The Native Star (Veneficas Americana, #1)

Aug 02, 2011 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those looking for an adventure filled with romance and magic in a historical setting

Recommended to Tatiana by: Jillian -always aspiring-

Shelves: nebula, 2011, urban-fantasy

The Native Star is for me what (I assume) Soulless was for many of my dear Goodreads friends - a romance wrapped up in a steampunky adventure. I thought Soulless was a trite fanfic stuffed with ripping bodices and an occasional gadget or two, but The Native Star, IMO, is the real deal, a well thought-out and original alternative universe romp.

The story takes place in 1870s AU America. In this America witches and warlocks stopped being persecuted and now are a legitimate strata of the American s...more The Native Star is for me what (I assume) Soulless was for many of my dear Goodreads friends - a romance wrapped up in a steampunky adventure. I thought Soulless was a trite fanfic stuffed with ripping bodices and an occasional gadget or two, but The Native Star, IMO, is the real deal, a well thought-out and original alternative universe romp.

The story takes place in 1870s AU America. In this America witches and warlocks stopped being persecuted and now are a legitimate strata of the American society. They trade their skills, they are a part of government, they even comprise a special force unit of military. Our heroine, Emily, is a witch in a small timber producing village. Emily's business is not doing so great, the magic-trading monopolists are overtaking the market. The only solution for her financial problems is to harness a wealthy man to support her and her stepfather. On the day when Emily charms her target man (which turns out to be not as much fun as Emily thought it would be), she also gets involved in an affair that leaves her with a stone of strange qualities imbedded in her right hand. The most curious thing about this stone is that it has the ability to suck in any magic that Emily happens to come in contact with. Which means she can no longer perform magic. There is only one person who can help Emily in her plight - an uptight, annoying warlock Dreadnought Stanton who promises her to take care of her problem if she agrees to travel with him to consult his mentor across the country.

The Native Star starts as a pretty light read, with a little bit of magic and quite a lot of antagonistic Darcy/Elizabeth-like bantering as our couple make their way first to San Francisco and later to New York. But gradually the book gets darker and gloomier. The magic is not all about love potions, it can be ugly and bloody. The stakes get raised higher and higher as we, along with Emily and Stanton, learn more of the stone's nature and value. The stone is a hot commodity, and many people want to get their hands on it.

Hobson's story writing skills are impressive. (I can't believe it is her debut!) While she doesn't break any new ground in terms of romance, her magical system is one of the most interesting and complex I've ever seen. Hobson incorporates it into her story seamlessly. In the author's vision, magic permeates American history and all parts of people's lives in a very organic and realistic way.

If this is what steampunk is, I definitely want more of it. This mix of history, magic, adventure, gadgetry and love is right up my alley. (less)

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Jun 04, 2012 Emily May rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Emily May by: Tatiana

Shelves: fantasy, steampunk, 2012

The goodreads and Amazon descriptions for The Native Star promise so many elements that it's hard to believe the novel could possibly deliver them all successfully: historical fiction, fantasy and magic, steampunk, western, and romance. And yet, this book is one of the rare cases when an idea that crosses so many genres and brings in many different aspects actually works well.

Emily Edwards is the local witch in a small town in California. The year is 1876, but this isn't quite the past that his...more

The goodreads and Amazon descriptions for The Native Star promise so many elements that it's hard to believe the novel could possibly deliver them all successfully: historical fiction, fantasy and magic, steampunk, western, and romance. And yet, this book is one of the rare cases when an idea that crosses so many genres and brings in many different aspects actually works well.

Emily Edwards is the local witch in a small town in California. The year is 1876, but this isn't quite the past that history books tell us about. Instead of being false accusations, it turns out that the witch trials were actually attempts to out real witches and warlocks, but in this alternate universe witchcraft has been legalized and magic is now an important part of the United States. However, not everyone is so accepting of it, and magic is also used illegally for criminal purposes or to manipulate people. Emily starts the story by deciding that the only way to save her and her father from their financial problems is to cast a love spell on a wealthy local man. Unfortunately, things don't go quite to plan, and before Emily can put things right she finds herself with a strange magic-absorbing stone embedded in her palm that prevents her from using magic and reversing the love spell.

Reluctantly teaming up with the insufferable warlock, Dreadnought Stanton, Emily must set out across the country to have the stone removed so she can eventually put things right again. However, the stone is far more valuable than Emily could have foreseen, and it turns out that just about everyone wants to get their hands on it. As Emily and Stanton flee for their lives, their relationship goes from barely tolerating one another to a begrudging friendship to something a little deeper. It's the kind of romance I enjoy reading, the kind that is built up slowly and steadily and had me caring about the characters first.

This is a really good fantasy historical steampunk western romance. The world Ms Hobson has created is vivid and easily imaginable. I like how she has cleverly woven magic into history and mixed it up with a touch of real life events and people - like President Grant - but kept it very fresh and exciting at the same time. The tone is mostly light-hearted and the pacing felt just right, I'm really really glad that I already have The Hidden Goddess waiting for me.(less)

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Oct 15, 2011 Catie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Catie by: Flannery, Tatiana

Shelves: read-in-2011, series, fantasy, historical

3 1/2 stars

This is an absolutely enjoyable ride that will appeal to fans of urban fantasy or maybe even historical romance. It is best described as an alternate history, western, magical and mystical steampunk romance with a side order of zombies. Initially that made me almost overcome with excitement, like a kid given free rein* of the pic n’ mix aisle. Imagine all the possibilities…all that sugary goodness, in endless varieties, and mixed together!! I’ll take one of these and one of those and...more

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May 23, 2012 Gail Carriger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, favorites, historical, victorian-books, steampunk

Review pertains to an uncorrected galley given me to blurb by the editor.

