Dead Iron by Devon Monk

Steampunk

Goodreads Summary:

"In steam age America, men, monsters, machines, and magic battle for the same scrap of earth and sky. In this chaos, bounty hunter Cedar Hunt rides, cursed by lycanthropy and carrying the guilt of his brother's death. Then he's offered hope that his brother may yet survive. All he has to do is find the Holder: a powerful device created by mad devisers-and now in the hands of an ancient Strange who was banished to walk this Earth.

In a land shaped by magic, steam, and iron, where the only things a man can count on are his guns, gears, and grit, Cedar will have to depend on all three if he's going to save his brother and reclaim his soul once and for all."

I think the cover on Dead Iron is one of the best I have seen.  It just made me want to read the book and was one of the reasons I purchased the book.  It has also been on my TBR pile for some time and is another I wanted to finish before I left on my cruise.

Dead Iron is the first book in this series and as a result there is a lot of world building.  The setting is in the old west (Oregon).  There are witches, shapeshiffters, curses, and The Strange.  This is a land shaped by magic, steam and iron.

Cedar Hunt is one of the main characters.  He is a bounty hunter who has been cursed , becomes a wolf at each new moon, and reacts as a beast with no memory of what he does during that time.  He thinks that he killed his brother during one of his changes.  To make up for this he uses his skills to help when there is trouble. 

Rose Small is another of the main characters.  She was left as a baby and has never fit in.  She can see the Strange.  Mae Lindson is a witch.  One of the Strange has killed her husband.  She and Rose join Cedar in fighting the Strange and what they want to do to the world. 

The Madder’s are the last characters that join in the fight.  No one quite knows what they are.  They add a comic element to the book as they also help in the fight.

The plot is a good set up for future books in the series.  The story was well thought out, there is plenty of tension, and the hint of things to come. Dear Iron is a good story and a good start to a new series.

ROC published Dead Iron by Devon Monk in 2011.