If you want to read the Bec McMaster London Steampunk series without spoiling the wider arc, start with the five main novels in order and add the novellas only where they actually improve the flow. The series follows a new couple in each book, but the politics, alliances, and danger build across the whole run, so jumping around is not the best first-read choice.
London Steampunk books in order
The safest reading path is publication order, which also works as story order for the main novels. If you only want the core series, read these five books:
- Kiss of Steel
- Heart of Iron
- My Lady Quicksilver
- Forged by Desire
- Of Silk and Steam
Kiss of Steel
Kiss of Steel is the right starting point because it teaches you how McMaster's London works without making the setting feel like homework. Honoria Todd and Blade introduce the divide between the powerful Echelon and the rougher, more dangerous rookeries, which becomes important for the rest of the series.
Heart of Iron
Heart of Iron should come second because it proves the series is not just a chain of unrelated romances. The central couple changes, but the world keeps moving, and earlier tensions do not disappear once the first love story is resolved.
This is where the connected-series format starts to matter. If you skipped Kiss of Steel, you could still follow the romance, but the political and emotional background would feel thinner.
My Lady Quicksilver
My Lady Quicksilver is book three and often feels like the point where the series gains extra speed. The action is sharper, the heroine has a strong presence, and the romance develops under real pressure rather than sitting apart from the wider conflict.
For readers checking the tone before committing, this book is a good sample of the balance McMaster uses: adult, steamy romance with enough plot, pursuit, and rebellion to keep the story from feeling static.
Forged by Desire
Forged by Desire is the fourth main novel, but it reads better if you already know the related novella. The couple has history, and the book does not feel quite as smooth if you arrive without that extra context.
- Best route: read The Curious Case of the Clockwork Menace first.
- Still understandable: read the novel without it if you only care about the main books.
- Most likely issue: the relationship may feel as if it begins mid-conversation.
Of Silk and Steam
Of Silk and Steam closes the five-book main arc. It has the difficult job of giving its featured couple a satisfying romance while also resolving bigger series threads, so it benefits the most from a complete read-through.
This is not the book to start with unless you genuinely do not mind missing context. The returning loyalties, old conflicts, and accumulated tension are part of what make the ending work.
Where the London Steampunk novellas fit
The novellas are not equally important. One is mostly extra texture, while the other is much more useful before a later novel. If you are a completionist, include both; if you want the leanest route, keep the main five and add only the novella before Forged by Desire.
For a reader who dislikes interrupting the main novels, the practical compromise is simple: skip Tarnished Knight if you must, but try not to skip Clockwork Menace before book four.
Tarnished Knight after Kiss of Steel
Tarnished Knight fits best after Kiss of Steel. It is more of a world-enriching side story than a required bridge, so it works well for readers who enjoy extra atmosphere and side-character depth.
If you are reading quickly just to follow the main conflict, you can leave it out without feeling lost. If you like lingering in a fictional city between major installments, this is the natural place to pause.
Clockwork Menace before Forged by Desire
The Curious Case of the Clockwork Menace belongs after My Lady Quicksilver and before Forged by Desire. This is the novella most worth prioritizing because it gives useful background for the next couple.
The practical difference is emotional, not just chronological: with the novella, the tension in Forged by Desire feels more grounded; without it, some of the push and pull can seem underexplained.
What to expect from London Steampunk
London Steampunk is romance-first, but it is not romance-only. The books blend adult romantic tension with paranormal rules, alternate Victorian politics, mechanical threats, and a city where power is tied closely to blood, class, and survival.
Steampunk romance
The romance is the spine of each main novel. Every book builds around one couple, with attraction shaped by distrust, danger, class pressure, or past wounds.
The spice level is adult and sensual, but the books are not written as nonstop erotica. They work best for readers who want chemistry plus external stakes, not readers looking for either closed-door romance or purely explicit scenes.