A delightful Gaslight Fantasy romp set slightly later in time than The Parasol Protectorate series and in, as you may have gathered, the heathen Americas. It features parochial upstart witch, Emily Edwards, and the deliciously named Dreadnaught Stanton.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It took me a little while to get into it and I had a few problems with info-dumps, but it takes A LOT for me to even finish a book these days....more

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Jun 08, 2011 Katyana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, historical, steampunktastic, zombies, w-t-f, uninformed-crusaders

This book is really tough for me to review.

Let's start with this: the world was fabulous. It was unique and fascinating. Flavors of steampunk, and the varieties of magic were cool. So this author gets an A for world-building.

Now let's chat about everything else. First and foremost:

What the fuck is going on in this book?

It is strange to reach the end of a book and feel like you understand less about what is going on than you did in the first couple of chapters. I think that the combination of the...more

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Jan 30, 2011 Vinaya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-loved, fantasy, the-real-5-star-deal, favorites

When I first heard about The Native Star, I expected it to be an epic fantasy tale in the sweeping style of the Lord of the Rings, or the Wheel of Time. Oh boy, was I in for a surpise! It's like setting out to watch The Last Airbender and instead ending up at a screening of A Knight's Tale.

Jillian's review first inspired me to pick this book up. I read the review, I read the blurb, I got excited. However, I was still expecting it to be a weighty tome, along the lines of "thou shalt fulfill thy...more When I first heard about The Native Star, I expected it to be an epic fantasy tale in the sweeping style of the Lord of the Rings, or the Wheel of Time. Oh boy, was I in for a surpise! It's like setting out to watch The Last Airbender and instead ending up at a screening of A Knight's Tale.

Jillian's review first inspired me to pick this book up. I read the review, I read the blurb, I got excited. However, I was still expecting it to be a weighty tome, along the lines of "thou shalt fulfill thy epic destiny through thy quest; thou shalt vanquish evil, rescue innocents and Become A Hero/ine." This book took all my expectations and kicked them in the ass, to emerge on the other side triumphant and grinning. Somebody called this book witchpunk, and I think it's an insanely accurate term for what this book represents, a seamless blend of technology and witchcraft, fantasy and historical fiction. You can almost taste the dust and new-world smell of 19th century America.

Hobson handles her worldbuilding with a very light touch. She manages to give her readers all the details without overwhelming them with information. She sets up an entire alternate world, with believable characters, religious and magical systems, and societal strata, without once making you feel like you're reading an encyclopedia. Even when she makes her characters give some necessary background, Stanton's pedantic recital is believable. Instead of being annoyed by the lecture, we are as eager for him to tell us about the Aberrancies and the credomancers and the rest of it all; we wait as breathlessly as Emily for him to tell us more, tell us everything!

And I fell in love with Emily and Stanton. The rest of the characters were great too, but Emily and Stanton stole the show, as they were meant to do. Neither of them was perfect, but both of them were absolutely perfect. If you know what I mean. I expected Dreadnought Stanton (oh, that name!) to be cold and distant and mysterious and powerful. He turned out to be stuffy, formal, pedantic, sort-of grandoise and absolutely ad-or-ab-le! Besides, how can you not fall in love with a book whose hero is called Dreadnought?!

And Emily's a star too; not full of spun-sugary goodness, but a girl with spine and more than a few quirks of her own. She wears a stinky buffalo coat, casts a love spell for mercenary reasons, is blindly prejudices against Indians (of the Native American sort) and wilfully stubborn. I love the fact that she's a backwards witch with very little knowledge of the world, but a lot of spunk. I love the fact that she has this big-ass stone in her hand, and it doesn't give her one single extra super-power. I love the fact that she sasses Stanton all the time, and I love the fact that she confesses to her love for him without sounding like a sappy fool. I am very parsimonious with my praise for romance these days, so it's a big thing when I say that I totally fell in love with the idea of Emily and Stanton as a couple. Together they made me laugh, made me sigh, made me believe!

This book could have been the heavy, serious epic fantasy I was expecting it to be, and it would still probably have been an interesting book, but it would have been a great loss to literary society. I love this book just exactly as it is. It is an ass-kicking, prank-playing romp of an adventure that manages to make you feel good even during its darkest parts. Thank you, Jillian, for finding this gem, and passing it along! :)(less)

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May 12, 2012 mark monday rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantastickal, i-gave-up

EH? EH! i tried to like this one, i really did. but after the sorta well-done and atmospheric prologue, it became so increasingly aggravating that my eyes felt almost fixed in their rolled-upwards position. i gave up on page 210. the magic in this alternate version of the western is rather interesting - particularly the idea of credomancy. but everything else... Dear God, make it stop! an insufferable heroine who is chock-full of uninteresting motivations and corny pluck, who one minute spits ou...more

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Oct 04, 2011 K. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi-dys, historical, surprise-bitch-i-m-good, 21st-cent

So steampunk, huh?

