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Heart of Steel (Iron Seas #2)

by Meljean Brook (Goodreads Author)

3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 · rating details · 2,042 ratings · 381 reviews

The Iron Duke introduced the gritty, alluring adventure of the Iron Seas. Now, Meljean Brook returns to the world where nanotech fuses with Victorian sensibilities—and steam.

As the mercenary captain of Lady Corsair, Yasmeen has learned to keep her heart as cold as steel, her only loyalty bound to her ship and her crew. So when a man who once tried to seize her airship retu...more

ebook, 236 pages

Published November 1st 2011 by Berkley

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Oct 29, 2011 willaful rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of steampunk and unique romance

Shelves: reunited-or-have-history, unusual-heroine, dandy-clotheshorse-metrosexual, fertility-or-reproduction-issues, uxorious-hero, unusual-hero, heroine-is-made-of-awesome, romance-makes-me-swoon

I’m not going to comment on the plot of this book because to be honest, I didn’t understand a word of it. That’s probably more about me and how I read than it is about the writing, and I hope to reread it at some point and get more out of it. Even as confused as I was, I enjoyed it a lot.

In The Iron Duke, Yasmeen threw Archimedes Fox off her airship into a throng of zombies, so you know going into this story that they have some interesting history. Fox doesn’t seem to be one to hold a grudge ho...more

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Nov 03, 2011 Audrey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-sci-fi-or-otherworldly, historical

This book didn't have as much of an impact on me as The Iron Duke, but it was still a very welcome kick in the pants that got me off my string of mediocre reading. There wasn't as much sexytimes as I've come to expect in romance novels nowadays, but the chemistry, tension, and character building more than captured my interest in a fulfilling way during the time any other H/h in any other book would be getting down and dirty.

The adventure plot in this story was really fun. I had a great time tag...more This book didn't have as much of an impact on me as The Iron Duke, but it was still a very welcome kick in the pants that got me off my string of mediocre reading. There wasn't as much sexytimes as I've come to expect in romance novels nowadays, but the chemistry, tension, and character building more than captured my interest in a fulfilling way during the time any other H/h in any other book would be getting down and dirty.

The adventure plot in this story was really fun. I had a great time tagging along as Archimedes and Yasmeen evaded assassins, fought zombies, searched for treasure, hunted murderers in pursuit of vengeance, and sparked a city's rebellion. The action really kept my interest, and, other than the HEA (which is a given, after all), I never would have guessed the ending/resolution for the action/adventure. It was perfect for me, and let's just say that "HEA" is definitely not a misnomer here.

Going into this book, I was inclined not to like Yasmeen, who seemed so harsh and unforgiving in "The Iron Duke." Boy, was I wrong! Yasmeen is AWESOME. I loved her strength, her confidence, her cunning, her awareness, her self-sufficiency, EVERYTHING. She was a great character, and it was wonderful to see her softening towards Archimedes.

Archimedes is the guy that all you sexy beta lovers have been looking for all this time. He's strong and daring, but he's in tune with his feelings and emotions. He's waiting to fall in love with the right woman, and, yes, ladies and gents, Yasmeen is that woman. He's not afraid to let her know it, and it's very interesting and revealing to watch the progression of her reactions to his openness and candor. He is more than content to sit back and let his captain steer the ship, so to speak, while he supports and protects her in his own way. He's not a weakling by any measure, but he is aware of Yasmeen's strengths and ability to outfight him, which doesn't intimidate him, but rather attracts him all the more. That in itself shows a quiet confidence that was very hard to resist.

Both of these characters have quite complex backgrounds that we learn about as the story unfolds. I felt like I was getting to know them better as they got to know each other, and that also helped to pull me into the story. Their histories were revealed nugget by nugget, and the pacing was just right not to feel like an info dump, but enough to sate my curiosity.

In terms of the series, I don't think this would work as a standalone. I really think you need to read "The Iron Duke" first in order to get the full impact of what the history is with the Horde and how the nanoagents work. The author does mention some background elements in "Heart of Steel," but it wasn't enough to grasp the complexities and rather felt like a "refresher" from the first book, not a complete understanding.

I am really curious to know whom Meljean Brook will write about in the next installment for The Iron Seas series. There's a hint that there might be a match between Scarsdale and Zenobia (Archimedes's sis), but I'm not sure how realistic that would be, given that we've already learned that Scarsdale is gay. Who knows, maybe he's bi? I have no idea - all I know is I can't wait for the next one!(less)

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Nov 11, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, fantasy-sci-fi, in-by-of-the-americas, reviewed, hem-steppers-and-bodice-rippers, lost-in-the-steampunk-supermarket

That was great! Whheeeee! No, really, I'm gushing over a romance novel. See, it happened, one reads a lot of truly terrible books for long enough and when something comes along that doesn't suck, one gets all excited about it. Come see! A romance without rape, attempted rape, or (I know this is redundant) "forced seduction" (view spoiler) and without sex with dead people or animals. No, really, it was just, well, good.

