# THE BURNING SKY (Halcyon #1) - a thrilling steampunk chase across Morocco



## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

I'm pleased to announce the release of *The Burning Sky*, book one of my new Halcyon Trilogy, and also the first of many books in my Other Earth series.



*Genres:* historical fantasy, steampunk, action, adventure, thriller

*About the book*

When the brilliant young engineer Taziri Ohana survives a devastating attack on the Air Corps, she is the only pilot left to chase the criminals responsible across the skies of Morocco. While helping the police to investigate, Taziri uncovers a vast conspiracy of deposed aristocrats and wealthy industrialists plotting to overthrow the Queen and plunge the country into war.

With assassins stalking the streets and riots on every street corner, Taziri quickly learns to defend herself as only an engineer can - by inventing electrical tools and weapons from whatever is at hand! But the country's only hope for survival may be a visiting Incan princess, a dashing Spanish fencer, and Taziri's airship Halcyon plummeting out of the burning sky.

*A note about the Other Earth*

This is a work of historical fantasy. Some of this world may be familiar to you.

But in this world, Europe never emerged from the last Ice Age and only the southern areas are habitable. North Africa is cool, wet, and fertile. Ancient nations such as the Persian Empire have persisted, though others, such as the Romans, never rose to power. Some of the countries in this world reflect the cultures and attitudes of the Renaissance while others reflect the Industrial Age. Historical figures appear, though they too may be different from the ones you have known.

Don't expect this world to conform to the history that you know. The people and places are different. The climate and wildlife are different.

Even death is different here.

Visit: 

*The Burning Sky on Kindle*
*The Burning Sky on my blog*


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## MonkeyScribe (Jan 27, 2011)

Sounds like it has some potential, but no reviews yet, so who can tell. 

I'll download a sample and see if it hooks me. Thanks for the heads-up.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

There is one early review on Goodreads by a gentleman named Steve: *review of The Burning Sky*


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Welcome to KindleBoards, Joseph, and congratulations on your book!

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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Thanks, Ann in Arlington!

So, steampunk fans, what makes for "good" steampunk versus cliche or unoriginal fiction? What are you looking for in your next steampunk read?


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Good news everyone (as Professor Farnsworth would say),

*The Burning Sky* is the #35 historical fantasy on Amazon UK.

Come on America, are you going to let the Brits out-buy you?

And come on Britain, only #35?


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## MarkPaulJacobs (Jan 21, 2011)

Great artwork, my friend


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## MarkPaulJacobs (Jan 21, 2011)

There is no question in my mind. I like the cover with the blimp. Very eye-catching.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

If you'd like to see what else is happening in the world of Halycon (The Other Earth), then please check out my new short story collection, *The Tale of Asha, Volume 1: Death*.


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## MarkPaulJacobs (Jan 21, 2011)

Ok, I think I will...


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

The second volume, "Rebirth," will be much stranger, the strangest of the series. I should have it out by the end of the summer, unless there is a massive outcry for more Asha stories sooner.

The third volume, "Life," will be a little more plot-driven because it will lead into Asha's role in the heroic fantasy trilogy (she appears in the final book).


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Praise for *The Burning Sky*:

"The best thing I can say at the moment is that I read this way too early. Now I actually have to wait around for the author to release the next books in the series to see what happens to some of the characters. The world is incredibly rich and almost seems designed from the best cultural eras for each geographic location. I truly hope he continues to explore the "what-ifs" for the rest of these cultures. Some of the characters tragically leave the story line too early for us to get to know them well, but I guess prequels could always pop up in the future. Looking forward to book 2."


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Praise for *The Burning Sky*:

"What we have are a policeman - marshall if you will - who is misunderstood by his superiors and consequently malplaced, an innocent bystander who gets unwillingly drawn in until she suddenly finds that the only way out with a chance of staying alive and keeping her loved ones alive is by getting even more involved, and trying to force a specific outcome, and an unlikely pair of an Inca warrior princess and her catalonian swordsman-bodyguard, mutually attracted but separated by religious differences.

Just like the real world - and yet not so. Joseph Lewis has created a fascinating world and peopled it with interesting and credible people, and just that fact raises what might otherwise be a mundane power struggle to an entertaining story. There are rumours of a sequel, and I for one would be willing to spend the money to read it. Joseph Lewis is a good storyteller. Recommended."


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Visit my blog to learn more about the novel in my *The Burning Sky: FAQs*.

_*Excerpts:*_

*What year is the book supposed to take place?*

The novel takes place in an alternate world where some ancient countries are still around and some modern countries never take shape, so it's difficult to match it up to a "real" time period. But as long as we're guessing, I'd say the middle sixteenth century (1525-1575 CE). This is when Spain was invading South America, which is one of the more important geo-political events in the background of the novel.

*I've heard of sabre-toothed cats, but what are megathera, sivathera, giant armadillos, and terror birds?*

These were all megafauna of South America and Africa that died out long ago. The Megatherium was a giant ground sloth. The Sivatherium was a cross between a giraffe and an elk. The Glyptodon was a giant armadillo about the size of a VW Beetle. The terror birds were giant (9-foot tall) feathered raptors, similar to the raptors in Jurassic Park, but with feathers!

*How realistic are the steampunk technologies in the novel?*

Pretty realistic, actually. Steam trains, telegraphs, windmills, paddle-wheelers, nitro glycerine, and revolvers are standard fare of the 19th century, particularly in the Wild West. Airships were and are real, and the Halcyon in the novel obeys most of the rules for flying one (battling light breezes and struggling to find open spaces to land in).

