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Elfhome #1-2
Steel City Magic
Omnibus edition containing Tinker and its sequel Wolf Who Rules.
628 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
192 people want to read
About the author
Wen Spencer
43 books894 followersJohn W. Campbell Award Winner Wen Spencer resides in paradise in Hilo, Hawaii with two volcanoes overlooking her home. Spencer says that she often wakes up and exclaims "Oh my god, I live on an island in the middle of the Pacific!" This, says Spencer, is a far cry from her twenty years of living in land-locked Pittsburgh.
The Elfhome series opener, Tinker, won the 2003 Sapphire Award for Best Science Fiction Romance and was a finalist for the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Fantasy Novel. Wolf Who Rules, the sequel to Tinker, was chosen as a Top Pick by Romantic Times and given their top rating of four and a half stars. Other Baen books include space opera thriller Endless Blue and Eight Million Gods.
The Elfhome series opener, Tinker, won the 2003 Sapphire Award for Best Science Fiction Romance and was a finalist for the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Fantasy Novel. Wolf Who Rules, the sequel to Tinker, was chosen as a Top Pick by Romantic Times and given their top rating of four and a half stars. Other Baen books include space opera thriller Endless Blue and Eight Million Gods.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 14, 2016
This review is just for Tinker; I haven't yet read the second book in this omnibus (Wolf Who Rules).
My initial reaction to this book still stands. The main character, Tinker, is an inventor who's never really been to Earth, despite the fact that she lives in Pittsburgh. I love the idea of the dimensions and how they overlap. And for the most part, the other characters are interesting too. The plot was fast-paced and engaging the whole way through. Just when you thought something was resolved, something else crazy would happen. I also especially love the blend of magic and technology.
So I loved all those things about it. I loved the book; I read it in two days! But there were a few things that bugged me about the love interests. Part of the problem is simply that I don't like romance, but the romance wasn't as overwhelming as other books I've read.
This part is fairly early in the book, so I'm not marking it as a spoiler: Tinker isn't sure the elves at the hospice don't mean her harm. Windwolf picks her up and takes her inside, pushes her down on a table, holding her down with his hips and weight, and puts a flower in her face to knock her unconscious. And yet she doesn't seem to distrust him, while the human guy's advances freak her out (granted, his advances later are creeptacular). Still, I really hate that romance trope, where because the man "knows better" than the woman, he's allowed to just get away with physically forcing her to do things because apparently the ends justify the means. A quick explanation is all that's needed to avoid physically forcing her to do something against her will!
I enjoyed Windwolf's character in the beginning, but as the book went on, he became less and less interesting. Toward the middle, he only appeared long enough to have sexy time with the main character, and by the end I know, normally it's the female love interest that I'd complain about not having her own personality, but in this case, it's the male love interest who becomes more passive and is soon eclipsed by the main character.
One other thing I just remembered... The beginning of the book was so carefree and lighthearted that I wasn't expecting the darkness of the other dimension. The punishment made it hard to keep reading, but I suppose it was no worse than some of the stuff you would read in other "dark fantasy" series, such as The Black Jewels Trilogy: Daughter of the Blood, Heir to the Shadows, Queen of the Darkness.
I have high hopes that later books in the series, including Wolf Who Rules, won't suffer from these problems. Which means they'll have none of the cons of the first book, while keeping all the awesome.
I recommend this book without reservation if you like a blend of science and magic.
My initial reaction to this book still stands. The main character, Tinker, is an inventor who's never really been to Earth, despite the fact that she lives in Pittsburgh. I love the idea of the dimensions and how they overlap. And for the most part, the other characters are interesting too. The plot was fast-paced and engaging the whole way through. Just when you thought something was resolved, something else crazy would happen. I also especially love the blend of magic and technology.
So I loved all those things about it. I loved the book; I read it in two days! But there were a few things that bugged me about the love interests. Part of the problem is simply that I don't like romance, but the romance wasn't as overwhelming as other books I've read.
This part is fairly early in the book, so I'm not marking it as a spoiler: Tinker isn't sure the elves at the hospice don't mean her harm. Windwolf picks her up and takes her inside, pushes her down on a table, holding her down with his hips and weight, and puts a flower in her face to knock her unconscious. And yet she doesn't seem to distrust him, while the human guy's advances freak her out (granted, his advances later are creeptacular). Still, I really hate that romance trope, where because the man "knows better" than the woman, he's allowed to just get away with physically forcing her to do things because apparently the ends justify the means. A quick explanation is all that's needed to avoid physically forcing her to do something against her will!
I enjoyed Windwolf's character in the beginning, but as the book went on, he became less and less interesting. Toward the middle, he only appeared long enough to have sexy time with the main character, and by the end I know, normally it's the female love interest that I'd complain about not having her own personality, but in this case, it's the male love interest who becomes more passive and is soon eclipsed by the main character.
