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Fall of Sky City

(Devices of War #1)

S.M. Blooding (Goodreads Author)

3.89 · Rating details · 210 ratings · 61 reviews

In a world governed by the opposing forces of the mystical House of Tarot and the tribal Great Families, Synn is caught in the crossfire. He witnesses the slaughter of innocent people, and the devastating murder of his father. This act awakens his Mark of power, a Mark greater than any the world has seen in a very long time.

Queen Nix thought she won a great prize when she ...more

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Paperback, 2nd Edition, 381 pages

Published April 5th 2012 by Blooding Books

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· 210 ratings · 61 reviews

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May 06, 2012 S.M. Blooding rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

Shelves: steampunk, just-unique, fantasy, new-adult

I love all the books I write, but this one was just fantastically fun because, BOY, did I let my inner geek OUT! LOL!

The world building on this book was fun and amazing. I really hope that what I see is translated onto the page so YOU can see what I do. I really enjoy these characters. They're so courageous and adventurous!

Since this is a self-review *snorting eye roll* I won't wax poetic about it. I enjoyed writing it. A LOT! I hope you enjoy reading it. *grin*

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Oct 07, 2012 Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned-e-books, book-tour, nov-book-tour-2012

I will be honest and say, this book was not for me. But in saying that, it was very well written. SM Blooding did a fantastic job with the world building. I just was never able to adjust to it. It was a bit confusing to me, and it’s all me, not the author. I am one of those type of people who just can’t get into a book if it’s not about something I have interest in, or if it just does not grab me right away. I should have researched the book more before agreeing to do this review; I guess the bl ...more

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Jul 04, 2013 Margo Ander rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Steampunk. Fantasy. Sci-Fi. Adventure—yes, S.M. Blooding melded all four genres into a unique world where they all manage to coexist and provide the environment for this enjoyable new series. It was a fast read with plenty of action and interesting characters.

The pervading conflict revolves around the issue of freedom and government—especially, who sets the rules and how are they enforced. In the past, priests had the upper hand until they became so corrupted the Hands of Tarot rose up to oppose Steampunk. Fantasy. Sci-Fi. Adventure—yes, S.M. Blooding melded all four genres into a unique world where they all manage to coexist and provide the environment for this enjoyable new series. It was a fast read with plenty of action and interesting characters.

The pervading conflict revolves around the issue of freedom and government—especially, who sets the rules and how are they enforced. In the past, priests had the upper hand until they became so corrupted the Hands of Tarot rose up to oppose them, bringing them down and establishing the Hands as the neutral arbiters of justice. Only over the years, they have also become corrupted, and the Hands have decided that only by bringing all the independent Families into their version of civilization—centered on a secret city in the sky—will justice be achieved.

Sky City is dominated by Queen Nix of the Wands, who had been rejected by her Family and adopted by the Wands. Her idea of justice is taking revenge by destroying not just her former Family, but also all the other independent Families. The only people she deems fit to live are children too young to have come into their own mystical powers (if they have any). Those children are adopted into one of the Hands of Tarot: Wands, Swords, Coins, or Cups, depending on how their mystical powers manifest.

When Synn’s Air Family—the Families’ spheres of influence and their complimentary Powers are derived from Earth, Air, Fire, or Water—dares defy Queen Nix, he falls into her hands. Synn is seventeen, long overdue to manifest his Family’s Mark of Power, if he’s going to have one, and too old to be adopted by the Hands of Tarot. Both are reason enough for him to die as an example to others who think they can resist the power of the Hands. But instead of dying, his Mark manifests, spectacularly saving his life, and he is claimed by Queen Nix for her Wands.

Queen Nix is clearly a conflicted antagonist—she claims she only wants to be loved, and she’s determined to prove that she can make anyone, even the unwilling Synn, love her. But her approach to winning him over is with a “carrot-and-stick,” alternating torture with manipulating his teen hormones and being solicitous of his needs—give her what she wants, Synn’s total devotion, and she’ll give him what he wants—knowledge of the Hands’ technology. But he wants it not to satisfy his curiosity, as he pretends, but to take it with him when he finds a way to escape.

Escape isn’t straightforward—the Hands have superior technology and airborne military forces surrounding Sky City—and Queen Nix has a few tricks of her own that fuel her confidence that Synn will never truly escape from her. He uses that confidence to take advantage of an opportunity to not just escape, but take other captives with him, along with a ship-full of “liberated” technology created by those captives. With those weapons and other technological advances, Synn is sure he can turn the tide of the undeclared war against the Families.

