Review - The Map of Time (Trilogia Victoriana, Book 1) by Felix J. Palma (2.5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Size: 720 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date: June 26, 2012
ISBN: 978-1451683035
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Trilogia Victoriana
Source: ARC from Amazon Vine
Rating: 2.5/5 stars


I got this book to review through the Amazon Vine program. It was a very long and very pretentious read about time travel...kind of.

The book is broken into three parts. In part 1 Andrew falls in love with a whore named Marie who is murdered by Jack the Ripper. After many years of depression his cousin Charles convinces him to go to a time traveling emporium to travel back in time and save her. When the time traveling company revels they can only send people to the year 2000, Andrew despairs. But the business owner suggests they talk to HG Wells. HG Wells confesses he has a time traveling machine and sends Andrew back in time to save Marie; or so Andrew thinks.

In Part 2 we follow the story of Claire who is determined to leave her world and travel to the year 2000 with Murray’s Travel Emporium. When in the year 2000 she meets the hero of the human race, Shackleford, and falls in love with him. What follows is twisted and sorted relationship involving a love affair that occurs backwards in time. H G Wells again ends up involved by writing love letters for one of the involved parties.

In Part 3 we follow Inspector Garrett who is convinced that Shackleford is the one murdering people in the streets with a futuristic weapon. Besides Garrett’s perspective we hear from HG Wells a lot. In the course of all of this we find out that this book has nothing to do with any of the characters we’ve met except coincidentally. The true star of this novel is HG Wells for reasons that are again twisted and fairly unbelievable.

The book is written in three parts and each part features a set of different characters...although the characters do run into each other across parts. The one continuous theme is HG Wells and time travel.

This book diverges constantly and sidetracks into random stories before finally wandering back to the main point. The language is flowery...this is the kind of book where if you miss a paragraph or two you're not really missing any of the story. In fact I think you could probably cut out half of this book and still not miss the main story.

Most of the book is not about time travel at all, but about human nature and the lying and scheming nature of humans. As you can imagine none of these characters are very admirable or easy to engage with. The pacing is very slow and it was very hard for me to finish this book.

The story takes a seriously implausible twist in the last 60 pages or so. I find it ironic that after spending so much time with Murray trying to justify the plausibility of his sci-fi novel, that the last 80 pages or so of this novel are completely unbelievable, implausible, and absolutely crap for pacing. Ah the irony of it; this book is just as pretentious, wordy, and ultimately implausible as the author sets out to say that Murray’s work is in the novel itself. Is this irony the intention of this novel?...I am not sure. But in the end I just didn’t care and if I hadn’t received this book for review, I would have stopped reading it at page 100.

Overall I did not enjoy this book. I guess if you are a huge HG Wells fan and interested in reading fiction about him you might like this. In reality though it's a pretty wordy and lengthy novel to deliver such an awkward message.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Get Steampunk’d Reading Challenge
- 150+ Reading Challenge

The Inexplicables (Clockwork Century, Book 4) by Cherie Priest (3/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult (fine for YA too!)
Genre: Steampunk
Size: 368 pages
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: November 13, 2012
ISBN: 978-0765329479
Stand Alone or Series: 4th book in the Clockwork Century series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 3/5 stars

This is the fourth book in the Clockwork Century series. It is a well done steampunk novel, but I had some trouble connecting with the main characters and staying engaged in the story.

The main character Wreck, is a sap-addicted orphan who's been thrown out of the orphanage after turning 19. He decides to head beyond the Wall to Seattle to try and find a job dealing sap. When he gets there he meets Zeke and Huey and ends up wrapped up in an adventure to save the city and discover what a strange creature haunting the night really is.

This is very well written but just wasn't that engaging to me. Wreck is not a likable character; he is lazy and likes to take advantage of people...this made him hard to engage with. While it was nice to see Zeke in the story (he was in Boneshaker) I still had trouble engaging and relating with any of the characters in this story.

