The Queen of All Crows

By: Rod Duncan

Narrated by: Gemma Whelan

Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's Summary

Only one woman can stop the world from descending into endless war, in the thrilling new series in the world of the Gas-Lit Empire

The year is 2012. The nations of the world are bound together in an alliance of collective security, overseen by the International Patent Office and its ruthless stranglehold on technology.

When airships start disappearing in the middle of the Atlantic, the Patent Office is desperate to discover what has happened. Forbidden to operate beyond the territorial waters of member nations, they send spies to investigate in secret.

One of those spies is Elizabeth Barnabus. She must overcome her dislike of the controlling Patent Office, disguise herself as a man, and take to the sea in search of the floating nation of pirates who threaten the world order.

©2018 Rod Duncan (P)2018 Random House Audio

OK, but predictable - weakest of the series

Having listened to -and enjoyed- the original Bullet Catchers Daughter trilogy, I was looking forward to the latest installment.
Sadly, while the book is ok, it is distinctly weaker that the trilogy.
Rod Duncans writing style and characterisation remains approachable , although most of the characters presented here are well worn tropes.

And this is the problem. The previous books, while playing with certain tropes, never became victim to them.

Unfortunately, this one does...and as a result is considerably more predictable.

You are never in doubt as to who is alive/dead, who will become a stowaway, who will fall ill , etc.
I found myself skipping entire chapters and being in no doubt what was going to happen next.

That said, if you a fan of the previous books, you will be interested in what happens next, and this will not turn you away form the series. The characters motives and behavoir remain consistent , logical and recognisable from previous books.

Gemma's reading is crisp,confident, competent and suited to the novel, Her range of accents /voices allows you to distinguish most of the characters clearly.
I would rate her as good; she narrates clearly and is pleasant to listen to , but not someone who adds an extra level to the novel (as the absolute best in the craft do). If you enjoyed her reading of the other novels you'll continue to enjoy it here.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

A great story

A great story and beautifully read. It kept me wanting to hear what happened next. The author imagines what the world would be like if the world signed up the The Great Accord in the 1800's, and follows the story of the heroine as she tries to save her friend amid differing factions of this alternate world. You will not regret listening to this story.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Great!

Can't wait for the next book! If you enjoyed the first tirogy then you are in for a treat.

very enjoyable

A great adventure packed with action and pirates. Elizabeth Barnabas continues to be a great female Action Hero

Brilliant book brilliantly read

The return of Elizabeth Barnabas. May her adventures be numerous!
A fantastic character woven into yet another imaginative and compelling drama. Once again she is voiced perfectly by the talented Gemma Whelan. I wait impatiently for the next outing.

entertaining follow on from the previous books

So this is a 'ripping yarn' at sea and although contains more world building some of it is just a bit more silly than the original books, but I went with it and enjoyed it. I did miss the 1st person perspective of the previous novels as this book is in the 3rd person although I'm not sure why as the book is still centered around Elizabeth.