“Steeped in illusion and grounded in an alternative history of the Luddite Rebellion, Duncan’s strong supernatural mystery serves ably as both a standalone adventure and the start to a series. Strategically placed steampunk tropes inform but do not overwhelm Elizabeth’s headlong quest to find a missing aristocrat sought by the Patent Office, which is fixated on both achieving perfection and eliminating ‘unseemly science.’ A hazardous border crossing into the permissively corrupt Kingdom of England and Southern Wales provides ample excitement, and a glossary at the novel’s conclusion hints enticingly at a much more involved story to come.”

– Publishers Weekly

“It’s all steampunk and circus wonder as we follow the adventures of Elizabeth Barnabas. The double crosses along the way keep the plot tight and fun, and the conclusion sets us up nicely for book two.”

– The Washington Post

“I've read all of the books in the Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire series, and I love how inventive the whole series is. Each book has a strong story and fantastic characters. The Map of Unknown Things series takes us outside the main Gas-Lit Empire to other parts of the world that the author has created. I love that these are great adventure stories, but also have a more thoughtful side to them - the worlds we visit are all very different and flawed in very different ways, but inhabited by people who have been shaped by the nature of those worlds. It's very clever, but also very engaging - I find myself completely drawn in, unable to predict what will happen next. I also have a strong sense that there is an overall plan to the whole series - this is building into a fantastic overall tale. Really looking forward to the next instalment!”

– Clare Littleford, author of The Quarry

“I absolutely loved The Queen of All Crows. It’s a gripping alternative history adventure set in an intriguing world. Among the fast-paced plot twists the novel also provides keen insights into power structures, particularly when it comes to gender roles as social constructs. Elizabeth Barnabus is possibly my favourite steampunk main character ever: resourceful, fearless, unusually observant and emotionally intelligent. I was thrilled to follow her to the ends of the world as a reader.”

– Emmi Itäranta, award-winning author of Memory of Water

“The Queen of all Crows is a smart and entertaining read, among the best of the steampunk subgenre I’ve read. It continues the story of Elizabeth Barnabus in an alternative history where they take intellectual property protection a little too seriously.”

– Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist and Craigconnects

“Let’s get this out of the way: The Queen of All Crows is an excellent book, full stop. Duncan has managed to infuse the world of the Gas-Lit Empire, and the character of Elizabeth Barnabus herself, with a new jolt of life, color, and depth. Clear your schedule, because you won’t want to stop reading this until you’ve finished, and then you’ll want more.”

– Eric Scott Fischl, author of The Trials of Solomon Parker

“Elizabeth Barnabus is a uniquely intriguing character who will take readers on a fascinating journey through the strange landscapes of the Gas-Lit Empire. Rod Duncan’s storytelling skill brings his fictional world to a mysterious, vibrant life.”

– Stephen Booth, bestselling author of the Cooper & Fry series

“If I had a bowler hat, I’d take it off to the author of this beautifully crafted steampunk novel.”

– Chris D’Lacey, author of the Last Dragon Chronicles

“Rod Duncan’s The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter is a magic box pulsating with energy. Compulsive reading from the get-go, the blend of steampunk alternate history wrapped in the enigma of a chase makes for first-rate entertainment in this finely crafted novel.”

– Graham Joyce, author of Year of the Ladybird

“The winner of the 2018 Leicester Book Prize was Rod Duncan, for his novel The Queen of All Crows. This was a hugely imaginative, compelling and ambitious work of speculative fiction, which frankly I loved, start to finish. I’ve never read anything quite like it.”

– Jonathan Taylor, author of Entertaining Strangers

“Rod Duncan’s writing is a joy because his pseudo late-Victorian narrative runs along the smooth rails of a framework powered by an invisible, but well-oiled word engine that hums away in the background making sure the reader gets all the thrills and spills while retaining a good sense of the story as it relentlessly barrels along.”

– Strange Alliances

“A tumultuous and utterly wonderful series.”

– Smorgasbord Fantasia

“I’m one of those people who only grudgingly give a book five stars. But when I was finished with this book, I knew there was simply no other rating for it. The Custodian of Marvels was simply the perfect book for me. Whereas I had anticipated an exceptional book, I instead was gifted a rather extraordinary one, filled with action, suspense, and returning characters that left me cheering. I sincerely endorse the Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire series for your next reads!”

– Victorian Soul Critiques

“Any writer who can, without info-dumping, bring me directly into a fantastical and outrageously unlikely alternate steampunk world earned their scarce book-buying dollars. He gave such reality to the conundrum of how to simply exist as a woman in the world he’s made that I was wincing, squirming, and blushing for the privilege that being male has always brought. Please believe me, this is powerful storytelling talent working so smoothly you can’t feel the strain.”

– Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud

“Elizabeth Barnabus might just be one of my favourite female characters of all time. The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter is an exciting, intriguing novel, full of theatrical wonders and sci-fi spectacle.”

– Why Words Work