But Queen Nix is equally sure that he cannot escape her—and despite all Synn’s efforts to prove otherwise, she may be right. At the end, I was left wondering, who is going to out-smart whom?
...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Phaedra Seabolt rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I haven't read too many steam punk stories, but the description of this one really sparked my interest. I was not disappointed either. This is an amazing book! I don't know if it qualifies as YA, but a mature young teenager (perhaps 12 years old) could read this. I think that it would help foster a bigger imagination if they did. My only complaint is that there's going to be a second book that I now have to wait for.

The story is about Synn El'Asim. He has been groomed his entire like to become c I haven't read too many steam punk stories, but the description of this one really sparked my interest. I was not disappointed either. This is an amazing book! I don't know if it qualifies as YA, but a mature young teenager (perhaps 12 years old) could read this. I think that it would help foster a bigger imagination if they did. My only complaint is that there's going to be a second book that I now have to wait for.

The story is about Synn El'Asim. He has been groomed his entire like to become captain of an airship. He lives with his father on the ship he will someday rule, but his siblings live with their mother on a lethara city. This is because he is a product of two of the Great Families. His father is the ruler of the El'Asim and his mother is the ruler of the Ino. I would say it's easiest to understand if you think of them as tribes. They made created an alliance that resulted in their having kids. Synn's mother kept the ones that she thought would bear the mark of the Ino tribe. His father has Synn and one sister that were thought to have the mark of the El'Asim. Think of marks as hidden magic within their bodies that show up as something similar to a tattoo when they are ready for their powers. Some kids develop marks early in life and others, like Synn, develop very late. When they have their mark, they are able to control some element. Synn's father controlled lightning, while his mother controlled fire. Synn was the last child to develop his mark which you get to read all about. You will see how he has to learn to use it and live with it because his mark is one of the most powerful anyone has seen. They know this simply by how much of his body it covers which is nearly his entire body.

The entire story has elements that I can describe to you, but that really won't make sense out of context. The plot though is that Synn is captured by the ruling class and turned into Queen Nix's plaything. There are four queens, based on the tarot deck. Nix is determined to break his spirit so that he can be completely under her control. She intends to turn him into a weapon to control the world. Synn has other things in mind. You will be shocked what he has to go through to attempt to gain his freedom. You will question whether he will ever be truly free. Will Synn ever be able to be interested in women after the things he has gone through? Will Queen Nix destroy all the Great Families in order to keep her toy? Some questions will not be answered in this book, but you might have a general idea of where they are heading once you finish it. Again, this is an AMAZING story. ...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Carrie Ardoin rated it liked it

Shelves: tour, posted-on-blog, i-own-this

3.5 STARS

Synn El' Asim is the son of two powerful families. But his parents are somewhat disappointed that his Mark of power hasn't shown up yet. Finally though, it does...and it comes at a most unfortunate time.

Because Synn is Marked in an unusual way, he immediately draws the attention of the sultry yet evil Queen of Wands. Synn falls under her spell through none of his own doing, and knows he must find a way to get out of her clutches. With the help of some crafty allies, maybe he can do jus 3.5 STARS

Synn El' Asim is the son of two powerful families. But his parents are somewhat disappointed that his Mark of power hasn't shown up yet. Finally though, it does...and it comes at a most unfortunate time.

Because Synn is Marked in an unusual way, he immediately draws the attention of the sultry yet evil Queen of Wands. Synn falls under her spell through none of his own doing, and knows he must find a way to get out of her clutches. With the help of some crafty allies, maybe he can do just that...but it will be far from easy.

This book was my first foray in steampunk...and it's not exactly what I expected! Not in a bad way though. I will say this book was definitely unlike anything else I've ever read.

The author was quite skilled at world building. This novel takes place in a fantastical setting, and there are really some unique contraptions within! Synn is a bit of an inventor, so the author had some room for creativity when it comes to steampunk machines. The descriptions for everything were so vivid that I had no trouble imagining what objects would look like.

As for characters--well, there I am a little more judgmental. Synn is a hardworking boy that has already seen so much of the world at a very young age. Did I mention that the novel is told in first person, narrated by Synn? I love a male point of view. Nix, however, is a bit more of a quandary for me. I absolutely love that a woman is so powerful in this fantasy world--but she was positively heinous. Why can't a book ever have a dominant woman that also has some redeeming qualities?

