The Steel Kings. Cool title, and, not to bury the lede, a cool story.
Book four begins almost as a book end to book three. This time Kairn, Hael’s second son is the protagonist, going on an adventure, meeting a woman. The travelogue continues, the exploration of John Maddox Robert’s post-apocalyptic North America, this time presenting the Mississippi River and environs. But the narrative soon get intercut with sections dealing with Hael himself, on his mission to gain information regarding the powerful republic beyond the Mississippi, Mezpa. And since Kairn’s mission is to find Hael, the two narratives eventually converge, bringing us to the end of the first half of the novel.
The next half takes into grand, geo-political maneuvering, involving Hael, Deathmoon (the ruler of Mezpa), Larissa and Gassam, and Queen Shazad of Neva. Wars and alliances are planned. Great strategies proposed, and a campaign is begun. We get battles, upsetting of plans, and stunning reversals. It is good stuff, especially since Roberts does necessarily not take the story in the direction the reader might expect. And it ends on a cliffhanger, with hints of what might take place next. But you never know. I am looking forward to book five. (Come on, Thriftbooks, what’s taking so long?)
If you are in-between reads, how about something of mine? Give the Semi-Autos and Sorcery series a try.