I've heard there are better examples of the sub-genre than MK Hobson's The Native Star but as its my first time venturing into the unknown, I suppose its better I am gently eased into it, rather than thrown right in. The idea of steampunk never really interested me. I think I developed quite an aversion to it actually. I like old school magic, and the concept of merging that with innovative gadgetry was just a turn off.

But I liked it, relatively speaking. The plot is straight...more

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Dec 18, 2011 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: western, sci-fi, fantasy

I like Westerns, magic, and romance very much… so why didn’t this book do it for me? I’ve been mulling over my lack of enthusiasm for a little bit, and I think it mostly comes down to poor characters. They behaved in ways that struck me as super convenient, clichéd, and/or unrealistic.

I found Emily Edwards, the heroine, very tiresome – her and her foolish assumptions and pointless tirades and confrontations. I liked her imperfections at the beginning because I thought they were actually imperfe...more I like Westerns, magic, and romance very much… so why didn’t this book do it for me? I’ve been mulling over my lack of enthusiasm for a little bit, and I think it mostly comes down to poor characters. They behaved in ways that struck me as super convenient, clichéd, and/or unrealistic.

I found Emily Edwards, the heroine, very tiresome – her and her foolish assumptions and pointless tirades and confrontations. I liked her imperfections at the beginning because I thought they were actually imperfections, but in fact she turned out to be yet another spunky/feisty heroine. Also, the villains are all prone to monologuing at key moments.

The romance is one of those Pride & Prejudice knock-offs where the gal can’t stand the guy because he’s just so smug and infuriating, etc. The thing is, I’m totally into stories where two people who originally hated each other get together. BUT. They have to hate each other for legit reasons. It feels like a lot of authors who write romances substitute meaningless animosity in place of convincing chemistry. They provoke strong reactions in each other (even if it’s for no reason) so obviously they will fall in love!

It really, really bothered me when relevant details were skimmed over or skipped entirely. At the beginning of the book, Emily gets a magical stone stuck in her hand. You’d think something like that would take some getting used to, yet she never ever talks or muses about what it feels like to have a rock embedded in her palm. It seems to me that you’d be pretty aware of the rock’s presence, at least in the beginning. Personally, I’d probably worry at it and poke at it occasionally. But Emily seems totally uninterested in how it physically affects her. She only talks about the magical aspects of it. You’d think she was wearing it as a necklace or something for all the physical responses she has to it. Also, and here I have to be careful to avoid giving away any spoilers, but I was very weirded out when a character in the novel suffered a rather severe injury but reacted to it about as much as one might react to a headache.

That’s a bunch of negative, so now a bit of positive. This was a quick read with several scenes that I very much enjoyed (the zombie mines come to mind). The interesting worldbuilding was a lot of fun as well. Western/steampunk/magic/romance mash-ups are not something I read every day. I liked that magic was practiced in different ways by very different groups, all of which occupy different social positions and prestige.

All in all, this was an entertaining book that I think would have made a much better movie. It was fun enough but not so fun that I’m likely to read it again or check out the next book in the series. 2.5 stars
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Nov 25, 2011 Ceridwen rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Eric & Matt, j/k, unless you actually do it

Recommended to Ceridwen by: Flannery, Elizabeth

Shelves: alternate-history, america-and-environs, capital-l-labor, ecopunk, fantasy, grrrrl-power, zombies, the-west

This was another insomnia read, picked up in the dark hours when no one but me is awake. Pretty much with an insomnia read I'm just looking for readability, which is one of those terms that is probably not that helpful. Maybe I should go onto Karen's Reader's Advisory group and try to define this readable beast.

Tone: light to medium
Pace: fast
Setting: not contemporary, possibly with magic, aliens, gadgets or other neat ideas that are fun to watch play out
Romance: light
Narrator: inobtrusive

Admitte...more

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Jun 23, 2011 Isamlq rated it 5 of 5 stars

A western witchpunk fantasy.

Curious yet? What a mouthful, right? Immediately after putting it down, I had this big grin on my face. It was fun; it was exciting but what had I just read exactly? "Western witchpunk fantasy" is perfectly apt because there are witches and warlocks. There's blood magic, spirit magic then faith magic. There are doors to other dimensions and zombie miners. What a splendid surprise this was!

This story is just what readers impatient with today's current crop of books...more A western witchpunk fantasy.

Curious yet? What a mouthful, right? Immediately after putting it down, I had this big grin on my face. It was fun; it was exciting but what had I just read exactly? "Western witchpunk fantasy" is perfectly apt because there are witches and warlocks. There's blood magic, spirit magic then faith magic. There are doors to other dimensions and zombie miners. What a splendid surprise this was!

This story is just what readers impatient with today's current crop of books that are copies of each other need. It offers a great introduction into witchpunk. Who here has never heard of that? I hadn't. I had no idea how to peg it. At first, it was very horror-gothicky, with ghosts and soldiers and a haunted warehouse, then it felt like a western, especially with a small town girl taking care of her father, then later on it was her weaving spells and making charms. So surprising? Most definitely.

