Review - Steamed: A Steampunk Romance by Katie MacAlister (2/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult

Genre: Steampunk/Romance
Size: 352 pages
Publisher: Signet
Release Date: February 2, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0451229311
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Bought
Rating: 2/5 stars

I originally bought this book because I was getting into reading Steampunk, had just finished MacAlister's Aisling Grey series and found it amusing, and was looking for a light fun read.  This book overall was a disappointment.  I finished it because I was sitting on a plane for three hours and had nothing else to read.  It started out kind of amusing but the plot got so convoluted and then wrapped up in such a contrived way I just had to roll my eyes.

Jack Fletcher and his sister Hallie are zapped into an alternate reality when a lab experiment goes wrong.  They find themselves on the airship of Captain Octavia Pye.  Sparks fly between Jack and Octavia, but Octavia is wrapped up in a number of political schemes that entangle her whole crew in a fight for their lives.

The book started out kind of amusing.  Jack is a geek with a rep for being a ladies man and Octavia appears to be a straight-laced women commander who doesn't take Jacks advances at all kindly.  Of course this book being what it is, that eventually changes and Jack and Octavia couldn't get enough of each other.

The world is loosely steampunk.  That is to say there are some automatons, a Europe and Asia still stuck in war, lots of airships and a Victorian feel to it all.  Given that the world felt a bit incomplete.  There was a lot of political stuff going on in this book but most of it seemed contrived and all of it was tied to men that Octavia had slept with.  This really wasn't in keeping with Octavia's supposed stuffiness.  Most of the plot seemed loosely thrown together in a way that enabled Jack and Octavia to have more sex.

Jack was obnoxious as a character and I wasn't at all intrigued by him.  His sister Hallie was a doorstop more than anything else, oh and she was a bit of a plot device since she got lost and had to be tracked down.  I am really not at all sure why she was even in the book.

The potential for Jack and Octavia to have a steaming hot relationship was there, but puttered out pretty quick.  Octavia gives into Jack quickly and from there out they were pretty uninspiring.  There wasn't a lot to keep the characters apart and, given that this book focused mainly on their relationship, it made things pretty boring for the remainder of the story.  There was so much potential here for a steamy romance set in a steampunk Victoria era and it just wasn't realized.  I felt like MacAlister wrote this over a weekend for fun and didn't bother really making her characters, plot, or world all that filled out.

Given all of the above, the story was slightly amusing.  I was stuck on a plane and didn't have much else to do so I finished it; although I have to admit I had trouble getting through the last third of the book even though I had absolutely nothing else to do....

Overall my recommendation would be to skip this book.  If you want to read something by MacAlister pick up her Aisling Grey Guardian series, it is much much better than this book.  Keep in mind that MacAlister writes light fluffly, funny, paranormal romance.  If you want to read a steampunk paranormal romance that is awesome pick up The Iron Duke by Meljean Brooke; The Iron Duke has an actual plot, awesome characters, and an absolutely fantastic world.  If you feel like you still absolutely need to read this book do yourself a favor and get it from the library.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Get Steampunked!

Review: Circus of the Darned (Goth, Book 2) by Katie Maxwell (3/5 stars)

This is this the second book in the Goth series by Katie Maxwell.  This book was written a while ago and it doesn't seem like Maxwell (who also writes as Katie MacAlister) is going to write anymore books in this series.  This book wasn't nearly as good as the first book.

Fran and her mom are still traveling with the Goth Faire.  Fran has got some issues when she accidentally calls a group of Viking warriors into existence and then her horse disappears.  She has to fix up all this mess and on top of all this her and Ben are going on their first date.

I didn't enjoy this story as much as the first one.  I didn't think the dialogue was as witty.  The story between Ben and Fran doesn't make much progress.  It is an easy read and somewhat amusing, but  a lot of the humor with the Vikings is way over the top.  There is a lot that is unresolved this book which was disappointing because this book was written a few years ago and no other books have been written in this series. 

Overall a quick read, okay if you liked the first book.  I wouldn't say this is a must read though.  The characters are over the top and the action is kind of slapstick.  I really did like the first book "Got Fangs?"  So if you are in the mood for a quick and silly read this is an okay book; otherwise I would read something else.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- The Young Adult Reading Challenge
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge

 

Got Fangs? by Katie Maxwell (4/5 stars)

I got this book because I had previously read the Aisling Grey book by Katie MacAlister and was curious about her young adult books.   Katie Maxwell is the name Katie MacAlister uses for her young adult books.  This book is the first book in the Goth series.  There is one other book after this one called "Circus of the Darned".   I actually really liked this book it was a cute, fun and fluffy little read.

