I'm so excited by this concept! I'm really fascinated by blimps and I don't see that nearly enough in fantasy, though I'm sure it's a high steampunk concept. Really thrilled with this. Love it!

This will be great for my students who want more sophisticated steam punk/sci fi.

The Guns Above by Robyn Bennis is the humorous, female-led steampunk military drama you didn’t know was missing from your life. This debut novel, which came out last May, tells the story of Josette Dupre, Garnia’s first female airship captain, and her fight to keep her position, her ship, and her crew. The book gives an intimate and unromantic look at the harsh realities of war, while also managing to be an uplifting tale about trust, leadership, and unlikely friendship.

The story is told through the alternating perspectives of Josette and a foppish aristocrat, Lord Bernat. Josette unexpectedly rises through the military ranks when she takes command after her captain dies and leads the crew to a surprising victory. Though the country of Garnia has strict rules that are meant to keep women out of combat, Josette’s superiors have no choice but to grant her a captaincy and an airship of her own. Meanwhile, Lord Bernat could be given a military command in a heartbeat since his uncle is a prominent general, but Bernat much prefers to spend his time in gambling halls and the bedrooms of much older women. After squandering all of his money away, though, Bernat is force to apply to his uncle for help. He ends up agreeing to spy on Josette and sabotage her reputation before the presence of a talented female captain can embarrass the general any further. However, after watching Josette lead her ragtag crew through harrowing battles to impressive victories, Bernat is forced to reevaluate his loyalties.

One aspect of the book that I really wasn’t expecting, was the way it goes into fascinating detail about the mechanics of airships. You could tell that the author had done a lot of research. Personally, I have trouble visualizing these kinds of things, especially since I have no familiarity with the sorts of structures and machinery it might have been based on, so I sometimes got lost in these paragraphs of description. But for those who appreciate this level of detail and come to sci-fi for well thought-out depictions of science and tech (even of the early industrial variety), The Guns Above has plenty for you!

This book also had significantly more battles and warfare than I am used to reading about. I can’t say that anything with the words “military drama” in the description usually catches my attention. But in The Guns Above, the intricate battle scenes along with the depictions of daily life among the enlisted crew were truly integral to the story and managed to keep me completely enthralled. This book is about the camaraderie that naturally develops between those who risk their lives together, so with each battle or passing day in danger, you can see clear developments in the interpersonal relationships between the characters. It’s also quite simply a David and Goliath story of sorts, about one small woman and her crew up against seemingly insurmountable odds. And who doesn’t love seeing the little guy (or girl) win?

The Guns Above was simultaneously fun and light-hearted while also somehow deep and moving. If you’re a long-time fan of steampunk or just looking for something new to try, I highly recommend it.

The Guns Above” eBook was published in 2017 and was written by Robyn Bennis (http://www.robynbennis.com). This is Ms. Bennis’ first novel and the first in her “Signal Airship” series.

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Language. The story is set in another universe where steam is the king of technology. The primary character is Lieutenant Josette Dupre, the first woman to Captain an airship.

Her command is challenged by a doubting crew as well as an untested airship. Her life is further complicated by the foppish aristocrat, Lord Bernat, who has been assigned as an “observer” to her vessel. Clearly he is there to spy on her for his uncle, the general.

While on their shakedown cruise, still evaluating the ship, they are drawn into battle. Led by Dupre, the crew is able to survive, just barely. Dupre finds many ways to make her little airship have a large impact in the battles being fought.

Dupre steps into her shoes as Captain, leading her crew with creative ideas and courage. Her successes reach the press which is why the King had, against tradition, appointed her an Airship Captain. Now, like it or not, she is in a leadership role that some hope will see the military integrated with women in all capacities. 

I really enjoyed the 9 hours I spent reading this 352 page Steam Punk Thriller. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. I look forward to further books in this series. The cover art is well chosen. I give this novel a 4.6 (rounded up to a 5) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

The second steampunk novel I’ve read this year and I was NOT disappointed.

The plot: In Robyn Bennis’ The Guns Above, Josette Dupre, our badass protagonist has been made the Corps’ first female airship captain, after she turned the tide against the enemy in a battle.

