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Sensibility Grey #1
Die Tochter des Uhrmachers (Steam and Sensibility - German)
Mit Volldampf voraus.
Kalifornisches Territorium, 1848. Gold wurde entdeckt, und ein Dorf namens San Franzisco ist wie leergefegt, weil alle Männer dem Rausch verfallen den Ort verlassen haben. Dampfbetriebene Technologie steckt noch in den Kinderschuhen.
Die neunzehnjährige Engländerin Sensibility Grey hat ihre Kindheit und Jugend damit verbracht, im Labor ihres Vaters zu spielen und dabei die feine englische Lebensart verpasst. Aber als ihr Vater völlig verarmt stirbt, wird sie nach San Franzisco in die Obhut eines Onkels geschickt, den sie noch nie im Leben gesehen hat.
Das kalifornische Territorium hält so viele Gefahren bereit, dass selbst die unbezähmbare Miss Grey an ihre Grenzen stößt. Verfolgt von Regierungsagenten, einem Geheimbund und dem rätselhaften Mr. Night muss Sensibility die seltsamen Aufzeichnungen ihres Vaters entziffern, nicht ahnend, dass sie damit die Welt für immer verändern wird.
Zauber, Zorn und Zerstörung. DIE TOCHTER DES ERFINDERS ist ein Pre-Steampunk-Roman voller Spannung, der im kalifornischen wilden Westen zur Zeit des Goldrausches spielt.
Über die Autorin:
Kirsten Weiss war fast zwanzig Jahre im Ausland tätig, darunter in der ehemaligen Sowjetunion, in Afrika und in Südostasien. Ihre dortigen Erfahrungen weckten ihr Interesse für die Wirkung von Mystizismus und Mythologie auf unser Alltagsleben.
Heute lebt sie in San Mateo, Kalifornien und mischt in ihren genre-übergreifenden Romanen Steampunk-Spannung und Urban Fantasy mit ihren eigenen Erlebnissen und Fantasien. Heraus kommt eine lebendige Welt des Zaubers und der Zerstörung.
Kirsten Weiss ist noch nie einem Dessert begegnet, das ihr nicht geschmeckt hat, und ihr heimliches Laster ist es, sich bei einem Glas Rotwein Wiederholungen der Fernsehserie Stimmen aus dem Jenseits anzusehen.
Kalifornisches Territorium, 1848. Gold wurde entdeckt, und ein Dorf namens San Franzisco ist wie leergefegt, weil alle Männer dem Rausch verfallen den Ort verlassen haben. Dampfbetriebene Technologie steckt noch in den Kinderschuhen.
Die neunzehnjährige Engländerin Sensibility Grey hat ihre Kindheit und Jugend damit verbracht, im Labor ihres Vaters zu spielen und dabei die feine englische Lebensart verpasst. Aber als ihr Vater völlig verarmt stirbt, wird sie nach San Franzisco in die Obhut eines Onkels geschickt, den sie noch nie im Leben gesehen hat.
Das kalifornische Territorium hält so viele Gefahren bereit, dass selbst die unbezähmbare Miss Grey an ihre Grenzen stößt. Verfolgt von Regierungsagenten, einem Geheimbund und dem rätselhaften Mr. Night muss Sensibility die seltsamen Aufzeichnungen ihres Vaters entziffern, nicht ahnend, dass sie damit die Welt für immer verändern wird.
Zauber, Zorn und Zerstörung. DIE TOCHTER DES ERFINDERS ist ein Pre-Steampunk-Roman voller Spannung, der im kalifornischen wilden Westen zur Zeit des Goldrausches spielt.
Über die Autorin:
Kirsten Weiss war fast zwanzig Jahre im Ausland tätig, darunter in der ehemaligen Sowjetunion, in Afrika und in Südostasien. Ihre dortigen Erfahrungen weckten ihr Interesse für die Wirkung von Mystizismus und Mythologie auf unser Alltagsleben.
Heute lebt sie in San Mateo, Kalifornien und mischt in ihren genre-übergreifenden Romanen Steampunk-Spannung und Urban Fantasy mit ihren eigenen Erlebnissen und Fantasien. Heraus kommt eine lebendige Welt des Zaubers und der Zerstörung.
Kirsten Weiss ist noch nie einem Dessert begegnet, das ihr nicht geschmeckt hat, und ihr heimliches Laster ist es, sich bei einem Glas Rotwein Wiederholungen der Fernsehserie Stimmen aus dem Jenseits anzusehen.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 17, 2014
34 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
Kirsten Weiss
111 books1,301 followersKirsten Weiss writes laugh-out-loud, page-turning mysteries. Her heroines aren’t perfect, but they’re smart, they struggle, and they succeed. Kirsten writes in a house high on a hill in the Colorado woods and occasionally ventures out for wine and chocolate. Or for a visit to the local pie shop.
She is best known for her cozy and witch mystery novels. So if you like funny, action-packed mysteries with complicated heroines, just turn the page…
Kirsten sends out original short stories of mystery and magic to her mailing list. If you’d like to get them delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for her newsletter at kirstenweiss.com
Feel free to follow her on Twitter @KirstenWeiss or Bookbub, get in touch on Facebook, post a picture of this book to Instagram and tag her @kirstenweissauthor, or send her an email. She’ll answer you personally…which may be a good or a bad thing, depending on your perspective.
She is best known for her cozy and witch mystery novels. So if you like funny, action-packed mysteries with complicated heroines, just turn the page…
Kirsten sends out original short stories of mystery and magic to her mailing list. If you’d like to get them delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for her newsletter at kirstenweiss.com
Feel free to follow her on Twitter @KirstenWeiss or Bookbub, get in touch on Facebook, post a picture of this book to Instagram and tag her @kirstenweissauthor, or send her an email. She’ll answer you personally…which may be a good or a bad thing, depending on your perspective.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 22, 2025
Steam and Sensibility is a fascinating steampunk mystery set during the California gold rush.
Sensibility Grey is a 19 year old woman from England who has been left destitute by her father’s death. Hoping for a fresh start, with her uncle in mind to become her protector, Sensibility heads to the California territory by ship. Her uncle is of course no where to be seen... Once there, a master plot slowly unfolds making Sensibility question her father’s choices and leaving her to her own wits…fighting for her life.
