It is a unique book, like nothing I have read before and I loved so much that it's really difficult for me to write a proper review. I'll start by trying to define its genre/style - for me it's a steampunk, adventure, m/m romance, coming of age, fantasy love story. Mr Hall spins a complex, whimsical, profound and most of all beautiful tale of the life and sorrows and loves of one Piccadilly.

This is my first book by this author and I was drawn to it by the steampunk in the blurb and the krakens (I recently read Meljean Brooks’ The Kraken King and I absolutely loved it). The stories don't have much in common, though. Even the krakens are different, yet in the end I loved Prosperity very much as well.

I wasn’t sure what to expect initially and at the beginning it took me some time to get used to the writing style and language used. I was drawn into the story right from the start, a sort of memoirs of the hero, told by him in a curious mixture of street slang, made-up words and high-brow literary style.

The message of the strength of love coming in all shapes and forms was a strong one throughout all the misfortunes and the rare happy times for Piccadilly. There is a lot of humour along with the philosophical messages. The characters are all unique and you get invested in them despite or rather, because of their flaws and failings. They all seem the have hidden inside them hearts of gold, even the ruthless Milord.

It was fantastical, beautifully written journey that I couldn't put down till the very end. I'm more than happy that there will be more stories about this characters in a series of novellas set in this semi-mythical, semi-realistic universe of rainbows, aethermancy and sky cities.

It's a recommended read for anyone who is looking for something different than traditional romance. Now, I'm going back to read Mr. Hall contemporary M/M romance, Glitterland, which my GR friends have rated very highly.

Honestly, I'm not normally what people might refer to as a gusher, but this book is LUSH! There are moments of such painful poignancy that I literally found myself momentarily devoid of reason.

It's not perfect. It took me a long time to get comfortable with Piccadilly's dialect and at times I thought it was overplayed. I really wanted to see Byron Kae's happily ever after and there is a lot of empty space between the bits we know about the characters. But it's close enough for jazz.

What it is that I love so much about this book isn't necessarily the aetherpunk or krakens or action. It's not the romance (if that's the word for it), though that's wonderful. It isn't even directly the characters themselves, though they're worship-worthy. It's the brutal honesty of those same characters' fragility. Yes, I know, it's an oxymoron. But read the book; you'll understand.

The mixed up crew of the Shadowless inhabit a world in which they won't allow themselves the comforting self-deceptions we all so often clothe ourselves in. What would life without your mask feel like? As a result these same miscreants sometimes ring with peals of emotions so pure they put me in mind of crystal bells wrung by aery angels draped in the gossamer threads of God's tears...or some such bollox. You get the point. I felt for these characters. And you see fairly early on that whatever happily ever after they may get aren't the ones they want. But you root for them anyway.

Now, the whole thing isn't to be taken too seriously, 'cause the book is also damned funny in an occasionally dry, very British way. But it's self-aware enough to play with the expectation it builds in the reader, slipping punchlines in unexpectedly. Not often, or not often enough to be predictable, but there all the same.

Goodreads says that this is the 205th book I've read this year and this is probably one of, if not my absolute, favourites. It wasn't at all what I expected and I'm so glad for that. Go read it right now!