Review: TICKER by Lisa Mantchev

There are just so many things to love in TICKER by Lisa Mantchev that I don’t know where to start. It’s steampunky goodness, with mystery and scandal and fun tech and all the subversion that a girl could want in a spunky heroine.  I had so much fun reading TICKER. Here’s why:

1. There aforementioned spunky heroine isn’t afraid to take down the boys. Literally. I think her first encounter with the “hero” is slamming straight into him and attacking him with her “pixii” which, so far as I can tell, is something like a miniature steampunk lightsaber.

Skyscape, December 2014.

2. I say “hero” because there are multiple heroes. There’s the leading lady, Penny Farthing, who does her share of kicking ass, Buffy/Scully/Starbuck style. And there’s her brother, who is basically steampunk Q, making some super gadgets and doing his best to keep Penny from overworking her clockwork heart (heart attacks are bad, y’all). And then there’s Penny’s BFF who runs a bakery and has adorable tattoos. And then there’s Penny’s brother’s BFF who can ply anyone in town with either money or  charm — and he doesn’t discriminate when it comes to charming either gender.

3. Did I mention the heart attacks? Penny has a clockwork heart. Which means she really probably shouldn’t be riding around on her motorbike and chasing down badguys. But when it turns out that her parents seem to have been kidnapped by the man who MADE her clockwork heart, she’s not going to take that lying down. Plus, as the kids say these days, you only live once, and Penny doesn’t want to waste what time she has left.

4. And then there’s the dude who’s leading the police force. He makes Penny’s heart go pitter pat. Or tickety tock. But she can’t tell what side he’s on. Hence the pixii attack. Among other things.

5. In case you couldn’t tell from items 1-4, these characters are 100% real. They make mistakes, they have ambitions. They have loves and losses and talents and disasterous flaws.

There isn’t a slow moment in this book. Not one. Which makes this book one you absolutely must not miss. MUST NOT. I really hope there are futher books in this universe. Lisa Mantchev is a genius. Fantasy and sci fi readers alike will enjoy this. And I’d like to think that contemporary readers will dig it as well. Someone give TICKER some awards already!