Add the fact that the two leads were practical, impatient, passionate, and opinionated. Emily is twenty-five, but still relatively ignorant of what goes on outside her town. Her wants are simple: take care of her father, practice her craft in peace. In hopes of answering all those wants, she's set her sights on Dag, the town's most affluent bachelor. But there's Dreadnought Stanton to contend with. (awesome name, yes?) He's the credomancer she finds a little too pompous and arrogant. The great thing is they were exctly what they thought each other to be (save Stanton's big secret in the end,) where Emily says Stanton is stuffy, pompous and arrogant, he really is. In the same vein, where Stanton describes her as untutored in modern methods, she really is. But the other great thing is they develop. They don't stay the same. Each thing that happened to them had a hand in them going from merely interesting to good to impressive characters.

Then the romance. Could this book not get any better? It was sweet, it was cute... and I saw it develop! Their connection was not instant; in fact, it was the complete opposite. Brought together by necessity, there was no choice but to get to know each other.

The one thing that had me questioning the five point rating I was leaning toward was the villain. He came across as just your average but necessary crazy evil guy. He was not enough to sway me it seems espcially when I think back to how much I really enjoyed the warlock and the witch with a blue gem in her hand.

UNEXPECTED and DELICIOUS

Yum!

5/5(less)

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Jun 03, 2012 Rusty rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This is a most entertaining read that takes place in a post-Civil War American West. I so enjoyed the fantasy, the magic and the characters involved in this novel.

It's 1876 in Sierra Nevada, and Emily Edwards, the town witch, is disturbed by the mail-order patent magic sales that have cut into her own business of healing potions. Poor and struggling, she conjures a love spell on a wealthy lumberman to fall in love with her so that her Pap and she will have a better life. However, the love spell...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Eric rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of weird west steam-punk tales

Recommended to Eric by: Nicole Evans

Shelves: book-club, steam-punk

The broad premise of this novel -- a young and naive protagonist pulled from a simple life into a whirlwind adventure traversing the continent, climaxing in a confrontation with an abhorrent antagonist -- is not groundbreaking or original in any way, but honestly, not every book needs to be. Sometimes an interesting version of a well-worn story can be literature's comfort food. And with the interesting elements in this book including a steam-punk weird west varnish, an interesting (if not airtig...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Heidi by: Flannery

3.5 Stars.

You know that expression “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey”? Yeah…whoever first said it was obviously trying to make themselves feel better about that awesome road trip they had on the way to stay with their boring Aunt Mildred for the summer. Because honestly, when it comes to reading, I like both the destination and the journey to rock my socks off. I want the payoff, and I can’t help but feeling that while I enjoyed the lead up in M.K. Hobson’s The Native Star very much, I...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Brenda Cothern rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Add a pinch of Native American Indian magic, a dash of Wiccan Earth magic, a splash of paganism, a heaping of classic fantasy style magic and a side of warlocks. Place it all in the US late 1870’s and you have the perfect recipe for M.K. Hobson’s new book, The Native Star.

Hobson places her story the historical US states, California and New York, giving accurate descriptions, details, and references for the late 1800’s. She adds her fantastic tale of magic, in its various forms, both historical...more Add a pinch of Native American Indian magic, a dash of Wiccan Earth magic, a splash of paganism, a heaping of classic fantasy style magic and a side of warlocks. Place it all in the US late 1870’s and you have the perfect recipe for M.K. Hobson’s new book, The Native Star.

Hobson places her story the historical US states, California and New York, giving accurate descriptions, details, and references for the late 1800’s. She adds her fantastic tale of magic, in its various forms, both historical and fictional, intertwined with the early American struggles of the times. References to the Civil War, President Grant, and traveling the railroad are familiar and don’t come off like a history lesson but instead immerse the reader in the struggles of the times and make the magic seem all the more real and possible.

Meet Emily Edwards, a witch who practices Earth magic by making salves, elixirs, hexes and charms in the California town of Lost Pines. Emily lives with her recently blinded, adoptive father (and his 20 or so cats!) up on Moody Ridge and learned all she knows from him. Emily and her father are struggling financially as the mail catalog company Baugh’s Paten Magicks takes more and more of their local magical business. In desperation, Emily performs bad magic by casting a love spell on the local well-to-do lumberman Dag Hansen. She hopes that he will marry her and alleviate the financial burden of her father’s care. At the dance following Dag’s barn raising, Emily’s spell is in full effect. As part of the entertainment, a once Sufi holy man named Besim performs a Cassandra (a type of predication) and in his trance accuses Emily of performing bad magic and warns of the Corpse Switch failing that will unleash the zombie miners from the Old China mine into Lost Pine. Since Emily knows Besim is right by casting her love spell, she also knows that he must be right about the Switch.

Also in Lost Pine is Dreadnought Stanton, a Warlock tenured there by the Marabilis Institute of Credomancy with the mission to enlighten the backwoods magic users. Hearing the Cassandra and recognizing the effects of Emily’s spell on Dag, Mr. Stanton follows Emily as she investigates the Corpse Switch up at the old mine. As the events unfold, the zombie mine workers are running amuck and in escaping the mine, Emily falls with the result of a clear blue crystal becoming embedded into her hand. The story unfolds as the crystal’s magic absorbing properties are revealed and Emily must travel with Mr. Stanton to the Institute to have it removed so she can resume casting spells and undo the love spell she cast on Dag. As the pair set off on this mission, more information is gleaned about the crystal and they encounter several factions who wish to acquire it or control Emily to get it.