You know how I know it's a romance nove...more That was great! Whheeeee! No, really, I'm gushing over a romance novel. See, it happened, one reads a lot of truly terrible books for long enough and when something comes along that doesn't suck, one gets all excited about it. Come see! A romance without rape, attempted rape, or (I know this is redundant) "forced seduction" (view spoiler) and without sex with dead people or animals. No, really, it was just, well, good.

You know how I know it's a romance novel, because the main characters spend a lot of time thinking about sex, with each other, and not having it. You don't get that in non-romance novels (not from both characters at least; in literary fiction it is all sad and unrequited and alcoholism-inducing). In romance novels they just play at that; it really is like foreplay, in a weird and disturbing way, and I'm not quite sure why people find it so appealing. It's like watching the fourth season of sexual tension on a tv show. I'm usually screaming at the tv after the second episode, would you people just have sex already? Because, of course, that's when relationships get interesting. You hear me, Castle? Bed her, and then try to be all suave and heroic, see how she laughs at that posturing after she's seen you naked.

But I'm not sure what else would define this as a romance novel. Sure, there's romance novel style sex in it, but there wasn't the disaster of the romance novel sex interlude that really tanked The Iron Duke (e.g. in the middle of what was looking to be a great steampunk/alt-history fantasy, we get thirty pages of various sex scenes, completely dropping one story for another only to pick up the first story again after the interlude and carry on until... dum dum dum the ending. I don't want to talk about the ending. It still hurts.)

Heart of Steel's ending didn't hurt. It was rushed though. The book felt short, like there had been several more chapters planned and her agent or editor called her up and said, If you don't send it over right now it will not get out in time for the Christmas selling season and so we get a bit rushed (and someone will have to try again with her next book for that fifth star). I do love this series though. I love the alternate history of the Regency period that Brook has created here. How she has managed to take so many possible things in history and twist them into this cohesive world is impressive. I haven't read any other book that has done it so well; The Twelfth Enchantment feels like more of a disappointment having read this one.

There's one more reason why I like this series. One of the reasons I like these types of fantasy novels (and always have) isn't just for the strong women characters, although that's an important aspect of them, it's because the good ones will take on what-if scenarios of our society's fads or hang-ups or technology or ideology. Brook quietly raises questions about what it means to live with technology and what it would mean to live in a society if the choice of how you lived with it was taken away from you; that to survive or prosper, you made were forced to alter yourself with tech, sometimes by choice (although "choice" is used loosely here) and sometimes by your boss/overlord. Still okay with it? As much as I love to see a society that prizes technology and the people who create it, Brook is leading us to questions of its inherent versus commercial value and its dangers. It's pretty marvelous to watch her do.

When does the next book come out? (less)

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Mar 20, 2012 Ceridwen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alternate-history, capital-l-labor, for-teh-ladies, pulp, reviewed, rule-britannia, zombies, steampunk, pirates

Oh man. I swear I am thisclose to giving this book five stars. Heart of Steel takes place in the same world as The Iron Duke, a profoundly alternate history where the Mongolian Golden Horde, using superior technology, slowly devastated Europe in the 1500s, and enjoyed several hundred years of complete control. In roughly 1800 - and this date is important - the titular Iron Duke of the first book broke the Horde's technological enslavement of England. As befits a steampunk novel, much of this tec...more

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Nov 11, 2011 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, romance, z-2011

Original thoughts: Mmmm. I loved Yasmeen in The Iron Duke, but I didn't much care for Archimedes. I was fairly excited about the book nevertheless, because I loved the Iron Duke so much.

But now, with this horrible cover my doubts have returned. Seriously, except for the sword, there's nothing good to say about this cover. And I know I'm not supposed to judge a book by it's cover and all that jazz, and I won't, but it does influence my excitement.

***

Ha. I was so wrong. This book was delicious. B...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Katie(babs) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook is book two in her fabulous Iron Seas series. Last year, The Iron Duke ended up being my favorite book of the year. Heart of Steel is very different from The Iron Duke. The world is the same but the roles are reversed, plus the Steampunk elements are not so obvious. Here, the heroine is the alpha while the hero is a perfect example of what a beta should be. Whereas The Iron Duke was heavier on the sexual aspect regarding the main characters, in Heart of Steel it’s...more Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook is book two in her fabulous Iron Seas series. Last year, The Iron Duke ended up being my favorite book of the year. Heart of Steel is very different from The Iron Duke. The world is the same but the roles are reversed, plus the Steampunk elements are not so obvious. Here, the heroine is the alpha while the hero is a perfect example of what a beta should be. Whereas The Iron Duke was heavier on the sexual aspect regarding the main characters, in Heart of Steel it’s very restrained. It brings to mind those Victorian values where sex wasn’t mentioned and kept behind closed doors. Captain Yasmeen Corsair and Archimedes Fox are perfect examples of this. They embrace these values of the time, especially in the way Fox courts Yasmeen and how she keeps him at arms’ length.