For Josette, it means a death sentence but a happy one because she finally gets to live her dreams as captain of an airship, but she is also aware of how far some would go to overthrow her. Like Lord Bernat, who was set up by his Uncle to find and record all the negatives of Josette, so that Bernat can get his money and the Uncle would get to see Josette fall.

Imagine our history, but with Steampunk. While it is a made up world, that’s what it reminded me of because of the sexism. And oh Lord! The sexism was so intense. I’m pretty sure that’s how bad it used to be in our world too, but the book treats it very lightly by using humour along with it but it also keeps coming back to the issue over and over again which made me doubt the real message behind the book.

And while the book is Steampunk, it has no magic in it. It reads very much like a military historical fiction with lots of witty banter.

The characters reminded me of the cast of Pirates of the Caribbean mainly because of their witty banter. But note that Josette and her crew are anything but pirates.

In the beginning, I didn’t enjoy the book as much and it took me a while to realize that it was because I wasn’t feeling that bond readers usually feel with characters. This was probably because of the epic airship battles, airship descriptions and airship repairs that constantly took place.

Yeah, there’s a LOT of airship info in this one, something that I enjoyed immensely. The airship battles had to be my favourite though. The suspense of an oncoming attack, the total chaos aboard the ship, the captain screaming orders, the small and major victories, just the way everything was written was beautiful. And once the friendship between Josette and Bernat grew, I was head over heels in love with the book.

And this book actually made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions, something that doesn’t happen often.

I would definitely recommend this book to Steampunk lovers, military fiction lovers and also people who just want an engaging and funny read.

Lots of love,

Raven

NOTE: Our site includes a few excerpts from the book that are direct screenshots of the Netgalley E-book.

Robyn Bennis has written an excellent nineteenth century military adventure but set in a steampunk fantasy world filled with airships armed with muzzle-loaded cannons and musketeers. Her heroine faces prejudice as her county is trying to integrate their military to stave off invasions. Besides being the first woman to command an airship, Josette Dupre must also deal with a foppish aristocrat who is on a mission to discredit her and train her crew on a new airship of a "revolutionary" design. If you like adventure, hard-fought battles and some smart dialogue, you have picked up the right book!

I seem to have missed the whole point of an “advanced review” because even though I got an ARC of this book in like, March…and the book itself came out in May…I literally only just got to it. I’m the worst. And once again, I’m kicking myself for not getting to this book sooner, because it was fantastic. But now begins the agonizing wait for the sequel. I should stay away from books that are the first in a series, but I can’t help myself…

Anyway!

The Guns Above by Robyn Bennis!

First of all: that cover. I saw it and was all: Ok, I will read that. Does that make me shallow, because I literally judged a book by it’s cover? Eh, well. I also liked that the blurb on there features the word ‘Steampunky,’ which is one of 1,000,000,000,000 nicknames I have for my cat. Also one of my favorite sci-fi/fantasy genres.

So Josette Dupre is an Auxiliary Lieutenant in the Garnian Air Signal Corps. Women can only be “auxiliary” officers, because patriarchy and sexism (as this is Steampunk, the nations of Garnia and Vinzhalia definitely give off an early 19th Century Europe feel). But when Josette saves the day by seizing command of an airship during a battle, she’s rewarded by being made captain of her own airship, the Mistral. It’s a revolutionary new design. Read: it’s never been tested before, she and her crew will very likely die in a firey death, as command intended. The higher-ups in the Garnian army are none too happy with having a female captain. One of them, General Fieren, has his cash-poor upper-class-twit-of-the-year nephew, Lord Bernat, join the Mistral as an “observer” so he can spy on Josette and get dirt on her, so Fieren can figure a way to throw her out of the signal corps.

