Book Review: New Avalon, Love and Loss in the City of Steam by Neal F Litherland

New Avalon is a series of short stories that take place in the fictional steampunk city of the same name. The city of New Avalon is vividly described and mapped out. Parts of it reminded me descriptions of Victorian London, but other sections of the city are unique.
I enjoyed every single story, something I do not always find in anthologies. The prose is elegant and descriptive, noting small details that enchant and cause the reader to linger over a sentence. Each story revolves around a love that goes wrong in some way. There are no happy endings here and that seems fitting in New Avalon.
Many of the stories hark back to Greek mythology which I found interesting. The Flight of Icarus is a retelling of that myth in a style that I found unique and intriguing. I particularly liked The Legend of Black Jack Guillotine which tells of an affair that spawns a horrific legend. Another story I really liked was The Understudy which reminded me of The Phantom of the Opera.
I highly recommend New Avalon and I will definitely be looking for more from this author.

Link to Amazon