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Lily Marin - three short steampunk stories
Three short stories about Lily Marin, a singer in the steampunk era, who has a mysterious other life.
Nook
First published January 17, 2011
5 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Paul Kater
103 books43 followersPaul Kater was born in the Netherlands in 1960. He quickly developed a feel for languages but did not pursue a career in those as his native language, Dutch, did not offer many options in that time.
After learning far too much about computers he started to make a living with them. During all that time he always wrote short stories, little things to entertain family and friends and also himself with.
Since 2003 he's been writing more seriously, first posting his scribblings on an amateur writer's mailing list, and then publishing shorter and longer stories on the internet. Due to the international character of the Internet, all Paul's stories so far are written in English. The best known books he wrote are the Hilda the Wicked Witch series.
Paul currently lives in Cuijk, in the Netherlands, with his books and the many characters he's developed in the past years, who claim he is a figment of their imagination.
After learning far too much about computers he started to make a living with them. During all that time he always wrote short stories, little things to entertain family and friends and also himself with.
Since 2003 he's been writing more seriously, first posting his scribblings on an amateur writer's mailing list, and then publishing shorter and longer stories on the internet. Due to the international character of the Internet, all Paul's stories so far are written in English. The best known books he wrote are the Hilda the Wicked Witch series.
Paul currently lives in Cuijk, in the Netherlands, with his books and the many characters he's developed in the past years, who claim he is a figment of their imagination.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
September 3, 2024
Interesting, unique, fun.
February 9, 2025
Enjoyed the read
I would rate this as a 3.5 out of 5 stars. The story was decent. There were a couple moments that I felt like the explanation was a little all over the place; however, it wasn’t bad for a short story.
I would rate this as a 3.5 out of 5 stars. The story was decent. There were a couple moments that I felt like the explanation was a little all over the place; however, it wasn’t bad for a short story.
October 30, 2018
Love this book I was able to sit and read it before I went to sleep
September 5, 2021
Entertaining... worth a read.
September 14, 2013
Lily Marin - Three Short Steampunk Stories is about a woman in the Victorian era who lives a double life. Through the day we see her as a normal lady who sings in the clubs, but at night her alter-ego, The Masked Woman comes out to play.
The first two stories that we read gives us a basic idea of who Lily Marin is, just barely though. We know who her friend is, we know she enjoy's singing and we also know that she is very righteous. The other side, The Masked Woman, is something else, we know it's just a persona that Lily put on, that she was created due to something that went wrong, but she uses it to help aid the police - even though the police aren't thankful for that.
Given that the first two stories are meant to cement Lily Marin into our minds as a character, to make her come to life, the author failed at that, she just seemed so bland and rather what a lot of writer try to do already with women, make them independent and although acting like meek women they are anything but. Lily could have been a much stronger character if she was just given a bit more of a personality. She also could have been better if the origin of how she came to become The Masked Woman was revealed slowly throughout the stories instead of having the last story reveal it to us, which would have been better served at the start or even in the middle of the book.
The characters that The Masked woman has to face are a bit bland too, the only one who was rather interesting was the Doctor is the last story, the other's were boring and didn't have any real motive revealed as to why they were doing what they did, and I have to say 'The Angel' motive story was rather bland and petty to be of a great impact.
The stories aren't terrible, but they could have been so much more, lily Marin could be so much more of a character that what she appeared in these three stories.
The first two stories that we read gives us a basic idea of who Lily Marin is, just barely though. We know who her friend is, we know she enjoy's singing and we also know that she is very righteous. The other side, The Masked Woman, is something else, we know it's just a persona that Lily put on, that she was created due to something that went wrong, but she uses it to help aid the police - even though the police aren't thankful for that.
Given that the first two stories are meant to cement Lily Marin into our minds as a character, to make her come to life, the author failed at that, she just seemed so bland and rather what a lot of writer try to do already with women, make them independent and although acting like meek women they are anything but. Lily could have been a much stronger character if she was just given a bit more of a personality. She also could have been better if the origin of how she came to become The Masked Woman was revealed slowly throughout the stories instead of having the last story reveal it to us, which would have been better served at the start or even in the middle of the book.
The characters that The Masked woman has to face are a bit bland too, the only one who was rather interesting was the Doctor is the last story, the other's were boring and didn't have any real motive revealed as to why they were doing what they did, and I have to say 'The Angel' motive story was rather bland and petty to be of a great impact.
The stories aren't terrible, but they could have been so much more, lily Marin could be so much more of a character that what she appeared in these three stories.
March 14, 2012
On my review blog, I gave this a 2.5 which translates to a 2 Star on GR.
* * *
Apparently, I'm on a steampunk kick. Anyways. This story (or stories, more appropriately) is a little weird for me. Because the author writes competently. The idea of the story and of Lily was intriguing. I thought the wealth of gizmos was a little over the top and hokey, but I didn't mind it that much.
This wasn't a bad set of stories, but I'm not really sure I feel like I can say it was good either. It fell flat for me, and I'm not entirely sure why. The setting and the character both didn't get to me, one way or the other, for better or for worse. There was no emotional connection, even to the point of disliking it. I just didn't feel it.
The words were all laced together well in a technical sense, but the emotion that should be driving it wasn't there for me. It just gave me a real disconnect reading these stories, and by the end of the third one, I didn't really care much about Lily or her goals or her world, which leads me to give this set of short stories a 2.5.
* * *
Apparently, I'm on a steampunk kick. Anyways. This story (or stories, more appropriately) is a little weird for me. Because the author writes competently. The idea of the story and of Lily was intriguing. I thought the wealth of gizmos was a little over the top and hokey, but I didn't mind it that much.