I had two main problems with this novel. The first is that it kept throwing terms at me without telling me in any way what they meant. I would eventually figure things out for myself, but often it would be a few pages later and I'd find myself flipping back to reread the first instances of the word. Of course new terminology will be introduced in a novel such as this, but I would have appreciated a bit more definition for them. Secondly, the pacing was somewhat uneven. There were times when things happened so fast, I'd swear I missed something--which again, caused me to go back and reread. Then there were parts where conversations or details were kind of unnecessarily long-winded. I'd sometimes skim paragraphs.

All in all, I think Ms. Blooding did a great job bringing this rich fantasy world to life. I enjoyed the novel and her writing style, and I would be excited to read more from her in the future. ...more

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May 22, 2013 Jennifer Defoy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads

I have never read steampunk before, I’d heard of the genre I’d just never picked it up. So I wasn’t sure what kind of a story it was going to be, but the synopsis sounded good. I am so glad that I decided to try this one. The story was very entertaining. It was exciting, scary, suspenseful, emotional, and adventurous. Within the first 3 chapters I experienced all those emotions – along with awe at the world that was created by this story. I still can’t say that I’m a 100% sure what steampunk is I have never read steampunk before, I’d heard of the genre I’d just never picked it up. So I wasn’t sure what kind of a story it was going to be, but the synopsis sounded good. I am so glad that I decided to try this one. The story was very entertaining. It was exciting, scary, suspenseful, emotional, and adventurous. Within the first 3 chapters I experienced all those emotions – along with awe at the world that was created by this story. I still can’t say that I’m a 100% sure what steampunk is but I will be looking for more in the genre. If the rest of the genre is even half as entertaining as this story was I think I might have found a new favorite genre.

Synn is a wonderful character. He goes through quite a few realizations and transformations through out the story. Fighting with him to make it home, learn what his abilities are, and how he uses them was enough of a story in itself. But there was so much more to this one than just Synn. Queen Nix was a crazy scary character. She is willing to do just about anything to make people break to her will. I would not want to meet her in a dark alley – in an open sky boat in mid air she’s scary enough, no more needs to be added to scare the crap out of me. Some of the things she did made me cringe and I was so engrossed in the story that I was having “sympathy pains”. It was a weird experience – but so well worth it. The rest of the characters are very well developed. Even ones that aren’t in the story very long are given enough background that I really did get a sense of who they were.

Outside of the exciting story and the wonderful characters was the world that Sky City takes place in. It was beautiful. Even in the dark parts of the story I loved this world so much that I didn’t want to put this one down. I used to say I’d love to live in Wonderland if I could live in any fictional place I wanted – but now I would have to say the sky boats and water lands would be a wonderful place to live. Well at least it would be beautiful – living in the same world as Nix is not something I would find enjoyable.

I loved the plot, the characters, the imagery, and the background. I will be checking out steampunk again soon and will absolutely be reading more S.M. Blooding. This was just an amazing story – can’t wait to read the next in the series.

I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for a review. This review is my truthful honest opinion. ...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Jill Swanson-Diaz rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-or-review-copy, on-the-blog, young-adult, dystopian, fantasy, self-published

There is a special guest post from the author up on my blog!
http://littlehyuts.blogspot.com/

I LOVED this book.
I have to start by saying, this book was one that I had a good feeling about. I knew I had to read it the first time I saw a blog post about it. Everything about The Hands of Tarot, caught my attention and gushed originality. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED. Swept up by this story from the first, wonderfully written page, I could not put it down.
The Hands of Tarot has some of the best world bu There is a special guest post from the author up on my blog!
http://littlehyuts.blogspot.com/

I LOVED this book.
I have to start by saying, this book was one that I had a good feeling about. I knew I had to read it the first time I saw a blog post about it. Everything about The Hands of Tarot, caught my attention and gushed originality. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED. Swept up by this story from the first, wonderfully written page, I could not put it down.
The Hands of Tarot has some of the best world building I have read yet. You can picture the air ships and Sky City, even the land beasts the characters encounter. The most important thing to me about a book, is that it transports you into another world when you read it. This book certainly did that for me. Man, do I wish we had air ships! SM Blooding has done an impeccable job with the creation of this world. It is exciting and slightly terrifying all at the same time. Magic and science mingle together perfectly and each character leaps from the pages. One of the most memorable characters, Nix, both disgusted and intrigued me. The terror she unleashes on Synn is unimaginable, yet I was somehow transfixed by her. Strange. My favorite character was Keeley. Her Mark was one of my favorites, giving her the ability to heal. Synn made a strong main character. Let's just say, Synn has quite a 'coming of age' so to speak. From the second he gains his Mark, he is thrust into a whirlwind of bad. But, he manages to come out fighting and transforms into a leader. His journey is as original as it is brilliant. It is one I would follow over and over again.
The beginning, middle and end of this book were equally as amazing. The pace never slows and by the time you reach the end you realize you are sitting at the very edge of your chair, nose practically pressed to the screen. (Or book if you don't have an ereader...) You are left craving more.
The Hands of Tarot is a mix of steampunk, fantasy and science fiction. I can not implore you enough to READ THIS BOOK.
It is riveting and I have NO DOUBT you will love every page.
I look forward to reading more in this series and other titles by SM Blooding. She is an amazing writer and has a mind most of us only dream about having. ...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Naj rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2012

