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36th out of 233 books
—
398 voters
The Strange Case of Finley Jayne (Steampunk Chronicles 0.5)
by
Kady Cross
Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of
...moreebook, 78 pages
Published
May 1st 2011
by Harlequin Teen
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This was a quick read. As such, the author didn't take very much time giving much plausible reasoning/justification for a lot of what happened. It just happened that way and those people did those things, deal with it.
There is enough background/introduction to make it alright as a stand-alone story; I didn't feel like I was missing anything substatial, but it was obvious that it was part of a series and Finley Jayne was more developed elsewhere. At least I hope it's part of a series, or else I m...more
There is enough background/introduction to make it alright as a stand-alone story; I didn't feel like I was missing anything substatial, but it was obvious that it was part of a series and Finley Jayne was more developed elsewhere. At least I hope it's part of a series, or else I m...more
The Strange Case of Finley Jayne is a quick, fun prequel to a book I haven't yet read, The Girl in the Steel Corset. It works reasonably well on its own, without having to infodump. If you're used to steampunky worlds, it isn't that different, at least at first glance.
It's not very subtle or very deep, but then, it is a short story/novella (not sure how many words it has and which exactly it qualifies as). Basically, it introduces the character of Finley Jayne, who is rapidly realising that she'...more
It's not very subtle or very deep, but then, it is a short story/novella (not sure how many words it has and which exactly it qualifies as). Basically, it introduces the character of Finley Jayne, who is rapidly realising that she'...more
This is a preview of the book, the girl in the steel closet. It is the first Steampunk I read. And I unexpectedly find that I quite enjoy reading story set in this period.
In this book, we are introduced to a heroine, Finley, who possesses supernatural strength and speed. She is a tough, unpretentious and smart girl that you are going to love. She protects those she loves with all her might.
This is a story full of action, suspense and mystery. I am intrigued to read book 1, not only to discover...more
In this book, we are introduced to a heroine, Finley, who possesses supernatural strength and speed. She is a tough, unpretentious and smart girl that you are going to love. She protects those she loves with all her might.
This is a story full of action, suspense and mystery. I am intrigued to read book 1, not only to discover...more
3 likes · like · see review
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Wow! I never thought it would be this good!
The strange case of Finley Jayne is her supernatural strengths. She may not be able to control her temper sometimes but she (so far) uses this in a good way especially when protecting the people she serves or her loved ones. And in this new job, she protects her new companion, Lady Phoebe from the mad scientist/mechanic Lord Vincent and him marrying her.
The setting is in London which is a perfect lovely setting for this historical yet robotic era of aut...more
The strange case of Finley Jayne is her supernatural strengths. She may not be able to control her temper sometimes but she (so far) uses this in a good way especially when protecting the people she serves or her loved ones. And in this new job, she protects her new companion, Lady Phoebe from the mad scientist/mechanic Lord Vincent and him marrying her.
The setting is in London which is a perfect lovely setting for this historical yet robotic era of aut...more
1 like · like · see review
Miss Finley has lost her job all due to her defending an helpless child, so home to mom it is. But that is not all, she has another problem and she fears that it will be the fall of her. She has no one to turn to. She needs another job but as odd as it seems that was not hard as the job offer came looking for her!
She was offered a position to be a companion to Miss Phoebe but she can not believe her ears, how can this be? She accepts the offer and her whole life is changed! Phoebe is such a rema...more
She was offered a position to be a companion to Miss Phoebe but she can not believe her ears, how can this be? She accepts the offer and her whole life is changed! Phoebe is such a rema...more
This prequel introduces the main character of The Girl In the Steel Corset, Finley Jane. It's starts with her being fired for sticking up for a little boy, which right away tells me what kind of person she is. This is the second time she's been fired in a short time. She thinks something must be wrong with her and that she's evil because of her sometimes dark thoughts, super strength and hearing.