One other thing I just remembered... The beginning of the book was so carefree and lighthearted that I wasn't expecting the darkness of the other dimension. The punishment made it hard to keep reading, but I suppose it was no worse than some of the stuff you would read in other "dark fantasy" series, such as The Black Jewels Trilogy: Daughter of the Blood, Heir to the Shadows, Queen of the Darkness.
I have high hopes that later books in the series, including Wolf Who Rules, won't suffer from these problems. Which means they'll have none of the cons of the first book, while keeping all the awesome.
I recommend this book without reservation if you like a blend of science and magic.
July 5, 2018
Just re-read the entire series (so far) again and I’d forgotten many details! Re-reading Wood Sprites immediately after the first three highlighted certain things I didn’t catch on the first read considering how spaced these novels are in publication. Come on, Wen, write the Harbinger already! 😜😁 (7/5/2018)
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Wow this was a delicious book. A blending of sci-fi and fantasy. I couldn't stop reading, carrieed the book with me. I wonder if there is more?..
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Wow this was a delicious book. A blending of sci-fi and fantasy. I couldn't stop reading, carrieed the book with me. I wonder if there is more?..
February 16, 2013
I absolutely loved this book and lent my copy to my niece! If you love science fiction, sexy elves, and magic than this book is for you!
February 5, 2008
Although I wouldn't classify this as a great book, I found that I couldn't stop reading it. I enjoyed this set of two books a lot, and will look for more from this author. The Pittsburgh setting is a different twist.
May 22, 2014
Great book! Unique ideas, worlds and characters.
May 2, 2025
Once again, a book loses a point because of a specific aspect. In this case it's actually two--the weird attitude towards rape, and creating an "evil" race. Making a race evil very rarely works and it didn't here.
August 17, 2012
Wen Spencer's "Steel City Magic" is a pair of fantasy stories set in Pittsburgh in 2036. In "Tinker" we're introduced to the title character & this fantasy realm where the city of Pittsburgh is disconnected from Earth for most of a month & where humans & elves interact freely. She ends up being responsible for helping to fix the malfunctioning gate & ends up inadvertently marrying Windwolf who tricks her into it. The particular tale moves very quickly & introduces us to a wide range of characters both human & elf & does a very good job of explaining exactly what the basic relationship is between Pittsburgh & Earth.
The 2nd novel of this duology is "Wolf Who Rules". In this story, Pittsburgh due to the gate malfunctions along with other issues is stranded permanently on Elfhome. We find out much more about the relationship between the city & the elves along with Tinker's marriage & the consequences of the people stuck in the city. Spencer's geographic accuracy is helpful as the various parts of this story play out. We also have a much needed explanation of how the gates came into being & what happens if something goes wrong.
As a reader who works near Pittsburgh & who lives not quite an hour west, these 2 books are a treat to read even if the tales themselves are a bit straight forward. The use of the city of Pittsburgh itself as a backdrop is very well played out & the use of the various locations & neighborhoods within the city are almost priceless to this reader who has been to many of these locations. For the average fantasy reader these stories are a decent storytelling job & pretty good fantasy realm. The clincher for me is the location putting the City of Three Rivers on the literary map for a reason I've not seen before.
The 2nd novel of this duology is "Wolf Who Rules". In this story, Pittsburgh due to the gate malfunctions along with other issues is stranded permanently on Elfhome. We find out much more about the relationship between the city & the elves along with Tinker's marriage & the consequences of the people stuck in the city. Spencer's geographic accuracy is helpful as the various parts of this story play out. We also have a much needed explanation of how the gates came into being & what happens if something goes wrong.
As a reader who works near Pittsburgh & who lives not quite an hour west, these 2 books are a treat to read even if the tales themselves are a bit straight forward. The use of the city of Pittsburgh itself as a backdrop is very well played out & the use of the various locations & neighborhoods within the city are almost priceless to this reader who has been to many of these locations. For the average fantasy reader these stories are a decent storytelling job & pretty good fantasy realm. The clincher for me is the location putting the City of Three Rivers on the literary map for a reason I've not seen before.
February 2, 2011
This is an omnibus edition of the first two books in the "Tinker" series. See my individual reviews under Tinker and Wolf Who Rules. Love this series and I can't wait for more.
May 10, 2011
This is another of those books where I'm not entirely sure where the appeal lies. It's a romance/fantasy, which I used to be really into, so I guess that's it. I remember really liking it, but I'm not sure if I'd read it again. Only time will tell I suppose...
May 24, 2020
One of my favorite books, reread dozens of times. Urban fantasy at its best, a clash of magic and technology, and the cultures that come from each. The magic systems are neat, the characters are compelling, and it's a great mix of tension and action, and sweet or funny moments.
June 3, 2015
contains Tinker read 2-28-2005
and Wolf Who Rules
and Wolf Who Rules
Read
September 20, 2012Lots of fun. I recommend it.
Want to read
March 24, 2014I read the 1st and 2nd books in this omnibus.
June 27, 2016
Good book
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews