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Rod Gillies
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Red Mercury Kindle Edition

by Rod Gillies (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 out of 5 stars 96 ratings
Europe stands on the brink of war in an alternative history of steam-driven adventure!

The Great Powers eye each other nervously and armies mass at the borders whilst vast airships darken the skies. Crisis creeps ever closer and word emerges of a terrifying new weapon in the hands of Soviet Russia.

Imperial agents assemble. Their mission? To infiltrate a secret facility in the frozen heart of Siberia and stop the Russian menace, whatever the cost.

Praise for Rod Gillies' steampunk writing:
"Classic adventure set-up followed by a hectic, exciting chase that doesn't let up" - Amazon UK review
"Real boys own adventure, left you wanting more" - Amazon UK review
"Non stop action from start to finish ... a military thriller set in a steampunk world" - Amazon US review
"Great twists, suspense, and lots of action" - Goodreads review
"Fast-paced, action-packed fiction. The story moves really quickly, the characters are likeable and realistic and the writing is excellent" - Goodreads review
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  1. Print length
    162 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    29 Jun. 2012
  5. File size
    1.8 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008GDT7UC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rod Gillies
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 29 Jun. 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.8 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 162 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 96 ratings

About the author

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Rod Gillies

Rod Gillies

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Rod's latest publication is a steampunk cocktail book - recipes and methods to create dozens of delicious cocktails at home, all accompanied by steampunk art.

He is also the creator of Extraordinary Investigations - a series of "puzzle novels" - interactive conspiracy thrillers where the reader plays the part of the detective. The intricate plots unfold through the cracking of codes and ciphers, and the solving of puzzles cleverly concealed within evidence files of documents, photos, and maps.

The son of a naval engineer, Rod was a "steampunk" before he knew there was such a thing. He published his first novel Red Mercury in 2012 - an old-fashioned adventure story with a dash of steampunk sci-fi. Pleasantly surprised by its reception, he produced two follow-ups, Neptune Rising and Titan's Fire. The three novels were later collected as The Empire of Steam Trilogy.

In the real world, Rod Gillies lives and works in Edinburgh, Scotland. He works in marketing for a whisky company. Away from work, he's also a semi-professional LEGO builder. He has built original models for many of Dorling Kindersley's LEGO books and he was invited by LEGO to display his creations in the Masterpiece Gallery at LEGO House in Denmark.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
96 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a brilliant read with well-developed characters and fast-moving pacing. The action story receives positive feedback for its plot twists, and one customer describes it as a great "boys own" adventure.

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15 customers mention ‘Readability’15 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as a brilliant and entertaining read, with one customer noting it reads like a boys' own adventure.

"...Great stuff! Andy" Read more

"...Well, I needn't have worried. The answer is: marvellously!..." Read more

"Not bad, in a good old-fashioned ripping yarns genre, provided that you can handle a little willing suspension of disbelief - I think that one of..." Read more

"...It reads very much as boys own adventure but as a female reader I didn't find that this excluded me and I'm definitely looking forward to the next..." Read more

14 customers mention ‘Action story’14 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the action story of the book, praising its plot twists and familiar narrative structure, with one customer describing it as a great "boys own" adventure.

"...The story is a great " boys own" adventure set in a steam-punk type world and the Russian revolution...." Read more

"...A classic adventure set-up followed by a hectic, exciting chase that doesn't let up. Gillies keeps the bullets flying and the wisecracks coming...." Read more

"...this was recommended to me; what I got was an absorbing, action filled adventure story which soon had me hooked...." Read more

"...It's a steampunk themed action adventure where a small group of soldiers are dropped behind enemy lines in Siberia to rescue a scientist and his..." Read more

8 customers mention ‘Character development’8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the well-developed characters in the book, with one review specifically mentioning the sadistic villains.

