Triumff by Dan Abnett

I expected Triumff: Her Majesty's Hero to be a swashbuckling adventure, which it is. I had no idea it was also hysterically funny.

I got a strong Pratchett-esque vibe off the book, although it's more clockpunk historical fantasy than anything else. It's set in a rich and brilliant version of our world where the Renaissance ushered in a new understanding of magic, which brought practical and scientific discoveries to a halt. --Except in Australia, which has just been discovered by Sir Rupert Triumff.

Triumff is back in London, trying to avoid telling Queen Elizabeth XXX and her court about his discoveries. He's also being used as a scapegoat for a band of conspirators who want to destroy the queen and the Union, the Church, and basically everything else.

The story is well-written, fun, and engaging. It's also very funny. The humor does not depend on people having misunderstandings or screaming at each other, thank goodness, and I liked the main characters. If the plot is a little bit predictable, I didn't mind. I was laughing too hard.

B&N link