While all this is going on, Garnia and it’s neighbor, Vinzhalia, have been at war for…well, forever and always. Soon after Josette and her crew take the Mistral out for it’s test flight, they end up caught in a bunch of awesome airship battles against the Vins. And they figure out that the war is about to get much, much, much worse…

In all, I really liked The Guns Above. It’s a stellar debut, and a superfun Steampunk military fantasy. If you’re big on worldbuilding, you may be a little disappointed, but if you’re into big airship battles…Bennis wastes no time in bringing the action and we get all sorts of battles. I feel if she’d spent page after page going on and on about Garnia’s history with Vinzhalia or the geography or any of that stuff, I would’ve been bored out of my skull. I mean, I didn’t exactly come for the worldbuilding - I came for awesome steampunk airship battles, a badass, snarky female protagonist, and her awkward yet equally snarky sidekick / guy sent to spy on her / eventual friend / upperclass twit of the year with a taste for older ladies.

There’s plenty of ladies being kickass in the face of the patriarchy and Bernat, the upper-class-twit, goes from being a sexist douche to an ally to Josette. I really hope they get together in subsequent books, because both are incredibly snarky, and I’d love to have a whole book of them just snarking at each other.

RECOMMENDED FOR:
Fans of exciting battle scenes, people who enjoy steampunk military fantasy, people who enjoy snark, fans of steampunky engineering.

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR:
People who desperately need intricate worldbuilding, people who get bored by battle scenes with lots of technical detail, people who dislike steampunk.

RATING:
4.5/5

Just wonderful! This steampunk military drama incorporates brilliantly realized airship technology, with the same level of loving detail and respect for the resourcefulness of the people on those ships as found in Patrick O’Brien’s novels, with international intrigue, military maneuvers and derring-do. Josette Dupre, one of the few women aviators in a made-up European country, became captain of her own airship almost by accident by being the highest-ranking surviving officer after a disastrous battle. Her troubles are only beginning, though, for she is sent on patrol with a crew that doubts her abilities, an experimental airship that is likely a death trap, and a dandified observer with a secret mission to prove women have no place in the air corps. Josette has a complex, appealing blend of confidence based on experience, keen common sense, bravery, and self-doubt. The book is nicely paced, full of exciting twists, and intriguing technology. As with the O’Brien books, I was struck by the level of scientific, engineering, and mathematical knowledge of the airmen. I’m not a military buff, but I found the action engrossing and the characters appealing. The sly humor, aimed mostly at the dandified aristocracy, added a wonderful touch. I found the geography and political history of the various fictional countries unnecessary and confusing at first, detracting from the dramatic action, and would have preferred closer parallels with existing European states. Otherwise, this was a fun, lively, and ultimately satisfying read.

As the first female captain of an military airship, Josette Dupre knows all about fighting against unequal odds. Somehow, she must rally her crew, fly an untested airship with a revolutionary new design, manage the civilian fop foisted upon her as a spy, and turn back a surprise Vin attack. All in a day's work, yeah?

This rip-roaring read was a delight. I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting into—hell, I thought I was going to be reading a steampunk romance—but while I'd classify it as steampunk, there's certainly little romance (unless you count dalliances with fifty year-old women) and it's nonstop action from start to finish.

Josette is a bloodthirsty and intelligent commander who struggles at first to figure out her leadership style, but wins over her crew with competence and bravery. Lord Bernart grew on me, although I wanted Josette to throw him overboard more than once, despite the loss in ballast that would cause.

Overall, it was really fun, epically gory and definitely along the lines of Temeraire and On Basilisk Station.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

A steam punk tale of a female airship captain. She became such when the previous captain died in battle, but she pull the ship through to survive. The crew is fiercely loyal to her, even when a seemingly aloof noble is put on her ship to observe (spy). This spy is not really not to into the job when he finds out how well she does her. job

Lieutenant Josette Dupre is a female auxiliary in Garnia’s air corps fighting both in the never-ending war against the Vins, and against the position of women as second class citizens. Chauvinism is rife. The female auxiliaries are banned from combat, but when her Captain is killed in battle, Josette’s bravery and resourcefulness earn her command of her own ship. Garnia’s first female captain is regarded as an affront as far as the general is concerned, so he sends a spy, his foppish nephew Bernat, to observe and send back reports that will effectively construct a character assassination in order to get Josette demoted and posted to the fever swamps. Bernat is a hedonist, a flirt and a gambler with as much military savvy as a teacup (He can shoot straight, but he doesn't know how to load a rifle because they have servants for that kind of thing.). In addition to everything else, Josette’s new ship is a new and untested design. While she’s still conducting air trials, she’s swept into combat. The one thing that Josette is good at is military strategy, but being female, she still doesn’t get any credit for taking down an enemy airship and scouting to discover that the Vins are about to attack on a second front.