The story moves slowly and it takes quite a while to get to the point of the story. I just had a lot of trouble staying engaged in the story up until the last fourth of the book or so. My mind kept wandering. The first part of the book is basically about Wreck getting past the Wall and finding his way around Seattle amidst the zombifying gas and different factions.

This book is very steampunk; you have zombies, gas masks, steam driven power, and all things steampunkish. Priest is always spot on with the steampunk elements of her books.

The story is fairly predictable and, as I mentioned, I had a tough time staying engaged in what was going on. When it came right down to it the mysterious zombie disappearances and the mysterious creature in the night just weren’t enough to really drive this story and keep it interesting.

Overall an okay steampunk read. I thought earlier books in this series were better. Still, if you are a huge steampunk fan you might want to give this a read. The main character is just very hard to relate to. I’d recommend reading Boneshaker over this book, I would also recommend Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan series as an excellent steampunk read.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Zombie Reading Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge
- Steampunk Reading Challenge

Review - God Save the Queen (The Immortal Empire, Book 1) by Kate Locke (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Size: 368 pages
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: July 3, 2012
ISBN: 978-0316196123
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Immortal Empire series
Source: From Librarything Early Reviewers for Review
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the first book in the Immortal Empire series by Locke. Right now there are three books planned in this series. The second book is scheduled for a Feb 2013 release and will be titled, The Queen is Dead. The third book, Long Live the Queen, is scheduled for a Sept 2013 release. This was a creative and well done novel.

Our heroine Xandra, lives in a world where Queen Victoria is still ruling as a Vampire and a horrible plague has caused part of the population to mutate into vampires and werewolves. Xandra works as one of the Royal Guard and gets swept up in an investigation when her sister is mysteriously moved into the Bedlam insane asylum.

I really enjoyed this book. It's an interesting blend of Victorian sensibilities, steampunk, alternate history, and good ole urban fantasy. It took me a bit to really engage with the characters, but by the end of the book I was very attached to them.

Xandra is a fun character; she’s a halvie (half vampire, half human) and has excellent fighting skills. There are a lot of awesome action scenes in this book. In the course of her investigation Xandra uncovers some interesting secrets about her own past.

There are a number of intriguing supporting characters as well. Vexation is the werewolf alpha who kind of tumbles into Xandra’s life and becomes both an ally and a lover. He is an excellent character and has this whole respectful, yet dark and dangerous thing going on. Churchhill is Xandra’s instructor in all things fighting and investigative, he adds an interesting dimension to the story as well.

The setting is incredibly interesting. It’s a fairly dark setting. There is a lot of oppression against halvies and some rather unsavory activities that happen in the ranks of the vampiric aristocracy. It’s interesting how having a ruling class that is centuries old makes the world a blend of old traditions with new technologies.

This was a very fun read. I love how goblins play a prominent role and I love their part in whole big picture of the plague and how it was formed. Locke’s created a very good history here and a very complete world. The story has some excellent twists and turns that are hard to predict, the book was very engaging and hard to put down.

On that note there is a glossary and afterward that explain in detail how the plague came about and how the genetic modifications work. I strongly recommend reading this before you read the book so that you aren’t so lost in all the strange terminology early on.

Overall a strong start to a wonderful new steampunk/urban fantasy series. Xandra is a fascinating heroine and has an excellent staff of supporting characters. This is a fun new world that is very creative and intriguing. Mostly this book is just good fun; full of interesting races, a wonderful world, and lots of action. Recommended to those who like a little steampunk in their urban fantasy. I can’t wait to see what The Queen is Dead holds for us!

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Audiobook Review - The Bookman (The Bookman Histories, Book 1) by Lavie Tidhar (3/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Size: 416 pages
Publisher: Angry Robot
Release Date: September 28, 2010
ISBN: 978-0857660343
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Bookman Histories series
Source: Audiobook through Audible.com
Rating: 3/5 stars

I read the 2nd book in the Bookman Histories, Camera Obscura, last year and really enjoyed it. I was excited to go back and read the book that started it all. Unfortunately this book was just okay for me; I had trouble engaging with the characters and the story just seemed to drag on and on.