This is my first REAL steam punk book and I honestly didn't think I would like it much. But to my surprise I did like it a lot more than I expected.

At the beginning of the book the story was fairly slow (like most other books) but that doesn't mean you should stop reading. So I kept on reading until I got to the part where action rolled in and Synn, our protagonist, gets captured. I'm amazed of the world Blooding has created and built. It has Sky, Land, and Water Cities. These cities each has i This is my first REAL steam punk book and I honestly didn't think I would like it much. But to my surprise I did like it a lot more than I expected.

At the beginning of the book the story was fairly slow (like most other books) but that doesn't mean you should stop reading. So I kept on reading until I got to the part where action rolled in and Synn, our protagonist, gets captured. I'm amazed of the world Blooding has created and built. It has Sky, Land, and Water Cities. These cities each has its own technologies, language, and a whole different way of life. These worlds remind me a lot of Avatar the Last Airbender and Star Wars, which I both loved wholeheartedly.

I loved the writing style, dialogue and the character development, it went on smoothly, with enough breathing space in between. One thing that worries me about books like these. Is the author's ability to sparingly spread information from one chapter to another. I've read books that slaps on so much information on one page that is way too overwhelming for readers. I hate it when they do that and I was so pleased when Blooding managed to easily and gradually spread how the world works in Hands of Tarot, throughout the whole book rather than compiling them in a prologue or somewhere in between the book. For that, The Hands of Tarot immediately gets 4 stars!

I enjoyed each character in the book (okay, maybe I didn't enjoy Joshua, I don't like how he says "Bloody" in every sentence! Gets annoying but he still cracks me up), my favorite being Ryo, Synn's older brother. Each character comes from a different "Family" that defines their way of life, language and Mark. Marks in this book is something a character gets by the age of 10, that defines the way they fight, or simply the purpose they have in life. Some have water as their mark, or fire, storm, and other elements we have yet to see.

I love the world Blooding has created. She managed to create it in a way that it combines specs of all my favorite movies, books, etc. It's a mixture of young adult fantasy, steam punk, dystopia, sci-fi, paranormal and even some tiny bit of romance. The Hands of Tarot is a diverse book that is intense, a little bit violent, and a whole lot of awesome! I look forward to reading the next book of the series!

...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Rae Ryans rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

In depth world, wonderful and interesting characters, strong, active plot are all words to describe Fall of Sky City.

I love steam punk, I couldn't tell you why, but it's become a favorite sub-genre of fantasy. Perhaps it's the geek in me, falling in love with the technology, Eco-systems, and so forth. Fall of Sky City brought a lot of that to the table, with magic to boot. But what I really loved most of all were the creatures, and the idea of symbiosis that occurred with the Families. It didn't ...more

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May 02, 2013 Stacey Blake rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I really had no idea what to expect when I started reading this book. I had never read a “steam punk” adventure novel. I was transported to another world by descriptions of underwater cities, boats that travel the sky, and the many creatures that inhabit that world. The main character Synn is very likable. He is brave, strong, and does what is right, not what is easy. He is captured and brought to Sky City. Their queen, Nix, makes it her mission to make Synn hers, which she does viciously. He es ...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Angie Lisle rated it really liked it

Action-packed steam-punk.

A highly civilized society called the Hands attempts to suppress the elemental Families who are rebelling under the leadership of Queen Nix.