She goes home to her mother and stepfather, Silas even though she'd rather not be a burden to them. B...more
She goes home to her mother and stepfather, Silas even though she'd rather not be a burden to them. B...more
A fulfilling short story :D
First 2013 short read, anyways Happy New Year!!
May all have a blessed year filled with endless good reads ;)
First 2013 short read, anyways Happy New Year!!
May all have a blessed year filled with endless good reads ;)
1 like · like · see review
A vrai dire, je ne savais pas à quoi m’attendre. C’est le second livre que je lis de cette nouvelle vague « Steampunk », et ayant été très déçue par le premier tome du Protectorat de l’ombrelle, ces nouveaux romans Steampunk n’avaient pas bonne presse chez moi. J’avais peur, une fois de plus, de tomber sur une simple romance agrémentée de vampires portant la mention « Steampunk » alors qu’il ne la méritait pas. C’est donc avec appréhension que j’ai entamé cette lecture.
C’est une nouvelle très...more
C’est une nouvelle très...more
At first glance, this is a fantastical opening to the chronicles. Finley is your born heroine, brave and adventurous and can be compared to the female version of Sherlock Holmes.
The novella is just a simple back story to how Finley lived her life before ending up with the Orginates, strange and not so ordinary humans. But you can clearly see that she too isn't so ordinary after all. Sure she may be really strong and clever, but there's always a reason to why things are the way they are, even if...more
The novella is just a simple back story to how Finley lived her life before ending up with the Orginates, strange and not so ordinary humans. But you can clearly see that she too isn't so ordinary after all. Sure she may be really strong and clever, but there's always a reason to why things are the way they are, even if...more
Finley Jayne is not your typical Victorian girl. She’s, well, strange. She possess a rather unusual strength. And has a dark side which she must fight for control.
The story starts with Finley being fired for knocking out a governess who hit a child. She goes back home and is soon given a job by Lady Morton. The job is to be a companion to Lady Morton’s daughter Phoebe.
But this job isn’t usual either. Lady Morton is in awe of Finley’s “strength”. She hopes Finley will use it to watch over Phoebe....more
The story starts with Finley being fired for knocking out a governess who hit a child. She goes back home and is soon given a job by Lady Morton. The job is to be a companion to Lady Morton’s daughter Phoebe.
But this job isn’t usual either. Lady Morton is in awe of Finley’s “strength”. She hopes Finley will use it to watch over Phoebe....more
Dans cette nouvelle d'une petite centaine de pages, Kady Cross lève le voile sur l'héroïne de sa série Steampunk Chronicles dont le premier tome, très attendu, vient de paraître chez Darkiss.
Cette nouvelle incisive et énergique va droit au but sans s'embarrasser du superflu. Elle pose les fondations d'une série pleine de mystères et de machinations et offre au lecteur (numérique uniquement !) une histoire exclusive, qui donne un bel aperçu de l'univers steampunk imaginé par Kady Cross.
Naturellem...more
Cette nouvelle incisive et énergique va droit au but sans s'embarrasser du superflu. Elle pose les fondations d'une série pleine de mystères et de machinations et offre au lecteur (numérique uniquement !) une histoire exclusive, qui donne un bel aperçu de l'univers steampunk imaginé par Kady Cross.
Naturellem...more
I didn't realize it before reading, but this is a free ebook prequel to The Girl in the Steel Corset, which is on my list to read.
The setting is a pretty generic steampunk world. It's 1897, there are mechanical horses and other clockwork automata, the heroine wears short skirts and leather corsets. Finley Jayne is the heroine, a maid who happens to possess mysterious super strength for no discernible reason. She ends up being hired by a family who treats her more like one of the family than a s...more
The setting is a pretty generic steampunk world. It's 1897, there are mechanical horses and other clockwork automata, the heroine wears short skirts and leather corsets. Finley Jayne is the heroine, a maid who happens to possess mysterious super strength for no discernible reason. She ends up being hired by a family who treats her more like one of the family than a s...more
Straight into the action.