While the California Territory, without solicitation, Mr. Kreig Night takes on the role of Sensibility’s protector…even though she doesn’t know who she can trust.
I found Steam and Sensibility a fast pace and fun steampunk read. It brings in elements of magic, machinery and manacle plans of world domination. (Cue the evil laugh) I enjoyed this story and hope there is more to come of Weiss’s Sensibility Grey world.
I received this copy of Steam and Sensibility from Kirsten Weiss in exchange for a honest review.
Sensibility Grey is a 19 year old woman from England who has been left destitute by her father’s death. Hoping for a fresh start, with her uncle in mind to become her protector, Sensibility heads to the California territory by ship. Her uncle is of course no where to be seen... Once there, a master plot slowly unfolds making Sensibility question her father’s choices and leaving her to her own wits…fighting for her life.
While the California Territory, without solicitation, Mr. Kreig Night takes on the role of Sensibility’s protector…even though she doesn’t know who she can trust.
I found Steam and Sensibility a fast pace and fun steampunk read. It brings in elements of magic, machinery and manacle plans of world domination. (Cue the evil laugh) I enjoyed this story and hope there is more to come of Weiss’s Sensibility Grey world.
I received this copy of Steam and Sensibility from Kirsten Weiss in exchange for a honest review.
January 18, 2017
I read my first "steampunk" type of book before Christmas and liked the concept of the clockwork machines so when I saw this for free I was determined to try it. Technically, this is not really steampunk but it's close enough for me to call it that. Sensibility is a young lady whose father has died and his friends collected enough money to send her from England to San Francisco to be under the care of her uncle. Unfortunately her uncle has been kidnapped by a group who want to use him to get Sensibility to hand over her father's journal which contains diagrams and explanation of his discoveries and inventions. Sensibility finds herself on the run and not knowing who to trust. She is quite inventive herself and I like how this genre views females in the non-stereotypical way -- Sensibility is a scientist and an inventor herself. I loved the character's feisty attitude and her wit and intelligence. It was fun to read about her creation of an automaton and the whole concept of such machines. Sensibility has goggles and there is a great explanation of how and why they are used. This is the first in the series of three and I am looking forward to reading the other two books.
November 7, 2017
Tenía ganas de leer algo de steampunk, un mundo que me encanta y que hizo que adquiriera dos libros de esta autora. Empecé a leer este y después de cinco capítulos me ha sido imposible seguir adelante.
En algunos libros, el problema es la ortografía o incluso alguna expresión. En este caso se trata de la traducción realizada. Al estar publicado por una editorial me esperaba mucho más, pero según vas leyendo notas que lo único que han hecho ha sido meterlo en un traductor de internet y lo han publicado así tal cual. Y es una lástima porque el libro prometía.
Hay varios ejemplos. Os dejo tres:
1. Frases sin pies ni cabeza.
2. Frases mal hechas.
3. Y palabras sinsentido que impiden comprender la frase en sí.
Vamos, que este libro ha sido un QUIERO Y NO PUEDO. ¡Qué lástima! Hace mucho que no leo en inglés, pero creo que me haré con ella en inglés más adelante.
Y vosotros, ¿habéis leído alguno este libro? ¿En inglés o español?
En algunos libros, el problema es la ortografía o incluso alguna expresión. En este caso se trata de la traducción realizada. Al estar publicado por una editorial me esperaba mucho más, pero según vas leyendo notas que lo único que han hecho ha sido meterlo en un traductor de internet y lo han publicado así tal cual. Y es una lástima porque el libro prometía.
Hay varios ejemplos. Os dejo tres:
1. Frases sin pies ni cabeza.
2. Frases mal hechas.
3. Y palabras sinsentido que impiden comprender la frase en sí.
Vamos, que este libro ha sido un QUIERO Y NO PUEDO. ¡Qué lástima! Hace mucho que no leo en inglés, pero creo que me haré con ella en inglés más adelante.
Y vosotros, ¿habéis leído alguno este libro? ¿En inglés o español?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2021
I like Kirsten Weiss. This is the fifth series she writes that I've tried. Each one is unique in voice, with one main premise of a single woman on her own using her smarts to get things done. In this series, set in a steampunk world, Sensibility is in California looking for her uncle after her father dies. Everyone thinks she needs someone to take care of her, even she thinks so since it's the norm. She really doesn't, she just needs to find her footing.
The reader finds, a little at a time, that Sensibility can hold her own with inventions and eluding the bad guys.
There's a mystery,not everyone is who they seem to be, it's quite good world-building. And I really like the author. She's one of my top ten favorites.
I can recommend the book and series and definitely recommend the author.
The reader finds, a little at a time, that Sensibility can hold her own with inventions and eluding the bad guys.
There's a mystery,not everyone is who they seem to be, it's quite good world-building. And I really like the author. She's one of my top ten favorites.
I can recommend the book and series and definitely recommend the author.
March 15, 2017
3.5 stars
February 27, 2017
I don’t read enough steampunk. I say that about things a lot….I don’t read enough mystery or crime or fantasy…..and now steampunk. But it’s true. I really don’t read enough steampunk. What I read, I always end up really enjoying and it always makes me make a note to find more books like it. But then that somehow gets lost in a pile of other books. I see a lot less steampunk novels, so I need to make more of an effort to seek them out.
Sensibility Grey is 19 and has recently just lost her father. She’s being sent to San Francisco, to her uncle only when she arrives and disembarks from her ship, he isn’t there. Several other people are though – a mysterious woman who claims to be a government agent, a dandy who claims to have her uncle and seems to want something he’s convinced Sensibility has in return, and a mysterious man. Sensibility needs to decide quite quickly what she’s going to do in this strange place where there are hardly any men. The men are all off making their fortune on the goldfields leaving behind a town of mostly women and a state not too far from anarchy.
