Despite relying on the tired old trope of the amnesiac hero, David Barnett manages to concoct an entirely satisfying and thoroughly entertaining third adventure for our titular hero with Gideon Smith and the Mask of the Ripper.

The legend of Jack the Ripper is something Barnett has been teasing since the first book, so it's nice to finally come back to it and find out what it's all about. It's not the identity of the Ripper that's most intriguing however, but how he fits into the lives of Gideon, Maria, Aloysius, Rowena, and the rest. There are layers upon layers of mystery here, with each revelation casting larger shadows on the others, and the final reveal a legitimately shocking twist.

Overall, this is a very different story than the first two books, almost more laid back and traditional - if any story featuring Jack the Ripper, an clockwork girl, and a T-rex in the sewers can be considered traditional. It's not nearly as over-the-top, doesn't add anything to the steampunk aspect, and remains firmly rooted in the streets of London. Having said all that, it's an incredibly tense tale, one that has Gideon Smith missing, Rowena Fanshawe on trial for murder, and Inspector Lestrade dealing with a prostitute strike on top of the Ripper's murders.

What we do get here is a great deal of character development, most of it revolving around questions of identity. Maria's search for humanity is a driving force of the story, fueled by her love for Gideon, and given surprising direction by Inspector Lestrade's secret love, who has identity issues of her own. Gideon's amnesia, of course, offers up another search for identity, both as a man and as Hero of the Empire, while the situation with Jack the Ripper forces Aloysius Bent to confront some aspects of his own identity. Most importantly, though, her arrest, trial, and resulting revelations about her past cause Rowena Fanshawe to completely redefine her identity, even if that's not necessarily good news for the empire.

As intriguing and mysterious as either of the first two adventures, what Gideon Smith and the Mask of the Ripper lacks in adventurous fun, it makes up for in its character development. We don't get a true cliffhanger this time around, but a wide open ending that leaves a lot of possibilities for Barnett to explore in future volumes.

Steampunk. Alternate history. Victorian fantasy. David Barnett’s Gideon Smith series can easily fit into any of those sub-genre of speculative fiction. No matter the label, however, one thing holds true for Mask of the Ripper and its predecessors: They are each rousing tales of daring-do with memorable characters who will sweep you away into adventure after adventure.

As frequent readers already are aware, the first two books of the series took our young Gideon Smith from daydreaming about pulp adventures in his home town to living them in exotic locals such as Egypt. Amazing discovers were made; heroes were uncovered as fakes; vicious enemies revealed and vanquished, and through it all, small town dreamer Gideon Smith became the new “Hero of the Empire” — a position of importance and one which granted him instant celebrity status in jolly old England. Only one problem, whenever there is a crisis, Gideon can’t hide from the requests to fix it already.

As Mask of the Ripper begins, our weary hero has settled down in London, attempting to enjoy some well earned rest and relaxation from world spanning adventures – at least for a short time. Sadly, it is not to be though, for trouble seems to follow poor, old Gideon . . . or he follows it. (I’m not sure which, but you get the idea, anyway.)

The problem Gideon now finds himself confronted with is the mysterious murders taking place in London. These horrendous deaths have become a nightly occurrence. Prostitutes gruesomely slain. People near paralyzed with fear. And the name plastered across the headlines is Jack the Ripper!

Naturally, the masses turn to their “Hero of the Empire” and his friends (Rowena Fanshawe, Aloysius Bent, and Maria the Mechanical Girl) to save them from the nightmare. And though he is initially reluctant, Gideon eventually succumbs to the pleadings and sets off alone to uncover the true identity of this murder. A personal guest which very quickly goes awry.

When their friend takes this action, Rowena and Maria find themselves cast adrift; each walking their own path of inner discovery and gritty adventure. Tests of their own inner fortitude unexpectedly arise, forcing them to confront head-on their own demons and brave the most untenable situations.

And Aloysius . . . well, he does what he always does best: find a good angle to play and be around to help when absolutely necessary.

There is a lot to love about Gideon Smith and the Mask of the Ripper. Filled with non-stop action, steampunk fun, and a surprising amount of character development, Mr. Barnett begins the process of evolving this series beyond just Gideon Smith. Sure, our plucky hero is still the star of the show, but Rowena and Maria are now given very emotional and powerful story lines, narratives which transform them from near sidekicks (though I never viewed them as such) into co-stars. A decision which opens up infinite possibilities for the continued growth of the series into the future.

If I was forced to name a deficiency of the novel, the only one I see is that it is different, and while change is good, it is still change. Here the transition from the very straightforward adventure tale of Gideon to that of the “Hero of the Empire and Associates” is deftly handled, but without a doubt, Mask of the Ripper is different from its predecessors in its perspective. Not necessarily a bad thing, just a different thing, and frequent readers will have to decide if they enjoy the new recipe or not.

As for me, I thoroughly enjoyed this new and improved Gideon Smith. Fun, insightful, filled with humors comments and rollicking action, it was the perfect steampunk . . . err, alternate fiction . . . ahhh, Victorian fantasy novel to sit down and lose myself in.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Gideon Smith and the Mask of the Ripper by David Barnett
Expected publication: October 13, 2015 by Tor Books

In an alternate ninteenth century where a technologically advanced Britain holds sway over most of the known world and the American Revolution never happened, young Gideon Smith is firmly established as the Hero of the Empire.

Back in London, Gideon and his colleagues: journalist Aloysius Bent, airship pilot Rowena Fanshawe, and Maria, the mechanical girl to whom Gideon has lost his heart, are dragged into a case that is confounding the Metropolitan Police. For the city is on the edge of mass rioting due to the continuing reign of terror by the serial killer known only as Jack the Ripper, who is rampaging though London's less salubrious quarters.

While chasing the madman, a villain from their past strips Gideon Smith of his memory and is cast adrift in the seedy underbelly of London, where life is tough and death lurks in every shadowy alley.

With mob rule threatening to engulf London, the Empire has never needed its hero more...but where is Gideon Smith?

Gideon Smith and the Mask of the Ripper is the latest in David Barnett's riproaring steampunk adventures about a Britain that never was...but should have been.


Looking quite a ways ahead again this week, but with David having just revealed the cover, now seems as good a time as any to celebrate the return of Gideon Smith. The first two books in the series have been a ton of fun, and the Ripper storyline is one I've been waiting for him to get back to. Can't wait to land an early copy of this!