Ms. Blooding forges mythology and cultural traditions with sci-fi and fantasy to create a vivid world where people inhabit not only the land, but also the skies and the seas. The story starts slowly, the details gradually doled out from the male perspective of the main character, Synn El'Asim, with the implication that there is so ...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Heidi rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2012-books-blogged, ya-fantasy, 2012-ya-mg-fantasy-reading-challeng, blog-tours

If I had to describe this book in one word, I would have to say: intense and violent. The book was darker than most books that I read. So why did I keep reading? In one word, Synn. The courage of the main character amid the horrible things that he endures, his determination to escape despite all the Queen has done to torment him and bind him, which he struggles to deal with, as would anyone compelled me to keep reading. But with the help of family and friends, he faces his fears and decides that ...more

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May 11, 2013 Simone rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-2013

I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. Synn El’Asim is caught in the middle of a war. In an effort to save his best friend’s family, Synn and his father are captured. Synn watches as Nix has his father burned to death. When it’s his turn, his rage causes his mark to come forth. Unfortunately, Nix now wants him as her pet because his mark is the most powerful they have ever seen. Nix is relentless and cruel; Synn gives in to be free of her not knowing the price he ...more

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Jun 26, 2014 Debra Martin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

FALL OF SKY CITY is an ambitious debut for author S.M. Blooding. To start, the cover of this book is phenomenal, very eye-catching. Her world building skills are amazing although I did have a hard time trying trying to picture the letharans, but that did not take away from my enjoyment of the book. The story is a wonderful mix of fantasy and steampunk and moves along at a fast clip.

Because of all the action in the book, I found that some of the secondary characters were a bit flat, Nix, in parti ...more

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Nov 16, 2012 Adele Carrington rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Older teenagers and fans of steam punk

It's been a long time since I read a book cover to cover without putting it down, but this one I did. I loved the characters and the originality of the story-line, the story flowed off the page and I really needed to know what was going to happen. Which I guess is the biggest compliment an author can receive.

I've been a fan of Fantasy Fiction since my teens and my book shelves are loaded with the greats, David Eddings and R. A Salvatore. What is great to see is a generation of female writers com ...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Louisa rated it it was amazing

This was a really fantastic book! Really enjoyed reading it, and it's very unique, though I hope we get a history of how the Hands came to be, which seems like it'll be interesting! Can't wait for the 2nd book and see what's going to happen!!!

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Oct 27, 2012 Edensbookshelf.com rated it liked it

Hands of Tarot is part of a new genre of books – New Adult Fiction. NAF combines elements of Young Adult and Adult Fiction while targeting adults who enjoy reading exciting coming of age stories. Synn El’Asim, our hero, lives in a world in the midst of revolution. An organization called the Hand, overruns tribal families in search of powerful children who have been “marked” with talents or powers. The Hand steals these children and any useful inventions the family/colony may have in its possessi Hands of Tarot is part of a new genre of books – New Adult Fiction. NAF combines elements of Young Adult and Adult Fiction while targeting adults who enjoy reading exciting coming of age stories. Synn El’Asim, our hero, lives in a world in the midst of revolution. An organization called the Hand, overruns tribal families in search of powerful children who have been “marked” with talents or powers. The Hand steals these children and any useful inventions the family/colony may have in its possession, then destroys all remaining members of the family and their villages, towns or cities. The children are then transported to Sky City, a massive floating mechanical city based in the sky and in continual motion. The children are raised together and taught to use their powers for the benefit of the Hand.

In an effort to avoid the Hand, the remaining free people seek to strengthen their alliances with each other while eluding the Hands sentries at all costs. Each family has mastered a particular talent/element that marks its clan and determines where they live. Blooding has created a fantastical collection of living arrangements: cities built within the tentacles of massive man o’war type creatures, floating airships reminiscent of zepellins that travel in groups carrying the members of one large extended family, as well as traditional land dwelling cities and families. Each family has its own language and mark: El-Assim is a sky family that manipulates lightning.

Sky City is ruled by four queens – each corresponding to a house of the tarot deck: wands, coins, cups, swords; and a particular power/element. Queen Nix, Ruler of the House of Wands, strongest of all the queens and marked with the magic of fire has made Synn her pet project. 17 y.o Synn has watched his father and best friend’s family die at Nix’s hands while being helpless to intercede. Synn’s mark has not developed but in spite of this Nix takes an extreme interest in the boy determined to break his will and mold him into her Knight and paramour.

The ensuing chapters are difficult to read detailing months of torture, manipulation and molestation in an effort to break the boy. Synn refuses to bend to Nix’s will and is on the verge of death when a devil’s bargain is struck between the two. Nix allows Synn to attend university under heavy guard believing his need for intellectual stimulation will draw him closer to her. But it is while at university that Synn meets others who have survived the Hands cruelty and together they form a small team intent on overthrowing Nix and dismantling the Hand.

Blooding has created a rich and fantastical world with strong elements of steampunk. Synn’s inner group of confidants are a motley group of orphans with complimentary talents. Blooding plants some seeds for rather tame attractions between the characters here and there but if you are looking for smexy, this book is not for you.