From the moment Sensibility touches her feet on land, the book is fast-paced with plenty of action as one thing after the other seems to happen. It’s a game of cat and mouse between Sensibility and the government agent against the dandy, who wants the papers Sensibility rescued from her father’s things before the creditors took everything. Her father was a brilliant scientist who seems to have discovered something very important and a secret society will stop at nothing to have the notes on his work. They are heavily encrypted but no one knew her father and his work better than Sensibility herself, who grew up tinkering in his workshops. She’s actually very talented although she doesn’t yet see what she is capable of. Sensibility believes she can decrypt the papers although she’ll need some time, which they might not have as the dandy keeps threatening her uncle’s life.
I really liked Sensibility. She’s very young and she’s also very out of her comfort zone and she’s also grieving the loss of her only parent. I’m not sure what happened to her mother but it’s quite clear that it was the two of them for a very long time and his loss has definitely devastated her but in that sort of English young lady “well we must go on” sort of way. She is also learning that there was a whole side of her father that she never knew, that he was connected to this secret society, who are most decidedly nefarious. Sensibility is never quite sure who she can trust as it seems that there are plenty of games being played and some bluffing back and forth but I think she knows who she wants to trust.
This has an original publication date of 2014 and there are actually two further books in this series already published. I enjoyed this enough to definitely pick those up and see what is next for Sensibility and the friends she made.
Sensibility Grey is 19 and has recently just lost her father. She’s being sent to San Francisco, to her uncle only when she arrives and disembarks from her ship, he isn’t there. Several other people are though – a mysterious woman who claims to be a government agent, a dandy who claims to have her uncle and seems to want something he’s convinced Sensibility has in return, and a mysterious man. Sensibility needs to decide quite quickly what she’s going to do in this strange place where there are hardly any men. The men are all off making their fortune on the goldfields leaving behind a town of mostly women and a state not too far from anarchy.
From the moment Sensibility touches her feet on land, the book is fast-paced with plenty of action as one thing after the other seems to happen. It’s a game of cat and mouse between Sensibility and the government agent against the dandy, who wants the papers Sensibility rescued from her father’s things before the creditors took everything. Her father was a brilliant scientist who seems to have discovered something very important and a secret society will stop at nothing to have the notes on his work. They are heavily encrypted but no one knew her father and his work better than Sensibility herself, who grew up tinkering in his workshops. She’s actually very talented although she doesn’t yet see what she is capable of. Sensibility believes she can decrypt the papers although she’ll need some time, which they might not have as the dandy keeps threatening her uncle’s life.
I really liked Sensibility. She’s very young and she’s also very out of her comfort zone and she’s also grieving the loss of her only parent. I’m not sure what happened to her mother but it’s quite clear that it was the two of them for a very long time and his loss has definitely devastated her but in that sort of English young lady “well we must go on” sort of way. She is also learning that there was a whole side of her father that she never knew, that he was connected to this secret society, who are most decidedly nefarious. Sensibility is never quite sure who she can trust as it seems that there are plenty of games being played and some bluffing back and forth but I think she knows who she wants to trust.
This has an original publication date of 2014 and there are actually two further books in this series already published. I enjoyed this enough to definitely pick those up and see what is next for Sensibility and the friends she made.
August 8, 2017
“Steam and Sensibility” eBook was published in 2016 and was written by Kirsten Weiss (http://www.kirstenweiss.com). Ms. Weiss has published 20 novels.
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in the mid 1800’s just as gold was discovered in California. The primary character of the story is young Miss Sensibiliy Grey.
After the death of her inventor father, Gray travels to the primitive port of San Francisco to be with her uncle. Little known to her, she has secrets of her fathers inventions that others are willing to kill to obtain. She must both avoid those obviously out to take her and her secrets, as well as sort out who amongst her newly made friends she can really trust. She also finds that she learned far more from her father than her previous ‘tinkering’ led her to believe.
This was an enjoyable, quick 3.5 hour read of this 234 page Steam Punk tale. This isn’t the best Steam Punk novel I have read, but it wasn’t bad. It really just touches the surface of what could draw into a true Alternate History based upon the ‘discoveries’ Ms Gray has found. As expected, there is a touch of romance in the story. The cover art is a good selection. I give this novel a 3.5 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in the mid 1800’s just as gold was discovered in California. The primary character of the story is young Miss Sensibiliy Grey.
After the death of her inventor father, Gray travels to the primitive port of San Francisco to be with her uncle. Little known to her, she has secrets of her fathers inventions that others are willing to kill to obtain. She must both avoid those obviously out to take her and her secrets, as well as sort out who amongst her newly made friends she can really trust. She also finds that she learned far more from her father than her previous ‘tinkering’ led her to believe.
This was an enjoyable, quick 3.5 hour read of this 234 page Steam Punk tale. This isn’t the best Steam Punk novel I have read, but it wasn’t bad. It really just touches the surface of what could draw into a true Alternate History based upon the ‘discoveries’ Ms Gray has found. As expected, there is a touch of romance in the story. The cover art is a good selection. I give this novel a 3.5 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
October 18, 2019
I enjoyed the Tea and Tarot mysteries, so I thought I'd take a chance on this series by Kirsten Weiss. I enjoy Steampunk, so it seemed like a good series to try and I was not disappointed.
Sensibility Grey is a scientist and inventor in the late 1800s. She's been living in Lima, Peru with her father but his death has left her in a difficult situation. Her father's friends put together the money to send her to her uncle in San Francisco. It's the only option for a respectable young woman, she must have a male protector.
Sensibility doesn't realize just how much she has been sheltered until she reaches San Francisco. Most of the men have left for the gold fields. Worse than that, someone seems to be after her and the first person she meets is a government agent named Jane who runs a gambling hell. Her uncle has been kidnapped for a journal of her father's. Now it's up to Sensibility to figure out how to translate the journal, get her uncle back and not let the bad guys get the information which could change everything.
Sensibility Grey is a scientist and inventor in the late 1800s. She's been living in Lima, Peru with her father but his death has left her in a difficult situation. Her father's friends put together the money to send her to her uncle in San Francisco. It's the only option for a respectable young woman, she must have a male protector.