Some books have a slow start, but this book doesn't. It's punchy and full of action and interesting turns pretty much from the intro. Writing flows well too. The main heroine is great, she's tough but still femimine, she has wit and good instinct, and she kicks ass.
Really interesting storyline, though, the writer leaves too big clues of what is going to happen next, that sometimes you've figured out the plot and then the story takes ages to catch up with what you've figu...more
Some books have a slow start, but this book doesn't. It's punchy and full of action and interesting turns pretty much from the intro. Writing flows well too. The main heroine is great, she's tough but still femimine, she has wit and good instinct, and she kicks ass.
Really interesting storyline, though, the writer leaves too big clues of what is going to happen next, that sometimes you've figured out the plot and then the story takes ages to catch up with what you've figu...more
I really liked this book! It's a new genre called steampunk, which I find interesting. I've read a book by Cassandra Clare, don't remember the name, but I think it may also be classified as steampunk. At any rate, I'm fascinated by how a new genre comes into being. Steampunk (the way I understand it) combines science and magic and usually steam engines or clockworks and often (tho maybe not always) a Victorian setting. I'm still trying to figure it out. In this story by Kady Cross, Finley Jayne...more
In this novella, we are introduced to Finley Jane and the victorian steampunk world around her. It sort of reminded me of The Wild, Wild West (the Will Smith version) with all the mechanical devices in it.
Anyway, we meet Ms. Jane as she is fired from one job for hitting the governess (yes, hitting, but hang with me) and then hired to become the companion of a young woman about to be married. Ms. Jane is welcomed into the family in a way we all wish would happen to us. She is paid more than she...more
Anyway, we meet Ms. Jane as she is fired from one job for hitting the governess (yes, hitting, but hang with me) and then hired to become the companion of a young woman about to be married. Ms. Jane is welcomed into the family in a way we all wish would happen to us. She is paid more than she...more
This short story was actually at the beginning of the ebook The Girl in the Steel Corset, and I have to say I like Finley more in this story than in the actual book. I really liked the book, but the girl in the short story is more daring and in control. I was a little sad to finish this and then move to the book where she's less feisty.
After being fired from her position as a maid for hitting the governess after she made one of the small children cry Finley is worried that she won't be able to f...more
After being fired from her position as a maid for hitting the governess after she made one of the small children cry Finley is worried that she won't be able to f...more
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When I first picked up The Girl in the Steel Corset, I didn't realize that the paperback version had the prequel to the Steampunk series. Needless to say, it was an awesome surprise. :)
It was a fun, quick read that was a nice introduction to Miss Finley Janye. I didn't feel like I was missing anything, nor did I ever feel like I was being over-loaded with information. I think it would have been a more enjoyable read if I had read The Girl in the Stee...more
When I first picked up The Girl in the Steel Corset, I didn't realize that the paperback version had the prequel to the Steampunk series. Needless to say, it was an awesome surprise. :)
It was a fun, quick read that was a nice introduction to Miss Finley Janye. I didn't feel like I was missing anything, nor did I ever feel like I was being over-loaded with information. I think it would have been a more enjoyable read if I had read The Girl in the Stee...more
This novella was included as part of the ebook The Girl in the Steel Corset. It is a prequel told in first person, where Finley Jayne is employed as a companion for a wealthy young lady engaged to be married to a devious man with a dangerous plan - the lady's mother has heard of Finley's unusual strength and her penchant to fight for what is right, and as the mother hopes, Finley is suspicious of the fiance and takes it upon herself to discover his real plan.
The novella was a such a great introd...more
The novella was a such a great introd...more
May 06, 2012
Abria Mattina
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
kindle,
review-2012
Originally reviewed here.
The Strange Case of Finley Jayne is the prequel to The Girl in the Steel Corset (The Steampunk Chronicles). At just 78 pages it's a quick, fun read about a young girl's adventures in nineteenth-century London.