While Heart of Steel has this subtle underlying sexual push and pull between Yasmeen and Fox that should please readers, the action that occurs and world building is first and foremost. Heart of Steel reminds me of an Indiana Jones movie (with a dash of the Da Vinci Code). I expected Yasmeen to don a fedora and carry a whip at one point. This is quite the rousing adventure tale where zombies are put to good use.

Fox was first introduced in The Iron Duke. Fox is an adventurer and an author of bizarre and fantastical tales. His and Yasmeen’s first introduction doesn’t go well, so much so that she throws him overboard her ship into zombie infested lands. Zombies have taken over certain parts of the world thanks to the evil Horde that imprisoned Europe and other countries through mind control and other devious means for hundreds of years. Fox survives but doesn’t want revenge against Yasmeen. He wants her respect and most importantly her love because he plans to fall in love with her. Fox, as you can see is a strange sort of fellow.

Yasmeen loves her life as the captain of her airship, Lady Corsair. She feels some guilt by what she did to Fox, although we find out she dropped him overboard in a specific spot where he could escape being eaten by zombies if he’s smart enough. But then again, she hasn’t seen or heard from him, so she assumes he’s dead. She’s in for a big surprise because Fox is alive. He drugs her with the intent to get back a Da Vinci sketch she has of his. He also tells her his plans to fall into love with her. Yasmeen is humored by Fox and she tries to cajole him into becoming partners and sell the sketch. Fox isn’t falling for that and leaves her. Unfortunately someone sets fire to her beloved ship and it goes down and Yasmeen is lost. Fox thinks Yasmeen is dead, but just like him, she rises from her watery grave, so to speak, and the game is on between them.

Yasmeen and Fox do join forces because she wants to find out who marked her for death and try to find the Da Vinci (Or I think that’s what happens because at one point I grew confused on what exactly these two are looking for) she thinks was the cause of her being attacked. As Yasmeen and Fox travel through distant lands, they not only have to stay away from zombies, but dangerous mercenaries who would be happy if they were both out of the picture. Plus Fox will do whatever he can to make Yasmeen fall in love with him because he refuses to allow her certain liberties with his body, even kissing.

Let me get this out of the way first and say at times Heart of Steel at times was confusing. My biggest issue was trying to figure out what Fox and Yasmeen were searching for and why it was so important to them to find it. What I do know is that this enables them to get to know one another and be in close quarters together, which leads to some interesting situations between the two (The scene where Yasmeen bathes Fox is “steamy”). Yasmeen and Fox are complete opposites. If you’re a fan of this trope, you’ll love Heart of Steel. Yasmeen is a salt of the earth type of person. Fox is a fop who enjoys nice clothes and comfort. He gives this up for Yasmeen who he’s so enamored with. As I read, I kept asking myself, why does Fox have such a bad crush on her? Is it because Fox is a dreamer and he sees Yasmeen as larger than life? I found his admiration and this idea that he must fall in love with her not layered enough. He has this immaturity and a false sense when it comes to his true feelings for Yasmeen. Eventually this does evolve in a believable way thanks to Yasmeen who knows Fox needs to man up and take the time to reflect more on why he wants her before they can have any sort of long lasting relationship. Yasmeen is more than willing to have sex with Fox, but he puts the brakes on that because he wants her heart to be involved and not just relief sex can give a person.

The romance here is more of an afterthought even with Fox’s mindset regarding Yasmeen. I was hoping for more love scenes between the two. Some may be disappointed in this aspect, but by not having Fox and Yasmeen constantly lusting for one another and acting on these desires every which way, it allows us to see the incredible world Meljean has created.

This world building and intricate dialogue is where Heart of Steel excels. The romance not so much, but Fox and Yasmeen make it work between them, especially with their banter. And how can I not enjoy a character like Yasmeen, who tells Fox she’ll bare her ass for his lips later when he says he wants to kiss her?

Heart of Steel raises the bar for me, just like The Iron Duke did. It all comes down to the writing. When I read a Meljean Brook novel, I can’t help but compare other books and shake my head because the majority of what I’ve read is nowhere near the level of excellence of a Meljean Brook book.(less)

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Jan 13, 2013 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library, audio

I loved it, and yet, it always seemed an arms length away, if that makes sense. I didn't feel immersed in the story, as I was often a bit flummoxed by the world and history and dense writing. I read The Iron Duke, but I almost felt like I had skipped a book. But, the great characters, and some really beautiful passages about love and longing, made this a four star for me.

1/6/13: listening to the audio, and it is AWESOME!

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Jun 02, 2012 Tori [Book Faery] is currently reading it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

ARRRGH! I can't WAIT!