Sensibility doesn't realize just how much she has been sheltered until she reaches San Francisco. Most of the men have left for the gold fields. Worse than that, someone seems to be after her and the first person she meets is a government agent named Jane who runs a gambling hell. Her uncle has been kidnapped for a journal of her father's. Now it's up to Sensibility to figure out how to translate the journal, get her uncle back and not let the bad guys get the information which could change everything.
February 19, 2017
**I voluntarily reviewed this book**
This was a good book, but at times it felt like it dragged a little. I did prefer the writing in this book over the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum series, but it wasn't as good as other steampunk series I've read. The story was interesting, but Sensibility isn't my favorite character. Rather than being a strong character, she just lets everyone tell her what to do. I found the other characters to be more interesting than Sensibility, even though as the main character she should be more likeable.
This was a good book, but at times it felt like it dragged a little. I did prefer the writing in this book over the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum series, but it wasn't as good as other steampunk series I've read. The story was interesting, but Sensibility isn't my favorite character. Rather than being a strong character, she just lets everyone tell her what to do. I found the other characters to be more interesting than Sensibility, even though as the main character she should be more likeable.
November 4, 2018
This is a story about a young woman dealing with the loss of her father, moving to a new country filled with lawlessness, and discovering not only herself but possible love and beginning to question her father’s motives and choices. As far as a coming of age tale, this is a wonderful book. As far as a love story, it falls short but has potential for the next book. It is a decent steampunk story, or really a very early beginning of the steampunk “era.” I really enjoyed it, though some areas dragged very slowly. Worth a read.
March 22, 2017
I selected this book because the title mirrored that of one of my favorite authors, Jane Austen. Although Sensibility was proper, those around her were not and yet she followed where they pushed. This was an engrossing read (I wanted to know who was trustworthy), but her inability to apply her obvious intelligence to evaluating her family and their negligent treatment of her was disappointing. There was a very mild romance, and I am curious whether it will develop. Several of the characters seem to be other than they appear, and their true natures and allegiances haven't been revealed. This read is worth your time if you like steampunk and Jane Austen.
November 11, 2018
You meet Sensibility Grey.
She comes from Lima to San Francisco to find her Uncle and in doing so finds people are looking for her father's journal and his experiments. She finds that life is different than she was prepared for, but she has ways of beating it.
Read and enjoy!
She comes from Lima to San Francisco to find her Uncle and in doing so finds people are looking for her father's journal and his experiments. She finds that life is different than she was prepared for, but she has ways of beating it.
Read and enjoy!
December 1, 2018
Fun quick little read! I enjoyed the western nature mixed in with steampunk. The characters are fun and the automatons (while sparsely written into the story) are interesting.
August 6, 2015
Thank you to Monster Book Promotions and author Kirsten Weiss for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review
Find this review and more on my blog The Rest Is Still Unwritten!
A well depicted steampunk novel set in the Wild West during the California gold rush, Steam and Sensibility by Kirsten Weiss is a detailed and authentic feeling steampunk tale that blends murder and mystery with excitement and just the perfect hint of romance!
Steam and Sensibility is described as steampunk with paranormal suspense, and although the paranormal aspect wasn’t overly there and prominent like I expected, I still enjoyed this story. Personally I wouldn’t head into the novel expecting a focal paranormal aspect; because it’s rather a small, minimal undertone to the rest of the story. And yet I feel this small hint instead complimented the book and allowed other aspects to shine.
Following nineteen year old Englishwoman Sensibility Grey, who moves to San Francisco after the death of her father to live with her estranged uncle, I will be the first to admit that it took a while for me to truly become absorbed in Steam and Sensibility. There wasn’t anything wrong with the story; it just took a while until my attention caught. That being said, I breezed through this well depicted story and by halfway, I was thoroughly caught up in the mysterious goings on our heroine found herself in involved in.
I found the setting for Steam and Sensibility to be a perfect blend of Wild West and British high class. Cowboys mixed with English noblemen and women in a setting right out of the old west that featured lovely hints of steampunk amongst the story. The plotline within Steam and Sensibility was very mysterious and exciting once we got into the very heart of things.
As we’re introduced to a bunch of different characters, all with their own plans and agendas, I found that following Sensibility was quite a nice experience. Obviously she is a typical young English woman; cultured and a bit sheltered but Sensibility is also extremely intelligent and this is something that sets her apart from others. With an inventor for a father, a love of tinkering with things is something she appears to have inherited and as the novel progresses this becomes more evident with the way she approaches things. Personally, I really like this about Sensibility and thought she was a nice heroine; the perfect blend of fragility and innocence with bravery and unexpected strength. Sensibility grows quite a lot throughout the novel, although she still has a long way to go.
Throughout Steam and Sensibility we are introduced to a range of unique and different characters, including the rash and biting Miss Jane Algrave; a government officer who doesn’t play by anyone’s rule and the enigmatic and proud Mr. Night; a young lawyer who after a disastrous initial meeting, manages to set Sensibility’s heart a flutter, although not without a few difficult moments. As Sensibility learns who she can trust and who is out to deceive her, I really liked determining who was lying and out for themselves as apposed to noble and good.
Steam and Sensibility introduces us to an intriguing steampunk world that I honestly believe author Kirsten Weiss has big plans for. The introduction we have is sufficient for this story but I foresee a lot of world building and development in future stories.
Rich and proper, but with a western twist, Steam and Sensibility is an entertaining read that has me ready to read the next instalment!
Find this review and more on my blog The Rest Is Still Unwritten!
A well depicted steampunk novel set in the Wild West during the California gold rush, Steam and Sensibility by Kirsten Weiss is a detailed and authentic feeling steampunk tale that blends murder and mystery with excitement and just the perfect hint of romance!
Steam and Sensibility is described as steampunk with paranormal suspense, and although the paranormal aspect wasn’t overly there and prominent like I expected, I still enjoyed this story. Personally I wouldn’t head into the novel expecting a focal paranormal aspect; because it’s rather a small, minimal undertone to the rest of the story. And yet I feel this small hint instead complimented the book and allowed other aspects to shine.
