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Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Book Review: Balthazar’s Bane (Gaslamp Gothic, #6) by Kat Ross + giveaway

Balthazar’s Bane (Gaslamp Gothic, #6)by Kat Ross
July 31st 2020
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Retelling
A bungled murder.
A ridiculous quest.

And a hero with extremely dodgy credentials.

Christmas 1889. Count Balthazar Jozsef Habsburg-Koháry tries to lead a simple life.

Oh, he enjoys a few hobbies.

Collecting ancient Egyptian artifacts. Hunting necromancers with a wire garrote. Impersonating dead Hungarian nobility. Seducing an endless string of women who never suspect the price of the count’s attentions.

But considering what Balthazar used to be like, these pursuits are harmless. And surely he deserves a reward for assassinating the elusive necromancer John Mortlake in the middle of Cairo’s teeming bazaar. What could be better than a holiday cruise up the Nile with his secretary Lucas Devereaux?

There’s just one thing that might ruin his mood.

If, for example, someone stole the talisman that’s kept him alive for two thousand years.

That would really suck.

Unfortunately for Balthazar, he just killed the wrong necromancer – one with a vengeful daughter and huge debts to some very shady djinn. To get his mojo back, he and Lucas must find a legendary sword and liberate a desert kingdom of magical misfits. For centuries, the people of Al Miraj have sought a valiant champion willing to face the wrath of the arch demon Fulad-zereh!

What they get is Balthazar.

But the gods always did like a good joke.


Kat Ross continues to utterly impress with everything she writes. I’m currently deeply invested in both her Gaslamp Gothic and Lingua Magika series. Balthazar’s Bane, the sixth installment in Gaslamp Gothic, entranced me from start to finish. I understand Balthazar is a character featured in another of Ross’s series, however, I was best acquainted with him in Dead Ringer (Gaslamp Gothic #5)



Count Balthazar Jozef Habsburg-Koháry is a counterfeit count with a Dorian Gray-esque ability to retain his youth. Befitting Balthazar’s appetites, he siphons life essence from his sexual partners during their climax via a powerful talisman. When a mysterious woman seduces the seducer and absconds with the talisman, a chain of events forces Balthazar and his long-suffering secretary Lucas Devereaux to travel to the mythical desert kingdom Al Miraj. Balthazar becomes the kingdom’s reluctant champion in a battle against a powerful demon holding a centuries-long grudge. 

Balthazar’s Bane is a delightful adventure story with plenty of action and intrigue. The setting and scope of the story are deeply imaginative and descriptive. Balthazar is a likable antihero whose questionable choices lead to questionable paths. His charm, however, is irresistible. The peripheral characters wonderfully support Balthazar in his quest. There is something for every reader in this epic tale. What I adore about this series is Ross’s adept ability to shift perspective from book to book. She lets characters and storylines simmer while treating readers to a whole set of figures and adventures. This grants an enjoyable, rare richness to the series. I eagerly anticipate the next installment in Gaslamp Gothic.

Five Sheep





Bianca Greenwood





 
About the Author:
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Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She’s the author of the Fourth Element and Fourth Talisman fantasy series, the Gaslamp Gothic paranormal mysteries, and the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day. She loves myths, monsters and doomsday scenarios. Check out Kat’s Pinterest page for the people, places and things that inspire her books.


Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)
5 ebook copies of the Gaslamp Gothic Box Set (which contains the first 5 books) 

2 comments:

  1. I love binge reading a series. With reading so many books the story stays fresh this way instead of dragging them out over time.

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  2. Thanks for being on the tour! Glad you liked it !:)

    ReplyDelete