The world building is intense and at times confusing with a broad range of chimeras, languages, living environments, and powers. The allusion to the tarot mentioned in the title is misleading. Outside the use of the symbols for the minor arcana suits to differentiate each of the four queens, the actual tarot, its meaning, legends and fortune telling properties are completely absent from the book. Perhaps this wonderfully clever opportunity will be explored in another book in the series (two more are planned at this time).

In its most bare bones description – this is a story of a boy becoming a brave leader in spite of the adversity and torture he faces. Make no mistake this is not Harry Potter, Percy Jackson or Narnia because much of the torture is way too sexual.

Editorially speaking – the books would benefit from additional editing. It was distracting to have the grammar deteriorate as the book progressed. Unfortunately this is a growing and rather disappointing trend in fiction. The book ends on a cliff hanger that seeks to establish a bridge to the next book in the series.

While world building is wonderfully creative, the characters are rather underdeveloped. I’m not sure that I would recommend this to my sons because the sexual torture is rather downplayed in its significance. But I could see 20 somethings reading this and enjoying it from a fantasy standpoint and less so a true Steampunk mindset. ...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Leah (White Sky Project) rated it liked it

I read this book for a blog tour and didn't realize it was steampunk when I first signed up for it. I saw the word tarot and thought I was in for a dark witchy fantasy. Oh, there's dark stuff alright and magick, too. Plus flying ships and inventions! Yeahboy, steampunk!

Why is it that when you say steampunk, flying ships are always involved? Anyway, that was just a thought. I don't mind flying ships. In fact, I think they're pretty nifty. Like this book.

Quick recap activate! Synn is of the El' As I read this book for a blog tour and didn't realize it was steampunk when I first signed up for it. I saw the word tarot and thought I was in for a dark witchy fantasy. Oh, there's dark stuff alright and magick, too. Plus flying ships and inventions! Yeahboy, steampunk!

Why is it that when you say steampunk, flying ships are always involved? Anyway, that was just a thought. I don't mind flying ships. In fact, I think they're pretty nifty. Like this book.

Quick recap activate! Synn is of the El' Asim family who live on flying ships and whose mark is the storm or the power to wield lightning. Synn also happens to be part Ino family who live on land and whose mark is fire. The Families hide from The Hands who take the families' children and kill anyone they don't need. When Queen Nix of The Hands kills Synn's father, Synn's mark manifests and it's not storm or fire but a powerful combo of the two families' marks. Queen Nix captures Synn and tries to turn him to their side, but it's not that easy.

I thought The Hands of Tarot was fast-paced and exciting from start to finish. I liked the concept of the Families and of each family bearing unique marks, the source of their power. I liked the whole thought of the Marks appearing as intricate tattoos. I also loved the fact that these pretty pretty tattoos come alive whenever the person uses his or her power. Very very cool.

Even though I enjoyed this book, I would have liked more descriptions of the setting and a little more background on the Hands and the Families. A little history on this unique world and its people couldn't hurt. When I was reading the book, it felt like I was expected to already know why things were such, how things were supposed to work, the ways of the families, etc. I like my fantasy worlds larger than life and clear. To me the only things crystal clear in this book were two things: Families good, Hands bad. I would have liked a little more world building. The story was pretty cool and I wanted to be able to imagine and understand the fantastical world of this story.

Other than that little tidbit, this book was a fun read and I wouldn't mind finding out what happens next in the second book. Maybe there'll be more details on the history of the Hands and the Families!

Disclosure: I received a review copy for this tour in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated nor was I required to give a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Blog post here. ...more

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May 06, 2013 Victoria rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: provided-by-author

For this and other reviews please visit my blog:
http://zemfirkablogs.blogspot.com/201...

I received this book compliment of the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you!

"Killer Queen" by Queen

She's a Killer Queen
Gunpowder, guillotine
Dynamite with a laser beam
Guaranteed to blow your mind
Anytime

Welcome aboard! You are about to immerse yourself into the world of steampunk adventures and unique fantasy world building; sail the ships through expanse of cool, windy skies, and dive dee For this and other reviews please visit my blog:
http://zemfirkablogs.blogspot.com/201...

I received this book compliment of the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you!

"Killer Queen" by Queen

She's a Killer Queen
Gunpowder, guillotine
Dynamite with a laser beam
Guaranteed to blow your mind
Anytime

Welcome aboard! You are about to immerse yourself into the world of steampunk adventures and unique fantasy world building; sail the ships through expanse of cool, windy skies, and dive deep into the blue oceans where whole cities have flourished. We follow Synn and his friends on their adventures as they learn to navigate the world amidst a war with an evil Queen Nix, who will stop at nothing to claim Synn as her own.

