Book Review | Ichor Well / Calderan Problem

Ichor Well is book 3, and the Calderan Problem book 4, of the highly enjoyable steampunkish Free-Wrench series by Joseph R Lallo. So enjoyable, I started reading some of his other series.

Ichor Well (Free-Wrench #3)

Ever since Nita Graus left her homeland and joined the crew of the Wind Breaker, the reputation of the airship and its crew has been growing. The destruction of the mighty dreadnought, the escape from the legendary Skykeep, and the inexplicable ability to remain hidden from the ever-watchful eye of the Fug Folk have combined to make her and her fellow crew the stuff of legend. Alas, legendary heroes cannot exist for long without attracting a worthy villain. Lucius P. Alabaster strives to be just that foe.

While he works his nefarious plans, the crew itself is not without turmoil. Captain Mack, already having survived far more years in the hostile skies than he had any right to expect, is making plans for his golden years. The crew is gradually learning all that Nita can teach them, leaving her with the looming decision of whether or not she still has a place among the crew.

Before the matter of the future can be settled, the crew has the problems at hand to solve. And in escaping the webs woven by the cunning and eccentric Alabaster, they may discover the darkest secrets the churning and toxic Fug has to hide. (Goodreads)

The Calderan Problem (Free-Wrench #4)

Several months have passed since Nita’s last adventure in the fug, and though she has spent them back in her native Caldera, she has never been busier. After countless debates and discussion, she has finally convinced her people to give the Wind Breaker and its crew safe harbor on the shores of her idyllic homeland. Now she is looking forward to introducing Captain Mack, Lil, Coop, and the rest of the crew to the land of her birth. 

Back in the fug, Gunner has remained behind to help their friends in the Well Diggers deal with problems beneath the fug. Their old foe Lucius P. Alabaster has become even more unhinged and eccentric since their last clash. When his latest scheme seems to be having even greater success than his last, Gunner decides he needs to get to the bottom of it. Flamboyant and overconfident though he may be, Alabaster is not to be taken lightly. 

As machinations unfold, worlds clash, and relationships develop, the Wind Breaker and its crew discover that this latest adventure may have greater consequences than they’d ever imagined. (Goodreads)

My Reviews

Ichor Well continues the tale of fug, the noxious smog that fills the crater of the known world and poisons those not adapted to it. Thus in this story, we learn more the fug society, the elite and the grunts, the idlers and workers, and a lone woman scientist (who is perfect in her focus on scientific method).

What is fug hiding? A new source of the toxic gas, which, after treatment, also produces a light-emitting substance, and a major power source for engines of all sorts (including air balloons/dirigibles). Getting to it involves running the gauntlet of fug-altered woodland creatures, like gigantic troll-like squirrels and sabre-tooth foxes. In steam-powered badly-made transports.

If you like world-building (and you know I do), you will delight in this brilliant construct by Joseph R Lallo. Science, technology, genetics, sociology…it’s all there, with great deal of politics, a little economics, and a lot of twisted plotting too.

All the characters are beautifully rounded (some rather more than they’d like). Lucius P Alabaster I detested in Ichor Well, and groaned when he arrived in the Calderan Problem, only to enjoy booing by the end.

The Calderan Problem started slowly, and for a while I feared the disappointment of another loved series petering out. But no, once through to the nitty gritty it was as good as the rest. Just a little too tied up with the minutiae of Calderan customs, which are excruciatingly boring, however much Nita wants her friends to enjoy her home world. It’s a dastardly plot, though!

Is it steampunk, or is it sci-fi? Ichor Well definitely tips more into the sci-fi category for me. Looking forward to the next!