This is a very different book for the Dresden Files, since it is in many ways a series reset, a game changer. Ultimately, I really liked the story and...moreThis is a very different book for the Dresden Files, since it is in many ways a series reset, a game changer. Ultimately, I really liked the story and the way its presented. There were some things that confused me early on that turned out to be important plot points, in other words I was pretty much meant to be confused, so that is neat. I was really in suspense on how this book would turn out, since it could have involved almost anything. (Ok, this is really hard to talk about without spoilers. I'm done.)(less)
(This review originally published at steamingenious.blogspot.com)
So, free books are awesome. Free steampunk books that are actually well-written and e...more(This review originally published at steamingenious.blogspot.com)
So, free books are awesome. Free steampunk books that are actually well-written and entertaining are even better. This 200 page novel is available free for the Kindle on Amazon.
The heroine of this book is an upper-class young lady named Claire Trevelyn about to graduate from finishing school. She dreams of going to university to become an engineer, but her traditional family won't hear of it, of course. The story is set in a Victorian era only slightly changed from the real one. Society is divided into Wits and Bloods. Wits are the scientists of the age while Bloods are the traditional aristocracy. Other than that and some advanced steampunk technology, not much is unfamiliar.
Tragedy in her family leads Claire to break social norms and seek out a new independent way of life. This story surprised me in the direction it ultimately went. I expected more romance, though there is a hint of the possible beginnings of a romantic plot. I found some of the events very improbable, but they did continue to entertain me even so. I was becoming quite interested in where the story would go right about the time that the book ended. It ended surprisingly abruptly, too. I turned the page and expected another chapter at least, when I got an epilogue.
This is the first in a series, and I will probably continue reading it eventually. But for free, you can't really go wrong checking out this opening tale.
I have never read any of the Psmith books, so I got this from Project Gutenberg. It was both frustrating and amusing. The frustration came from the fa...moreI have never read any of the Psmith books, so I got this from Project Gutenberg. It was both frustrating and amusing. The frustration came from the fact that this book is so much about cricket, which is utterly incomprehensible to me. So large passages were just me reading gibberish and trying to figure out at the end whether what had happened was good or bad for the characters. I will probably try another Psmith book and hope there is no cricket.(less)
Review written for steamingenious.blogspot.com where I have many steampunk book reviews.
I don't know why I begin most steampunk books with low expecta...moreReview written for steamingenious.blogspot.com where I have many steampunk book reviews.
I don't know why I begin most steampunk books with low expectations. When I haven't heard of the book or the author before, well, I always at least halfway expect it to suck. Which means that I'm almost always pleasantly surprised.
In the case of The Doomsday Vault, I was extremely pleasantly surprised. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys steampunk.
The world depicted by Harper is very close to historical Victorian England. All the real world societal rules still apply. Things are very difficult for women and racial minorities. The only difference is that there is a "clockwork plague" that causes illness, death, and sometimes zombies. So zombies are roaming the streets of London, only coming out at night or under cover of fog. They aren't the huge threat that zombies usually are in fiction, they really are something of a minor annoyance, except that if they touch you they can infect you with the plague.
But for a very small number of people infected with the plague, the results are different. They become "clockworkers", essentially mad science geniuses. They don't live long, but they create incredible technological inventions while becoming more and more insane. So society at large benefits from some of these inventions, while shunning anyone who has any contact with anyone infected.
The heroine of the book is a young woman who lost several family members to the plague and therefore is shunned by society regardless of the fact that her father is a baron. She's seeking only to find a wealthy husband to improve her family's fortune and save her respectability. Her secret desire is to spend her time working on automatons and putting her mechanical skills to use, but her duty to her family prevents her from acting on those desires. The hero is a young airman from America who is stranded in London after pirates attack his ship. The two of them eventually encounter one another and become involved in a series of mysterious events.
The feel of this book reminds me most strongly of Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series. This book doesn't have the same amount of humor, but otherwise the attitude and tone is similar. Alice Michaels must deal with her own secret skills and various shadowy conspiracies while also trying to fit in with upper class society, regardless of how much she wishes she could rebel against it. The idea of uncontrollable mad scientists constantly inventing things in fits of inspiration is also reminiscent of the webcomic Girl Genius, though again with less humor.
The lack of humor isn't really a negative though, as the implications of the events in the novel are serious. Even the personal struggles of the heroine are disturbing due to the lack of freedom she has as a Victorian woman. In short, things have weight and reality to them, which I appreciate.