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Jan 07, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: reluctant steampunk readers

Recommended to Sarah by: Noelle

Shelves: 2011, awesome-brain-candy, can-t-believe-i-read-liked-this, disco-chicken, fun-reads, new-to-me-subgenre, on-my-kindle, read-in-jan-2012, shut-up-and-do-not-judge-me, steampunk, surprised-i-liked, try-something-new-yall, bad-cover-book-club, what-ereaders-were-made-for

I am very seriously considering upgrading this one to five stars. Heart of Steel was recommended by a friend whose taste is very similar to my own, so I looked past the heinous cover (thanks to my ereader) and aversion to steampunk and gave it a try. And, holy moly, am I glad I did. Heart of Steel is seriously badass.

-Yasmeen is a fantastic lead character. She's tough and smart and capable. I loved her as the captain of an airship, and her loyalty to her crew.
-Archimedes Fox is delightful. He's...more I am very seriously considering upgrading this one to five stars. Heart of Steel was recommended by a friend whose taste is very similar to my own, so I looked past the heinous cover (thanks to my ereader) and aversion to steampunk and gave it a try. And, holy moly, am I glad I did. Heart of Steel is seriously badass.

-Yasmeen is a fantastic lead character. She's tough and smart and capable. I loved her as the captain of an airship, and her loyalty to her crew.
-Archimedes Fox is delightful. He's funny and a clotheshorse and awkwardly in touch with is feelings. Brilliant character.
-Holy hell! The world is phenomenal. I've had a hard time with steampunk in the past because I've been driven to distraction by the detailed description of gadgets, etc, but did not have this problem in Heart of Steel. The world is very complex (I had to look at Brooks' website to get my head around it), but not overwhelming. There's so much richness, it seems that this series could go on for a long time without it feeling stale.
-Hello, diverse characters!
-Witty dialogue. I love me some snappy dialogue that feels real.
-The gender dynamics are fascinating and very well-handled.
-At its core, the is an action-adventure novel and, gosh, it's been a long time since I've read one that I've gotten this sucked into. The pacing is fantastic.

Recommended, especially for folks who have tried steampunk and not had it work for them (but read up on the series on the author's website.

An aside:

But, seriously, Berkley, what the hell is up with the cover of this book? This is such a better novel than the way the publisher chose to package it! I read this on my Kindle. In the days before ereaders, there is no way I'd pick this book up, regardless of the enthusiastic recommendation I received. It's nonsensical and badly designed and tell you nothing about the story. Check out the fabulous cover for the German edition:

Now, that, I would pick up in a heartbeat, even if it hadn't been recommended to me. Thank goodness for ereaders and friends who make good book recommendations...

[Book #6 read in 2012](less)

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Sep 04, 2012 Anne Toronto1 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, fantasy, xrate

"Heart of Steel" (Iron Seas) by Meljean Brooks (aka Melissa Khan) is striking Lady Corsair skyship mercenary pirate Captain Yasmeen fortifying her feelings to resist stunning smiling explorer Archimedes Fox falling in love. "Because there's no other way to survive" p41. Previously, she tossed him into the canals of Venice, (zombies dislike water, and locked away valuable daVinci sketch. Like meandering off-track plot, tedious quasi-historical Mongol Horde-Victorian era politics, names always in...more "Heart of Steel" (Iron Seas) by Meljean Brooks (aka Melissa Khan) is striking Lady Corsair skyship mercenary pirate Captain Yasmeen fortifying her feelings to resist stunning smiling explorer Archimedes Fox falling in love. "Because there's no other way to survive" p41. Previously, she tossed him into the canals of Venice, (zombies dislike water, and locked away valuable daVinci sketch. Like meandering off-track plot, tedious quasi-historical Mongol Horde-Victorian era politics, names always in full by author, such as "Deflowered Henri" p200, are too long, boring, and impossible to remember for me, so here abbreviated. Yas brings news of his demise to (meet) his sister Zenobia, who embellishes and chronicles his adventures popularly all round the world, but sees the stranger's dress fits badly - hem drags, bodice sags - clue of trouble - "the only weapon I bring to a conversation is a knife. A gun means the talking is over" p37.(view spoiler)

When Arch clamps prisoner handcuff onto Yas that injects opium instead of deathly poison, she falls asleep just before snapping her own fatal bracelet on him. He locks her into hidden cupboard in her cabin onboard. She wakes in time to flee her burning ship, her crew massacred by knife. Since Nasrin watches the night blaze, everyone guesses she, the nanogene and metal enhanced elite assassin guard gan tsetseg leader, did the deed, to steal the safe contents of sketch and vast fortune, or revenge huge debt Arch owes her mighty emporer Temür. (view spoiler) Both peniless, they join an expedition with Temür's advisor Hassan, to find the sketch, copy, and revenge. Side-plots, such as young inventor Terbish and his grandmother Nergüi p223, may be sequel foundation. Hot hard X rated f- fighting and fun.