I really wanted to like this book. The blurb made it sound amazing, but it was a bit too much of a one-note for me I wanted more from the characterization, or maybe more change in the characters over the course of the book. Neither Josette nor Bernat are particularly likeable Josette is angry most of the time and admits she’s not good at getting people (especially her crew) to like her. Bernat suggests that she gets more out of them by being relentlessly scary, which is not innately appealing. Other reviewers said they thought the book was funny as well as violent. I must need a sense of humour transplant because it didn’t strike me as funny at all. Josette was very much the angry young woman while Bernat was the clueless fop. And though there were moments when it seemed that both might be inching towards a change of attitude, those moments were few and far between. Bernat found his spine towards the end, but I didn’t feel that Josette had changed much throughout the story. The war between Garnia and the Vins seems to have no real cause and is masterminded by incompetents if the general is anything to go by, (He’s very two dimensional.)
Kudos to the author for working out exactly how a steampunky airship works, from where the struts go, and the properties of luftgas, to how the whole shebang reacts when a canon is fired from her hurricane deck, or how the riggers need to move to keep the vessel balanced. It’s a great authorial feat, but I’m not sure we, as readers, need to know all the nitty gritty several times over. This book seemed to be little more than battle after battle. I would have liked to know a little more about what made Josette and Bernat tick.
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While a tad slow to start, once the engines get revving in this military-steampunk adventure, they really get going. The airship details and battlefield tactics have a fascinatingly realistic feel that reminded me of fantastic flintlock fantasy novels like those by Brian McClellan and Django Wexler. I'm very happy to see steampunk going in this direction!

With The Gun Above, author Bennis takes the gravitas of Master and Commander naval warfare and gives it a steampunk spin. Those worried that the fantastical will overwhelm the story can be reassured that the plot is tight and with few 'magical' elements at all. In fact, this felt like a Sharpe's Rifles type of story rather than a science fiction steampunk. But while the book doesn't shy from the consequences of war, it really is all about the fighting. There's very little character development and I had a hard time feeling anything for our two main leads. I am reminded of a Naomi Novik Temeraire novel - substituting dragons for dirigibles.

Story: Josette Dupris has fought hard yet it is only through circumstances of war that she is given command of a new prototype ship - one that no one expects to survive a battle. To ensure that she doesn't retain the captaincy long, her superior officer places his diletante and bored nephew on her ship as a spy - to spin doctor her actions and discredit her. What should have been great for the officer - hopefully and literally killing two birds with one stone - has the opposite effect. Josette proves herself time and again and his dissolute nephew is about to grow a backbone.

Most books of this type can be quite wordy and epic in scope - and I often wish for less rather than more (McClellan's Powder Mage series comes to mind). The Guns Above feels like McClellan Lite - we're put directly into the actions and then it is non-stop battles after that. Bennis doesn't sugarcoat the characters and each has their own distinct personality issues - Josette lacking communication and social skills/Bernat being a spoiled, foppish dissolute of an aristocrat. Of course, the two come from very different worlds and will help each other rise above themselves.

Those expecting a romance need not worry - there is none in this book. The emphasis is on battles - and there are a lot. Bennis takes special care with each, describing in detail the deaths and consequence of Napoleonic-era type of 'sea' battles. Honestly, I found it a bit much but also appreciated that due care and consideration was given to all the technical aspects - from how the ships were constructed/weaknesses to the weapons and how they had to be fired. The fantastical made perfect sense with the historical and blended seamlessly.

If there is one off note, it would be that both Josette and Bennis spend most of the book in a 'bromance' (yes, she's female) and trading quips. They are good zingers and very witty - droll humor at each other's expense. But I'd rather have had character development and observations rather than endless amounts of battles interspersed with throwaway bon mots. I enjoy intelligent characters as much as the next person but it felt a bit overwritten and underwritten at the same time because the quips formed the basis of the main characters' working relationship. I expect that will change with future novels, though.

