For Steam and Country

The Adventures of Baron von Monocle, Book 1

By: Jon Del Arroz

Narrated by: Katie Wright

Her father's been pronounced dead. Destructive earthquakes ravage the countryside. An invading army looms over the horizon. And Zaira's day is just getting started....

Abandoned at an early age, Zaira von Monocle found life as the daughter of a great adventurer to be filled with hard work and difficulty. She quickly learned to rely on only herself. But when a messenger brought news that her father was dead and that she was the heir to his airship, her world turned upside down.

Zaira soon finds herself trapped in the midst of a war between her home country of Rislandia and the cruel Wyranth Empire, whose soldiers are acting peculiarly - almost inhuman. With the enemy army advancing, her newfound ship’s crew may be the only ones who can save the kingdom.

For Steam and Country is the first book in the Adventures of Baron Von Monocle series by top-10 Amazon best-selling space-opera author, Jon Del Arroz.

©2017 Jon Del Arroz (P)2018 Jon Del Arroz

Couldn't stop listening, can't wait for Book 2.

I really enjoyed listening to this book. The characters are well developed and enjoyable. The story moves along at a good pace. I did not want to stop listening and eagerly await the next book in the series.

Enjoyed and already planning to listen to next book

I wasn’t too much into steampunk before listening to this. I was familiar with the genre here and there, but wasn’t really my thing.

I listened to this book almost entirely from beginning to end with almost no need to rewind or repeat. It was very easy to listen to and follow along. The main character is a strong and independent female but she’s got her flaws and weaknesses, and needs to rely on others. So no Mary Sue here.

The narrator did a great job portraying Zaira, since the book is written from a first person point of view.

Since the book is written in first person view of the protagonist, that also leaves a lot of the world and imagery to the reader’s imagination. So having at least a basic understanding of steampunk and it’s typical characteristics would help.

I imagine this story could serve as the source for a comic or even film adaptation.

Looking forward to the next book already!

good book good narrator

I liked the book and the narrator makes it better. I heartily reccomend it. I will buy the next audio

steampunk escape.

For Steam and Country is everything the title promises. It's and an airship adventure with a dangerous mission and the outcome of a war in the balance. The rallying cry for the crew is the titular "For Steam and Country."

I loved that this wasn't straight military fiction. The story had fantasy elements and a great coming of age plot.

the narrator did really well, making each character their own voice and infusing personality into the reading.

Clean, fast, fun

Wonderfully clean and age appropriate. My only critique is that the narrator could use a bit better pacing and inflection. She gets a bit monotone at times.

this is definitely a book I'll be letting my daughters listen to! Smart, logical characters.

Amusing if you're a 12 year old girl

No real attempt at world-building. Very unrealistic plot and actions of the main character. (In just a few days, goes from being a farm girl to crack-shot commando) Overall impression: silly. Narration is not good, either.

Steampunk action

This is a fun read. I had not read any steampunk before this and I wasn’t sure just what to expect.
What I got was a excellent story that left me wanting more.
I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Fully enjoyed this audiobook

Bestselling author Jon Del Arroz, delivers in this wonderful tale. I look forward to reading his other works

For Steam and Country!

I think this book would make a great animated movie. The narrator sounds a little flat and takes a little getting used to, but don’t let that discourage you.

When you get to the escape, I suggest bumping up the speed to 1.25. The story loses a little ‘steam’ with reunions and conversations that I feel would’ve been postponed until a safer time. The increased speed should help you hold onto a sense of urgency.

The good out weighs the bad, so read For Steam and Country!

A fun steampunk adventure

I'm not a big fan of steampunk stories but found this one quite fun and enjoyable. The main character is a easily believable young woman strughling against the shocking turn of events in her life. Plucked from her family farm while she's a strong and resourceful woman shes not ridiculously morphed into a combat savant. Something I hate that is too often seen in lesser writers work.