This wasn't a bad set of stories, but I'm not really sure I feel like I can say it was good either. It fell flat for me, and I'm not entirely sure why. The setting and the character both didn't get to me, one way or the other, for better or for worse. There was no emotional connection, even to the point of disliking it. I just didn't feel it.
The words were all laced together well in a technical sense, but the emotion that should be driving it wasn't there for me. It just gave me a real disconnect reading these stories, and by the end of the third one, I didn't really care much about Lily or her goals or her world, which leads me to give this set of short stories a 2.5.
June 6, 2012
I have to say, from reading the other reviewers I didn't think I would like these little short stories; but at least they were very enjoyable. They are not the best out there, but certainly far from the worse; at least the story had a plot :-) The main character is named Lily and she wants to be a singer, where as her family wanted her to marry and have children. She soon realizes she will have to give up a lot more than she has expected to live her dream. Poor Lily didn’t know what her “doctor” had planned for her, her body and her voice. : -) Cute stories and they served their purpose on my end, a quick read in between long novels: -) I do believe that if the writer continues, I do believe his or her future works will be grand!!!
November 6, 2012
Totally loved this set of three short stories. Lily Marin is a great character and was fantastic. Very occasionally I noticed the odd sentence structure that seemed to indicate a foreign author not writing in their native language but nothing too jarring and the book was so awesome in every other respect it's nothing worth quibbling over.
Have added the next set of shorts about this character to my to-read pile and I very much look forward to delving into her world of inventions and mystery all over again.
Have added the next set of shorts about this character to my to-read pile and I very much look forward to delving into her world of inventions and mystery all over again.
February 23, 2013
I think I was expecting something different with these. Stories seem to be completely out of context, like pieces of bigger story. They aren't bad, just not too interesting.
I liked Lily's double personality - typical superhero. And the explanation to her special abilities - crazy experiment, it felt like one of Marvel characters. I think the steampunk setting didn't really caught my attention. I'm still getting used to this genre though.
I liked Lily's double personality - typical superhero. And the explanation to her special abilities - crazy experiment, it felt like one of Marvel characters. I think the steampunk setting didn't really caught my attention. I'm still getting used to this genre though.
January 10, 2020
These shorts combined three elements I really like into one: Performance Art, Steam-punk; Action Heroine.
Lily Marin is all of these and more, with a dash of romance thrown in. (But it is clean romance.)
If you are even slightly curious about steam-punk, this freebie might be a good way of finding out if you would really enjoy it. These stories are quick reads, and give a good overall feeling of way steam-punk is all about.
Three stars.
Lily Marin is all of these and more, with a dash of romance thrown in. (But it is clean romance.)
If you are even slightly curious about steam-punk, this freebie might be a good way of finding out if you would really enjoy it. These stories are quick reads, and give a good overall feeling of way steam-punk is all about.
Three stars.
April 14, 2012
I like Kater's Hilda stories. Maybe these short stories are too short. Maybe a novelette would be better suited to Lily.
Here I go again, giving unsolicted advice to the guy who wrote the book. Like I could do half so well, which I could not.
Love ya, Paul.
Here I go again, giving unsolicted advice to the guy who wrote the book. Like I could do half so well, which I could not.
Love ya, Paul.
April 16, 2015
Some interesting steampunk trappings on a set of stories that unfortunately had no depth, character development, or world-building. I might not mind reading a full novella about this character, but there would need to be some actual substance to it.
September 14, 2013
downloaded this as a free e book. did not even know steam punk was a literary style.
well, I needed something light but i found ot a bit bland, always felt something was missing. But it reminded me of this masked heroins I used ro love as a lid.
well, I needed something light but i found ot a bit bland, always felt something was missing. But it reminded me of this masked heroins I used ro love as a lid.
September 16, 2015
Continuation of Lily Marin short stories.
I like these short stories because they are just the right length for a quick read at break. This set is not as strong as the first one, but just as enjoyable.
I thin kit's best to read from book one and in order.
Three stars.
I like these short stories because they are just the right length for a quick read at break. This set is not as strong as the first one, but just as enjoyable.
I thin kit's best to read from book one and in order.
Three stars.
March 20, 2011
The concept is interesting- a steampunk superhero- but the writing is flat and stilted and... just not good. On the bright side, with sufficient practice and effort writing can improve. Someday.
March 1, 2015
This collection of 3 short stories had potential, but I felt it fell a little flat.
While all three stories were connected by the main character, they felt a bit disjointed.
While all three stories were connected by the main character, they felt a bit disjointed.
December 7, 2011
The third story disrupted the flow and could have been handled/placed better.
April 30, 2012
Some truly great ideas for a steampunk novel, however the author uses the omniscient voice without regard to the content of the tales. Lily is unique and very underdeveloped.
November 6, 2012
These are entertaining and reasonably well told stories. The work suffers from a lack of editing and some repetitious word selection. Otherwise it would have earned a higher rating.
May 10, 2013
Viktoriánska superhrdinka a obeť experimentu šialeného doktora, to je všetko fajn, ale viem si predstaviť, že by to celé fungovalo lepšie ako komiks.
October 8, 2013
Kater is always a fun read, a great choice for something light & fun!
February 17, 2014
Free kobo download.
Quick read, looking forward to book two for some answers.
Quick read, looking forward to book two for some answers.
July 27, 2016
very short, confusing in spots, but worth a read.
June 5, 2017
Excuse me but...why is this considered steampunk?
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews