Here is a novel that hits the ground running, but then runs out of steam (pardon the pun). Whereas the first book was so bursting with plot and incident that you almost needed a rubber band to stop the story bursting out of the book, the plot of this one is basically outlined above. Everything that happens takes quite a time to do so, such as when the crazed megalomaniac cackles with glee as his master plan is about to be realized, he does this for many pages. Don’t get me wrong; there is plenty in here to enjoy still, but not enough to justify the awesome length of the novel. Half the plot concerns Amelia’s hair-raising journey (the better half) while the other seemingly unconnected half has the reclusive Cornelius Fortune, aka Furnace-Breath Nick, doing his daring rescue and trying to find out about various mysteries, which do all come together at the very finish. We are allowed one steamman only, which is not quite enough for the most memorable feature of the first novel. Some editing and a brisker pace would have worked wonders with what is after all supposed to be an exciting adventure story.