Paranormal intrigue
The paranormal elements are woven into the social structure rather than added as decoration. Blood, status, hunger, infection, and control all affect who has power and who is vulnerable.
That makes the danger feel more consequential. Characters are not only choosing whether to trust each other; they are also navigating a system that can punish weakness, desire, and rebellion.
Victorian London
The setting is an alternate Victorian London with a strong contrast between polished privilege and street-level survival. That contrast gives the romances more pressure because safety is never distributed evenly.
Readers who enjoy historical mood but do not want pages of dense historical explanation should do well here. The city feels vivid, but the books usually keep the story moving.
New couples
Each main book shifts to a new romantic pairing, so the series avoids spending five novels on one relationship. That is a plus if you like fresh chemistry, different emotional conflicts, and a sense that the world is larger than one couple.
The tradeoff is that you need to enjoy connected romance as a format. If you prefer one couple across an entire series, the rotating focus may feel less intimate, even though recurring characters still matter.
Ongoing storylines
The larger arc continues across the books, especially through politics, alliances, recurring threats, and the changing balance of power in London.
Think of each novel as giving one romantic payoff, while the full series gives the broader payoff. That is why reading out of order is possible for the romance plot, but not ideal for the overall experience.
Who will enjoy London Steampunk?
This series is most likely to work for readers who enjoy genre overlap. It is a strong match for someone who wants romance with a darker city, paranormal rules, and action around the relationship; it is a weaker match for someone who wants gentle historical romance or gadget-heavy steampunk with romance kept in the background.
Romance readers
Romance readers are probably the easiest fit. The books deliver central couples, strong attraction, emotional conflict, and satisfying romantic arcs, while the wider danger keeps the relationships from feeling sealed off from the world.
Paranormal fans
Paranormal fans should enjoy the way supernatural traits affect power and class. The blood-based system has practical consequences, so the paranormal side changes how people live, rule, fear, and desire.
If your favorite paranormal stories are modern urban fantasy with a fast contemporary feel, expect a different mood here: more gothic, more class-conscious, and more tied to Victorian-style hierarchy.
Steampunk fans
Steampunk fans will get alternate history, mechanical menace, industrial atmosphere, and a striking version of London. The important caveat is that the series is character-led rather than engineering-led.
If you want intricate machinery explained in detail, this may feel lighter than expected. If you want the steampunk elements to create danger, style, and social pressure, it is a much better match.
Action lovers
Action lovers should not dismiss the series as only romance. Chases, investigations, confrontations, hidden agendas, and political danger give the books a stronger pace than many relationship-only stories.
The action matters most because it forces choices. Characters often have to decide what they can risk, who they can trust, and whether desire is worth the danger around it.
Conclusion
Start with Kiss of Steel, read the five main novels in order, and add The Curious Case of the Clockwork Menace before Forged by Desire if you want the smoothest emotional build. Tarnished Knight is nice extra context rather than a must-read, so the best route depends on whether you want a lean main-arc read or the fuller series experience.
FAQ
Is the London Steampunk series complete?
Yes, the main London Steampunk series is complete. That makes it a good choice if you prefer starting a series only after the central arc has an ending.
Are the novellas necessary?
No, not for basic comprehension. The one most worth reading is The Curious Case of the Clockwork Menace, because it adds useful context before Forged by Desire.
What comes after London Steampunk?
After the main series, the usual next step is London Steampunk: The Blue Blood Conspiracy. It is best treated as a follow-up rather than a replacement starting point, because it builds on the same world.
Is the London Steampunk series complete?
Yes, the main London Steampunk series is complete. That makes it a good choice if you prefer starting a series only after the central arc has an ending.
Are the novellas necessary?
No, not for basic comprehension. The one most worth reading is The Curious Case of the Clockwork Menace, because it adds useful context before Forged by Desire.
What comes after London Steampunk?
After the main series, the usual next step is London Steampunk: The Blue Blood Conspiracy. It is best treated as a follow-up rather than a replacement starting point, because it builds on the same world.