"...Fast paced with distinctive characters, Rod painted a very vivid picture and convinced me of his universe...." Read more

"...'s a brilliant read, because it's a story with a great plot,well developed characters but most importantly of all it's well written...." Read more

"...The story moves along at a brisk clip, great characters you can easily visualize and bond with...." Read more

"...a good read is the page turning action, the likable heroes and sadistic villains. All this for £1.50 (or £4.50 for the dead tree version)...." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Pacing’3 positive0 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book fast-moving, with one mentioning that Rod sets the pace perfectly.

"...Fast paced with distinctive characters, Rod painted a very vivid picture and convinced me of his universe...." Read more

"...Rod sets the pace perfectly and the novel builds beautifully to it's climax, almost forcing you to keep reading...." Read more

"I liked it a lot. Fast-moving and atmospheric with two lead characters who are likable, believable and about whom I would like to read more...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • A. Townshend
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great first book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 July 2012
    Verified Purchase
    From what I understand, this is the first book that the author has written... I really hope it is not the last. I sat and read it on a flight last night and was really hoping for a delay at destination so I could finish reading it in one go. The story is a great " boys own" adventure set in a steam-punk type world and the Russian revolution. Real world names and events mixed with fiction make for a great read.

    I dearly wish I could sit down and achieve something like this... The fact that Rod has done this at a first attempt is fantastic. It is most certainly worth the price, and I would not have been disappointed if I had paid more...

    Great stuff!

    Andy
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Chris Smith
    4.0 out of 5 stars Ripping!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 September 2012
    Verified Purchase
    It was with mixed feelings that I learned that Gillies, a longstanding friend, had disgorged a novel. How would this unique individual and his skewed take on the world translate to the page? Well, I needn't have worried. The answer is: marvellously! Red Mercury is a rip-roaring read that put me in mind of a Commando book in novel form - with added steampunk. A classic adventure set-up followed by a hectic, exciting chase that doesn't let up. Gillies keeps the bullets flying and the wisecracks coming. Best of all, it's not too long. (Pay attention, writers of sci-fi epics!) It reads like a precursor to more stories from Gillies's intriguing alternate reality, and I for one hope that's just what it is.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, in a good old-fashioned ripping yarns genre
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 October 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Not bad, in a good old-fashioned ripping yarns genre, provided that you can handle a little willing suspension of disbelief - I think that one of the gizmos featured is a steam-powered submarine: good trick if you can do it!
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  • T. Howarth
    5.0 out of 5 stars Action packed, fast paced fun!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 June 2013
    Verified Purchase
    'Steampunk' isn't really a genre I'm familiar with and I would normally steer clear of war novels so I really wasn't sure what to expect when this was recommended to me; what I got was an absorbing, action filled adventure story which soon had me hooked. Fast paced with distinctive characters, Rod painted a very vivid picture and convinced me of his universe. Yes, it's a 'boys own' adventure, but I'm a middle aged woman who really enjoyed it - maybe we all need to stretch our boundries from time to time to discover new realms!

