Photographs & Phantoms is a period piece set in Brighton, England in the 1850’s. While it is touted as a steam punk novel, I saw it as more of a historical romance with a hint of the paranormal. The steam punk elements felt secondary to the story. Sure, there were the requisite dirigibles, and a few other devices like wheel barrows with feet rather than wheels, but for me it felt more like a romance. This short novella is the story of Amy Deland, a photographer. Amy has noticed that some of her photographs have mysterious smudges. Shortly after, the subject of the photograph dies. Amy contacts her uncle and he sends Kendall Lake to assist her. Kendall is a member of the Order of the Round Table. Kendall is surprised that he has been sent on this mission as he usually fights vampires and rogue mages. As the young couple work together, they notice that they are attracted to each other. When Kendall can not solve the mystery of the photograph smudge, he contacts the Hadrians for assistance. They arrive en masse and the story becomes more interesting. Amy’s independence stood out for me. I liked how she was able to work and support herself in a time period where women did not normally work outside the home. Kendall was mysterious and sexy. I liked how paranormal elements were incorporated into the story. My only criticism is that the story was too short. I would love to see these characters in a full novel. I enjoyed this story and I plan on reading the first book Steam and Sorcery soon. *ARC provided free of charge from Netgalley