The characters made me love this book. I like Finley in particular because she is an unapologetic hell-raiser and fiercely independent. Prone to fits of aggression, Finley is capable of performing feats of strength and speed abnormal for a teenage girl. When she is...more
The Strange Case of Finley Jayne is the prequel to The Girl in the Steel Corset (The Steampunk Chronicles). At just 78 pages it's a quick, fun read about a young girl's adventures in nineteenth-century London.
The characters made me love this book. I like Finley in particular because she is an unapologetic hell-raiser and fiercely independent. Prone to fits of aggression, Finley is capable of performing feats of strength and speed abnormal for a teenage girl. When she is...more
There's nothing wrong with a quickie. Somedays maybe you want to give Sting a run for his money, other days you just want to get to the point in the quickest and most pleasurable way possible. The Strange Case of Finley Jayne was one of those books. Well, novellas.
I started reading this when I was stalling at the beginning of its quasi-sequel, The Girl in the Steel Corset. Admittedly, I was wondering if I'd even finish the book - the writing was fine, and though I had to get "into" the whole gim...more
I started reading this when I was stalling at the beginning of its quasi-sequel, The Girl in the Steel Corset. Admittedly, I was wondering if I'd even finish the book - the writing was fine, and though I had to get "into" the whole gim...more
The Strange Case of Finley Jayne was a fantastic read! I honestly can't believe that this e-book was free! I adored it from the beginning sentence: "You're the very spawn of Satan and I'll not have you darken this door ever again." With an introduction like that, I knew I was going to enjoy this read.
The novella is about Finley Jayne, who is awesome, smart, funny, kick-ass, and strong! I loved her at once. She is fiercely independent and uses her intelligence to get out of sticky situations. Sh...more
The novella is about Finley Jayne, who is awesome, smart, funny, kick-ass, and strong! I loved her at once. She is fiercely independent and uses her intelligence to get out of sticky situations. Sh...more
I picked up this novella as a freebie introduction to a Harlequin Teen Steampunk series because I was curious about the line and enjoy Steampunk. I was in no way disappointed.
Finley is an engaging character with unexplained differences that I suspect relate to her mysterious father but are not resolved in the novella. These differences cause her nothing but trouble until she is approached by Lady Morton who, rather than being appalled by Finley’s abilities, wants to employ Finley because of her...more
Finley is an engaging character with unexplained differences that I suspect relate to her mysterious father but are not resolved in the novella. These differences cause her nothing but trouble until she is approached by Lady Morton who, rather than being appalled by Finley’s abilities, wants to employ Finley because of her...more
This is the prequel to The Girl in the Steel Corset. In this book, Finley Jane is learning about herself. She had been fired from the service of Lady Gattersleigh for punching the governess who slapped a boy. Being unemployed is not something that Finley likes to be. She returns to her family’s home and the next day, Lady Morton comes to inquire about hiring her to be a companion to her daughter, Pheobe, who was recently engaged to Lord Vincent.
Finley poses as a cousin of Pheobe’s while she is h...more
Finley poses as a cousin of Pheobe’s while she is h...more
I really liked this novella. It was interesting to see Finley in her days before she began working with other individuals to take down a mad man with his machines. I wasn't exactly sure how everything in this book would connect to the first book in the series, but it quickly became clear right before the book ended.
It was touching, rather sad really and while depressing, it was kind of shocking. I think I would have been more shocked by the story if I hadn't figured out what Lord Vincent was pla...more
It was touching, rather sad really and while depressing, it was kind of shocking. I think I would have been more shocked by the story if I hadn't figured out what Lord Vincent was pla...more
Get this ebook for FREE from eHarlequin here.
This story, set before the events of The Girl In The Steel Corset, takes you right into the heart of this world and offers you a chance to see Finley before she began to grow accustomed to her abilities and duel personality.
Finley is very much the same girl as she was in The Girl In The Steel Corset, however a little more unsure about her abilities. Here she’s just getting used to them and really has no idea what they mean or the trouble they will ca...more
This story, set before the events of The Girl In The Steel Corset, takes you right into the heart of this world and offers you a chance to see Finley before she began to grow accustomed to her abilities and duel personality.