    Suspend your disbelief and dive in headfirst - you won't regret it!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Warren Stalley
    4.0 out of 5 stars Turn Up The Heat!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 September 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I was very impressed by this short debut novel by Mr Gillies. It's a steampunk themed action adventure where a small group of soldiers are dropped behind enemy lines in Siberia to rescue a scientist and his daughter. The basic plot is Boy's Own adventure while the steampunk setting gives this work an interesting flavour. One reviewer compares it to The Guns of Navarone and Where Eagles Dare and he's absolutely right. The story rattles along keeping the narrative tight and focused. To summarise this is a great action novel which I fully recommend and I look forward to reading further books by this author. Enjoy.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Ommisdam
    5.0 out of 5 stars Red hot read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 August 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Purchased this on the Kindle based on a recommendation and I didn't know what I was letting myself in for, so if I'm honest I picked it up half heartedly but once I started I read it with relish and thoroughly enjoyed it. The enjoyment was purely due to the fact that it's a brilliant read, because it's a story with a great plot,well developed characters but most importantly of all it's well written. It reads very much as boys own adventure but as a female reader I didn't find that this excluded me and I'm definitely looking forward to the next instalment. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading a well written novel.
    One person found this helpful
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  • ed. g.
    2.0 out of 5 stars An imaginative story, a bit like a text version of a sixties war-comic, limited appeal
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 September 2013
    Verified Purchase
    It may seem unfair to contrast this with the WW1 episodes of BlackAdder on TV, but the limitations of this story invite the comparison
    Read for what it is, then it is enjoyable enough. The contrast between the thought-provoking achievement of the apparently light-entertainment TV episodes and the speed with which this story fades from the memory sums up a missed opportunity.
    One person found this helpful
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  • T. Lord
    4.0 out of 5 stars Read it, liked it.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 August 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Bought this because it was cheap and wasn't disappointed at all.
    The story moves along at a brisk clip, great characters you can easily visualize and bond with.
    I love a novel that is all story, not all describing this that and every little thing.
    I wouldn't have a hesitation reading another of the author's books.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Florida beach reader
    4.0 out of 5 stars Action and Suspense Galore
    Reviewed in the United States on 26 December 2014
    Verified Purchase
    A very engaging and interesting thriller. Set in an alternate time line, the Bolsheviks under Lenin have a famous scientist who is working on an atomic bomb. Although a few academics, pols, and fellow-travelers in the West sympathized with the communists, most people know allowing Lenin and Stalin to get an atomic bomb would not be good news for freedom-loving people. So the British send in a team to destroy the atomic facility and get the leading scientist and his daughter out. There is action galore in the novel, a bit reminiscent of Alistair MacLean, although MacLean was a superior writer. That's no shame to Mr. Giles. MacLean was superior to almost everyone. The book is good thriller, especially when you think of the consequences if the team failed. A very entertaining read.
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  • Trusten
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful steam punk adventure.
    Reviewed in the United States on 20 June 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Bought on a whim. Liked it a lot. I am new to the steam punk genre. But a huge fan of alternate histories. Though on wonders about a previous novel, as th character Kowolski hail from Florida, mentioned as separate from th USA. Curious, would love to see what that I all about. I'll have to seek the author's pay to see if there's a previous novel. Well worth the money. Fast pace steam punk adventure.
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  • ilbob
    3.0 out of 5 stars not bad alternate history
    Reviewed in the United States on 21 January 2013
    Verified Purchase
    My first experience with steam punk. I got it for free recently. It is not a real long book, more of a novella.

    I did not believe the steam powered walker was even remotely possible, even with modern technology and control systems it is not practical, but that was a minor part of the story.

    I also found the rigid airship technology that was used as being unlikely as well. I didn't see anyway you were going to get a rigid airship to Siberia. And there was the goofy technology that the author tried to describe that substituted for parachutes I found implausible as well.

    The story did not focus on the technology much though. Most of the story focused around the attempt to rescue a nuclear scientist and his daughter from the Bolsheviks in an alternate 1917 universe before he can create an atomic bomb for the Bolsheviks. Some of it was pretty plausible, but lots of it I found not so plausible, both the alternate history and the story line itself.

    But, I did find it moderately enjoyable reading so I gave it three stars. I think the author is asking 99 cents normally and it is worth 99 cents to me.
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  • MickB
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good fast pased read
    Reviewed in the United States on 18 January 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Enjoyable book, finished in one sitting. Non stop action from start to finish. Reads more as a military thriller set in a steampunk world than traditional romantic steampunk. I personally would have liked a bit more technical descriptions of the weapons, vehicles and equipment used, but the lack of it in no way spoiled a good story.
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  • Howard Hoyt
    5.0 out of 5 stars First rate adventure
    Reviewed in the United States on 3 July 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Really enjoyed reading this Pretty much did it non-stop in one evening.
    Great adventure.
    Characters and the plot were well developed and fast moving.
    thanks !
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