl.  Never before have we seen a character (in any genre) possess the levels of unadulterated arrogance and swagger exuded by this 30-pound, sentient tomcat.

Watch HQ’s Exclusive Cinder Spires Video Preview:

The Aeronaut’s Windlass will strongly appeal to any lovers of military fantasy as well as many science fiction fans, with magically-powered flying warships engaging in battles that manage to be incredibly thrilling yet highly detailed and tactically masterful.

End of review — now resuming Spartan Spirit cheer (and cavorting):

1,2,3,4……Cinder Spires, Give me MORE!

Read a Free Sample or Buy it Now!

From the Publisher:  Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity, towering for miles over the mist-shrouded surface of the world. Within their halls, aristocratic houses have ruled for generations, developing scientific marvels, fostering trade alliances, and building fleets of airships to keep the peace.

Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship, Predator. Fiercely loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy’s shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is severely damaged in combat, leaving captain and crew grounded, Grimm is offered a proposition from the Spirearch of Albion—to join a team of agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring Predator to its fighting glory.

And even as Grimm undertakes this dangerous task, he will learn that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. Humanity’s ancient enemy, silent for more than ten thousand years, has begun to stir once more. And death will follow in its wake…