2. Camera Obscura

2011 AIRSHIP AWARD NOMINEE

2011 SIDEWISE AWARD NOMINEE

When a body is discovered gruesomely mutilated in an apartment on Paris’ Rue Morgue, it is up to the 6-foot tall, Dahomey-born Milady de Winter to hunt for the murderer. Someone had implanted an object of mythical power in the dead man’s stomach – an object now missing…

Her quest leads Milady across the seedy night spots and opium dens of the city, from Montmarte Cemetery to the hidden underworld of Paris – and to a confrontation with a killer who is no longer human.

Wounded, hurt, Milady pursues her quarry on a road leading from Paris to the New World and to the wonders of a new age, following both a murderer and a mystery – an object of possible alien origin lost, years before, in the jungles of Asia, and protected by the legendary Shaolin. But will finding it bring with it redemption – or a terrible apocalypse?

A lone woman stands between humanity and a threat from the stars…

WHAT THEY SAY

“The plot careers breathlessly through locations, characters and fascinating concepts. There are genuine shocks along the way and the lucid, compelling prose pulls you through.” – SFX, 4*

“A rollicking adventure with passages of brilliant prose …  a dreadfully fun romp.” - Tor.com

Tidhar writes in the manner Michael Chabon champions in “Trickster in a Suit of Lights,” applauding the speculative writers who keep one foot in the land of “literary” fiction, while invoking “the idea of playfulness, of mockery and inversion.” Tidhar is such a writer.

“An incredibly hard book to put down. A colorful cast of characters, a gripping tale of loss, gain, secrets and cosmic dread, all woven into a hauntingly familiar and yet very strange steampunk version of earth.” - Daily Steampunk

 few weeks back I was wondering if Lavie would manage to dethrone himself and make Camera Obscura my new favourite Steampunk novel.

He did.

“A superb more-or-less standalone volume that expands the inventiveness of the debut while keeping the story better focused and having as great a character cast as there. Camera Obscura raised the Lesards series to a must for me. - Fantasy Book Critic.

“Lavie Tidhar’s mind must be fascinating place in which to live. It certainly is an exceeding pleasure to visit … I remain truly awestruck by the brilliance of Tidhar’s creation.” - LitPunk

Tidhar is a wonderful writer, who manages to merge widely different influences and references with seemingly effortless grace and who weaves a ripping yarn–exciting, suspenseful, extremely clever–that revels in the literary fun of it all but in a manner that is never smug or self-satisfied. Tidhar proves that words such as “intellectual” and “playful” are not mutually exclusive, and does so in the most thrilling of ways.

“The storytelling here will keep you on the edge of your seat (now there’s a cliché for you) and you should be well prepared for the ten minute dip into you planned to turn into hours. It happened to me, and it’s both at once wonderful and intensely annoying. I emerged from the final page of Camera Obscura exhausted by the experience, but with a definite smile on my face. It’s fast, and relentlessly fun.” - Matthew S. Dent.

“A good read, packed with gritty action and quirky characters. It has a strong female protagonist in Lady de Winter and to be honest I can’t wait to read the next one.” - Cybermage.se.

“Read this Steampunk adventure for the beautifully dark world that Lavie Tidhar has created.” - Preternatura.

“Stylish and exuberant.” - Warpcore SF

“Eerie and alluring.” - Bookgasm

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AUDIO BOOK

Audible 2012. Narrated by Karen Cass. 11 hours 20 minutes.

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