Engines of Empire: The Phantom Coder

By Bilal Salman

London, 1850. Smoke chokes the skies, gears thunder in endless rhythm, and the Empire's greatest weapon hums in the shadows: the Analytical Engine. Once a marvel of invention, it has become the Crown's iron fist - predicting markets, crushing rebellion, and watching every citizen through the endless hum of wires.

But when strange patterns begin to slip into the punch cards - messages hidden in code - whispers spread of a saboteur haunting the machines. A shadow the people call the Phantom Coder.

Clara Harrow, a young machinist struggling to survive in the slums, discovers one of these forbidden cards. Its secret message thrusts her into a dangerous game of ciphers, rebellion, and pursuit by the Empire's ruthless Bureau.

Elias Blackwood, once a visionary who helped build the Engine, now lives haunted by guilt. When summoned by Ada Lovelace herself, he must face a terrible truth: the machine he birthed may soon strip humanity of its very freedom.

As revolution brews in the fog and fire of industrial London, Clara and Elias find themselves pulled into a war fought not with muskets or bayonets - but with gears, codes, and wires. And the Phantom Coder may be the spark that sets the Empire ablaze.

Engines of Empire: The Phantom Coder is a gripping steampunk tale of rebellion, mystery, and the dangerous cost of progress. Perfect for fans of Philip Reeve, Ken Liu, and Gothic steampunk sagas.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FSTD9CS8
• ISBN13: 9798267198523
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 266 Pages
• Weight: 0.59 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 8.0"