To summarize, if you are looking for an enjoyable steampunk read, you can't go wrong with The Doomsday Vault. Plus it's the first in a series and I'm looking forward to spending more time with these characters and this world.(less)
I'm honestly not wild about these books, but they're ok. The protagonist is at times a bit slow and I spend my time waiting for him to catch up to me....moreI'm honestly not wild about these books, but they're ok. The protagonist is at times a bit slow and I spend my time waiting for him to catch up to me. (less)
This and the previous book in the series are my new favorite mystery series. Or at least my favorite of the books I've recently read. This book is gre...moreThis and the previous book in the series are my new favorite mystery series. Or at least my favorite of the books I've recently read. This book is greater than the sum of its parts and I attribute that to the writing and the excellent characters. These aren't simple disposable mystery plots, but books that have some emotional weight and resonance. Although this book is filled with soap opera-y plot points, it somehow transcends those. Not to mention the mystery is really suspenseful and kept me up till 2AM last night because I HAD to finish the book and had to know what the HELL was actually going on. (less)
This is an interesting addendum to the Newsflesh series, but honestly I don't think as highly of it as I do the rest of the series. This prequel relie...moreThis is an interesting addendum to the Newsflesh series, but honestly I don't think as highly of it as I do the rest of the series. This prequel relies heavily on the suspense that comes from knowing what is going to happen, but although it's interesting, it isn't as original and moving as the rest of the story. It's still worth the read, but if this was the beginning of the series, it wouldn't be as remarkable as it is.(less)
I'm really enjoying this historical mystery series. I like the characters and the setting, although the mysteries aren't all that mysterious, really....moreI'm really enjoying this historical mystery series. I like the characters and the setting, although the mysteries aren't all that mysterious, really. Mostly I find the books charming and light. I want more...(less)
This may actually be my favorite Poirot book that I've read. I really like the focus on the characters rather than the mystery. I appreciate the twist...moreThis may actually be my favorite Poirot book that I've read. I really like the focus on the characters rather than the mystery. I appreciate the twisted psychological profile of the central family. And for a book so old, I have to say the psychology isn't horribly out of date in the way it is presented. (less)
So the latest book in the Clockwork Century series. I enjoyed it. I bought the book at a signing with Cherie Priest so I actually heard her talk about...moreSo the latest book in the Clockwork Century series. I enjoyed it. I bought the book at a signing with Cherie Priest so I actually heard her talk about it quite a bit before reading it. That probably influenced my reading of it a bit. I expected the main character, Rector, to be more of a drug addict, or at least for that aspect of his character to be more important than it was in the book. But I didn't find Rector to be unlikable, just realistic. It was nice getting to see more of Seattle and the characters there. And I really liked the Sasquatch angle. But ultimately, there was something missing from this book, and I'm not sure what it was. Lots of stuff happened, and I enjoyed it, but it didn't move me in the way I feel it really should have. (less)
This is a really excellent novel. Set in the 1930s in the theatrical world, this mystery really has the feel of Dorothy Sayers to me. (I had no idea t...moreThis is a really excellent novel. Set in the 1930s in the theatrical world, this mystery really has the feel of Dorothy Sayers to me. (I had no idea that some of the characters and events were based on actual people and that Josephine Tey was a mystery writer at the time.) The characters and their relationships take prominence over the mystery, while still being intricately tied to it. I found the characters all both very like-able and very real. Highly recommended, especially to Golden Age mystery fans.(less)
My only real complaint about this book is that I read the entire thing in one day and now I have no more of it to read. It's an utterly charming riff...moreMy only real complaint about this book is that I read the entire thing in one day and now I have no more of it to read. It's an utterly charming riff on Jane Austen. It's perfectly Austen in tone, plus there is magic. Creating glamours is one of the refinements young ladies learn, naturally. If I was going to make another complaint, it's that the actual plot, the romance between all the young people, is totally obvious in how it will play out. It still gripped me and I enjoyed it, but it's a bit annoying when the heroine can't figure out things that are blatantly obvious to the reader.