Following nineteen year old Englishwoman Sensibility Grey, who moves to San Francisco after the death of her father to live with her estranged uncle, I will be the first to admit that it took a while for me to truly become absorbed in Steam and Sensibility. There wasn’t anything wrong with the story; it just took a while until my attention caught. That being said, I breezed through this well depicted story and by halfway, I was thoroughly caught up in the mysterious goings on our heroine found herself in involved in.
I found the setting for Steam and Sensibility to be a perfect blend of Wild West and British high class. Cowboys mixed with English noblemen and women in a setting right out of the old west that featured lovely hints of steampunk amongst the story. The plotline within Steam and Sensibility was very mysterious and exciting once we got into the very heart of things.
As we’re introduced to a bunch of different characters, all with their own plans and agendas, I found that following Sensibility was quite a nice experience. Obviously she is a typical young English woman; cultured and a bit sheltered but Sensibility is also extremely intelligent and this is something that sets her apart from others. With an inventor for a father, a love of tinkering with things is something she appears to have inherited and as the novel progresses this becomes more evident with the way she approaches things. Personally, I really like this about Sensibility and thought she was a nice heroine; the perfect blend of fragility and innocence with bravery and unexpected strength. Sensibility grows quite a lot throughout the novel, although she still has a long way to go.
Throughout Steam and Sensibility we are introduced to a range of unique and different characters, including the rash and biting Miss Jane Algrave; a government officer who doesn’t play by anyone’s rule and the enigmatic and proud Mr. Night; a young lawyer who after a disastrous initial meeting, manages to set Sensibility’s heart a flutter, although not without a few difficult moments. As Sensibility learns who she can trust and who is out to deceive her, I really liked determining who was lying and out for themselves as apposed to noble and good.
Steam and Sensibility introduces us to an intriguing steampunk world that I honestly believe author Kirsten Weiss has big plans for. The introduction we have is sufficient for this story but I foresee a lot of world building and development in future stories.
Rich and proper, but with a western twist, Steam and Sensibility is an entertaining read that has me ready to read the next instalment!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2017
This is a better-than-average steampunk novel. If only that was a higher bar to clear.
First, the copy editing. Even though I received my review copy through NetGalley, I will talk about the copy editing, because there's a 2014 publication date on it, so I assume it's not going to get another editing pass any time soon. It needs one, though it wouldn't have to be a heavy pass; it just needs someone who knows the coordinate comma rule to take out unnecessary commas, clean up a few typos ("Put perhaps...", "take it from me my force", "at the head the table"), remove one interrobang, rewrite the several dangling modifiers ("As the only female on board... the ship's master had taken her under his protective wing"), remove an unneeded hyphen in "six inches high", move the apostrophe in "smashed one of the thug's faces" (there are multiple thugs, each of whom has only one face, so it's "one of the thugs' faces" or, even better, "the face of one of the thugs"), change "ransom the journal for her uncle" to "ransom her uncle for the journal", and fix the homonyms plum/plumb, loathe/loath, waivered/wavered, and damn/dam. Oh, and "wheel barrel", which appears to be an eggcorn for "wheelbarrow".
Believe it or not, that's actually pretty good for steampunk.
The author rather clumsily tells us near the beginning that it's 1848, and I didn't spot anything that was obviously wrong or out of period, except that dageurreotypes were on glass, not pasteboard. The tension is established strongly early on, and kept up well; it's not at all clear through most of the book who the heroine should trust, which gives all her decisions a greater weight. She's mostly sensible, and not the usual steampunk heroine; many steampunk authors, though not this one, make their heroines headstrong in the mistaken belief that this is the same as "strong".
Here, however, we hit perhaps the most glaring language error: the heroine's name is Sensibility, and this is treated throughout as if it means "the quality of being levelheaded and sensible," instead of what it actually means, "the quality of being sensitive and aware". Other than that, I didn't notice any vocabulary words being abused, if we leave aside the relatively few homonym errors, and for steampunk that's highly unusual; generally, there are words being used in the wrong sense left and right in this kind of book.
I note in passing that, despite the title, there's very little actual steam, though the book is none the worse for its lack.
The plot is the fairly familiar "must prevent the Maguffin from falling into the wrong hands" one, but it's well executed, and the Maguffin itself is not only interesting but also used to help in the heroine's escape (which she manages for herself, hindered rather than helped by the only man in the vicinity; extra points for this). There's a female villain, too, and a good one.
Overall, then, this is a well-executed steampunk story with a strong, tense thriller plot and better-than-average characters. While it shares some of the editing flaws so common in the genre, they're less prevalent than in many other books I've read, including award-winning ones; if the author learned the coordinate comma rule, watched the homonyms, and stopped dangling modifiers, she would be well on the way to a clean manuscript. And since steampunk readers mostly seem unaware of such flaws, I expect this one will do well, if it gets any kind of decent promotion at all.
First, the copy editing. Even though I received my review copy through NetGalley, I will talk about the copy editing, because there's a 2014 publication date on it, so I assume it's not going to get another editing pass any time soon. It needs one, though it wouldn't have to be a heavy pass; it just needs someone who knows the coordinate comma rule to take out unnecessary commas, clean up a few typos ("Put perhaps...", "take it from me my force", "at the head the table"), remove one interrobang, rewrite the several dangling modifiers ("As the only female on board... the ship's master had taken her under his protective wing"), remove an unneeded hyphen in "six inches high", move the apostrophe in "smashed one of the thug's faces" (there are multiple thugs, each of whom has only one face, so it's "one of the thugs' faces" or, even better, "the face of one of the thugs"), change "ransom the journal for her uncle" to "ransom her uncle for the journal", and fix the homonyms plum/plumb, loathe/loath, waivered/wavered, and damn/dam. Oh, and "wheel barrel", which appears to be an eggcorn for "wheelbarrow".
Believe it or not, that's actually pretty good for steampunk.
The author rather clumsily tells us near the beginning that it's 1848, and I didn't spot anything that was obviously wrong or out of period, except that dageurreotypes were on glass, not pasteboard. The tension is established strongly early on, and kept up well; it's not at all clear through most of the book who the heroine should trust, which gives all her decisions a greater weight. She's mostly sensible, and not the usual steampunk heroine; many steampunk authors, though not this one, make their heroines headstrong in the mistaken belief that this is the same as "strong".