I listened to this on audiobook which I do not recommend. The narrator distinguished between voices of different characters well, but his choices for voices were often shrill and obnoxious. There were character voices in the book that made me flinch with their shrillness. Definitely don’t listen to this on audiobook.

This book tells the story of Orphen. He is a poet who wants nothing more than to live our his life with his beloved Lucy. When Lucy is murdered by the terrorist The Bookman, Orphen goes on a quest of revenge. He will either get Lucy back, kill the Bookman, or die trying. Unfortunately for Orphen he becomes deeply embroiled in a plot full of alien lizard races and automatons.

As with Camera Obscura, I enjoyed the wonderfully creative world here. The British Empire is run by a lizard race, automatons are struggling for their rights, and the Bookman seems to have eyes and agents everywhere. Unfortunately since I was introduced to this world in Camera Obscura, while I still enjoyed it, some of the novelty had worn off for me.

I had a lot of trouble engaging with Orphen. His is kind of whiny and weak as a character; he is a poet at heart and spends a lot of time whining about loosing Lucy. He wants to take action but is continually swept up in events that are bigger than he is. By his own omission for most of the book he is a pawn.

The majority of the storyline revolves around political struggles between the lizard folk, the Bookman, the Automatons, and the British people. If you like politics you may really enjoy this. I personally am not big on politically focused books and constantly had trouble staying engaged in the story.

The story takes many side trips along the way. You may find yourself suddenly emerged in a history of this or that when you thought you were on an adventure to a different locale. This lead to the storyline being somewhat ambiguous and convoluted. I was listening to this and constantly found my mind wandering and missing parts of the story because I just couldn’t stay interested in what was going on.

As I said the writing wanders a bit and the pacing is slow. There is some wonderful descriptive writing throughout though and the dark and bleak environments really come alive. There is an oddly heavy science fiction element to this steampunk story as well.

Overall an okay book. The world is wondrous and creative and the descriptions very well done. The main character of Orphan was a weak one though and I had trouble staying engaged. The story was ambiguous at times and wandered quite a bit, again I had trouble staying focused on what was going on at points because I just didn’t care. The story was very political in nature, which I don’t care much for. If you love steampunk stories and are interested in a politically motivated steampunk story that is a bit ambiguous you might like this book. Personally I would recommend Cherie Priest’s Clockwork Century series over this one.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge
- TBR Pile Reading Challenge
- Steampunk Reading Challenge

Early Review - Riveted (The Iron Seas, Book 3) by Meljean Brook (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Size: 416 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Release Date: September 4, 2012
ISBN: 978-0425256046
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in the Iron Seas series
Source: ARC from Publisher
Rating: 5/5 stars

I got an eGalley of this book to review through NetGalley(dot)com. This is the third book in the Iron Seas series. The books in this series follow stories of different characters but are set in the same world. This was by far the best Iron Seas book yet. The plot was engrossing, the characters had wonderful chemistry, there is tons of action and adventure, and the creativity of the world is amazing.

Annika was raised in a secret society of all women, when she accidentally exposed the tribe her sister took the blame and was banished. Annika has spent the last four years in the New World trying to find her sister; all that time she has been serving on the airship Phatéon. David is searching for secrets to his mother’s past and on his way to an expidition to study a volcanoe in Iceland; when he hears Annika’s accent he recognizes it as his mother’s accent as well. Now David wants to know Annika’s secrets. Of course when a madman sets the Phateon on a course of destruction David and Annika find themselves stranded and dependent on each other for survival.

Everything about this story is perfectly balanced. There is a wonderfully creative and intricate world; if you have read other Iron Seas novels you know the world these stories are set in absolutely rocks. You have zombies, nanoagents, steampunk body parts, and the Horde; along with an intricate history of humanity’s fall and struggle to rise again.

There is a very intriguing plot. You have Annika’s missing sister, a mysterious plot to use the volcanoes power for invention, and David’s search for his history as well as his scientific interest in volcanoes. It is a wonderful plot with many threads that come together to make a very engaging story.