(less)

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Sep 07, 2012 Anzu The Great Destroyer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who love steampunk and well-written romances

Shelves: punks-who-are-into-steam, ball-busting-chicks, good-guy-greg, lust-at-first-sight, rotten-stinky-walking-dead, romance-steampunk, reviewed-2012

“And what will you do if I fall in love with you, instead?”
He grinned. “Then God help us both.”

First impressions
Aaand of course Germany gets the cool cover. Again. Just look at it.

And compare it to this slimy thing we have. I wouldn’t like to be seen in public while reading this book. People would think I was reading an Erotica book. Yes, Erotica because most people wouldn’t know what an actual Erotica cover looks like. They are still optimistic and think it looks like the Germany cover and no...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Elizabeth Hunter rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved The Iron Duke. It was my first intro to steampunk, and I was fascinated by the world that Brook created. I was worried that I wouldn't like the second book, Heart of Steel, as much, but I did!

They're very different, which was nice. If you're expecting the same type of book as The Iron Duke, you might be disappointed a little, but if you take Heart of Steel as its own creature and see it as an extension of the world the author is creating, I think you'll be just as taken with it as I was....more

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Dec 06, 2011 Hira rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ongoing-series, steampunk, romance

You can find this review and other exciting stuff on my blog.

I expected to like this more than the first book because Yasmeen and Archimedes Fox were such interesting side characters in the first book. When you're in their head though...not so interesting.

It starts off well enough. It begins with an adventure. Yasmeen and Archimedes team up to search for a very valuable sketch someone stole from them. And so, they go into Horde-occupied Morocco - to the enemy.

So this is my 2nd steampunk book. An...more You can find this review and other exciting stuff on my blog.

I expected to like this more than the first book because Yasmeen and Archimedes Fox were such interesting side characters in the first book. When you're in their head though...not so interesting.

It starts off well enough. It begins with an adventure. Yasmeen and Archimedes team up to search for a very valuable sketch someone stole from them. And so, they go into Horde-occupied Morocco - to the enemy.

So this is my 2nd steampunk book. And I think I just got more confused than ever. The world-building in this is...not quite complex, they just give too little details concerning it. Ok, so this is the 2nd book of the series, but I felt the same in the first book. Is it a steampunk thing that I obviously don't know about? I can't say until I read other books from this genre.

I had a lot of questions. I feel that the author just 'mentions' things, and gives vague meanings or answers. For example, Archimedes Fox's story about his father, and Yasmeen killing him - it all just flew over my head. I mean, explain, please? And then there's the Horde...I'm not even going to get started on that. First of all, WHO is the Horde? I have a very vague understanding of all this, and really don't remember very much from the first book aside from the romance. And then there's Yasmeen's origins...that flew over my head as well.

And the romance...pretty typical. Guy goes after unattainable girl, attains her by heroic performance, being different from all other guys, etc. Authors, please...try something new, would you? Hard-to-get, strong heroines are very nice and all...but at least make it enjoyable if you can't make it unique. So to say, I didn't find their interactions entertaining at all. I HAD in the first book, so that was a big disappointment.

Anywho, it was an ok read, the only parts I really liked were in the beginning, with Zenobia and Yasmeen. I was sad to see that Zenobia doesn't play a bigger role. Not a memorable read overall.(less)

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Sep 17, 2011 Bree added it · review of another edition

Shelves: steampunk, romance, arcs, amazing-heroines, 2011-reads

I absolutely loved this book. It is not the same type of book as The Iron Duke, at all, but that didn't bother me. I love reading different types of stories with different dynamics & different heroes/heroines, but set in the same world. It's all the things I love about the setting without the chance that the stories will start to seem repetitive.

I think people who struggled with the world building in The Iron Duke will enjoy this one more. It had a lighter feel and a quicker pace, but didn't...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Catherine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: assassin-killer-bounty-hunter, bad-childhood, boring, fantasy-paranormal-sci-fi, fiction-vixen-reviews, first-reads-arcs-won-a-copy, read-2011, romance, series, steampunk

*2.5 Stars*

I’m sad to say that this is probably my least favorite Meljean Brook novel to date. The writing style I love was still there, but I never became engaged by the story. I think everything would have been different if I had enjoyed the characters more. I didn’t like Yasmeen much and I didn’t feel I knew Archimedes well enough to truly care.

I liked Yasmeen’s character in The Iron Duke but I wasn’t completely sold on her as a main character. It’s easier for me to enjoy certain personality...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Carrie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-has-copy, fantasy, read-2012, sci-fi-rom, steampunk, urban-fantasy, tbr-challenge-2012, action-adventure, sfr-reading-challenge-2012, cabin-close-quarters, road-trip, science-fiction, beta-hero

TBR Challenge 2012: Personal Category- books added to the TBR list before 2011. Heart of Steel was added on Dec 23, 2011.
SFR Reading Challenge 2012: Book 1 of 15.