Hobson portrays Emily and Dreadnought at odds about magic theory and constantly butting heads. Emily is down to earth and Dreadnought comes off as stuck up, snooty and above those around him. One would think this would make him the bad guy in the story but Hobson provides readers with plenty of enemy factions that make not only the characters learn to like and respect each other, but also the readers to root for success in their mission to have the stone removed from her hand. She provides several twists in the story so what may seem a predictable outcome, is not.

Readers who enjoy historical fiction or fantasy magic books will feel right at home with this book. Hobson has done her homework, both in the area of US history and in the various spiritual and magical beliefs of modern and historical times. Her creativity shines as she combines this homework with the fantasy magic of her imagination. The Native Star is a stand alone novel but ends with the impression that we could see more of Emily and Dreadnought in the future. Readers, who are looking for a break from the standard fantasy of Dwaves, Elves, and Gnomes, should check out The Native Star and they will be pleasantly surprised at this creative addition to the fantasy genera.
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Mar 29, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Take a pinch of the Wild West, a dollop of whimsy, just a dash of romance, and a heaping helping of magic and you apparently get a helluva good time!

On the surface, The Native Star is fairly formulaic. There's the Austen-esque dynamic of the stubborn and headstrong (but always proper beneath it all) woman who finds herself at odds with a pompous and equally headstrong jerk (who remains, fundamentally, a gentleman beneath it all). I have to admit that I'm a sucker for this dynamic because nothing...more Take a pinch of the Wild West, a dollop of whimsy, just a dash of romance, and a heaping helping of magic and you apparently get a helluva good time!

On the surface, The Native Star is fairly formulaic. There's the Austen-esque dynamic of the stubborn and headstrong (but always proper beneath it all) woman who finds herself at odds with a pompous and equally headstrong jerk (who remains, fundamentally, a gentleman beneath it all). I have to admit that I'm a sucker for this dynamic because nothing triggers my gag reflex quicker than a simpering and whiny heroine, unless it's the "here I come to save the day" uber-perfect hero. Circumstances arise that force these two into unwelcome proximity to one another for the duration of the novel and witty banter between crises ensues. This is pretty standard stuff and even the less sophisticated readers among us can probably make accurate predictions as to where this plot is headed, but . . .

. . . holy shit, was this fun! While the basic narrative is standard, the world building is delightful. Set in the west during the Reconstruction, the United States has always relied on magic to grease the wheels of commerce. There are three primary types of magic practitioners: sangrimancers (who rely on gruesome blood rituals to tap into their power), animancers ("earth" magicians who draw upon nature to heal), and credomancers (faith magicians who draw upon the beliefs of others to make the impossible, well, possible). There's much in-fighting amongst these magical traditions, as well as opposition to magic in the form of religious zealots and the increasing threat of science as a replacement for magic. Several reviews have labeled this as "steampunk," which is misleading as there are no gimmicky, steam-powered gizmos and gadgets. Everything is fueled by magic (as one reviewer said, this is "witchpunk"--a term that seems much more accurate). There are zombies, Native American holy women, murderous spirits, fantastic magical devices, as well as witches and warlocks of every stripe and color imaginable. There are quirky little details (my favorite being the idea of a "squink," a word created by the combination of the words "squid ink" and meaning to lessen the power of a credomancer by clouding his ability to believe in himself).

The Native Star is clever, witty, and intelligently written light reading when you just want to reconnect with the joy of a rollicking journey whose only destination is to enchantment. There are no deeper meanings, no pompous literary preening, no need to bust out the theory books to figure out what is up with the symbolism. It's just fun. And sometimes that's more than enough.

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Oct 13, 2010 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, romance, young-adult, arcs, dropbox

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.

I am a “character oriented” kind of girl, to the point where, given witty dialog or a relationship I care about, a story’s premise is entirely irrelevant to my enjoyment (case in point, Aaron Sorkin’s “Sports Night”. What on earth do I care about sports TV? Handsome men with witty dialog? Yes, please.). Given my proclivities, imagine my surprise when I found myself ranking the world building in THE NATIVE STAR right along side my interest in the hero a...more Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.

I am a “character oriented” kind of girl, to the point where, given witty dialog or a relationship I care about, a story’s premise is entirely irrelevant to my enjoyment (case in point, Aaron Sorkin’s “Sports Night”. What on earth do I care about sports TV? Handsome men with witty dialog? Yes, please.). Given my proclivities, imagine my surprise when I found myself ranking the world building in THE NATIVE STAR right along side my interest in the hero and heroine. Not that Dreadnaught Stanton and Emily Edwards weren’t great characters, with enough development and surprises to keep me entertained, but they were framed by such an unique premise that their world almost stole the show.

Admittedly, I don’t have a great deal of books in the steampunk genre to draw on when saying THE NATIVE STAR was “unique”. Dru Paglissotti’s Clockwork Heart is the only one I can think of off-hand (I count the Parasol Protectorate books as much more fantasy than steampunk, but even if I didn’t, that only raises my grand total to 4 books). What I lack in steampunk reference points, however, I make up for in “American History magical crossovers”. I adore Patricia C. Wrede’s Thirteenth Child, which shows settlers striving to tame a frontier rife with magical creatures and plagues. A world where ordinary people view anyone who attempts to eke out a living without magic as suicidal extremists. While THE NATIVE STAR takes a different tact (and a different period of American history), it’s world gave me an enjoyment reminiscent of Thirteenth Child, the delight of reading a wholly original reprisal of a familiar period of time.