Then there are the characters. All of them are interesting even the side characters. Of course it is Annika and David that steal the show. Annika is somewhat naive because of her upbrings but very brave and determined to find her sister. The way she pilots the lumbering Trolls and comes up with solutions during airship battles is admirable. She constantly underestimates her own bravery.

David is another awesome character. He is half machine and infected by nanoagents, he is used to being reviled and scorned for this. That gives him a great wounded male vibe. He respects Annika, is supportive, and is super smart and interesting because of his scientific research into volcanoes. Seriously you want to know more about David as soon as you meet him.

Together these two are explosive. They complement each other well and there is not insta-love; it takes time for them to develop a loving a trusting relationship and it is super engaging and fun to watch it develop. The chemistry between them is awesome and the romantic scenes are incredibly steamy and emotional. So...uh..yeah there is a good dash of romance in this book, but it is surrounded by an incredibly well done story and the romance itself is one of the most well done romances I have ever read.

There is also action galore and some spectacular battle scenes, I loved the balance of all of the different above elements. The story is incredibly well written and easy to read and increibly engaging...I could not put this book down.

Overall I really, really loved this book. It was a perfect combination of action, a complex world, an intriguing plot, wonderful characters, a heartpounding romance, and excellent writing. The other book with a similar tone to it (that I have read earlier this year and like almost as much) was Firelight by Kristen Callihan. If you liked Firelight you will love this book. If you love steampunk and you don’t mind some romance in the story you will love this book as well. I highly recommend it.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Zombie Reading Challenge
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Audiobook Review - Territory by Emma Bull (3/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Western Fantasy
Size: 320 pages
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: December 6, 2011
ISBN: 978-0765330192
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Audiobook through Audible.com
Rating: 3/5 stars


I loved War for the Oaks by Bull and was excited to see that she had another book out. I ended up listening to this book on audio. I enjoyed the Western take on the fantasy and the intricacy with which the world and characters were created. The story moved a bit slow for me though and in the end there were too many things left unresolved.

The audiobook was well done, the story is told from three main viewpoints. The male ones are read by one narrator and the female one by another narrator. In general I really enjoyed the way the story was read.

The story is complicated and includes some of our favorite Western heroes. Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Ike Clanton are all part of the story. And the story is a complicated one. The story is mainly told from three viewpoints. Jesse Fox has decided to travel west and when he shows up in Tombstone he ends up drawn into a political battle that may end up being about more than politics. The second viewpoint is Doc's, he has tuberculosis but it seems to ease when he is around Wyatt, he trying not to get drawn into the seedy events happening in Tombstone but he is. Mildred Benjamin is the third; she is a widow who sets type at a local newspaper...she can sometimes sense or see things that shouldn't be there...because of this she also gets drawn into some strange goings on.

Just trying to give a good synopsis of this story makes my head hurt. I am not at all familiar with Western history, so I didn't really recognize or relate to any of the characters right off the bat. There are a lot of characters introduced and it was difficult for me to keep them all straight in the first third of the story. To add to this difficultly we change viewpoint a lot and the plot is not at all clear. The story starts as a recounting of seemingly unrelated events that happen in Tombstone. It takes a long while for the reader to figure out how all the events are connected and even then the story doesn't seem to have a real point.

It also takes a while for the magic to show up. You can tell that Wyatt isn't quite right from the beginning of the story; but it seems more like a misuse of power than anything magical. You also know that Jesse Fox is struggling with accepting that he has more than normal abilities. All of this isn't very well explained until late in the second half of the book; so it takes awhile to realize that there is magic and it does have relevance to everything that is going on.

The plot itself isn't much of a plot. Basically you are reading about Tombstone and what is going on there; the main plot is basically the mystery to unravel why all of these people are doing what they are doing and why they are all in Tombstone in the first place. I found the first part of the book to be slow and boring and had a hard time figuring out what the point was.

There were some things I did enjoy. You can tell that Bull put a ton of work into research for this novel; I loved the detail and the way things were described. It seems like she put a lot of effort into mirroring the true history of Tombstone; it would have been nice to have an afterward addressing this.