Heart of Steel took a a few pages to grab me, and it never quite grabbed me to the extent that The Iron Duke did. In The Iron Duke the world was grittier and more detailed, and the characters were a huge presence. While the story in Heart of Steel can't be called light, it has a lighter feel. Part of that can be attributed to the the fa...more TBR Challenge 2012: Personal Category- books added to the TBR list before 2011. Heart of Steel was added on Dec 23, 2011.
SFR Reading Challenge 2012: Book 1 of 15.

Heart of Steel took a a few pages to grab me, and it never quite grabbed me to the extent that The Iron Duke did. In The Iron Duke the world was grittier and more detailed, and the characters were a huge presence. While the story in Heart of Steel can't be called light, it has a lighter feel. Part of that can be attributed to the the fact that so much of the action takes place in relatively civilized towns or on board an airship, but the biggest reason is most likely the character of Archimedes Fox. Fox is, at least on the surface, a dashing, open, and entertaining man. His personality lightens the tone of the story. Yasmeen, in her own way, is also a more open character than the often grim, determined Mina from The Iron Duke.

Yasmeen wasn't my favorite character from the previous book. Having a flippant, almost careless attitude at times, she came across as shallow. That impression continued for a while in this book, but slowly changed. The author does an excellent job of revealing Yasmeen's heart. By the last third of the book, I'd come to admire her strength and integrity.

Fox is always a likeable character, and Brooks succeeds in giving him heart and depth as well. At first I didn't understand the attraction to Yasmeen, but the motives are slowly made clear and both characters gain a lot of emotional depth.

More problematic for me was the politics and history. Keeping all the factions straight, and trying to tweeze out the often complicated political reasoning was a challenge. Someone with a better working memory wouldn't have this issue, but remembering details is a weakness for me. At the end of the book I wasn't quite satisfied that I understood everything that happened and why. It's a plus that Brook treats her readers as adults, and doesn't spoon feed them with info-dumps and idiotic dialogs so she can reveal all her thinking. On the other hand, a few of us might need some of that spoon feeding at times! I'll need a second reading of this book before Riveted is released next fall.

The writing was as excellent as before. Brooks has exceptional timing, a knack for dialog, and knows how to keep her characters in character. (less)

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Jan 09, 2012 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: meljean-brook, steampunk, library, paranormal-romance, genetically-engineered, frau-badass

I was really looking forward to this book after having read and loved Meljean Brook's 'The Iron Duke', but the gritty, steampunk creepiness that had so fascinated me in that novel was really missing in 'Heart of Steel'. Instead, we are treated to a far-fetched tale involving a flamboyant and overly-charismatic hero, Archimedes Fox, and an unsympathetic, tough airship captain, Yasmeen Corsair, both of whom we met in the previous novel. The funny thing is, I actually quite liked both of their char...more

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Dec 18, 2011 Sally rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Brilliant! Just brilliant!

I've had The Iron Duke for quite a while before picking it up, as this year has had such a plethora of excellent reading. I just ripped right through it a few days ago and Heart of Steel immediately after.

I thought they were both excellent books, with well rounded characters, appropriate dialogue, excellent world building, well written and followed plot, lovely strong heroes and equally strong heroines (something all too rare and therefore very precious IMO).

Meljean Br...more

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Nov 18, 2011 Madame X rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: heroine-can-kick-ass, favorites, steampunk, breakneck-pacing, paranormal-urban-fantasy, superior-worldbuilding, heroine-to-hang-out-with, zombies, romance-ends-with-hea-or-hfn

This is one of those annoying cases in which words are going to fail me, so I apologize in advance.

Meljean Brook picked up one of my very favorite romance plots in HEART OF STEEL. The heroine, Yasmeen, is a pirate with a heart of steel. The hero, Archimedes, is a reckless adventurer who’s never fallen in love. Most authors don’t deal with couples like this very well. They can’t write a romance between two independent, adventurous people without domesticating one or both of them, robbing them of...more

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May 01, 2013 Gina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook is the second book in the Iron Seas series. The Iron Duke is the story of Detective Inspective Mina Wentworth and the Iron Duke himself. Heart of Steel, however, is the story of Archmides Fox and Yasmeen Corsair, two supporting characters from the first book. This book, too, is a rollicking Steampunk Romance Adventure novel.

(Spoilers ahead for the Iron Duke!)

When we last saw Archimedes Fox, he had just been thrown off Captain Corsair’s airship in Venice. The famou...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Kim Ryser rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013booksread

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and was initially disappointed that this book isn't about the same characters as the first one. It focuses on two minor characters from the first book: Yasmeen, known as Lady Corsair the mercenary captain; and famed adventurer Archimedes Fox. Although I had liked them both well enough in the first book, it wasn't like I thought, "Hey, I want to read a whole book about them!"