Supposing there is a magical/mechanical world, THE NATIVE STAR takes us through the growing pains and natural disasters of that very complex, steampunk industrial revolution. Mass production replaces cottage industry, “patent magics” take the place of home remedies, and native folklore is disregarded in favor of a more academic school of magic. And through this mass of cultural upheaval and economic unrest swirls Dreadnaught Stanton and Emily Edwards, each brilliant products of this fantastical world. Despite representing different sides of the “revolution”, they were far from being cliche. I found Emily and Stanton to be believable and interesting, capable of surprising me (pleasantly and otherwise) without leaving me feeling “tricked”. I know I will eagerly purchase THE HIDDEN GODDESS, the next installment in this series. Not because I want to resolve any plot threads or unravel any puzzles, but more because I can’t wait for another chance to step into the world M. K. Hobson has created.

Sexual Content: As appropriate for the time period, more romance and sensuality than sex. Crudity is only crude by 19th century standards.
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Jan 16, 2011 Kelly Leigh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Urban Fantasy fans looking for something different and everyone else!

Recommended to Kelly by: myself

Shelves: magic-abound, witches-warlocks-druids-oh-my, steampunk, speculative-fiction

Simply stated, I adore The Native Star.

Personally, I detest anything wild, wild west, yet M.K. Hobson somehow managed to draw me into this era with such ease. Aside from the western era, this book has it all (sounds like Stefon from SNL recommending a NYC club): magic, adventure, human fire hydrant people, Teddy Graham people (Just joshing, or am I; you'll have to read for yourself), whimsical romance, steampunk; the author even throws in reality is what you make it mumbo-jumbo, which to some i...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Beth Cato rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: in, 2011, historical, fantasy, steampunk, no-longer-own

In 1876, the Old West has been strengthened by the use of magic, steampower, and zombie mine laborers. Small-town mountain witch Emily Edwards is worried about maintaining her disabled adopted father's charms business against the threat of mail-order magic. Those worries turn out to be petty when a mine accident ends up with a magical stone embedded in her hand--the famed Native Star. The haughty local warlock, Dreadnought Stanton, believes he has connections who can help remove the stone. Backs...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Cory rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book, the story wasn't as predictable as other books I've read and I enjoyed the steady pace throughout most of the story. The magic system was also very well thought out and surprisingly complicated with a great amount of detail put into the explanations.

I only have one problem with the book and it's really a problem with the industry I guess. Because publishers don't seem to care if languages other than English make any sense. The disregard for accuracy of foreign languag...more

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Apr 04, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: alt-history, fantasy, steampunk, scifi, pulp, fae

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 11, 2012 Jayne rated it 4 of 5 stars

In M.K. Hobson's first novel she draws readers in with promises of magic and love but delivers so much more. In the midst of olden day charm M.K. combines interesting characters with even more interesting motives. Our leading lady, Miss Emily Edwards, is willing to use her magic to bewitch a man into loving her, Not so much for herself but for her poor father. Everything is going according to plan until the "insufferable" Dreadnaught Stanton appears, accompanies her on there first mini-adventur...more

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Aug 29, 2011 Lightreads rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical, fantasy, romance

I feel about steampunk the way Justice Stewart famously felt about pornography: I can’t tell you categorically what it is, but I know it when I see it.

And this ain’t it, aside from the gratuitous insectile flying machine. Wrong esthetic, wrong – oh, whatever, I just know what it isn’t.

But putting aside a marketing attempt to profit off a fad, this was pretty good. Alt history nineteenth century California with magic. Young woman narrator makes mistakes and learns from them, gets tangled up in wo...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Maureen E rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, historical

Opening: "Five loud, hard, sharp crashes. Someone was knocking--no, not knocking, rather pounding at the door of Mr. Everdene Baugh's house on Church Street."

This is a slightly misleading opening, mostly because Mr. Everdene Baugh disappears after the prologue, never to be seen again. Though he begins the story, it is really about Emily Edwards and Dreadnought Stanton. After a series of spectacularly bad decisions and unhappy events, Emily is forced to leave the town she grew up with Mr. Stanton...more Opening: "Five loud, hard, sharp crashes. Someone was knocking--no, not knocking, rather pounding at the door of Mr. Everdene Baugh's house on Church Street."

This is a slightly misleading opening, mostly because Mr. Everdene Baugh disappears after the prologue, never to be seen again. Though he begins the story, it is really about Emily Edwards and Dreadnought Stanton. After a series of spectacularly bad decisions and unhappy events, Emily is forced to leave the town she grew up with Mr. Stanton. They end up journeying across the US, from San Francisco to New York, wreaking havoc along the way.

The good old journey story is obviously a key factor here. Our main characters are on a literal physical journey, but also on a personal one. In this case, the final showdown comes after they reach New York, but the journey itself is what sets up the whole thing, both plotwise and in terms of character development.