But the language, the world building, and the characters are all excellent and I highly encourage all Austen fans to read it. (less)
This was not a disappointing sequel at all. There's a lot of adventure and mystery packed into this novella when the mysterious Smith and his assistan...moreThis was not a disappointing sequel at all. There's a lot of adventure and mystery packed into this novella when the mysterious Smith and his assistant April Malone have to get to the bottom of an apparent Martian invasion of Earth. With appearances from Teddy Roosevelt and Harry Houdini, this continues the steampunk fun of the first volume. Honestly you cannot beat these stories for the price. I would love to see more.(less)
I bought this book for my Kindle because it was a steampunk book and it cost $0.99. And then two months later I read it and was surprised to discover...moreI bought this book for my Kindle because it was a steampunk book and it cost $0.99. And then two months later I read it and was surprised to discover that it was quite good. In 1890s Boston, Miss April Malone has a strange job. She goes to work everyday and sits in a room by herself. She gets requests to read a lot of different things, attend lectures, feed punch cards into things, and keep the coffee pot full. One day, after two years of this, a vault door in her workroom opens and a man called Smith appears and they go off to investigate a series of disappearances. The story is instantly engaging because it's so strange and mysterious. The mysterious "Smith" is at least 80 years old, but still young, and he seems to have been in the cellar the whole time, until the calculating machines decided it was time to wake him up. April is his "computer" due to her extraordinary recall. Without really any more explanation they proceed to investigate why people have been vanishing into heavy mist around the city.
Smith is fairly obviously influenced by Doctor Who, so much so that I can't picture him as anyone other than the 10th Doctor. But I have read a lot worse ideas than "someone pretty much exactly like the 10th Doctor is in 1890s Boston and there are monsters and weird science and a smart and awesome female assistant." Who or what "Smith" is isn't exactly addressed in this short novel, but I'm certainly ready for the sequel.(less)
I didn't realize this was a collection of short stories or possibly novellas. They were generally interesting, although at least once the story felt r...moreI didn't realize this was a collection of short stories or possibly novellas. They were generally interesting, although at least once the story felt really really truncated. These are mostly: someone is murdered, Poirot takes a look around and knows who did it, he reveals the truth.(less)
This is a good historical mystery. Set in 1760, a tutor must find the truth when his pupil is accused of the murder of a popular actress. I enjoyed it...moreThis is a good historical mystery. Set in 1760, a tutor must find the truth when his pupil is accused of the murder of a popular actress. I enjoyed it. My only complaint is that it is very short, with a long build-up and short resolution. I felt the characters and suspects had barely been introduced by the time the book was over and the solution took hardly any time. I sort of hope that's a first novel problem, and the pacing of the sequels is better.(less)
I can see why this is one of the more famous Poirot books: the story is given more time and the characters are better developed than in some. I totall...moreI can see why this is one of the more famous Poirot books: the story is given more time and the characters are better developed than in some. I totally called the solution, since I don't think it's that well concealed. But I enjoyed it.(less)
I quite enjoyed this one. I liked the narrator quite a lot, mostly because she's dense at times and it amused me. I called the murderer, but not the m...moreI quite enjoyed this one. I liked the narrator quite a lot, mostly because she's dense at times and it amused me. I called the murderer, but not the method, which was neat. (less)
Probably 3.5 stars. I read this for free through the Kindle Owner's Lending Library and it was well worth it. It's a nice historical mystery. I really...moreProbably 3.5 stars. I read this for free through the Kindle Owner's Lending Library and it was well worth it. It's a nice historical mystery. I really like the heroine who runs a boardinghouse and dispenses financial advice through a clairvoyant act. When one of her clients is murdered, she poses as a maid in his household to find the killer. There's a good focus on women's roles in society and issues of class. (Apparently this is the point of the series and subsequent books explore different professional available to women at the time.)
As a Victorian enthusiast I have no problems with any of the historical content, which is fairly rare. The mystery is decent, but there's no real big surprise, more like well, yeah, that was seeming likely.
I'll certainly be looking for the rest of the series.(less)
My copy was incomplete, which is why I skipped it earlier, but then I saw something about it being so important and easily spoiled, so I went back to...moreMy copy was incomplete, which is why I skipped it earlier, but then I saw something about it being so important and easily spoiled, so I went back to it. I have to say, knowing that there was something to be spoiled about, I totally guessed the solution. But it was quite enjoyable anyway. I also think I probably guessed it because of "To Say Nothing of The Dog" by Connie Willis which makes some obscure reference to it, I believe. But I'm continuing to enjoy the Poirot stories. I find them very soothing, even when they don't particularly grab me.(less)
I quite enjoyed this one. It was a little lengthier than some of the other books, which let me get more involved in it, even if none of the characters...moreI quite enjoyed this one. It was a little lengthier than some of the other books, which let me get more involved in it, even if none of the characters were particularly engaging. But definitely recommended. (less)
This is a very difficult book to talk about. It has its good points, and there were times I was really enjoying it. But there are also a bunch of thin...moreThis is a very difficult book to talk about. It has its good points, and there were times I was really enjoying it. But there are also a bunch of things that were simultaneously making me NOT enjoy it.