Francesca is just your average sixteen year old, except for a couple small facts.  First she can read people and objects by touching them with her bare skin (history and what they are thinking).  Second she is stuck traveling with the GothFaire through Europe with her mother who is a bonafide witch.  More than anything she just wants to be a normal girl.  That is until she gets run over by a motorcycle driven by Benedikt (Ben) Czerny.  Ben is a Dark One (vampire) and tells Fran that she is his Beloved and destined to bring light into his life.  Well, that is all and good, but first things first.  Someone is stealing money from the GothFaire; can Fran figure out who it is before the Faire has to shut down for good?  How is she going to deal with this Ben guy claiming that they are eternally linked? 

This book was a lot of fun.  For being such a slim novel it packs a lot of story.  Maxwell introduces some interesting beliefs about vampirism (it is linked to male descendants) and also hints at some more interesting plot points (such as the horse, Tesla) that weren't fully addressed in this book. 

The plot clips along at a quick place.  Fran is a funny and endearing character that is a lot of fun to read about.  Ben is a great character too.  All the supporting characters are well-crafted and fun.  I really enjoyed the book.  Keep in mind this is meant to be a light read.  It is amusing and cute, predictable but lovable.  A nice, quick diversion from heavier topics.  The dialogue gets a little over-the-top silly at times, but I found it charming rather than annoying.  This is one of those books where even the evil guys aren't all that evil.

This is a very short book.  At under 200 pages it only takes 2-3 hours to read, but it is fun.  If you are looking for something light-hearted and fun I would recommend this.  I am excited to read the next book "Circus of the Darned" and am curious to find out if Maxwell is planning any more books with these fun characters!

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- The Young Adult Reading Challenge
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge
- 1st in a Series Reading Challenge

Holy Smokes by Katie MacAlister (4/5 stars)

This is the fourth, and so far last, book in the Aisling Grey Guardian series. This book follows much in the same vein as the third book in the series. It is light, easy to read, and an entertaining story. Although there are strong aspects of romance to this book; I think fans of the paranormal genre who like action more than romance will also like this book.

The book starts with Aisling getting stood up at the alter by Drake. Of course it's not Drake's fault. Again Aisling has many things coming at her from all directions. She is pregnant, they are at war with the red dragon clan, she has been proscribed and is trying to get rid of her dark powers, her guardian mentor-ship is on hold, and she has to perform duties for the blue dragon clan. All of this is complicated by her family being in town for the wedding.

As with the other books, a lot happens in this book. I was happy that the plot was very finely crafted and all of the intertwining events made sense and were resolved. There are still some cliff hangers at the end of the book, but they have more to do with other characters than with Aisling and Drake.

Aisling is a little bit less of an airhead in this book. She actually gets things done, as opposed to just screwing them up. Her and Drake make more progress towards a decent, modern-day relationship, so at least they aren't as messed up as in the previous books. Aisling, herself, is not my most favorite character but the side characters more than make up for her shortcomings.

Previous to this book I said the third one in the series was my favorite, well now this one is my favorite in the series. I plan on reading the Silver Dragons series by Katie MacAlister too. These are fun books for a quick read when you want something light. They don't really overextend your brain and are a nice vacation from heavier reading.

Light my Fire by Katie MacAlister (4/5 stars)

This is the third book in the Aisling Grey Guardian series by Katie MacAlister. I thought that this book was much better than the second book and much more on par with the first book.

Aisling is moving to London to start her Guardian training with Nora. Once again right from the beginning things start going wrong. She finds out Nora is being called in for questioning which could lead to Nora losing her rights to mentor Aisling. Then on her first outing with Nora; Jim eats the imp king. Now the imps are out for Aisling's blood. As if this wasn't enough Aisling finds out Drake is in town, the Red Dragons have declared war on Green Dragon sept, the London community wants Aisling to take over as Venediger (sp?), and everyone keeps telling Aisling she is pregnant (which she just can't believe).