The more fantastical devices are also based on real (and sometimes modern) technologies, like the solar sheets (solar cells) used to power street cars and the Halcyon itself.

*What is aether?*

In classical science, or natural philosophy, some people proposed the idea of "aether" as a mysterious fifth element (to complement earth, water, air, and fire). Theories varied as to what it was and what function it performed in the universe. In the novel, aether is the only (?) known substance that the souls of the dead can interact with, or control. It's sort of like ectoplasm, except it's a mist instead of slime.

But it obeys certain natural laws, just like regular mist. It collects in cold, dark, damp conditions and it breaks up in hot, bright, dry conditions. This is why ghosts are only seen in cold wet climates.

*What's up with the unusual character names?*

The names are all real. They are Amazigh (North African or "Berber"), Spanish, Incan (Quechua), and Aztec (Nahuatl) names.

*And more!*


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Good news, everyone!

We are on schedule to see the sequel to *The Burning Sky* by June!

What can you expect? The action shifts from Morocco to Spain, but the same cast returns for a new chase strewn with swordfights, undead creatures, steampunk devices, and enormous prehistoric beasts roaming the earth.

If you like that sort of thing.


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## Mo (Mar 25, 2011)

Sounds awesome! Heirs of Mars is sitting on my Kindle waiting to be read, and I've added this to my wishlist. Congrats on the release and good luck!


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Great news! The sequel to *The Burning Sky* will be out in just a few weeks. Keep an eye out for *The Broken Sword* next month, and in the mean time take a look at the first few reviews of *The Burning Sky*.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Good news everyone, the sequel to *The Burning Sky* is now available on Kindle!

Check out *The Broken Sword*!


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Extended free preview available on my site - 7 chapters - *http://josephrobertlewis.wordpress.com/free-fiction/*


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Here's the scoop. I'm giving away ebook copies of the first Halcyon steampunk novel, *The Burning Sky*.

Unlimited copies for a limited time!

So, do you want a copy?



It's a steampunk thriller set in an alternate Morocco where the women rule with an iron fist and the men like to shoot first, no questions later. It's about a conspiracy to overthrow the government, a high-speed chase on land and in the air, and a woman who is as dangerous with a wrench as she is with a revolver. And if that's not enough, our heroine joins forces with a holy Spanish fencer, an exiled Incan princess, and a very hungry saber-toothed cat.

Early reviews *here* and *here* say it's a pretty good read.

So&#8230;yes, you want a copy.

*How do you get one?*

Just send me an email (josephrobertlewis at gmail dot com).

In this email you need to do two things:

1. Tell me you want to subscribe to my newsletter (which only goes out when I release a new book, so that's no big deal, right?).

2. Confirm that you will post your review of *The Burning Sky* on *Amazon* by *August 1 *(2011).

That's it!

Send that email _right now_ so I can send you your ebook _right now_.

Tell your friends.

Tell your enemies.

Tell your frenemies.

Goals are good. Let's set a goal: 100 reviews on Amazon by August 1.

We can do that. I know we can.

How do I know? Because you guys are awesome.

Act now! Offer expires while you wait! Operators are standing by!


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Hello readers,

I'm pleased to announce the release of the new edition of *THE BURNING SKY*, Book One in the Halcyon Trilogy and first installment of The Other Earth series. This new edition features not only a snazzy new cover but also the first chapter of the sequel, THE BROKEN SWORD. See details below.



*About the book*

Taziri just wants a quiet evening at home with her family, but when the entire Northern Air Corps is assassinated, Taziri is the only pilot left to help the marshals chase the killers across the skies of Marrakesh. Together they uncover a vast conspiracy of deposed aristocrats, wealthy industrialists, and xenophobic warmongers plotting against the Queen.

The case becomes terrifyingly personal when Taziri finds that the killers have turned her own inventions into weapons and her family's survival may hang in the balance. Assassins stalk the streets as the city erupts into a riotous inferno and the country's only hope for salvation may be an exiled Incan princess, her swashbuckling lover, and a crippled airship plummeting out of the burning sky.

Readers are introduced to The Other Earth through this stunning vision of an alternate world where fantastical machines sail the seas and the skies, enormous prehistoric beasts still roam the earth, and the restless dead walk among the living.

*Genre*: action/adventure | thriller | steampunk | historical fantasy | Morocco | Spain

*Length*: 484 pages | 121,000 words

*A note about the text*

This is a work of historical fantasy. Some of this world may be familiar to you.

But in this world, Europe never emerged from the last Ice Age and only the southern areas are habitable. North Africa is cool, wet, and fertile. Ancient nations such as the Persian Empire have persisted, though others, such as the Romans, never rose to power. Some of the countries in this world reflect the cultures and attitudes of the Renaissance while others reflect the Industrial Age. Historical figures appear, though they too may be different from the ones you have known.

Don't expect this world to conform to the history that you know. The people and places are different. The climate and wildlife are different.

Even death is different here.


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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

Your books sound great, both the Burning Sky and your Mars novels. I'll be checking them out.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Thanks Colin, I hope you enjoy them. Book 2 of the Halcyon series is out now and Book 3 will be out this fall.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

I have about 2/3 of Book 3 drafted and it is a doozy. 

Taziri has not one but two awesome Science! moments. 

And all the heroines have major turning points in their lives. Going to be a great end to this trilogy!


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

The trilogy is complete! Check out The Bound Soul, or get the entire series in one volume.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Read the complete first chapter of THE BURNING SKY online here.


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