I also really enjoyed the characters of Mildred and Jesse. Mildred was a wonderful example of how the Wild West let women take on more responsibilty and start to carve their own futures without giving up being women. Jesse Fox was mysterious, yet very easy to relate too. It was funny how daring he could be at times but how when it came to Mildred he always put his foot in his mouth. I enjoyed these two characters and though they were well done. The surrounding characters were okay but never came alive for me like these two did.

The book ends pretty ambiguously. The main problem is kind of dealt with but not in a permanent way. You never really find out where all of the characters go or end up. The story just kind of stops. I looked to see if there was going to be a sequel but it doesn't look like it.

Overall an okay book. I really enjoyed the detail and intricacy in the story; you can tell a lot of research went into this story. I also enjoyed the two main characters. I thought the story was poorly paced though and had trouble with all of the viewpoints. The plot wanders a lot and takes a lot of time to get to the point, when it does get to the point it's kind of anti-climatic. The ending is pretty open; the story just stops. I would tentatively recommend this story to those who like Weird West stories with a touch of magic in them. Just make sure you have patience if you are going to read this.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge
- TBR Pile Reading Challenge

Review - The Iron Thorn (The Iron Codex, Book 1) by Caitlin Kittredge (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Size: 512 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: February 22, 2011
ISBN: 978-0385738293
Stand Alone or Series: First book in the Iron Codex series
Source: Bought
Rating: 5/5 stars

This is the first book in the Iron Codex series by Kittredge. It is the first book in a planned trilogy. The second book, The Nightmare Garden, is scheduled for a February 2012 release. This book was a wonderful blend of fantasy, steampunk, dystopia, and gothic elements. I absolutely fell in love with the world and the characters.

The city of Lovecraft is ruled by the Protors and powered by The Great Engine. The necrovirus is blamed for an epidemic of madness that affect certain citizens, it is also said to be the cause for the dark creatures that hunt in the streets at night. Aoife is a ward of the state and one of the only girls to make it into the School of Engines; the most prestiguous school in Lovecraft. Aoife's family has a dark history though; they carry latent necrovirus and go mad at their sixteenth birthday. Aoife's 16th birthday is just around the corner and she will have to unravel the dark secrets of her family and face the darkness in Lovecraft if she even has a chance at staying sane.

This book is dark and gothic, full of wonderful descriptions that create beautiful and haunting imagery. I loved Lovecraft; I wanted to visit Lovecraft and along with Aoife explore the dark alleys and secrets. It was just a wonderful blend of steampunk, gothic, and dystopian elements. Not to mention madness as a contagious virus; it sends chills up my spine just thinking about it.

Aoife herself is an incredibly entertaining character. She is trying to be a good girl; but she is just too smart and too tough to not do what she has to do to survive. She has a good balance of courage, smarts, occasional vulnerability, and daring. She isn't your typical kick-butt heroine but she has a core of steel to her personality and she is willing to the extra mile when she has too. I loved her fascination with engineering and gears; it was nice to see a female heroine in this role. Aoife was an incredibly realistic and multi-dimensional character and I loved her.

There is a bit of a love triangle going on here. Although that didn't bother me because it was well done and Aoife's choice was clear from the start. Cal comes off as a nagging but loyal friend until you discover he has secrets of his own. Dean is a bit of a mystery but the respect with which he treats Aoife and the way he supports her when she has tough decisions to make made him one of my favorite male leads.

Now as if the setting of Lovecraft wasn't awesome enough, Kittredge throws in Aoife's father's clockwork house. A house that is nearly living and breathing all on its own. On top of that we get honest to goodness fairies involved in the story as well. I love stories that have fairies in them, and unlike some YA books, this book doesn't shy away from the dark side of fairy.

The story ends well, but there is a lot more to be settled. There were so many wonderful things in this book, so many twists and turns. I can't wait to read the next one!