But I ended up really liking this book. The romance that develops between...more

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Jan 29, 2013 J9 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Adults who like Mortal Instrument series...

Shelves: in-callibre, read-2013, genre-quest, genre-xx, genre-steampunk, genre-romance-hot-steamy, enjoyed, j9-reviews

Solid 3 Stars

I enjoyed reading this second installment into this complicated Steampunk literary-verse. The world building is solid, and with Yasmine we fly discover more geography of this post-Hord world.

I liked Yasmeen's strong constitution, and no-nonsense demeanor, both don't feel flawed even mixed with her very sensitive side. I would have liked to see a bit more either internal conflict over falling in love or better drawn comparison/opposition between how the steel flowers love and how sh...more Solid 3 Stars

I enjoyed reading this second installment into this complicated Steampunk literary-verse. The world building is solid, and with Yasmine we fly discover more geography of this post-Hord world.

I liked Yasmeen's strong constitution, and no-nonsense demeanor, both don't feel flawed even mixed with her very sensitive side. I would have liked to see a bit more either internal conflict over falling in love or better drawn comparison/opposition between how the steel flowers love and how she loves.
Mr. Fox, well who doesn't like to fall in love with a rouge who gives his lady love room to breath (and decapitate zombies, and have her rules respected). What I get is that he loves Yasmeen because of all of her traits and wants a partner in crime - thank you Ms. Brook for writing a respectful lover (also great build up to our love scenes!).

There are a few things that have left a feeling of incompleteness:
1. I had a hard time following the narration between the two voices and often I didn't find it clear who "he" was in a scene. I had to re-read some pages to be clear who was doing what action. The complexity of the plot necessitates that it be clear who is having a private revelation and who is speaking to whom.
2. The tension in the plot and where the characters were flying off to didn't end up matching the ending. I found it strange who brought about the resolutions - not like it was whipped out, but that it gave more questions than answer. A lot of time is spent agonizing over specific items (the whole plot revolves around finding an item), then when the item is found there is little struggle to get it back - it left me with a felling of being dead in my tracks.
3. Which leads me to the fact that I still had questions left over from Iron Duke that didn't get answered in Heart of Steel. Now I have more questions that I feel are starting to detract from the flow of the world-building. Like who/what/where/why is the Horde!?!

Well off to start the third installment, and lets see where that ends up!

Happy Reading! (less)

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Jan 22, 2013 Mackenzie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-steampunk

hmmm...... what did I think????

Don't get me wrong... I did enjoy reading about Yasmeen. I enjoyed her character introduction in the first book and did want to get to know her better, however, the character development didn't seem to go as deep or in depth somehow as it did in first book of this series, "The Iron Duke".

I never felt as I truly got the full inside scoop on Yasmeen or Archimedes Fox, world famous explore/adventurer, whom we also met briefly in book 1. When we last see Fox in book...more hmmm...... what did I think????

Don't get me wrong... I did enjoy reading about Yasmeen. I enjoyed her character introduction in the first book and did want to get to know her better, however, the character development didn't seem to go as deep or in depth somehow as it did in first book of this series, "The Iron Duke".

I never felt as I truly got the full inside scoop on Yasmeen or Archimedes Fox, world famous explore/adventurer, whom we also met briefly in book 1. When we last see Fox in book 1, Yasmeen has thrown him off the deck of her air ship and into the canals of zombie infested Venice because he tried to take over her ship.

When Yasmeen goes through Fox's gear after he's been thrown off, she finds that he has discovered one of da Vinci's rare sketches. And although technically it is not hers, Yasmeen plans on doing what she can to keep it. After a sticky situation when Yasmeen meets Archimedes's sister, Zenobia, she learns that a dealer she spoke with is telling her secrets, so when she returns to confront him, she discovers the dealer's been murdered. Nearby, she notices a female assassin, Nasrin, from the region she came from. Later in the book we learn that Archimedes is under the impression that he owes the ruler Nasrin works for, Temur, a great debt after sinking Temur's cargo. He had planned to use the sketch to pay back his debt.

After Yasmeen's ship, the Lady Corsair, is boarded, her crew killed and the ship itself burned, Yasmeen and Fox team up. Fox, all ready completely enamored of her, tells her that he's falling in love with her. Her response? He's a idiot. Being extremely hurt from past relationships, Yasmeen has a heart of steel to protect herself. They continue to play silly cat/mouse/ power games with each other. Yasmeen greatly enjoys physical touch from those she trusts and she discovers she trusts Fox a great deal.

