Arvyn Cerezo is an arts and culture writer/reporter with bylines in Book Riot, Publishers Weekly, South China Morning Post, PhilSTAR Life, the Asian Review of Books, and other publications. You can find them on arvyncerezo.com and @arvyncerezo.com on Bluesky.
Steampunk books continue to captivate readers. But, as a new reader or someone interested in the genre, you may be confused about what the genre entails. What exactly does “steampunk” mean in the literally realm? What makes a book steampunk?
Many argue that steampunk isn’t really a genre per se, but rather an aesthetic, similar to cottagecore or dark academia, where the subjects are pursuing knowledge or learning. The aesthetic of steam-powered trains, aviation goggles, clockwork machinery, and retrofuturistic technology in a Victorian England setting is applicable to a variety of genres, including science fiction and fantasy. Some romance novels even include some quintessential steampunk elements. But in general, steampunk novels typically fall under the sci-fi and fantasy (SFF) umbrella.
Now that we’ve established what steampunk is, I’ve put together a list of new steampunk novels to get you started. There’s a book about a girl who can wake electric machines; an arms dealer who must find her father in another dimension; monsters, books, and a lot of action onboard a steam-powered train; a girl who lives in flying city and discovers she has a rare power; a duo who run a private investigations firm; and a girl whose dreams of becoming an engineer are jeopardized when her beloved father is suddenly killed. Though these books span science fiction, fantasy, and a little romance, they provide classic steampunk vibes.
Here are eight new steampunk books to check out:
A Magic Fierce and Bright by Hemant Nayak
Adya lives in South India’s jungles, away from civilization. All she cares about is finding her lost sister, Priya. Adya possesses the rare ability to wake electric machines, and this kind of power wreaked havoc on their land a long time ago. Whoever has Adya under control becomes powerful.
She only ever leaves her refuge when she finds out about her sister. To possibly save her, she must join forces with a thief. With an impending invasion, Adya must decide whether to stay out of the conflict or to save her homeland.
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Grand Tour: The Brass Queen II by Elizabeth Chatsworth
This is the second installment in Chatsworth’s series set in Victorian England.
In book one, rare firearms dealer Constance is saved by spy Trusdale from imminent danger. Constance is then forced to embark on a mission to find a scientist who knows the answers.
In book two, Constance’s father is accused of stealing exotic artifacts from the British authorities, and their home estate is transported to another dimension. To get it back and find her father, she must collect keys scattered around the world. Her love interest, Trusdale, joins her in this electrifying mission. If she doesn’t return the stolen artifacts, she and her team will die.
The Naming Song by Jedediah Berry
Set against the backdrop of steam-powered trains, where words have vanished, an unnamed protagonist, a courier, delivers words so that they can be reclaimed and used by the world again.
But when monsters attack her and the committee for which she works, she flees the train in search of her sister. Accompanied by her creations, she learns about her world, the conspiracies behind the committee tasked with rebuilding their world, the dark secret behind the monsters, and the power of words when used.
Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin
Kurara lives on the Midori, a flying ship under the military unit of the floating cities of the Mikoshiman Empire. She possesses a secret magic: she can bring folded paper figures to life. When Kurara’s home is attacked, she flees, and her escape leads her to Himura, who welcomes her in. She then discovers that her ability is highly prized in the empire.
Under Himura’s tutelage, she learns more about her powers and why the empire’s princess is interested in these paper figures. Can Kurara trust her? The enemy is closing in, and she needs to make a decision fast.
The Firelight Apprentice by Bree Paulsen
Ada worries about her sister Safi, who’s growing her own magical abilities. She wants Safi to be trained by the king’s magician, but Ada’s unsure about this decision because the war still haunts them. But, at the same time, she wants Safi to be prepared in case danger lurks in the kingdom.
When a group of magicians comes to town for a performance, they notice Safi’s abilities and seek her out. Safi is overjoyed because she gets the opportunity to improve her magic, even if it means leaving her sister behind. But should she put her trust in these newcomers?
High Vaultage by Chris Sugden
Set in the Victorian era, this one follows a couple who run a private detective agency.
The police are perplexed by the sudden influx of crime in the city, and their manpower is limited to handle all of it. Archibald Fleet and Clara Entwhistle come to the rescue, establishing the firm Fleet-Entwhistle Private Investigations. When someone is kidnapped and the firm conducts an investigation, the duo is surprised by what they discover.
Kinning by Nisi Shawl
This is the sequel to Shawl’s 2019 steampunk novel, Everfair.
Shawl introduces Everfair, a utopian world that is located in Congo, powered by steam technology, and free of colonization. It’s a safe haven for those who suffered at the hands of colonizers, particularly those forced to come to America as enslaved people.
Shawl expands on that world and the forces at work in court politics in book two. The characters navigate the political system surrounding Everfair, as well as the colonization that threatens to destroy their utopia. Will Everfair survive or fall to the most powerful social and political forces?
Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen
This is best described as steampunk but set in China.
Ying aspires to be an engineer and follow in her father’s footsteps. But after his sudden assassination, this dream is shattered. With only a few clues left behind, she’s led to the Engineers Guild in the capital, where her father previously worked before settling down. Ying wants to look into why her father was targeted.
Because women aren’t permitted in the guild, she disguises herself as her brother and gains access. There, she meets the prince and forms an unlikely alliance with him. Ying, however, must exercise caution lest she become the next victim of her father’s murderer.
Who could she trust in the face of all these dangers? Can she still get her revenge?
Do you want more steampunk? For more edgy reads, try these gothic steampunk books!
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