C. O. Bonham

I know this is an off day for me to be posting on but I needed to let you know about a fun anthology that I just finished listening to on audible.

Cheerful in the face of dark opposition. Innovative to improve a backward world. Industrial as a cure for oppressive conditions. Unyielding beneath all who seek to bind and control them. Faithful until they conquer the fear of death and rise to great acts of heroism and service. Mormons and steampunks are two faces of the same coin.

Twelve authors spin tales of true believers facing impossible odds, risking this life in the hope of gaining something better after. Mormon Battalion soldiers fight an airship, a bounty hunter crosses Porter Rockwell, cultists attempt to reanimate Brigham Young, and missionaries run into Cthulhu. These are just a few of the amazing tales by award winning, bestselling, and premier authors – D. J. Butler, John M. Olsen, Steven L. Peck, Elizabeth Mueller, Scott E. Tarbet, Jay Barnson, Joe Monson, Amanda Hamblin, Christopher McAfee, Jace Killan, John D. Payne, and Lee Allred.

All Made of Hinges is the first installment in the incredible four-part Mormon steampunk series by Immortal Works Press. If you love these stories, look for more in Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel and Press Forward, Saints.

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/All-Made-of-Hinges-audiobook/dp/B07R92TBMC

If you want a deal, get the ebook edition, and add on the audio for only $7.49. Much cheaper than spending $17 on audiobook alone.

Now I guess this is where I tell you what I thought of it.

Dive in Review: All Made of Hinges.

Steampunk what now?

If you are like me, then you are still hung up on the sub title. A steampunk Mormon anthology? What on Earth is a steampunk Mormon?

Well it turns out that answering that question is easier than expected. These are steampunk stories where at least one character is a Mormon.

And like all anthologies, it’s a sampler of different styles, tones, voices and plots. Most are light hearted with a humorous tone, but one or two are a little intense. The real surprise were the ones that were philosophical without talking about religion at all. Not what I expected from a Mormon anthology.

These stories are all alternative history, so expect historical persons to make cameos and for some historical events to not have happened the way you thought. Some stories are just westerns with airships and others are Clockwork dystopias with zombie hoards.

The steampunk elements were all really well done, and in most stories the Mormon element was barely noticeable. So I wouldn’t let that hold you back from trying this anthology out. In fact if you’re still holding back because of religion, don’t. The characters that have the most faith are machines. And the only story that has angels is theologically incorrect. (If you ever meet two angels that contradict each other, one of them is not an angel. That is just a fact.)

Narrator Benjamin Fife, is one that I’ve heard a lot from. He always brings a unique voice to every book he reads. Nowhere is that more evident than in this anthology, where you can hear his reading style change for each story. Fife is also really good at accents, and these stories give him a wide range of accents to play with. His French and Japanese accents are new ones I got to hear.

If you like steampunk everything then this anthology is sure to delight. Just don’t go in expecting a deeper understanding of what it means to be Mormon. This is not a religious book.

*I was given a code for a review copy of this audio book. The above review is my own honest opinion and is provided willingly.*