Here, however, we hit perhaps the most glaring language error: the heroine's name is Sensibility, and this is treated throughout as if it means "the quality of being levelheaded and sensible," instead of what it actually means, "the quality of being sensitive and aware". Other than that, I didn't notice any vocabulary words being abused, if we leave aside the relatively few homonym errors, and for steampunk that's highly unusual; generally, there are words being used in the wrong sense left and right in this kind of book.
I note in passing that, despite the title, there's very little actual steam, though the book is none the worse for its lack.
The plot is the fairly familiar "must prevent the Maguffin from falling into the wrong hands" one, but it's well executed, and the Maguffin itself is not only interesting but also used to help in the heroine's escape (which she manages for herself, hindered rather than helped by the only man in the vicinity; extra points for this). There's a female villain, too, and a good one.
Overall, then, this is a well-executed steampunk story with a strong, tense thriller plot and better-than-average characters. While it shares some of the editing flaws so common in the genre, they're less prevalent than in many other books I've read, including award-winning ones; if the author learned the coordinate comma rule, watched the homonyms, and stopped dangling modifiers, she would be well on the way to a clean manuscript. And since steampunk readers mostly seem unaware of such flaws, I expect this one will do well, if it gets any kind of decent promotion at all.
May 22, 2014
When Sensibility Grey’s father dies, he leaves her to fend off the creditors. She manages to retain just a few of his things. One of them being his journal.
That journal lands Sensibility in a world of trouble. Someone wants what’s in those pages, and they follow her as she travels to San Francisco to live with her Uncle Corbin.
Once her ship docks in San Francisco, Sensibility can’t help but notice no one is around. It’s 1848 and the gold rush is happening. Every man has rushed to strike it rich, leaving very few in the town.
It appears that Sensibility is left at the docks. Her Uncle never arrives. She knows it’s not wise for a young lady to be alone. All kinds of bad things can happen. So when a stranger attacks her from behind and drags her into an empty shack, she fears the worse. Turns out, though she doesn’t trust the stranger, she needs her. There are some pretty bad men outside, looking for her. They have her uncle and now they want her. Or rather, they want his journal, and they are prepared to do whatever it takes to get it.
The first thing that jumped out at me in this book was the descriptive writing. I visualized the empty sea port and the dusty, abandoned looking town. I could almost smell the brine of the salt water and feel the dry heat burning down on me. And I could almost hear the silence.
Sensibility is true to her name. She may be a bit naive, but she’s smart and confident, and doesn’t tend to panic. Well, except for a few times, and I didn’t blame her for those. I would have too.
The author gave me some bad guys to loathe, and a couple of characters that I wasn’t too sure about. One claimed to be working for the government, but something about her didn’t sit well with me. She was too secretive and too pushy.
The other was a lawyer. Enough said. Just kidding. At first, I wasn’t too sure about him, then I decided he was a good guy. Then I thought, nope, he’s a bad guy. Then I just kept reading to find out.
There were humorous scenes and witty dialogue to ease the suspense now and then. I thank the author for the break as this was such a tangled web of intrigue, suspense, and adventure. Quite lively.
As this is a pre-steam novel there were’nt too many nifty creations. Sensibility tinkered with a couple and I believe any new creations of hers would be even more amazing than her father’s. She has a knack for it. There was one near the end that was quite scary. The author got really creative with what’s used to power the machines. It added a bit of a supernatural element to the read and I could see where it might have repercussions if it wound up in the wrong hands.
If you enjoyed the old television series Wild, Wild West or watched the movie starring Will Smith you’ll visualize this adventure as it plays out.
You don’t have to be a steam punk fan to enjoy Steam and Sensibility and I highly recommend you give it a try.
I received this book for my honest review.
That journal lands Sensibility in a world of trouble. Someone wants what’s in those pages, and they follow her as she travels to San Francisco to live with her Uncle Corbin.
Once her ship docks in San Francisco, Sensibility can’t help but notice no one is around. It’s 1848 and the gold rush is happening. Every man has rushed to strike it rich, leaving very few in the town.
It appears that Sensibility is left at the docks. Her Uncle never arrives. She knows it’s not wise for a young lady to be alone. All kinds of bad things can happen. So when a stranger attacks her from behind and drags her into an empty shack, she fears the worse. Turns out, though she doesn’t trust the stranger, she needs her. There are some pretty bad men outside, looking for her. They have her uncle and now they want her. Or rather, they want his journal, and they are prepared to do whatever it takes to get it.
The first thing that jumped out at me in this book was the descriptive writing. I visualized the empty sea port and the dusty, abandoned looking town. I could almost smell the brine of the salt water and feel the dry heat burning down on me. And I could almost hear the silence.
Sensibility is true to her name. She may be a bit naive, but she’s smart and confident, and doesn’t tend to panic. Well, except for a few times, and I didn’t blame her for those. I would have too.
The author gave me some bad guys to loathe, and a couple of characters that I wasn’t too sure about. One claimed to be working for the government, but something about her didn’t sit well with me. She was too secretive and too pushy.
The other was a lawyer. Enough said. Just kidding. At first, I wasn’t too sure about him, then I decided he was a good guy. Then I thought, nope, he’s a bad guy. Then I just kept reading to find out.
There were humorous scenes and witty dialogue to ease the suspense now and then. I thank the author for the break as this was such a tangled web of intrigue, suspense, and adventure. Quite lively.
As this is a pre-steam novel there were’nt too many nifty creations. Sensibility tinkered with a couple and I believe any new creations of hers would be even more amazing than her father’s. She has a knack for it. There was one near the end that was quite scary. The author got really creative with what’s used to power the machines. It added a bit of a supernatural element to the read and I could see where it might have repercussions if it wound up in the wrong hands.
If you enjoyed the old television series Wild, Wild West or watched the movie starring Will Smith you’ll visualize this adventure as it plays out.
You don’t have to be a steam punk fan to enjoy Steam and Sensibility and I highly recommend you give it a try.
I received this book for my honest review.
