This third part of the Burton & Swinburne trilogy (more on that later) takes the story of a fractured-history British Empire to its inevitable, mind-blowing conclusion. It has a heavier tone that the prior books. The characters go through a long, trying journey through the heart of Africa, and the overall feeling engendered by the story mirrors their bleak experience. Algernon Swinburne continues to provide manic comic relief and beautiful poetry, with some of the real-life Swinburne's composition factoring into the tale. All of our favorite Scotland Yard personalities make a comeback, as do multiple automatons, and of course the foul-mouthed Pox is present, you bilious scutwagger. Isabel Arundell, given short shrift in the first book, makes a notable comeback, and of the three books this one yields the best roles to female characters, although the males still take up most of the air.

I am sure you are familiar with foreshadowing as a literary technique, but have you ever encountered... aftshadowing? This story flips the prior time travel narrative on its head and tells a parallel tale of the future (circa 1910's, during "The Great War") intermixed with "present" time for the characters (1860's), along with a re-visit to the past, leaving the reader asking not "how did things come to be this way" but rather "how will things become this way", a fine distinction to be sure, but this approach adds much gravitas to the story. There are many touching moments too, as the fate of various characters come to be known across the timelines.

We see the ultimate evolution of the technological and cultural alterations that came into being through the actions of Spring Heeled Jack from the first book ([b:The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack|7293120|The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack (Burton & Swinburne, #1)|Mark Hodder|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327931939l/7293120._SY75_.jpg|8590363]), and they are sheer madness and horror. In the "future", the British Empire is on the verge of extinction, war is worse than hell, and there is no certainty that this bleak outcome can be avoided.

That won't stop Burton from trying, though. The end of this book... well, it's just about the only way that a time travel paradox can end, like it or not. I was wowed the first time that I read it and it has stayed with me ever since.

BUT WAIT! There's more! Yes, I was as surpised as anyone, after enjoying the perfect conclusion to this tale, that there were more books in the series. I have only read one further ([b:The Secret of Abdu El-Yezdi|17168300|The Secret of Abdu El-Yezdi (Burton & Swinburne, #4)|Mark Hodder|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1364642716l/17168300._SY75_.jpg|23595995]), and can't wait to re-read that and then move on to all-new territory in this, one of my very favorite contemporary series, and the only steampunk novels that have ever satisfied me.