In all, an enjoyable and mature naval warfare novel with a steampunk twist. I think Naomi Novick fans will enjoy the series but McClellan and O'Brien may want a bit more depth. The Guns Above is a fairly quick read and smoothly written. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

This is a familiar tale with a heavy feminist hand at times so not for every reader, but it is told wonderfully with courage, humor, and raw truth. At the heart, this is an account of the transition between treating women as precious objects and as real people capable of serving in war. I liked how the history of this alternate world is blended in, making it clear women in the military is both new, and older than any imagined, through the mention of an amnesty event where crossdressing women could become soldiers in truth rather than only by masquerade.

But don’t let me lead you to thinking this is a political diatribe, because it’s not. The argument is shown rather than told through a wonderful war romp that’s boots on the ground…or rather in the air…realistic. The story follows an airship captain, Josette Dupre, who was promoted for political reasons after making a dangerous, but necessary, choice that changed the course of a major encounter with the enemy. The general is determined to prove her a figurehead and idiot when he’s more aware of the glossed over accounts than the actual war, to the point that he ignores wise advice and claims victory when a rout is a better description.

Enter his nephew, Lord Bernat Manatio Jebrit Aoue Hinkal, or Bernie for short, who has run through his allowance yet again and is sent to join the army to make something of himself. He’s a fop and a wastrel, wholly bought into the propaganda, but he’s smart enough to recognize a low-level officer’s life will require more effort than he’s willing to expend. Agreeing with his uncle’s perception on the war and women wholeheartedly, he offers to spy on Josette instead.

Bernie is a complete idiot, persistently ignorant when any fool would have recognized the reality, a character type that will drive some readers nuts, but he’s not dumb…he’s just brainwashed. Annoying much of the time for sure, but that he would get his comeuppance, and that I looked forward to seeing it, couldn’t be denied. He’s in for a real education, and to his credit, once he opens his eyes, he’s willing, if not eager, to learn.

Josette is smart, fully aware of her situation both as a liability and a political toy. She marks Bernie’s purpose from the start, but also knows there’s nothing she can do about it. The best demonstration of the type of person she is comes in two parts: First, her reaction to all the publicity is both that any loyal soldier would have done the same and the hero worship is likely to cost her everything. Second, the way her crew signs on to a mission sure to ruin their reputations on a ship that is an experimental nightmare because they want to have her as their captain. That kind of loyalty is earned and immediately proves Josette to be the real thing. Then how she’s able to calculate the modifications to the ship and put together the military situation from a few clues cements the impression.

The description of the ship and how it worked (along with munitions and supplies) was lovingly provided, and I’ll admit my eyes glazed over right around the counting of the ship’s ribs, but that was the only time. I enjoyed the details almost as much as how I enjoyed the way Josette and her crew flew their airship. They sensed air currents, learned from breezes, identified risks from sounds, and knew where the flaws were in the design based on sound shifts and contradictions between what the ship did and what it could do. This made the airship come to life.

So…you might get the impression I really enjoyed this book, and if so, you’d be correct. It is, as I said at the start, a familiar story. What makes it worth the read is the lively character interactions, the description bringing not just the world but the whole military situation into focus, and the immersive qualities. If you like steampunk, you’ll be doing yourself a disservice by not checking this one out.

P.S. I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley.

This was a really quite enjoyable read. I liked the idea of the first female airship captain. I loved the banter and wry witticisms in the face of danger. The writing was wonderful and I liked all the characters (or rather, liked the ones I was meant to like and disliked the ones meant to be toad-like).

I would have liked to understand the characters as well as the battles. The book is heavy on detailed descriptions of air battles and light on the internal workings of the characters themselves. I liked them, but I wouldn't say we get to know them well, Josette especially.

I would liked to compliment Bennis on having a man be attracted to 'older' (than him) women and not making it a joke. Allowing that women in their 50s (and beyond) can be sexy and sexual was a breath of fresh air.

Lastly, as an introduction to a series this works well. But it is just a slice of a larger pie. We meet the captain, crew and tag-along dandy. They bicker and fight a couple battles in a larger war. Then it ends, with the understand that there is more of the same to come. It felt a bit anchor-less.

