Revenge of the Mad Scientist by Lara Nance

Lady Arabella and her father Sir John attended a ball the night before the signing of a treaty between their country of Urbannia and the country of Gandiss. At the ball Belle met the Ambassador of Gandiss. Before the ball was over Sir John had been kidnapped and Gandiss had been blamed for it. The Ambassador sent a message to Belle and told her his country was not involved. She decided along with her ward Benji and her butler Jasper to set out and find her father. The first airship they hire is struck by lightning and they have to find other transportation. The only other ship is owned by Rett Brockton who left Belle at the alter several years before. She relents and hires the Gambit to take them to Carabarras. Their journey is fraught with adventures including finding the niece of the Ambassador and Benji being made king of the Mandagol people. This book is non stop action from the first. Kidnappings, pirates and slave traders abound in the pages to make an exciting read. Somehow they seem to evade all that others try to do to them. Belle wants nothing more than to find her father and stop a world war. Rett wants to make money to pay back the Baron whom he owes big time. They are thrust together after he leaves her at the altar and she reluctantly hires him to help her in her quest. Lots of wonderful minor characters in Benji, Jasper and Armani. This is the first so called steampunk book that I have read and I have to say that I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Anyone familiar with this genre is sure to enjoy this book.