I find myself quite fortunate having had this book practically fall into my hands, because I enjoyed the story immensely and surprisingly so. At first, the story developed slowly and I dreaded the thought I will not find it interesting or entertaining, but once the first layers of foundation were laid, we were off on a fast-paced adventure ride. Ms. Blooding has managed to masterfully weave her story, devoting a great deal of attention to her unique and incredible world building, where it’s easy to lose oneself in the world of fantasy, adventure, and heroes.

As for heroes, Synn and his friends were quite heroic, interesting and compelling. They felt real, as they learned to work together, struggled to make the right choices, to survive and fight along one another, yet they never forgot to sprinkle everything with a sense of humor and a dash of sarcasm. While young Synn trained to harness his newly emerged magical abilities and was taking the reins of leadership for a trial spin, the evil Queen Nix was close on his heels. Cunning, powerful, and seductive Nix is the villainess to love. Throughout the novel I kept wishing for more sightings of Nix, to witness her evil highness in action, alas there were only glimpses, but I am hopeful we get a good dose of her next time.

“You cannot win, Synn,” she whispered. “You shall be mine.” She rose, leaving me on the floor. “Bring him to my chambers. We’ll see if there’s anything in the boy worth salvaging as a man." (p. 41).

Ultimately, all elements combined made for one great, captivating story and a nice cliffhanger ending, that will leave readers wanting more. I am now eagerly anticipating the second installment and hope that Ms. Blooding is fast at writing…

Happy reading! ...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Pam rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2012

A lot of people are always asking for a new type of book to pick up and read.Well I can say here you go. This is a steampunk book with a dark side, fantastic worlds and magic. Sounds different doesn't it. Synn is a boy who lives in a world were The Hand takes children from their families as soon as their mark appears. Their mark gives them a power that The Hand wants. Synn is a late bloomer and doesn't have a mark or power. It finally appears when the evil Queen Nix kills his father. It couldn' A lot of people are always asking for a new type of book to pick up and read.Well I can say here you go. This is a steampunk book with a dark side, fantastic worlds and magic. Sounds different doesn't it. Synn is a boy who lives in a world were The Hand takes children from their families as soon as their mark appears. Their mark gives them a power that The Hand wants. Synn is a late bloomer and doesn't have a mark or power. It finally appears when the evil Queen Nix kills his father. It couldn't have come at a worse time. It puts him in the eye of Queen Nix and she wants to turn him to her side. He is special because he has a different power than most. Even when the Queen tortures him with all types of horrors he still doesn't break. Synn finds another group of people like him who want one thing. To break free of her evil reign.

Synn is such an amazing character you can not help but want the best for him. He goes through so much torture which you get to read all about. It doesn't break him but makes him so much stronger and really shapes who he becomes. Queen Nix now here we have the perfect villain. She is such an evil woman and lets nothing stand in the way of what she wants. This is someone you can love to hate.

This book started off slow. It was slow enough that I put it down a few times. I didn't want to give up on it so I kept reading. Well once it took off it was so awesome. The author does a fantastic job building up the world you are reading about. From the different cities each with their own culture, technology, and general way of life. As I read more and more the slow beginning made more sense. It was letting you get inside Synn's head before the badness begun. I love the flying airships and all the steam punk aspects you get as you slowly draw yourself into this world. It is told from Synn's POV so that is something you don't get a lot of as well. The Queens are a different touch and I love reading about them. Like I said if you want something new to try here it is. ...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Victoria Limbert rated it it was amazing

Shelves: adventure, magic, reviewed, sci-fi, paranormal, young-adult, will-read-again, dystopia, great-characters, steampunk

Wow! What did I just read?? The story was deliciously complex, full of fear, wonder, magic, gadgets, gizmos, one heck of a psycho Queen and wonderful friends. Every character brought something to the story, each with a unique personality that came to life through the book, each with their own fears to overcome.

I didnt quite expect the story I got. The title/cover hinted at something else entirely...this is in no way a bad thing. The surprise kept me facinated. I loved the fact that S.M Blooding ...more

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Dec 28, 2014 Ash Rowe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I got this book in exchange for an honest review:

I LOVED this book. At first it was a little slow but still interesting. But when Synn finally gets to see just how horrible Queen Nix is and when he gets his “mark” things really start to pick up and it became a book I didn’t put down until I forced myself to at 5am. Only to pick it back up a two hours later to finish it.

