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Demon in the Machine Kindle Edition

by Lise MacTague (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 77 ratings
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At the height of Britain’s Industrial Revolution, steam power and magic join forces to create wonders the world has never seen. But those wonders have a dark side—one that will soon force a reckoning few could have anticipated.
Half-demon Briar is content with her structured life as an archivist, a far cry from the chaos of her background and upbringing. Briar’s simple and predictable existence is rocked when she discovers something sinister powers one of the grand, new inventions of her era.

Isabella Castel, the only daughter of Viscount Sherard, is far from the brainless socialite she pretends to be. Isabella is everything Briar is not: passionate, creative and impulsive, but with secrets to rival even Briar’s own. Two more unlikely partners should not exist, yet if the women cannot find a way to work together, they will lose far more than their reputations.

Can a half-demon and a debutante work past their secrets before all hell breaks loose?
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  1. Print length
    371 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    July 13, 2018
  5. File size
    2841 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lise MacTague is a hockey player, a librarian, and an author. Her parents had their priorities straight and introduced her to sci-fi at the age of three through reruns of Star Trek. Lise has been an overworked art student, a freelance artist, a Rennie, a slave to retail, a grad student, and a slinger of beer. She lives in Milwaukee with two very demanding cats, one who is curled up in her lap even now.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07FGW7W4G
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bella Books (July 13, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 13, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2841 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 371 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 77 ratings

About the author

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Lise MacTague

Lise MacTague

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Lise MacTague writes in all areas of speculative fiction, from space operas to high fantasy to urban fantasy and everything in between. She writes for a lesbian audience and suggests that those who might be offended by such works of fiction might be better served in finding their reading materials elsewhere.

Lise lives in North Carolina. When she isn't working on writing, she may be found on the ice or tinkering in the workshop. She dabbles in painting and sculpting, and entertains her family with inappropriate jokes whenever possible.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
77 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Margaret Snow
5.0 out of 5 stars Yes, Steam punk.
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2021
Verified Purchase
Great characters, and a lovely new world superimposed on Industrial Age London.

I found the characters delightful and the roles interesting.
A prim and proper demon and a butch British socialite.
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Alexis Kap
4.0 out of 5 stars Enamored & Left Longing for an Epilogue
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2020
Verified Purchase
Refer to the title. Excellent world building, full-circle narrative arch, impressive character-aligned prose—there is so much here! I just wish there was an epilogue to do tease out some of the wonderful groundwork laid earlier (ie “what happens next with our maternal interlopers?). Lezbehonest, if there was even the promise of a sequel or epilogue I’d give this the full five stars. It’s excellent work. The fact that I’m so invested and downright wanton over the abrupt ending demonstrates the level of this composition’s thrall!
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Jennifer R. Reaves
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2019
Verified Purchase
Let's start out with the statement : I need more books with these two women! This was an absolutely fun lesbian bodice ripper steampunk story! I would have love a bit of a epilogue just to calm the rush of the climax. And there were some good climaxes...wink wink...nudge nudge. I need this story on Audible!
One person found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars An uncommonly good book
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2018
Verified Purchase
Very good writing. I love the author's style, it's so clear. Her two main characters are great and very likeable.

The world building is really good in this book.

I'm very glad I read this book, it stands up the the quality of her other books. I actually wish the price were higher so that she's encouraged to write more!
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A (Mostly) Happy User
4.0 out of 5 stars One More Edit
Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2018
Verified Purchase
This is a decent steampunk novel, though not the best in Lise MacTeague's overall work. The story itself was interesting, but the dialogue kept slipping between Victorian and contemporary speech in the middle/end of the novel. One more hard edit would have put this novel over the five star line for me.
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Jax Lentz
5.0 out of 5 stars A brief summary
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2019
Verified Purchase
A love story with steampunk, demons, magic, and lesbians. Could there be anything better? It starts off with a mysterious new invention of horseless carriages and one woman's determination to find out why she feels such horror when riding in one. She enlists the help of a folk lore burglar with a penchant for machinery and the adventures begin.
2 people found this helpful
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Ima_Rainbow
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2018
Verified Purchase
This is a fantastic read! I couldn't stop once I started.

Briar and Izzy are well matched in this action filled romantic adventure.

I hope there's a sequel soon, cause I want more of these remarkable ladies.
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The Lesbian Review
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Fun
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2018
A fun romp through London in a steampunk setting where something just isn't right with the new horseless carriages.

I love the way Lise MacTague writes. Her world building is spectacular and this book is no exception. I found the concept of the mystery to be fun and altogether enjoyable. I loved both main characters. They were well drawn out with interesting character traits.

My one down side was that there were moments that could have been cut and it would have made the story a little faster paced. It's something I needed at times with this one. This was not a huge problem, just a teeny slow in one or two spots.

All in all, though, I recommend it. And if you have never read a Lise MacTague novel then you are in for a treat. Her writing style is gorgeous, her world building is fantastic and her character work makes you feel for the characters.
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Top reviews from other countries

The Reading Room
5.0 out of 5 stars Stylish Cover and Classy Content - Great Read.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 15, 2019
Verified Purchase
Super combination of steampunk, fantasy and romance – 5 Stars

Set in Victorian London, the plot centres around the mysterious power driving a new horseless carriage acquired by Briar Riley’s employer, the Earl of Hardwicke. When Briar’s plans to catch Isabella Castel in the act of burglary succeed, she finds herself faced with the perfect person to help investigate the factory producing the carriages. Briar senses something very amiss with the new carriages, but what she and Isabella discover poses a threat to the very fabric of human society.

I’m not usually drawn to speculative fiction, but ‘Demon in the Machine’ is certainly a book that could change that. This wonderful mix of steampunk, fantasy and romance was skilfully blended together to create a non-stop adventure. The world created by Lise MacTague is easy to visualise; descriptions of sights, sound, textures and even odours bring each scene to life.

The main protagonists, Briar and Isabella, are really well drawn, and the author has undoubtedly done her research. The world created maybe entirely fictional, but the attention to detail added a sense of authenticity. The only slight disappointment for me, was that the ending seemed a little abrupt. Having been carried along by the adventure, I found myself wanting to know what became of the relationship between Briar and Isabella beyond the point at which the story finished.

For a book that I wasn’t sure that I’d enjoy, this turned out to be compulsive reading. From the stylish cover art by Sandy Knowles, to the last page of script, I was completely engrossed. Fabulous stuff!
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