February 18, 2017
1848 San Francisco and Sensibility Grey has arrived from Lima to the protection of her Uncle, after the death of her scientist father. But she becomes the pursued because of her father's journal. Who can she trust. Sensibility decides she must decipher the secrets in the journal but what will be the consequences.
A good fun mystery with a range of characters. An enjoyable read.
A NetGalley Book
A good fun mystery with a range of characters. An enjoyable read.
A NetGalley Book
August 12, 2014
First of all I want to mention the cover of this book. I think it's really cool. It really gives you a sense of that steampunk genre that is becoming more and more popular. I love the gears and the symbols and even the tower in the back that all come into play in this book. I know I've said this before but I love when a cover does such a good job of representing what is inside.
I know this book is labeled as YA but the characters and feel of this book really didn't make me feel like this was YA. The main character, Sensibility, spoke, thought and acted much like an adult. I often found myself forgeting that she was nineteen. Since there were no other younger characters to bring that youthful side out, it overall just felt like an adult novel.
Sensibility's name surely fits her. She really is a no nonsense kind of girl. She's a thinker and she's been through a lot. I never really connected with Sensibility on an emotional level but she had a lot of admirable qualities. I think one thing that was hard for me as a reader (and this is a small but important thing, I think) was that Sensibility was always Sensibility. Her name was never shortened and she never had a nickname or anything. It was all so formal all the time. Sensibility is such a mouth full of a name. Even when reading it silently in your head! :) Because that familiarity wasn't formed between any characters, it wasn't formed for me either. I hope that makes sense.
I enjoyed the tinker steampunk aspect of this book. I've read a few steampunk books and while I wouldn't say this was my favorite, it was good. This book has a bit of the paranormal thrown in with some suspense which added and interesting mix of flavors.
Overall, this was a book was okay. I didn't fall in love with it and I wasn't emotionally drawn in. It didn't always hold my interest but it had some good moments.
Content: There is some mild swearing and violence
I know this book is labeled as YA but the characters and feel of this book really didn't make me feel like this was YA. The main character, Sensibility, spoke, thought and acted much like an adult. I often found myself forgeting that she was nineteen. Since there were no other younger characters to bring that youthful side out, it overall just felt like an adult novel.
Sensibility's name surely fits her. She really is a no nonsense kind of girl. She's a thinker and she's been through a lot. I never really connected with Sensibility on an emotional level but she had a lot of admirable qualities. I think one thing that was hard for me as a reader (and this is a small but important thing, I think) was that Sensibility was always Sensibility. Her name was never shortened and she never had a nickname or anything. It was all so formal all the time. Sensibility is such a mouth full of a name. Even when reading it silently in your head! :) Because that familiarity wasn't formed between any characters, it wasn't formed for me either. I hope that makes sense.
I enjoyed the tinker steampunk aspect of this book. I've read a few steampunk books and while I wouldn't say this was my favorite, it was good. This book has a bit of the paranormal thrown in with some suspense which added and interesting mix of flavors.
Overall, this was a book was okay. I didn't fall in love with it and I wasn't emotionally drawn in. It didn't always hold my interest but it had some good moments.
Content: There is some mild swearing and violence
January 31, 2017
Steam and Sensibility, A Steampunk Novel of Suspense, Kirsten Weiss
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: mystery and thrillers, sci-fi and fantasy
I haven’t read a lot of Steampunk, a couple that were really enjoyable and a few that were OK reads, but its good to read outside one's comfort zone occasionally.
This book sounded fun, but for the first half it really was a western type read more than steampunk, with very little to bring the story into that category.
I liked Sensibility, and her confidence in her abilities, and enjoyed the aether refs, they made for a bit of extra and Steampunk does need that touch of magic IMO.
I wasn’t really taken by any of the other characters though, and found the plot to be a little thin.
It seemed to be a who can be trusted and everyone is out to get the Journal, and rather too much bumbling around to fit my taste. It picked up after the halfway point, but never really hooked me fully into the story and the steampunk elements were very thin on the group.
The author mentions this was a book that has been reworked to fit the steampunk category and to me it feels like that, doesn’t feel as if its fully immersed in the genre, but another story with added extras making it fit where the original story didn’t. There was the watch, and the little mechanical sweeper she made, but no traditional elements such as dirigibles, fantastic creatures etc until close to the end.
Maybe it will appeal to steampunk lovers more than those like me who tend to stay on the fringes, I don’t know, its not a bad book, just one that was only an OK read for me.
It’s a fun read, but definitely a one off for me.
Stars: Three, an OK read but steampunk is a bit thin.
ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: mystery and thrillers, sci-fi and fantasy
I haven’t read a lot of Steampunk, a couple that were really enjoyable and a few that were OK reads, but its good to read outside one's comfort zone occasionally.
This book sounded fun, but for the first half it really was a western type read more than steampunk, with very little to bring the story into that category.
I liked Sensibility, and her confidence in her abilities, and enjoyed the aether refs, they made for a bit of extra and Steampunk does need that touch of magic IMO.
I wasn’t really taken by any of the other characters though, and found the plot to be a little thin.
It seemed to be a who can be trusted and everyone is out to get the Journal, and rather too much bumbling around to fit my taste. It picked up after the halfway point, but never really hooked me fully into the story and the steampunk elements were very thin on the group.
The author mentions this was a book that has been reworked to fit the steampunk category and to me it feels like that, doesn’t feel as if its fully immersed in the genre, but another story with added extras making it fit where the original story didn’t. There was the watch, and the little mechanical sweeper she made, but no traditional elements such as dirigibles, fantastic creatures etc until close to the end.
Maybe it will appeal to steampunk lovers more than those like me who tend to stay on the fringes, I don’t know, its not a bad book, just one that was only an OK read for me.
It’s a fun read, but definitely a one off for me.
Stars: Three, an OK read but steampunk is a bit thin.
ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers
February 7, 2018
Technically 2.5 stars.
I love the idea of steampunk and the automatons that sometimes come with it--and I was so hoping to love this book, too!