The central image of the story is the magical stone that becomes part of Emily's hand. I found this somewhat disturbing and creepy, as I think it was meant to be. At the same time, it was a very difficult image for me to grasp somehow. It just never quite made sense, and yet I'm at somewhat of a loss to explain what about it was bothersome.

The main relationship in this story is between Dreadnought and Emily (though her parents, real and foster, are important as well). I found it fulfilling, but not ultimately surprising or particularly original. I had called it from the first time Dreadnought appears. That said, there are times where a predictable romance is fine. And in this case it didn't fall into the instant-attraction theme we're suffering under currently.

All in all, I didn't feel unhappy with the book, but I didn't feel impressed either, and I wanted to be. Once again, it was a book where I felt like the concept was great and the result wasn't quite what I wanted it to be. I'm beginning to think that this genre is just like that for me--the idea will always seem shinier than the execution. In short, I always want to like the steampunky books, and I rarely actually do.

However, if you do like steampunk, I think this would be a fabulous book. It doesn't have the egregious annoyances that you sometimes encounter, and the story and characters are largely fulfilling and enjoyable. It has a nice flavor, with the California mining towns, the two cities, and the journey between them.

Book source: public library
Book information: Ballantine, 2010; adult (there wasn't anything particularly shocking, although there is a fair amount of violence; upper teens might also enjoy it)
Recommended by: The Book Smugglers (less)

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Jul 07, 2011 Krystal added it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was picked up on random during one of my browsing sessions at B&N – sessions that happen less and less now that I no longer live in close proximity to a B&N store. But I came across this one and thought the cover looked interesting, and the blurb on the back didn’t sound too bad. So I bought it, and it’s sat on my shelves for a month or two (not the longest a book has gone neglected on my shelves, sadly.)

Well, I finally got around to reading this, and I found it interesting and...more This book was picked up on random during one of my browsing sessions at B&N – sessions that happen less and less now that I no longer live in close proximity to a B&N store. But I came across this one and thought the cover looked interesting, and the blurb on the back didn’t sound too bad. So I bought it, and it’s sat on my shelves for a month or two (not the longest a book has gone neglected on my shelves, sadly.)

Well, I finally got around to reading this, and I found it interesting and entertaining as hell. Great concept, good story, fun characters, and best of all, hints at more novels to come.

First off, the concept: set in the old west, not too terribly long after the Civil War. Twist? There’s magic all over the place. Entirely commonplace in this reality. In fact, that was one of the things I loved so much about the book, right from the start. Hobson doesn’t start out giving us the background of this world, doesn’t try and convince us that hey, it could happen. And here’s exactly how it could. No, we’re just thrown into the world as is and expected to roll with it. Give you an example, from the very beginning, in the prologue (bit of explanation, a man hears pounding at his door very late at night and is treated to the sight of several Union soldiers at his door, looking menacing.):

“Baugh clutched the edge of the door, knuckles white. Sherman’s bloody march was only a few months in the past. The ashes of Columbia had barely cooled, and the once-fertile fields of South Carolina were barren, ruined by the despoiling northern Warlock squadrons who had sown every field with black sorcerer’s salt. And since Lincoln’s assassination, the Yankee garrisons had been itching for blood.”

Now, if you’re just skimming through, you might think you’re about to get a simple Northern/Southern post-war sort of tale. But then, you read a bit closer and … wha? Did they say something about Warlocks? And sorcerer’s salt? wtf?

And if you can’t roll with this world that they throw you into, you’re going to have a hard time getting into the story. Now me personally, I love that sort of thing, so I was right there with where Hobson wanted to go. And the characters do a nice job of filling me in on the story of this world and how they all live in it without it seeming to overly explanatory. Which is saying something, because one of the characters is sort of a backwoods witch with a very sheltered life, and she falls into an adventure with a Warlock of the World, if you will, from New York, who loves to give lectures about his vast knowledge about everything magical.

These two characters were very fun to ride along with on their adventure. Granted, it’s quite obvious from the start that they’ll end up together, but I still enjoyed the journey, watching this relationship grow from mutual distaste and contempt to grudging friendship with the occasional bout of annoyance to (of course) love.

I enjoyed the ending, even if it was mildly confusing at times – there are hints at things that hopefully are explained better in future novels (an Aztec prophecy in particular). But I followed along easy enough and felt it resolved nice enough. There are definitely a few points that aren’t resolved with a nice enough bow on top, but since they most certainly hint that there’s more story to be told, I’m hoping for future sequels that can maybe tie up some of the looser ends I didn’t like, and give me more time with these fun characters in this fascinating world. (Yep, just found it on the author’s website, the next book in this series: The Hidden Goddess. Yay.)