Overall I loved, loved, loved this book. The world is incredibly complex and interesting, but never confusing. There are a ton of creative elements in this story. The characters are very well done; I loved them all. The story is a perfect blend of steampunk, gothic, dystopian, mystery, and fantasy elements. I recommend to anyone who loves dark fantasy or steampunk. I would actually recommend to everyone, but those who don't like a heavy dark element in their stories might want to look elsewhere.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Dystopia Reading Challenge
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge
- TBR Pile Reading Challenge
- Steampunk Reading Challenge

Early Review - Stealing Magic (Sixty Eight Rooms, Book 2) by Marianne Malone (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Children's/Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Size: 256 pages
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release Date: January 24, 2012
ISBN: 978-0375868191
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd in The Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventures
Source: ARC from Publisher
Rating: 4/5 stars

I got an eGalley of this book to review from the publisher. This book is a sequel to Sixty Eight Rooms, which I read last year and really enjoyed. This book was equally fun and I enjoyed the mystery and magic involved. It seems like there will probably be another book following this one.

Ruthie and Jack thought that their adventures in the Throne Rooms were over. But there are still mysteries to be solved. Historical items are being stole from the rooms and Ruthie and Jack are concerned that these disappearance might be connected with an art thief that is running rampant in Chicago. Now they have to figure out if there is an art thief involved or if someone else has discovered the magic of the Sixty-Eight rooms. On their adventure to solve this mystery they will journey to 1937 Paris where they try and save a girl and her family from Nazis and they will solve the mystery of the strange purse that Ruthie got in the last book.

These are such wonderful books. The story is a bit simple and predictable but it is well put together and well written. Ruthie and Jack are smart and fun kids who have a good relationship with their parents and get drawn into the most wonderful mysteries. I loved that they spend more time in the magic Throne Rooms in this book than they did in the last book.

In the course of their adventure Ruthie and Jack learn a lot about history; they get to visit Paris during the Nazi takeover and they get to visit the South when slavery was still in practice. They solve a wonderful mystery and I really enjoyed how a number of little elements from the first book were tied into this story; it was well planned out and well put together. I can't comment on the artwork throughout because the advanced copy that I had didn't have any artwork completed yet.

Overall I just really enjoyed Ruthie and Jack as characters. I love the mysteries that they get entangled in; and although the book was a bit predictable it was still very well woven together. I find the magic of the Throne Rooms to be absolutely intriguing and magical; I wish that I could go with Ruthie and Jack and go back in time to see all these awesome events in person. This book is a fun read, teaches some interesting history, and has a wonderful mystery. I recommend it highly to middle grade readers who love learning about history, love mysteries, and love a little magic in their stories.

Review - Ganymede (Clockwork Century, Book 4) by Cherie Priest (3.5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Size: 352 pages
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: September 27th, 2011
ISBN: 978-8765329462
Stand Alone or Series: 4th book in the Clockwork Century series
Source: Bought
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

This was the fourth book in the Clockwork Century series. I have loved all of the books in this series and was eager to read this one. This one was good, but probably my least favorite of the bunch I didn't find the story or the characters as engaging as the first three books.

Josephine Early has a secret, and it's not the fact that her Boarding House of Women is actually a mixed race bordello, no it's the fact that she is helping to get a war machine called the Ganymede out of the south and to the north to help the other side of the war. Trouble is Josephine needs someone to pilot the thing and being that Ganymede is the first submarine ever and that a number of people have died trying to pilot it she's having some trouble. Then she remembers Cly. Josephine and Cly have history, and since Cly's trying to give up pirating and straighten out his life this might be the perfect gig for him to start with.

I love Priest's writing style; she has enough detail in there to really help the reader picture what's going on. I also love how she blends history, zombies, and steampunk elements together to create this awesome world. We meet Cly in Boneshaker and it was fun to read more about him. I love how the zombie issue is kind of woven into the back story and how, even though this is a serparate story from the first three books, it still has many elements of those books tied in with it.

I did have some problems with this book too. Josephine wasn't my favorite character, I just had trouble engaging with her. This was odd because I usually love Priest's quirky, strong female leads. Josephine just rubbed me the wrong way though; she was too abrasive and too cold to be very likable. I liked Cly better, but he wasn't in the story nearly as much as Josephine. With Cly and Josephine's history together I expected them to interact more and have more tension, but this didn't really happen.

