Stephen Hunt (born in Canada) is a British author best known for his fantasy novel For the Crown and the Dragon which won the 1994 WH Smith New Talent Prize and was voted best fantasy novel of 1994 by the readers of the British genre gaming magazine Roleplayer Independent. Hunt’s short fiction has appeared in various mainly US and UK-based genre magazines, and some of his earliest works were written in the cyberpunk sub-genre of science fiction.Stephen Hunt works at an international investment banking house in London. He also runs a Sci/Fi community 
The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt
Stephen Hunt‘s The Court of the Air is a fantasy novel in the steampunk subgenre. The story is set in a gritty world where steam- and clockwork-powered devices are the height of technology and where an aerial navy of military balloons keeps the nation of Jackals safe from the dirty communist Quatréshiftians. Actually, the “Shifties” are not quite communist, per se; they seem based on the French revolutionaries, complete with a penchant for decapitating the ruling classes.
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We’re in total agreement David!
I felt just the same. The prose and character work was excellent. The larger story was unsatisfying, especially compared to…
Hmmm. I think I'll pass.
COMMENT Was I hinting that? I wasn't aware of it. But now that you mention it.... 🤔
So it sounds like you're hinting Fox may have had three or so different incomplete stories that he stitched together,…