Finley is very much the same girl as she was in The Girl In The Steel Corset, however a little more unsure about her abilities. Here she’s just getting used to them and really has no idea what they mean or the trouble they will ca...more
Being thrown unceremoniously out of a house closely followed by your carpetbag is no way to be fired. Although when you hit a governess so hard she's sent flying across the room without half of her teeth, well one can hardly blame others for thinking her the spawn of Satan and dismissing her without a reference. And so left on the streets with nowhere else to go Finley returns home to her mothers.
Finley is hardly home a day when a job opportunity lands in her lap. However why Lady Morton, a frie...more
Finley is hardly home a day when a job opportunity lands in her lap. However why Lady Morton, a frie...more
When Finley Jayne practiced her right cross on the Fenton family governess for slapping young Master Fenton for being a little greedy at tea time, she was prompty dismissed without a reference. What would have happened if she'd really let go of the dark force lurking within?
See, young Finley has noticed that she's grown stronger, her eyesight and hearing keener, her ability to heal from injuries not at all that of a normal young woman. When her darker side rises, she can yield to an almost prete...more
See, young Finley has noticed that she's grown stronger, her eyesight and hearing keener, her ability to heal from injuries not at all that of a normal young woman. When her darker side rises, she can yield to an almost prete...more
The Short and Sweet of It
When a governess hits a child, Finley Jayne reacts. A normal girl may have shouted or drug the child away. Finley is not a normal girl; she punches the governess straight in the mouth. Fired and back at home, she worries what will happen to her, but then Lady Morton offers her a job as a companion to her daughter Phoebe. Finley is suspicious at first, and soon it seems like she may have been hired because she is not normal.
A Bit of a Ramble
I have Cross' The Girl in the S...more
When a governess hits a child, Finley Jayne reacts. A normal girl may have shouted or drug the child away. Finley is not a normal girl; she punches the governess straight in the mouth. Fired and back at home, she worries what will happen to her, but then Lady Morton offers her a job as a companion to her daughter Phoebe. Finley is suspicious at first, and soon it seems like she may have been hired because she is not normal.
A Bit of a Ramble
I have Cross' The Girl in the S...more
Ok, novella. So not much of a plot, not much of character development, and not much of anything, really. Because it's a novella. So here's what it had:
-World-building. The characters went to a couple parties, they went out shopping, and they went out to socialize and be seen a little bit. And everywhere they went, the steampunk world was described and lived in, to give me as a first-time reader of this series (the first book is out already, yes?) a feel for what it's like to live there. It was a...more
-World-building. The characters went to a couple parties, they went out shopping, and they went out to socialize and be seen a little bit. And everywhere they went, the steampunk world was described and lived in, to give me as a first-time reader of this series (the first book is out already, yes?) a feel for what it's like to live there. It was a...more
My weakness has been confirmed: reading anything about Finley Jayne results in a review that sounds like “LOVE – *squee* – read it, love it, I love it, read it!” Which, let’s be honest, isn’t entirely helpful. So I turned my review of The Girl in the Steel Corset into a Top Ten List and had so much fun with it that I decided to go with a similar approach for this story, the novella prequel:
Fun and Fabulous Five from Finley Jayne
(in no particular order)
1. New vocabulary word: Poncey
2. Chocolate c...more
Fun and Fabulous Five from Finley Jayne
(in no particular order)
1. New vocabulary word: Poncey
2. Chocolate c...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Steampunk Chronicles | 5 | 15 | Jul 15, 2012 06:01am |
Kady Cross is a pseudonym for USA Today bestselling author Kathryn Smith. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and a pride of cats. She likes singing with Rock Band on the 360, British guys, Vietnamese food, and makeup (she’s hopelessly addicted to YouTube makeup tutorials!). When she’s not writing Kady likes to catch up on her favorite TV shows, read a good book or make her own cosmetics.
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“You're the very spawn of Satan and I'll not have you darken this door ever again.”
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“Learn from it and then let it go. Dwelling never helped anyone.”
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