The Oilman's Daughter is a fun, fast-paced, adrenaline-filled romp through space, all powered by steam. It has much the feel of a high-seas pirate adventure, only with airlocks and depressurization thrown in. The technology is described enough to make it seem plausible, which allowed me to not worry about how in the world you build train tracks through space and enjoy the plot as it unfolded, with many a twist and turn.
The characters are interesting and have enough backstory to feel real, and for those who remain more mysterious? You can bet there's a reason.
Race can be a difficult issue to handle when writing Steampunk, but I felt it was dealt with in a way that was historically accurate while not offending modern sensibilities. Rather than putting forth a token black character or two, the authors have included several of them, from varied backgrounds, and playing multiple different roles in society.
I wouldn’t have minded a few more prominent female characters, but given the setting, I can see that it would've been difficult to incorporate them in a realistic way. Most Victorian-era ladies were unlikely to take up space pirating, after all.
Several times, I thought I knew where things were going and who was behind it all, only to find out that I was sorely mistaken. You've got to like that in a book!
**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.**