I also enjoyed the number of social issues that are addressed in this book: issues of race, war, sexual orientation, etc are discussed and interesting points are brought up. Nothing incredibly unique, but there is some food for thought there. I was a little surprised when one of the characters was revealed to be transexual...mostly because I didn't understand how it added to the story, the way this was revealed at the end was a bit odd. I am wondering if that will carry on to the next book or if it was just included for novelty.

I also had some problems with the plot. There is a lot going on in this book but the overall premise and goal of the book was pretty simple; to get the Ganymede out of the marsh and into the river to deliver to the other side of the war. This is the main issue the whole book deals with and at times I found it to be a bit tedious. I understand that the Ganymede was supposed to provide a turning point for the war; I just didn't find it all that interesting. Maybe it's because I am not a history buff and don't like war stories all that much; but I thought this book had a lot less adventure and steampunk elements than previous books in this series and a lot more tactics and war games.

Overall this was a very good book, but not the strongest in this series. I didn't think the characters were as admirable as in previous books, I also found the overall premise of getting a war machine from one place to another to be a bit tedious and boring at times. This is an excellent world though and I still find it intriguing. I enjoy Priest's writing style and the intricacy of her descriptions a lot. I look forward to reading Inexplicable when it releases in 2012.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Get Steampunked!
- Zombies! Reading Challenge

Review - The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, Book 1) by Clay and Susan Griffith (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy/Steampunk
Size: 301 pages
Publisher: Pyr
Release Date: November 18, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1616142476
Stand Alone or Series: 1st in the Vampire Empire series
Source: Signed copy from Book Expo America
Rating: 5/5 stars

I have been wanting to read this book forever.  I finally got a copy from the library and then that same week ended up going to BEA and was able to get a copy signed and meet Clay and Susan Griffith.  They were a lot of fun to talk to and very nice.  So, I was really excited to read this book and I wasn't disappointed.  The second book in the series, The Rift Walker, is due for a September 2011 release.

Princess Adele of the Equatorian Empire is on a ship that is attacked by a horde of vampires.  At first things are looking up when the Greyfriar (a mysterious vigilante) saves her; but then she is captured by the evil Caesar and held in the Tower of London in vampire occupied Britain.  Adele becomes the catalyst for a final battle between the human and vampire species; along the way she finds out that vampires may not be exactly what humanity thinks.

This was an absolutely excellent book.  The storyline is epic and the world incredibly creative.  The story is part alternate history, part post-apocalyptic, and part steampunk...with a little epic fantasy thrown in for good measure.

The Griffiths have created an incredibly detailed and interesting world.  Vampires have trouble surviving in warm climates which has driven humanity to the hottest parts of the planet.  The politics within human factions and vampire factions are complex and interesting to read about.  There is a lot of creativity in this story and many things which I haven't seen anywhere else.  The human parts of the world have a steampunk feel to them too which adds even more to the story.

The characters of Adele and Greyfriar are engaging, have a lot of depth to them, and as a reader you really want to know them better.  You can't help but root for them and hope that everything will work out.  Side characters in the book weren't as filled out as they could have been, but that is a small quibble.  I do hope that in future books we get to learn more about Adele's mentor and spend more time with her younger brother.

The plot is full of twists and turns and you can never predict what will happen next.  This makes for a very engaging book and really pulls the reader through the novel.  The novel ends well, but leaves a lot of issues unresolved for future books.  The writing style is well done and easy to read.

The only other small complaint I have is that the chapters that depict Senator Clark (Adele's intended) going to war were a bit of a struggle to get through.  It wasn't that they were poorly written...it was just that I loved reading about Adele and the Greyfriar so much more that I just wanted to get through the Senator Clark parts.  I am hoping in future installments Senator Clark will be more filled out and we will learn either to love or hate him with greater passion :-)

Overall this was a spectacular read.  It is very creative, the world-building was incredible, and Adele and Greyfriar are captivating characters.  The writing style was very well done and easy to read and it was hard to put the book down.  I love the detail that went into world-building and love how many fantasy elements (historical, post-apocalyptic, steampunk, epic) went into making this story.  I am very excited to read The Rift Walker when it releases in September.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Get Steampunked!

