Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The weekly event is meant to showcase eagerly anticipated upcoming releases…and to spread the word! This week I’m excited about:

The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim ButcherThe Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher (The Cinder Spires #1)

Genre: SCI-FI, STEAMPUNK

Publisher: Orbit

Anticipated Publication Date: September 29, 2015

Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity, towering for miles over the mist-shrouded surface of the world. Within their halls, aristocratic houses have ruled for generations, developing scientific marvels, fostering trade alliances, and building fleets of airships to keep the peace.

Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship, Predator. Fiercely loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy’s shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is severely damaged in combat, leaving captain and crew grounded, Grimm is offered a proposition from the Spirearch of Albion—to join a team of agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring Predator to its fighting glory.

And even as Grimm undertakes this dangerous task, he will learn that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. Humanity’s ancient enemy, silent for more than ten thousand years, has begun to stir once more. And death will follow in its wake…

Oh, hell to the yes! Jim Butcher can write urban fantasy, he can write high fantasy, and now he’s writing steampunk. One of my favourite sub-genres of all time, one that I feel has too few offerings. To paraphrase the inimitable Michael Scott: EVERYBODY REMAIN F*%#ING CALM.

From what little information I’ve been able to track down, this one sounds like it’s going to have amazing world building and some pretty epic battle scenes. Since I’ve read the first book in the Codex Alera series, I know that Butcher can pull both off very well. I’m intrigued about the setting for this one, because nothing in that synopsis overtly screams “Victorian England” to me. Maybe a new world?

I’m also loving how similar the cover layout is to Butcher’s other works. It’s gonna look so pretty on my shelves! My only complaint about this news is the appearance of another character named Grimm. We get it, your character is tough and manly. There’s no need to be so literal.

Will you be reading Jim Butcher’s new series? How do you feel about his transition into steampunk?