M. K. Hobson leads her readers through an exciting adventure with just a smattering of romance in her debut novel, The Native Star. Set in 1876 in an alternate Wild West, the novel follows Emily Edwards and her unwanted companion, Dreadnought Stanton, across the United States as they seek answers about a mysterious artifact. Hobson’s beautifully crafted world combines steampunk technology with a variety of types of magic, creating a genre that one reviewer refers to as “witchpunk.”
Though the novel begins with a prologue far removed from the main action of the rest of the novel, it kicks things off with a bang. As Hobson gradually reveals more and more of the world, all of the pieces begin to fall into place. The entire novel is filled with suspense and intrigue, and will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next.
The central character, Emily Edwards, is a Witch of a natural tradition of witchcraft. She encounters a strange stone, and in an act of desperation, grabs it. When the stone fuses into her hand, she and Dreadnought Stanton, a Warlock from a more structured school, endeavor to learn more about the stone and how to remove it from her hand. The stone, a powerful magical item that prevents magic from working in its vicinity, complicates their ability to do this without attracting attention. Along the way, Emily and Dreadnought encounter a variety of allies and enemies with complex motives, making their task more difficult.
The interplay between Emily and Dreadnought, rivals who must work together in order to survive, is wonderfully written. Throughout much of the book, their enmity makes you wonder how this book could be called a romance. It does not contain the trappings of a usual romance, with heaving bosoms and strapping men. But the romantic elements that are present are far more delightful and realistic than those found in a traditional romance novel.
It is difficult to pick out anything in particular that I didn’t like in this book. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and I honestly think my only complaint would be a few loose ends that weren’t tied up by the end of the novel. But as this book is the first in a series, it is not surprising that some of the plot threads woven in this book would continue into future books.
I think that readers who have enjoyed the books in the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger would also enjoy The Native Star. While Hobson’s protagonists are generally more serious than those in Carriger’s novels, there is a nice amount of humor that comes out, particularly in the interactions between Emily and Dreadnought. The Native Star is a different sort of alternate history than the Parasol Protectorate series, but both worlds make good use of steampunk technology as an integral part of the setting.
The second book in Hobson’s series, The Hidden Goddess, came out in April of 2011, and continues the lives of the protagonists from The Native Star. Two additional tentative titles in this series, The Warlock’s Curse and The Unsteady Earth, have also been announced. I can only hope that this series will continue beyond these four novels, as I very much enjoy Hobson’s storytelling style and the world that she has created.
EDITOR’S NOTE: You can follow M.K. Hobson’s progress on her current novels at her blog, Demimonde.