 

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!

Novella Review - The Mysterious Lady Law by Robert Appleton (3.5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Size: 267 KB
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: January 31, 2011
ASIN: B004GB1TB8
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: ARC from NetGalley.com
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

 
I got a copy of this novella through NetGalley(dot)com.  It looked like an insteresting read in the steampunk genre and I had read positive reviews of it on other blogs, so I decided to give a try.  Overall is was an engaging read full of mystery and action; nothing spectacular but amusing all the same.

Julia is a dancer and when her sister is murdered the London police get involved.  They are having trouble solving the case and one of the young constables takes a shining to Julia.  Then the mysterious Lady Law gets involved.  Lady Law has solved every case she has taken on for investigation and she wants to take on Julia's case pro bono.  Ends up there is more mystery behind Julia's sister's death and behind Lady Law herself than anyone ever thought.

This story was decently written and easy to read.  I enjoyed the reimagining of Victoria London to a place populated by dirigibles and steam-based contraptions.  The descriptions of contraptions was interesting and unique.  The characters don't have a ton of depth to them but they are all easy to relate to and fairly engaging.  This book really shines in some of the descriptions of settings which really make the city come alive for the reader.  I also enjoyed the strong and plucky female characters throughout.

The plot was okay.  It takes some interesting twists and the book is tied up nicely.  I thought the way things ended was a bit contrived and odd, but that's all I can really say without spoilers.  This is definitely more of an adult read.

Overall I enjoyed this novella.  While the writing style and plot are nothing spectacular, the book was still entertaining.  I did enjoy the strong female characters, the world-building, and the description of steampunk contraptions.  I am uncertain as to whether or not I will read future works by Appleton.  As I said this book was a fun quick diversion, but it wasn't anything especially spectacular.

This book went to the following reading challenges:
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Get Steampunked!
- E-book Reading Challenge

 

Review - Behemoth (Levithan Trilogy, Book 2) by Scott Westerfeld (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Young Adult/Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy/Steampunk
Size: 496 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: October 5, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1416971757
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in Leviathan Trilogy
Source: Bought
Rating: 5/5 stars

This was the second book in the Leviathan trilogy by Westerfeld.  I really enjoyed Leviathan and this book was also wonderful.  There is a ton of action and we see a lot more of Alec and Dylan.

This book starts with Alec and Dylan on the Leviathan getting reading to dock in Istanbul.  Tensions are high in Istanbul because of German presence there.  Dylan will get drawn into secret activities.  And when Austria-Hungry declares war with Britain, suddenly Alec finds himself a prisoner of war.  Alec and Dylan soon embark on separate adventures that will take them apart and then eventually draw them back together.  Full of crazy genetically engineered animals and wonderful steampunk machines this book is super creative and fun to read.

This was an absolutely wonderful book.  The things that Westerfeld thinks up for crazy animals and contraptions are fascinating and incredibly creative.  The plot that is woven is complex and full of political subtleties; it never falters and never slows down.  The characters are very likable; you are really cheering Alec and Dylan on throughout and it is hard not to want to learn more about the mysterious Lady Boffin and the leaders of the rebellion in Istabul. 

Keith Thompson's illustration are spectacular and really bring Westerfeld's creations to life for the reader.  I thoroughly enjoyed them and was constantly looking forward to the next fantastical thing upcoming pictures would show me. 

Overall just a very wonderful read.  It is exceedingly well written, creative, has great action scenes, great characters, and a wonderful plot loosely based on events that happened during World War I.  The book ends in a good spot; although I am very eager to see what happens next.  Of course the number one question is: will Alec realize Dylan is really Deryn, a girl disguising herself as a midshipman?  You'll have to read it to find out.  If you like the steampunk theme that this book has you might want to check out Cherie Priest's Clockwork Century series as well.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Get Steampunked!