Iron & Blood
Jake Desmet Adventures • Book 1
by Gail Z. Martin, Larry N. Martin
Why You'll Love This
New Pittsburgh sits above tunnels full of monsters and below a shadow government — and somehow the most dangerous thing is the package Jake agreed to smuggle.
- Great if you want: steampunk adventure with supernatural creatures and industrial-age conspiracy
- The experience: fast-moving and pulpy — built for readers who like momentum over atmosphere
- The writing: Martin and Martin layer world-building into action without slowing the chase
- Skip if: you prefer deep character development over plot-driven storytelling
About This Book
In 1898, New Pittsburgh isn't just a city — it's a pressure cooker of industrial ambition, political corruption, and things that crawl through the dark tunnels beneath the streets. When Jake Desmet and his partner Rick Brand agree to smuggle a small package as a favor, they pull on a thread that unravels something far larger and far more dangerous than either of them anticipated. Martin and Martin have built a world where the supernatural and the mechanical are equally real threats, and where the stakes are as personal as they are catastrophic. The result is a story with genuine tension and a cast you find yourself genuinely invested in.
What makes Iron & Blood worth settling into is the richness of its setting and the confident pacing its authors bring to genre blending. The steampunk atmosphere never feels like window dressing — New Pittsburgh has texture, history, and grit. The writing partnership between Gail Z. Martin and Larry N. Martin produces a voice that keeps action and world-building in productive balance, never letting one overwhelm the other. Readers who enjoy their adventure stories with strong atmosphere and a willingness to go somewhere genuinely dark will find this opening installment a satisfying place to begin.