This is a steampunk fantasy, and fantasy is a very important word for this book. The author does something that I HATE in fantasy novels: he refuses to use the normal word for something. Everything is some made up fantasy word. And none of this is ever explained, you are just meant to pick up the meaning from context. But when every other word is gibberish, it's a tiring read. And there were words that I honestly never had any idea what they meant.
The main flaw of this book is that it WAY WAY over complicated. There are constant introductions of new characters, new races, new political factions, new plots, new words, new technology, new magic, new supernatural spirits, etc, etc. It's just piled on and on and there's no time to understand any of it or breathe or live with the characters. The characters are poorly serviced, since they are little more than plot points with names that run from location to location and watch things. Then when it's time for them to do something, some power they have just inherited from (take your choice) a magical object, a mystical spirit, a previously unknown power, their mysterious and heretofore unknown heritage, or some other unexplained supernatural force.
The steampunk cred of this book relies both on the fact that the fantasy world bears some vague but mostly unexplored similarities to 19th century England and that there is a lot of steam-powered technology around. But actually, the tech is pretty much all tied in with the race of "steam-men" who are not created by men but by each other and are independent people. But the more the steam-men are explored (and they are the most interesting characters, in my opinion) the less their clockwork bodies and spirits have anything to do with tech. It's really all mystical. So that's why I say this book is a fantasy novel with steampunk trappings.
There's a lot more I could say about this book. For one thing, it deal a lot with government and politics and revolutions. And that part of the book is really disturbing and depressing and unpleasant. It's pretty successful, since that's what it's obviously going for. But it's not a fun, light adventure like many/most steampunk novels.
What's really frustrating about this book is that somewhere, under all the confusing, over-complicated plots there is a really good book. But it feels like the author just got over-excited and tried to throw an epic fantasy series into less than 600 pages. It's possible to have a plot about political revolution without having 7-9 (depending on what you count) different sides being involved. The story would have been much better served by being simplified and slowed down so that the reader had time to connect to the characters and really grasp the world. I don't have a problem with complex fictional worlds, but my god, you've got to pace yourself.
I don't understand how there is a second book in this series. There doesn't seem to be any need for more, since pretty much the entire battle for the future of the entire world was shoved into this book. I honestly at this point don't feel like reading more. I'm exhausted by this damn book. (less)
I didn't realize it before reading, but this is a free ebook prequel to The Girl in the Steel Corset, which is on my list to read.
The setting is a pr...moreI didn't realize it before reading, but this is a free ebook prequel to The Girl in the Steel Corset, which is on my list to read.
The setting is a pretty generic steampunk world. It's 1897, there are mechanical horses and other clockwork automata, the heroine wears short skirts and leather corsets. Finley Jayne is the heroine, a maid who happens to possess mysterious super strength for no discernible reason. She ends up being hired by a family who treats her more like one of the family than a servant, which is frankly very odd and difficult to believe. There are several action scenes and mad science.
I can't really rave about this story, because it doesn't really stand on its own well. There's no attempt to explain the progtagonist's super powers and though the plot is brought to an end, it barely had time to really get going.
The writing isn't objectionable, except that the author feels the need to explain pretty much everything about Victorian London, while not actually being that period accurate. For example: "...Bedlam, the insane asylum..." I find it really jarring, but apparently the books are intended for a teen audience, so I guess that offers some explanation.
I reserve judgement until I read a full novel of this series. In particular, I want to see if Finley's character gets rounded out into something less of a Mary Sue and if the author can sustain a longer plot.(less)
I'm essentially using these books as palate cleansers in between other books. They're really quick and don't require emotional involvement. This was w...moreI'm essentially using these books as palate cleansers in between other books. They're really quick and don't require emotional involvement. This was was pretty good. I totally didn't expect the ending.(less)
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