Iron Seas - La série

While the search for a killer puts Constable Newberry’s life in danger, he faces a danger of another kind: to his heart, by the woman forced to marry him. What will it take for this prudish bounder to convince his wife to stay? * * * In The Iron Duke, Constable Newberry helped save all of England. But before the events of that novel, Constable Newberry’s faced a danger of another kind: to his heart, by the woman forced to marry him. What will it take for this prudish bounder to convince his wife to stay?

Desperate to leave London, two years ago Ivy Blacksmith secured her overseas passage by striking a provocative bargain with the domineering pirate Mad Machen. Saved from his bed at the last moment, Ivy fled the city, but Mad Machen vowed to come after her… Eking out a living in the little town of Fool’s Cove, Ivy never expected that her impetuous offer would continue to haunt her. But the beautiful blacksmith owes Mad Machen the price of a voyage, and the pirate captain is determined to collect. * * * Two years ago, blacksmith Ivy, desperate to flee London, purchased her overseas passage by agreeing to spend the voyage in the bed of the pirate captain, Mad Machen. Saved at the last minute by his rival, Ivy scraped out a new life in Fool’s Cove…until Mad Machen finds her, forces her to accept a job that will create a monster, and reminds her that she still owes him the price of a journey…

The Hook – An Iron Seas Urban Legend Meljean’s Note: This is a very short story that I wrote for a blog post at All Things Urban Fantasy during their Spooky Legends week. The challenge was to write about a famous urban legend in our characters’ voices, and my urban legend was The Hook. This story features Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth and Constable Newberry from The Iron Duke.

Angleterre, 1901. Les invasions de la Horde ont ruiné le pays. Nombreux sont ceux qui ont fui devant ce peuple barbare. D’autres restent et se battent. Comme Rhys Trahaearn, surnommé le duc de Fer, devenu un héros depuis qu’il a vaincu les forces ennemies. Alors que le pays se relève lentement, les ténèbres demeurent. Au côté de la sublime détective Mina Wentworth, le hors-la-loi enquête sur un meurtre des plus obscurs. * * * After the Iron Duke freed England from Horde control, he instantly became a national hero. Now Rhys Trahaearn has built a merchant empire on the power — and fear — of his name. And when a dead body is dropped from an airship onto his doorstep, bringing Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth into his dangerous world, he intends to make her his next possession. Mina can’t afford his interest, however. Horde blood runs through her veins, and despite the nanotech enhancing her body, she barely scratches out a living in London society. Becoming Rhys’s lover would destroy both her career and her family, yet the investigation prevents her from avoiding him…and the Iron Duke’s ruthless pursuit makes him difficult to resist. But when Mina uncovers the victim’s identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans — and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.

Eight months after The Iron Duke, can their marriage survive a new danger? When newly-married Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth is called to investigate a bounder’s murder, she doesn’t expect the mysterious machine she finds…or the danger that leads back to her husband. Meljean’s Note: This is an epilogue novella. The story is a full-length novella, with its own plot — but although I’ve written it to stand alone as much as possible, there are strong references to The Iron Duke, particularly in regard to Mina and Rhys’s relationship.

(trad BdP) : Yasmeen, le capitaine mercenaire du Lady Corsaire, a appris a garder son cœur froid et n'est loyale qu'envers son vaisseau et ses hommes. Et lorsqu'un homme qui a déjà essayé de saisir son aerostat revient d'entre les morts, qu'elle soit maudite si elle lui redonne une opportunité de prendre le contrôle. Archimede Fox, chasseur de trésor ne s'intéresse pas au Lady Corsaire, non, c'est son capitaine sans cœur et l'esquisse de De Vinci qu'elle lui a volé qu'il veut récupérer. Afin de remettre la main dessus, il est déterminé à séduire cette femme obstinée qui l'a un jour jeté au milieu d'une horde de zombie affamés... Ce ne sera pas une conquête facile. Lorsque le dessin de De Vinci attire un peu trop l'attention, Yasmeen et Archimède voyage vers le Maroc, occupé par la Horde. Mais alors qu'ils se battent pour sauver leur peau et une ville en proie à la rebéllion, le plus grand danger que Yasmeen doit affronter n'est autre que l'homme qui cherche à faire fondre son armure glacée...

Surviving on the treacherous Iron Seas requires a heart of steel…but how can Yasmeen hope to survive when her heart has already been stolen by Archimedes Fox…? Tethered along the south dock of Port Fallow, Captain Yasmeen Corsair’s magnificent new airship, Lady Nergüi, awaits its departure with adventurer and treasure-hunter Archimedes Fox. But this time, Yasmeen, a fearless mercenary who has always prided herself on a heart of steel, has reasons to worry when Miles Bilson, an acquaintance from Archimedes’ earlier smuggling days, sends an urgent message requesting help. With a past marked by betrayal, Archimedes wonders what his former partner could want—other than revenge. Yasmeen fears that Bilson could threaten everything Archimedes holds dear. Though both Archimedes and Yasmeen love the exhilaration of veering wildly off course, neither is prepared for where their newest risk will take them…or what it might cost them. * * * The Further Adventures of Archimedes Fox and Captain Corsair Surviving on the treacherous Iron Seas requires a heart made of steel… so how will Yasmeen survive now that Archimedes Fox has stolen hers? When a request for help from an old friend threatens everything that Archimedes Fox holds dear, Yasmeen must risk losing her new airship to a scourge of the Iron Seas… or risk losing the man she loves. Meljean’s Note: This is an epilogue novella. The story is a full-length novella, with its own plot — but although I’ve written it to stand alone as much as possible, there are strong references to Heart of Steel, particularly in regard to Archimedes and Yasmeen’s relationship.

(trad BdP) Un siècle après qu'une éruption dévastatrice ait forcé les habitants à abandonner l'île, l'Islande est devenue une véritable légende. Mais derrière la légende se cache la mécanique, pas la magie. Et du mystère qui entoure l'île dépend la survie d'une communauté de femmes qui ont dû verser du sang noble afin d'assurer leur liberté. Il y a cinq ans, Annika a failli révéler ce secret, mais sa sœur Kalla a pris le blâme pour elle et a été exilée. A présent, Annika sert sur un aerostat, à la recherche de sa sœur et nostalgique se sa Terre natale. Mais son pays est menacé lorsqu'une expédition scientifique, menée par David Kentewess, monte à bord de son vaisseau, et menace d'exposer ses secrets. Une catastrophe qui laissent Annika et David sur un glacier, poursuivis par un fou. Leur seul espoir de survie est de conserver leur chaleur corporelle à tous deux... Et générer beaucoup de vapeur...

Elizabeth has spent the past five years running from her father; her father’s huntsman, Caius, has spent the past five years pursuing her. But when he finally catches up to her on an airship flying above Europe’s zombie-infested cities, Elizabeth discovers that Caius isn’t the only danger she has to fear—and now that he’s found her, Caius doesn’t intend to let her go…

"Salvage" by Meljean Brook published in the anthology "Enthralled" A man who’s lost everything returns home to find that not only is his marriage in jeopardy, but he must now fight air pirates who intend to steal his one remaining treasure — his wife. They have the power to hold you spellbound, to captivate your senses, and to keep you forever in their control. Forever enthralled…