The Censor's Hand

Book One of the Thrice-Crossed Swords Trilogy

By: A. M. Steiner

Narrated by: Michael Troughton

Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Magic has transformed the Unity, but at what cost?

Miranda, one of the 100 adopted daughters of the Dowager Duchess, wants nothing more than to become a master of the cunning arts. Only a fool would doubt her genius, but never before has a woman been permitted to wield such power.

Jonathan faces ruin. The sails of his mill haven't turned since the Company of Cunning diverted the winds of Bromwich to their advantage. He's always been a devout and law-abiding man. How far will he go to protect his family from destitution and the gangsters at his doorstep?

If Daniel, his brother, passes the tests to become a censor, maybe he could protect them. He might even get the chance to make amends for what happened to their sister. But in the real world, justice is elusive, and the damage of the past can rarely be undone.

A fantasy thriller for the adult listener, The Censor's Hand presents a dark and intricate vision of a world transformed by magic.

Reviews:

"I recommend this book." (Ventureadlaxre, Australia)

"A uniquely crafted world of fantasy and magic." (The Joycean Booknerdery, Netherlands)

"Masterfully crafted...I'm hanging on the edge of my seat to read the next installment. By the end of The Censor's Hand, you will be too." (Reader Nature, USA)

©2017 Ptolemy Publishing UK (P)2018 Adam M. Steiner

Critic reviews

"An impressive new series." (Starburst Magazine, UK)

"Absolutely fantastic." (The Dyslexic Reader, Ireland)

"I really like this book." (The Weatherwax report, USA)

fantastic start

this start gives me a lot of hope for the future. This is a more serious fantasy novel. It was great and i can't wait for the sequel.

Refreshing story...something different

This is the first book I have listen to by A.M. Steiner and I really enjoyed it. Steiner delivers a story that is different than most good vs bad and he keeps it very interesting. I enjoyed the action and seeing how the all of the main characters deal with the challenges and struggles they have to deal with. Michael Troughton does an excellent job in telling the story and keeping you interested.

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

Not boring, but not interesting

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Nothing about this book really captured my attention. The characters were boring, the plot was boring, and even the fights were boring. I had to reread several sections cause I caught myself zoning out.

Steampunk, magic, and awesome world building!

Daniel is at the end of five years training to be a Censor. He’s ready to start his career doling out justice. Miranda is ward of the Duchess of the North and has ability to use Cunning to control magic that gives her an opportunity no woman before her has had. John is Daniel’s brother who just wants to keep the family mill going. They all get wrapped up in a murder mystery that proves big enough to change their world.

I’ve read a lot of books lately, really! Just check out my reviews at Science Fantasy Hub if you don’t believe me. Anyhow, I know The Censor’s Hand is one of those that is such a vivid world, you’ll fall back into recollections of certain scenes from time to time. Especially when real life is boring. Like being stuck on traffic on the stupid bridge. You’d think paying fifteen dollars to get over a river would be a quick thing…

This book made a twilight trip over the George Washington Bridge into Jersey worthwhile! I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. I’m going to use one of wifey’s monthly Audible credits for the other two books in the series, when she lets me.

I really liked all the freaky guys that practice Cunning with the Honorable Company. Their strategy is to appear “other-worldy” so that magic is attracted to them. A couple characters are very memorable. I don’t want to spoil, so you should just start reading for yourself.

Worth Getting Into

The Censor's Hand is an excellent book. The setting is a rich and vibrant world where science, magic, political intrigue, rebellion, and ideologies clash and intertwine flawlessly .While I initially had a difficult time getting into it, it keeps getting better and better. I will absolutely be reading the next book in the series

Stats
Plot- Three characters with separate yet interwoven lives and drastically different goals, all directed by unseen hands as a culture heads towards war and disaster. All of these factors serve to produce one of the most intriguing and well-crafted plots I have seen. (5 stars)
Characters - The characters are impelling and complex and truly draw you into the story. (5 stars)
Storytelling - The author's talent is undeniable, while I at first thought the story to be slow I quickly came to enjoy Steiner’s eloquence. Moreover, by the time the book ended I was excited to read more. (5 stars)
World Building - The Censor's Hand is set in a rich industrial world ripe with clockwork and seeped in magic. However, world building is not the author’s primary concern, which does leave room for the world to expand in future books (4 stars)
Magic System- Magic in this world is clearly complex and will likely continue to play a large role it the story, yet it remains, likely purposely, undefined and abstract. (4 stars)
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Morality rating- The Censor's Hand contains some language, violence, and sexuality as well as, an off-screen sex scene and the causal discussion of torture, sex, and homosexuality.

mixed feelings

There are parts of the book and others not so much. I don't know what it is but I found that this is not really for me. I usually like this type of book but it did not capture my attention as much as I would have liked.
Others might like it more then I did.

Magic, Politics, and Social Uprising

"This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review."

In this book I have found an author whose writing style and would building balance and complement each other. You feel as though the people and situations they find themselves in could realistically take place (given the magic system). The characters internal struggles are well captured. The background details and richness of the vocabulary employed are impressive. I can only hope that the author can continue supplying this level of engagement without too long a gap between books.

Unique Fantasy World

This is definitely a new fantasy world; some might consider it steam punk and some a new twist on high fantasy. I think it falls somewhere in-between. The characters are likable and well thought out, as is the magic within this world. My only complaint is the ending, once you listen/read you will understand why.

I think the narrator did an excellent job distinguishing the high born from the common folks. All the characters had a unique voice.

I think people who are fans of fantasy and steam punk will enjoy this book.

"This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review."

The Censor's Hand

Wow!What a story!Many ups and downs.Likable characters. Michael Troughton was an awesome narrator.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.

Anxiously waiting for the next installment

This book had a LOT of things that I appreciated. It wasn't a cliffhanger, the various POVs were pretty smooth and it was a straight epic fantasy that didn't drown in trying to be epic. The writing style keeps you in the story and the world-building was complete enough that it seems lived in.

I don't get why this is considered 'dark' fantasy at all. An existence that isn't all sugar and rainbows doesn't qualify for dark. Nor because some of the bad stuff that occurs or is described isn't an overused trope. IMO, this book is adult epic fantasy, stays in it's lane and can hold its own with books that may be better known. My only complaint is that I wasn't surprised about anything. That's what kept it from being a 5-star book for me. Unless I yell (or think really loudly) "Holy crap!", 4-stars is as high as I can go.

IMO, this series starts off with the same feeling of promise that I felt when I started the Demon Cycle series. I am really looking forward to the next book. I'm putting my money where my mouth is and will purchase the book instead of using my Kindle Unlimited subscription to read it for free.