S.M Blooding wrote a wonderful world with great detail. Everything was easy to imagine and was not overdone. I loved the places ...more

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Jan 11, 2015 W. Tinkanesh rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Sky City will fall, the readers already know that. What they don't know is the how, and SM Blooding is a twisted writer. Sky City is where the Hands of Tarot live. Mighty families who believe themselves all-powerful and have no problems killing innocent people. Nix, the Queen of Wands, is the cruellest of the lot.

When Nix kills the leader of El'Asim (one of the three remaining Great Families) and captures his son, she thinks she's hit the jackpot. But Synn, broken or not, bonded, or not, will no ...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Julie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copy-other, outdo-yourself-challenge-2013

I've only read about a handful of "steampunk" novels so I'm still a newbie and struggling with the world building. This novel was definitely a struggle for me and I wished I had a dictionary to help me keep up with the types of families and their names and languages. I admit that this was out of my comfort zone and was one of the most complicated worlds I've read. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the giant creatures that they built the cities on/in. I also thought the chapter titles were ...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Krystal Willingham rated it really liked it

The Hands of Tarot started out slow and did not catch my interest at all. It took a lot for me to keep going but I did in hopes things would start to change and maybe I would start to understand this book a little more. Well, the story did get better, it got a lot better actually and I am so glad that I kept reading. Whether I understand anything about the book, the jury is still out but that doesn't really matter. What matters is that Blooding has written an amazing story with the most fascinat ...more

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May 15, 2013 Melissa Haggerty rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Fall of Sky City was an amazing book! That seems like a simple description, but it fits so perfectly.

Synn was such an interesting character. His thoughts and feelings throughout this book were very relateable. Sure I don't live my life on an airship or in a city on a lethara, but I could understand how he was feeling. I don't read many books based on male protagonists but Synn outdid many female protagonists I've read about in the past. He was fierce and incredibly brave.

This entire world that ...more

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Sep 12, 2014 Yashima rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: weight-light, fantasy, steampunk, young-adult, fiction, 2014-read-in

The setting of this book mixes mixes fantastic, sci-fi and steampunk elements into something quite interesting. The marks of the families are a kind of magic and the hands use guns, gunpowder, radar and planes. I find the different families, especially those living in the letharan cities and those in the airships very enjoyable. But good world-building does not necessarily make a good story.

There were long passages that either felt like plot-holes/jumps or felt glossed over. I did not like the w ...more

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Feb 09, 2015 D.M. Cain rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wow, what a story! I read and review a lot of books and only a few of them grab me the way Fall of Sky City did. I loved it from start to finish and felt an encroaching depression as I neared the end. I sincerely did not want to part ways with characters I had invested so much in. But the ending did not disappoint. Far from it – it left me desperately wanting more!

This is usually the part of a review where I pick out a few amazing parts and a few things I felt the author could have done better. ...more

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Sep 20, 2012 M.G. Wells rated it really liked it

Thrilling, Sci-Fi Fantasy!

THE HANDS OF TAROT by SM Blooding is a dark, enthralling, intense tale revolving around Synn, an unfortunate protagonist who lives in an idyllic society. Synn does his best to save his world, the Hands. Unfortunately, his life is challenged by the wicked Queen Nix...a heartless, power-mongering beast.

I'm a slow reader, so I paced myself in order to grasp all the elements of this complex story. I admire authors who take the time to create diverse colorful characters, de ...more

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May 15, 2013 Pauline Creeden rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

5-Stars – From the air ships kept afloat by sky jellyfish to the underwater cities, this fantasy – steampunk amalgam has fabulous, stunning world-building. From the natural-forming tattoos on the backs of the powerful to the power behind the words of a promise, the motivations of the characters and the progression of the plot are clear and cunningly done.

I am not a huge epic fantasy buff, but I do enjoy Terry Goodkind and Brent Weeks. In the realm of fantasy, S. M. Blooding can set her books rig ...more

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Ask Frankie About...: Plot	5	4	Jun 05, 2013 01:52PM
Ask Frankie About...: World Building	1	2	Jun 05, 2013 09:35AM
Ask Frankie About...: Characters	1	2	Jun 05, 2013 09:34AM
Pump Up Your Book: New Book for Review: YA Steampunk 'The Hands of Tarot' by SM Blooding	1	12	Jul 09, 2012 09:53PM

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About S.M. Blooding

S.M. Blooding

577 followers

Frankie Blooding lives in beautiful Montana with her darling husband, Captain Alaska, and their demon cat, Tesla.

She’s dated vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, weapons smugglers and US Government assassins. Yes. She has stories.