It is 1849. Across Europe, the high tide of revolution has crested, leaving recrimination and betrayal in its wake. From the high councils of Prussia to the corridors of Parliament, the powers-that-be breathe sighs of relief. But the powers-that-be are hardly unified among themselves. Far from it...
On the south coast of England, London man-about-town James Cobham comes to himself in a country inn, with no idea how he got there. Corresponding with his cousin, he discovers himself to have been presumed drowned in a boating accident. Together they decide that he should stay put for the moment, while they investigate what may have transpired. For James Cobham is a wanted man--wanted by conspiring factions of the government and the Chartists alike, and also the target of a magical conspiracy inside his own family.
And so the adventure begins...leading the reader through every corner of mid-nineteenth-century Britain, from the parlors of the elite to the dens of the underclass. Not since Wilkie Collins or Conan Doyle has there been such a profusion of guns, swordfights, family intrigues, women disguised as men, occult societies, philosophical discussions, and, of course, passionate romance.
Nor could any writing team but Steven Brust and Emma Bull make it quite so much fun...
Steven Brust is also the author of The Phoenix Guards, To Reign in Hell, Brokedown Palace, Agyar, and other books.
Emma Bull is also the author of War for the Oaks, Falcon, Bone Dance, Finder, and other books.
Freedom and Necessity is historical fantasy of the first order, a novel that "brings together intrigue, adventure, politics, and magic in a complex epic that astonishes the reader" (Library Journal).
It is 1849. Across Europe, the high tide of revolution has crested, leaving recrimination and betrayal in its wake. From the high councils of Prussia to the corridors of Parliament, the powers-that-be breathe sighs of relief. But, as we discover, these powers are hardly unified or united.
On the south coast of England, London man-about-town James Cobham regains his wits in a country inn with no idea how he got there. Corresponding with his cousin, he discovers that he is presumed to have drowned in a boating accident. Together they decide that he should stay put for the moment, while they investigate what may have transpired. For James Cobham is a wanted man—sought by conspiring factions of the government and the Chartists alike, and also the target of a magical conspiracy within his own family.
And so this adventure begins, as authors Brust and Bull lead us through every corner of mid-19th-century Britain, from the parlors of the elite to the dens of the underclass. Not since Wilkie Collins or Conan Doyle has there been such a profusion of guns, swordfights, family intrigues, women disguised as men, occult societies, philosophical discussions, and, of course, passionate romance.
"One of the most impressive novels I've read in a long time."—Locus
"Complex and masterly."—Interzone
"Brilliantly written as an epistolary novel, rich with historical details, enlivened by fully drawn characters, this is one of the most unusual and certainly one of the best fantasy novels of the year."—Science Fiction Chronicle
"Expertly styled . . . Engaging characters and surprises that, for all their thrills, stem quite naturally from the groundwork that the authors have so cleverly laid."—Publishers Weekly
"Brust and Bull's historical fantasy-mystery recalls George Macdonald Fraser's Flashman adventures in its creative use of a rich historical background and also echoes the pioneering Victorian mysteries of Wilkie Collins in offering the reader a convoluted puzzle. It begins with the apparent demise of a fashionable young Englishman in a boating accident, then gathers speed as the deceased's cousin receives a letter from him. Thereafter, it rapidly becomes an exceptional page-turner, full of plots, counterplots, and chases; a mass of Victorian virtues, vices, and settings; and an array of material and magical weapons worthy of a technothriller. Even its erotic scenes are excellent and appropriate, and while it does demand some historical literacy about 19th-century Europe, those demands probably will not daunt most of the current fantasy audience. Brust and Bull's superior work is a credit to both of them and deserves a place in every self-respecting fantasy collection."—Booklist
Industry Reviews
"One of the most impressive novels I've read in a long time." --"Locus"