All in all, I give this book a very high recommendation – anybody who enjoys Westerns and fantasy should give this a read. Or alternate history (of a sort). Or really just fantasy in general. Good stuff, all around.(less)

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Feb 25, 2011 Kim Ryser rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011booksread, steampunk

I adored this book, hence the 5 star rating. Set in 1876 in California, a mountain Witch named Emily Edwards has a run-in with a mine full of zombies run amok and ends up with a magical stone embedded in her palm. Dreadnought Stanton, a big city Warlock from back East takes her to San Francisco to get her hand looked at. And chaos ensues, with multiple shadowy groups after them and the the stone as they flee across the country. Extremely page-turning, I finished it in a day and a half. The book...more

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Jan 29, 2011 Janice (Janicu) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review from my blog (wordpress | livejournal)

My Thoughts: This reads very much like a Wild West cross-country adventure which just happens to be set in an alternative world where magic is an accepted part of life. I imagine Emily Edwards and Dreadnought Stanton are dressed up much like Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson in Maverick, (minus the confidence artist personalities), as they take horse, train, and a hybrid mechanical-magical flying machine from one destination to another, chased by various me...more Review from my blog (wordpress | livejournal)

My Thoughts: This reads very much like a Wild West cross-country adventure which just happens to be set in an alternative world where magic is an accepted part of life. I imagine Emily Edwards and Dreadnought Stanton are dressed up much like Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson in Maverick, (minus the confidence artist personalities), as they take horse, train, and a hybrid mechanical-magical flying machine from one destination to another, chased by various men bent on getting the blue stone embedded in Emily’s hand. The author has mentioned in guest posts a pulp novel influence, particularly Horatio Alger, and she eludes to the influence in The Native Star with characters who read pulp fiction from Mystic Truth Publishers, and magazines like Ladies’ Repository.

The world building goes along with the pulp fiction influence. There’s Wild West adventure staples mixed with Victorian era sensibilities. Emily has to deal with being a woman in a world where women were often expected to stay at home and act proper, but she’s grown up with a lenient father in a town where she is respected for her witchcraft. When she ventures outside of Lost Pine, the disparity between her rural upbringing and the straightlaced expectations of how she should act is a big one. There’s even a sort of woman’s suffrage movement in the form of a group called the Witches Friendly Society.

Along with this mixed attitude about women, is a mixed attitude about magic. It’s something everyone knows exists, but whether magic is a natural part of life and can be explained scientifically or as the work of the devil depends on who you are talking to. This world is on a cusp of change, and I think that whether Progress comes at a price is a big question. Some advancements are for the better, but some come at a cost that people are only beginning to discover.

Of course, it’s often the bad guys of the story with the condescending attitude towards women or who want to eradicate all Witches and Warlocks. Her companion on the road, Dreadnought, clashes with Emily over other things. The two have a bickering sort of relationship and although this sort of thing suggests a romance is on it’s way (which is correct), the romance is a very low key one — the adventure and magic are in the forefront of the story most of the time, and the banter gave me a little chuckle or two as a bonus. This is not one of those stories where there’s a lot of sexual tension in my opinion, maybe because the focus on the book is more on the plot than it is on character development.

I enjoyed the way that magic was explained in this story. There are three forms of magic – animancy (spirit magic), sangrimancy (blood magic), and credomancy (belief magic). Emily Edwards, who with her Pap, the local magic practitioners of Lone Pine, California, practice animancy. Dreadnought Stanton is a credomancer, and his magic comes from belief. The use of blood magic (sangrimancy) has been outlawed with a notable exception. Hobson takes the idea of magic and a natural explanation for it a bit further when she introduces an ecological component — magic, once used is absorbed by the Earth and recycled, and the process creates waste in the form of a sticky black tar-like substance known as Black Exchunge. This has some significance in the story and I enjoyed learning as the Emily and Dreadnought did, the significance of Emily’s blue stone in relation to magic.

I’m looking forward to the next book, The Hidden Goddess, out this April.

Overall: A very fun story that combines pulp fiction, magic, Wild West adventure, a bit of steampunk and romance in a seamless way. I enjoyed the alternative history and how magic fit into the Victorian mindset where Progress and Tradition often butted heads. This is very much a plot-driven story, and I liked how the world-building felt effortless. The only thing that I personally would have liked was more room to really delve into the two main characters, but the second book promises to give us more, so I’m looking forward to it.(less)

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Jan 02, 2011 notyourmonkey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-read, amazon, fantasy, kindle, romance, steampunk, the-internet-told-me-to

Three quality, four enjoyment. Picked up because of how much I like M.K. Hobson's stuff with the Escape Pod family of podcasts. I think someone called this witchpunk? Like steampunk, but with fantasy elements and bonus Ye Olde Weste setting. A thoroughly delightful genre mashup - you got your steampunk in my fantasy! you got your western in my Regency romance! and then there was a flying machine! - with characters that are going to be awesome about three books into this (presumed) series.

Okay, h...more

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Dec 22, 2010 Stacey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: unemployment_read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. M.K. Hobson's book was a nice change of pace from many of the female heroine stories that I seem drawn to these days. Native Star is set in the wild west era of an alternate history (I know, who would guess I would be reading a story set in an alternate history?). Emily Edwards is a small town witch that gets into trouble when one of her spells has a little more "umph" than she anticipated. Things get worse when a magical stone embeds itself into her hand. In order to set things right, she must...more

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Dec 20, 2010 Andy R. rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is really well done. I couldn't put it down. The hook is solidly set early on, the characters are captivating and original, and the pay off is satisfying. Though still relatively new as a novelist Hobson balances nail-biting action with vivid scene descriptions so that the book is paced as though it were written by a long time veteran like Christ Bunch or Steven Barns.

One of the best things a Sci-Fi or Fantasy novel can do is transport the reader to another scenario where life's chall...more

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