This book was much better than the last book. I felt like the plot made a lot more sense. Many of the problems Aisling ran into were wrapped up nicely. Aisling and Drake actually start to have a decent relationship with each other. The problems Aisling gets into with the demon princes and with the dragons were interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

As with the other books this is a light, humorous read, that shouldn't be taken too seriously. Aisling gets too whiny at some points, and suffers a bit from being a damsel in distress more often than not. Drake is irritating with his need to control her; but in this book that is tempered some and we see Drake gaining some humanity. This is a quick, easy, and amusing read. There are a lot of sex scenes but they are creative and tastefully done. I am actually very excited to read the next book (which is something I couldn't say after the second book).

If you liked the first two books, this book shouldn't disappoint.

Fire Me Up by Katie MacAlister (3/5 stars)

This is the second book in the Aisling Grey Guardian series by Katie MacAlister. I did not think that this book was as good as the first book. I thought that the first book was cute, sexy, funny and had some original ideas. This book was cute, sometimes sexy, rarely funny and rehashed a lot of what we already learned in the first book. These are definitely way into the romance category and just slightly into the paranormal.

Aisling travels to Budapest, Hungary to go the GODTAM convention where she hopes to meet other people like herself (That is magical type folk) and to find a Guardian to mentor her. Unfortunately she bumps into Drake and finds out that he is still obsessed with her performing her duties as his mate; some of these duties happen to be attending meetings of the Dragons' that just happen to be at the hotel she is at. With Drake hovering and her demon, Jim, making snarky comments Aisling is having one heck of a time getting a mentor lined up.

Okay I pretty much know what I am getting into with these books. They are definitely not to be taken seriously, you need to leave all your notions about romantic relationships at the door, remember things won't necessarily make any sense, and remember Aisling is a bit of an airhead. Even going into reading this book with these things in mind I was a bit miffed at this book.

First the positive stuff: This was a cute, fun read. It was a quick read and the plot moved along nicely. There were lots of tastefully done steamy sex scenes. I think it is awesome that Aisling is trying to get training for her position as a Guardian. It bugs me to death when a character decides they would rather tough it out, than do the logical thing and get a little help from a mentor. I liked the introduction of the Silver Dragon, Tiffany the professional Virgin, and some of the new Guardians.

Okay now for the negative stuff. Aisling whines constantly, about pretty much everything. She can't make up her mind about anything; she hates Drake, she wants him, she hates him, etc. Her and Drake get in arguments over things that are very childish. I mean come on Drake is how old? You don't think he learned any communication skills in all that time? Aisling seems to have major ADD in this book and can't ever decide what to do next. I can understand Jim's frustration with her. Despite the fact that Aisling blunders through most of the book somehow she is uber-powerful and manages to right things (just like in the first book). Maybe this is supposed to be part of the humor?

It was an okay book, it was light-hearted and amused me. Just, please don't think about the plot or Aisling's intentions too hard or you will hurt your brain trying to make sense of it. This is a book to read quickly, take at face value, and then it's on to another book. I have the next two books in the series and I will read them because I have them.

You Slay Me by Katie MacAlister (4/5 stars)

This is the first book in the Aisling Grey, Guardian series by Katie MacAlister. This is the first book I have read by MacAlister. The book ended up being exactly what I though it would be. It is a cute, funny and sexy little book that was a quick read.

Aisling is on a job as a courier delivering a golden dragon statue to someone in Paris. Only thing is when she shows up to make the delivery the recipient is deceased. To make matters more complicated someone else is on the scene with Aisling, his name is Drake and he is convinced that Aisling is a Guardian.

This book is fun little romp. It is more of a romance than most of the paranormals that I read, but it was a quirky little book that I found myself enjoying as I read it. There is some sex in the book but I thought it was tastefully done and not too drawn out. Aisling isn't the normal type of heroine I am drawn to; she is a self admittedly dense and a little bit flighty. Drake is an overpowering male, with about as much sensitivity as a slab of concrete. Still I found these books to be amusing. I also liked the way the magical community was set up in Paris. I find the structure of the dragon culture and the inclusion of dragons as an immortal race to be interesting. The position of Guardian is also interesting and I hope in the next book we find out more about exactly what a Guardian does.

If I had to compare this book to other series I have read I would say that it has a bit more substance and a less flighty heroine than the Queen Betsy series by Davidson but it is more flighty and less substantial than the Sookie Stackhouse series by Harris. Hopefully that will give you an idea of what type of book this is.

I think this series is a bit of a jealous pleasure, it is pure candy, but it hooked me and I enjoyed it all the same. I am excited to read the next book!