In truth, this book dragged for me. Too much of nothing happened for the longest time. There were superficial action scenes - mostly involving Sensibility running for her life - but that got old after a while. The last ten percent picked up, as it usually happens in books, but the last ten percent being good and action-filled wasn't enough to make me forgive the first large portion of it.
And the MC's name: Sensibility. I get it, it's in the title. I get it, MCs have to have cool, unique names, but...it got old. Sensibility must be sensible! No, it's not sensible to do that...Sensible sensible sensible. I think i read either sense, sensible, or Sensibility on each page.
There was not enough showing with the other characters: Miss Algrave, Mr. Night, etc, for me to truly like them as side characters. The way it was written gives nothing about them. They walk into a scene fast, and just as quickly exit. We don't spend enough important time with them. The only reason I was rooting for Mr. Night was because I'm one of those people who like a little bit of romance in books.
It wasn't badly written, it was just bare bones writing, if that makes sense. I think the author has room to improve, though. I also think the next book might be better in terms of story-line as opposed to this one.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I love the idea of steampunk and the automatons that sometimes come with it--and I was so hoping to love this book, too!
In truth, this book dragged for me. Too much of nothing happened for the longest time. There were superficial action scenes - mostly involving Sensibility running for her life - but that got old after a while. The last ten percent picked up, as it usually happens in books, but the last ten percent being good and action-filled wasn't enough to make me forgive the first large portion of it.
And the MC's name: Sensibility. I get it, it's in the title. I get it, MCs have to have cool, unique names, but...it got old. Sensibility must be sensible! No, it's not sensible to do that...Sensible sensible sensible. I think i read either sense, sensible, or Sensibility on each page.
There was not enough showing with the other characters: Miss Algrave, Mr. Night, etc, for me to truly like them as side characters. The way it was written gives nothing about them. They walk into a scene fast, and just as quickly exit. We don't spend enough important time with them. The only reason I was rooting for Mr. Night was because I'm one of those people who like a little bit of romance in books.
It wasn't badly written, it was just bare bones writing, if that makes sense. I think the author has room to improve, though. I also think the next book might be better in terms of story-line as opposed to this one.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2016
A mystery set in SF area during the gold rush that happens to be steampunk.
Lots of women in different roles - which I won't go into, because of spoilers.
Fun;light but not featherweight.
Characters that will be interesting to see how they grow. Sensibility Grey , for example, is nineteen, very smart , but very sheltered and almost completely unaware of her strenghts.
I know have Kristen Weiss and an author I will be looking for
Disclaimer: I met Kristen Weiss very briefly befoe she did an author talk that I could not attend. I found her quite sensible.
Lots of women in different roles - which I won't go into, because of spoilers.
Fun;light but not featherweight.
Characters that will be interesting to see how they grow. Sensibility Grey , for example, is nineteen, very smart , but very sheltered and almost completely unaware of her strenghts.
I know have Kristen Weiss and an author I will be looking for
Disclaimer: I met Kristen Weiss very briefly befoe she did an author talk that I could not attend. I found her quite sensible.
December 22, 2016
Not your average steampunk novel
I love steampunk, I have the tattoo of gears to prove it. This story, in my opinion, is quite unique. Most steampunk I've read takes place in England and usually stays there, at times traveling to somewhere close; Whales, Ireland, Scotland, etc. This novel starts in England but ends in the gold rush era of California. It misses no opportunity to describe the land or politics of California at the time either. I recommend it to anyone looking for a great adventure!
I love steampunk, I have the tattoo of gears to prove it. This story, in my opinion, is quite unique. Most steampunk I've read takes place in England and usually stays there, at times traveling to somewhere close; Whales, Ireland, Scotland, etc. This novel starts in England but ends in the gold rush era of California. It misses no opportunity to describe the land or politics of California at the time either. I recommend it to anyone looking for a great adventure!
June 30, 2016
Enjoyable
I gave this 4 stars be cause in liked the book. It was a but slow for me but still enjoyable. Some of the characters needed more development & the plot line was a bit rushed at the end when the beginning of the book was so slow. It would be nice to see how the rest of the series progresses but it's not something I am in a hurry to learn. Also its not a story that is a play on Jane Austen, in made the mistake of at first attempting to compare the two.
I gave this 4 stars be cause in liked the book. It was a but slow for me but still enjoyable. Some of the characters needed more development & the plot line was a bit rushed at the end when the beginning of the book was so slow. It would be nice to see how the rest of the series progresses but it's not something I am in a hurry to learn. Also its not a story that is a play on Jane Austen, in made the mistake of at first attempting to compare the two.
July 10, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. It was the kind of book I wanted to stay up late reading. And then when my pets woke me up in the middle of the night, I read some more. I hope there will be another book about Sensibilty soon!
Read
January 15, 2017'Magic, mayhem, and mechanicals' indeed. 'Steam and Sensibility' is an enjoyable pre-steampunk tale, taking place in the Gold Rush era of California. 19-year-old Sensibility Grey is a strong, independent young lady thrust into a world of secrets.
March 29, 2017
I received copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Steam and Sensibility is a steampunk, young adult novel set during the California gold rush. The book does bring in some steampunk aspects - automatons and other clockwork based technologies, goggles that allow one to see the unseen, and an alternative energy source that could enable world domination in the wrong hands. However, I felt these aspects of the book were peppered here and there and wasn't featured as prominently as other parts of the book. This made the book drag a bit more than it probably should have for me. Sensibility Gray, the main character, goes through this transition from a tinkerer to a scientist which could have been fleshed out a bit more. Her character came across as very gullible and too trusting of others. I found myself more interested in the supporting characters.
Steam and Sensibility is a steampunk, young adult novel set during the California gold rush. The book does bring in some steampunk aspects - automatons and other clockwork based technologies, goggles that allow one to see the unseen, and an alternative energy source that could enable world domination in the wrong hands. However, I felt these aspects of the book were peppered here and there and wasn't featured as prominently as other parts of the book. This made the book drag a bit more than it probably should have for me. Sensibility Gray, the main character, goes through this transition from a tinkerer to a scientist which could have been fleshed out a bit more. Her character came across as very gullible and too trusting of others. I found myself more interested in the supporting characters.
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