The Empress of Prussia is quite beside herself …
When Lady Georgia Brunel and her Aunt Millie are summoned before the Empress of Prussia, the brilliant young woman does not seem herself. They soon discover the reason—she has been replaced by one of her own inventions, an automaton so lifelike that it seems even the Cabinet has not detected the switch. If the news gets out, there will be chaos in the Empire, and the heir to the throne will be all too happy to put off his next hunting trip to accept the crown prematurely.
If ever Georgia needed the help of her friend Dustin Seacombe, it is now. But he has gone back to the Fifteen Colonies, leaving her with nothing but memories … and unanswered questions. So it is up to her and Millie to quietly sift truth from lies in an effort to find the Empress—and bring the villains behind the plot to light. When they hear whispers about an underground group of rogue inventors, Georgia wonders whether the Empress has actually abdicated of her own free will … or if her life is about to end in the destruction of an empire.
"The plot is complex, the characters well considered, the story well crafted, full of twists and turns, not all of them expected. But the gentleness that marked the first novel is here again. It is a fun tale, with characters you want to spend time with. A tale of gentle lightness, among the swathes of grim-dark that occupy much of the genre. It's just nice escapist fun, written to entertain and entertain it does. Genteel light if you will, a genre all of her own, which has much to recommend it." —Mark Hayes, The Passing Place, on The Automaton Empress
The Automaton Empress is the second novel in the Lady Georgia Brunel Mysteries series set in the Magnificent Devices steampunk world. Though the books can be read as standalones, there are threads of love and family running through them all. No strong language, just a very proper kiss or two and a satisfying solution. Enjoy!