I knew from the moment I saw the blurb by Patricia Briggs on the cover of this book that I was going to love it. The Guns Above lived up to the hype I created in my own mind after reading said blurb. It has great characters, exciting airship battles, and lots of witty humor. I didn't expect this book to be as fun or as funny as it ended up being.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm kind of sick of the "I'm the first lady to do the thing and everyone expects me to fail." trope but I still really enjoyed reading this book! Josette Dupre is a character that is the perfect balance of cocky and respectful while knowing when it's time to be a rebel. She's very confident in herself while realizing that she's still growing into her position as captain.

One of the things I loved about this book was the dual narrative. The story is told primarily from the alternating perspectives of Josette and Lord Bernat, the foppish nobleman who was assigned to the Mistral to openly spy on her. The two POVs keeps things interesting and fast-paced. I loved reading the back and forth between the two and I loved seeing how they began to understand each other as they interacted.

This book is the kind of military fantasy that I enjoy the heck out of. It struck the perfect balance of steampunk and military adventure in my eyes. I especially enjoyed the science of the airships and the descriptions of the tech. Those little details makes my inner scientist happy. The combination of interesting characters, Napoleonic warfare, and airships made for a great story and I'm intrigued to see what will happen next!

http://readdayandnight.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-guns-above-by-robyn-bennis.html

The Guns Above is the start of a new series set in a steampunk type world. Josette Dupris has been part of the Air Signal Corp for years; however, as a woman she's never been able to move past a certain rank, and women are certainly never supposed to be involved in a battle. While Josette is no stranger to war, she never expected that she would be given a command of her own, which is exactly what happens in The Guns Above. Due to the Josette's actions and the visibility of said heroics in the press, she is given command of an airship. Unsurprisingly Josette doesn't have a lot of support in a military that doesn't respect it's women. The General decides to send his dandified nephew Lord Bernat to shadow Josette and report back on every thing that doesn't go right for her. At first, this is an easy things for Bernat to do. He doesn't like or respect Josette and has some pretty preconceived notions about women in the service. Of course, war gets in the way and changes Bernat's opinions.

I really, really liked the premise for The Guns Above. Lady steamship captain battling it out against the odds? Um, yes please. That being said, I really would have liked to have seen more character development. If you're a fan of intricate descriptions of steamships and a play-by-play account of a battle, then this book is for you. While I have enjoyed some military fantasy books, I need a lot of character development to keep me interested in the story. And because I felt that there was so much potential for Josette as well as Bernat, I was kind of disappointed that there wasn't much meat to either character. Tidbits were dropped, but the focus of the book was on the battles and that's just not where my interest lies. That being said, this is the start of a series and with that I think that readers will see more character development over the next few books (although that's not as quickly as I would like to see it!).

The Guns Above is an interesting start to a new series. The setup is intriguing, but there is something missing if you like in-depth character development.

Not my usual genre, military steampunk, but I was drawn to Josette and I loved the feckless yet true Bernat. A wonderful book and I can't wait for the next in the series.

If you are a woman in business of a certain age, you have had the experience of being ignored when out with a male colleague. You say something at a meeting, and the answer goes to the man next to you. You might go to a conference, and the men ware spoken to first. You might be meeting a new client, and the man is the one who is greeted as sthe one in charge.

That is the overriding theme of this book. Oh, yes, there is a war on, and there are battles, and there are of course politics, but the underlying theme is that she is not respected as the first female steamerjack ship (a sort of war blimp).If anything, the general in charge is hoping that she will get killed in the ongoing battles, and the newspapers will stop writing about how wonderful she is.

The book has whit and humor, with the bantering between Bernart, an auristicat assigned to the ship, and Josette. And the world building is very well done. The disrespect that Josette receives is very real.

So, then, why the there stars? Because there is not suspense. You don't really fear for her life, nor for Bernat's life. Sure, the ship my get destroyed, and they might get wounded, but for the most part you never really feel that they could get shot. THey are important to the story, and they can't be removed.

So, it is a good war novel, told from both a woman's point of a view, as well as a toad of a lord. And I might read the next book, as the writing, as I said, is often quite whitty, but I hope they can get me to worry more about one or the other surveying.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review