There is quite a bit of chemistry going on between them and they work really well together as a team. Yasmeen is as alpha as they get, and Fox is all right with that, happy to stand back and let her do her job. He likes her just the way she is and she doesn't feel any pressure from him to hide or change who she is just so he can feel more secure. A job which brings them closer to the Corsair's killer has a catch... Fox and Yasmeen must pretend to be married. During their job when he nearly gets bitten by zombies, she realizes that he has started to slip into her heart and just perhaps, she doesn't want to let him go.

The end of the job lands them in Temur's palace and pieces fall together to give the "Foxes" their HEA.....

I find this is a really hard book for me to review. I loved reading about the relationship building between the two. I also liked how the story developed and I enjoyed them as they went exploring together. The politics, however is where a lot of detail comes to play and gets confusing at times. At the same time, you needed the background to help the story all come together. (less)

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Nov 04, 2012 Elaine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, badass-females, steampunk, zombies, reviewed, 5stars

Would it be dramatic to say I want to marry this book and have it's babies? Yes? No?...Yes. But all kidding aside this installment of the Iron Seas series has everything that the first installment (The Iron Duke) was lacking.

Archimedes is the absolute best. But even better? Yasmeen! Omg! I could fangirl over her all day, every day. She is perfect. She's strong and tough without losing her compassion and femininity. She is wary of losing herself to a man but not afraid to let herself feel when t...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Dani Marescotti rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 10th-grade, different-time-period, fantasy, kindle-books, series, strong-heroine, supernatural, 2-stars, young-adult-slash-adult

Heart of Steel, originally, sounded incredibly intriguing. What wasn’t to like with the idea of zombies, steampunky-ness and all the cool tech that comes with that, political upheaval, nice serving of romance, a mercenary for a leading female—it sounded perfect to me. Some awesome worldbuilding paired with a intricate plot, loads of action, a badass heroine, and some love interests in there to spice things up. It sounded amazing. It sounded like 5 stars. It sounded like it was something that wou...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Rosa Folgar rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Just the swashbuckling book I needed to de-stress and have an adventure. Of course the fact that the story had zombies, airships, pirates, rebels, and nonoagents helped. I knew I liked Yasmeen and Fox from The Iron Duke, and I'm glad they got their own story. Lots of intrigue, mystery, adventure and romance.. The ending was a little sappy for me, but still good.

The best part of this book is the beautifully immersive world building Brooks does. The characters are defined and likeable. There is al...more

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May 26, 2012 Li rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2012, romance, series

Meljean Brook has probably done the impossible with this series - that is, I'm actually reading (and loving) zombie books. To be fair, it is more that I'm reading books that just happen to have zombies in them, but still, that's more than any other author has done.

After the first book, The Iron Duke, I admit to secretly wanting to see more of alternate-world England in HEART OF STEEL. While I was initially disappointed that this was not to be the case, Yasmeen and Archimedes made such a fitting...more

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May 03, 2012 Brownbetty rated it 4 of 5 stars

I would like to observe, first, that the male protag. does not do that much shirtless corsair-ing in the book; he is actually moderately fixated on his waistcoat.

Second, I think it is worth noting that contrary to the impression given by the cover, the title is a reference to the female protag. This strikes me as slightly unusual in the genre, although I have no studies to back up this impression. (Also noteworthy: whenever a reference is made to her heart of steel, she usually mentions that he...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Kathy Davie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, romance, steampunk

Second in The Iron Seas steampunk paranormal-romance series about the adventures of a group of rebels fighting against the Horde. The couple focus here is on Yasmeen and Archimedes Fox.

My Take
Wolf is desperate to put together a hefty amount of money to pay off a Horde ruler for the barge of weapons he sank. No payment, no continued life. His other aim in life is to seduce Yasmeen.

Well, I am curious as to how all these letters manage to find the other sibling if Archimedes is always on the move...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Yasmeen Corsair is an airship captain, unfettered, unruled, she travels the world making profits off her cargos and occasionally chucking men overboard for being silly fools. Most recently she kicked off Archimedes Fox over zombie infested Venice –but, to be fair, she did make sure he fell in a canal to give him a sporting chance. If he lived she’d even give him part of the profits from the sale of the Da Vinci sketch he found.

But then things got complicated – starting with the destruction of he...more

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About Meljean Brook

Book info: I am the author of the Iron Seas steampunk romance series. I've written a guide to the world (including a map) on my website.

I also write a paranormal romance series, the Guardians. That series guide is also on my website, including a "The Story So Far" feature, which allows you to catch up on all of the books that previously released in the series if you start after the first installm...more

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Books by Meljean Brook

Wild & Steamy (Includes: Iron Seas #0.4; The Disillusionists Trilogy #2.5)

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Quotes from Heart of Steel

“Goddammit. Can't I save you just once?” — 9 people liked it

“You'll see. I have a collection of fine waistcoats and a handsome face." He stepped back to let her take in the full effect of both and her smile spread to the edge of a laugh.” — 4 people liked it

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Heart of Steel (Iron Seas #2)

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