The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles, #1) in Book Bloggers Anonymous

May 25, 2011 Gabby rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, action-adventure, e-books, young-adult, sci-fi, series

Book review originally posted here

i just recently finished the e-novella of this book (the strange case of finley Jayne) and i was really ecstatic for this book, good thing netgalley grant my request for a copy of this book, gee! a million thanks to netgalley!!! yay! yay!

this book is actually set from the 1800s where girls wore fine and sophisticated dresses and guys are chivalrous and ware tux and a baler hat instead of a shirt and jeans, don't let the setting of the book fool you, the book is Book review originally posted here

i just recently finished the e-novella of this book (the strange case of finley Jayne) and i was really ecstatic for this book, good thing netgalley grant my request for a copy of this book, gee! a million thanks to netgalley!!! yay! yay!

this book is actually set from the 1800s where girls wore fine and sophisticated dresses and guys are chivalrous and ware tux and a baler hat instead of a shirt and jeans, don't let the setting of the book fool you, the book is not as timid or wholesome as girls and guys from the 1800s act this book is actually filled with action and mystery and it's like classic hits modern kind of thing, and i enjoyed reading this one, every single page is such a ride for me... many things are new to me like automatons and a human androids and i thought i won't be surprised of the flow of the story cause i just read the prequel of the book, but man i was wrong! the conspiracy,the lies,the mystery are just too shocking to take. there was never a boring moment on this book

the characters have a variety of style , each one of them has their own individualism and trait and i really like that they also posses supernatural powers like Finley who has superhuman strength and Griffin who can able to walk through the world of the dead and Emily! oh i really like Emily! she reminds me of Hermione from the Harry Potter series, and also Sam the half man,half machine... i like it that the main characters can somehow be the bad guy (like Sam). and the minor characters of the book is likable also. :)

i gave the book 4 stars cause even though i like the whole book and everything what it's lacking is the romance, sure Emily and Sam take their relationship to the next level, but i never get to see Finley and Griffin take their unrequited love to the next level. aww...

since i like this book, i think i'm gonna explore more books from the steampunk genre, i think i'll try to read the Clockwork Angel by Cassie Clare.

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woah! girls in corset can surely kick arse! LOL

--- Review to come. :) ...more

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May 20, 2011 Parajunkee rated it really liked it

Can I just say...great book, fabulous cover! Hello Young Adult Steampunk! THE GIRL IN THE STEEL CORSET is a fabulous mix of steampunk goodness, paranormal quirkiness, mystery, romance, coming-of-age emotion and dastardly evil villains - I was enthralled from start to finish.This is another young adult titan to add to your Must Have list!

The setting is 1897 England, steampunk version. Our main kick-arse heroine is Finley James, ladies maid who has a very shocking secret. A beast lives inside her Can I just say...great book, fabulous cover! Hello Young Adult Steampunk! THE GIRL IN THE STEEL CORSET is a fabulous mix of steampunk goodness, paranormal quirkiness, mystery, romance, coming-of-age emotion and dastardly evil villains - I was enthralled from start to finish.This is another young adult titan to add to your Must Have list!

The setting is 1897 England, steampunk version. Our main kick-arse heroine is Finley James, ladies maid who has a very shocking secret. A beast lives inside her and when pushed to the edge it rears it’s head and strikes.

Finley is pushed to the edge when her ingrate of an employer’s son tries to force himself upon her. She let’s her dark side take over and the poor noble ends up knocked out on the floor and Finley is fleeing for her life. Out of the mist, literally comes Duke Griffin King and sweeps in to rescue Finley, taking her to his home and inviting her to become a part of his band of “special” friends.

One of their past-times is solving unsolvable crimes and they are currently investigating the nefarious crime lord who calls himself The Machinist. His recent rash of thefts and crimes have all been enacted by a band of automatons that seem to possess an ability to think. Finley agrees to help but with a bit of reservation. She’s nervous around Griffin’s friends and the fact that he is a Duke is very intimidating - even if she does find him deliciously seductive.

As The Machinist begins focusing on specifically on Griffin and his friends things start to get very heated and a plot is revealed that speaks of things a lot more intense then just a few thefts here and there...

A wonderful example of the greatness that is steampunk! THE GIRL IN THE STEEL CORSET sucks you in and pops you out with crazy machines flitting around your head. I can not wait to read more. The reason this rated a four star instead of a full five was only because I found some plot threads that just didn’t add up within the mystery. The villain was discovered just a little too easily from elements that were introduced outside of the plot instead of discovered within. Nothing that detracts, there was so much going on in this novel I’m surprised more wasn’t dropped. Yet, if the mystery held it’s own it would have been perfect.

Recommended for Steampunk fans young adult and adult alike. This is a wonderful transition from paranormal romance to steampunk if you are looking to broaden your horizons. ...more

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Jun 25, 2011 Melissa rated it really liked it

This YA steampunk world is wonderfully dark and even though it is set in the 1890s, it would be a place I would have loved to visit because of all the technology. Even though I obviously loved and was fascinated by this world, it did not take away from the characters in this book. Developed from other characters like Jekyll and Hyde and a dash of the League of Extraordinary Men, you find yourself interested and compelled to know them more. Actually, I felt she improved on the character of Jekyll ...more

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Sep 04, 2010 ♫♥✿LovLivLife Reviews✿♥♫ (Chasity) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: i-own, 2011-may, arc-review

Wow. Fantastic Steampunk novel with everything you can imagine.

Finley is a mystery that I very much enjoyed reading. She is different from others out there and she knows it all to well. After another incident that causes Finley to hightail it her down and out luck finally changes.

The characters in this novel are phenomenal. Each character is tailored with his or her own history, abilities and personality. Author, Kady Cross has outdone herself. I am surely a fan of her work.

The highlight of The ...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: i-own, favorites, for-review, publisher-sent, harlequin-sent

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. *Firstly, thank-you to Harlequin Australia for sending me a copy of this to read and review*

The Girl In The Steel Corset has got to be one of the most exciting books I’ve had the pleasure of reading in a long, long time!

Honestly I’m not quite sure why it took me so long to get around to reading it, but from the very moment I started this book, I didn’t want to stop. Stepping foot (figuratively speaking) into this world is like stepping back in time and even into another dimension. Set in London *Firstly, thank-you to Harlequin Australia for sending me a copy of this to read and review*

The Girl In The Steel Corset has got to be one of the most exciting books I’ve had the pleasure of reading in a long, long time!

Honestly I’m not quite sure why it took me so long to get around to reading it, but from the very moment I started this book, I didn’t want to stop. Stepping foot (figuratively speaking) into this world is like stepping back in time and even into another dimension. Set in London in the late 1800’s, Kady Cross’s debut novel is a breath of fresh air in a YA genre saturated with books all of a similar nature. Unique and an exceptional steampunk novel, Cross blends Victorian London perfectly with action, adventure and even a hint of romance!

The world within this book is so descriptive and well thought out and you really find yourself lost to it as you read the tale. While I admit the technological aspect sometimes dragged on and seemed a bit much at times, it really added an aspect of authenticity to the story. Cross has backed up her world and creation with fantastic contraptions and specimens native to the time and even a bit before it too.
The characters practically jumped off the page with their different personalities and I simply adored them all! Each and everyone won me over with their depth and well roundedness, especially with this being the first book in a new series. All with specialities of one form or another, no one ever felt like they were there simply because they needed to be. They had purpose within the story and this made them shine.

Our heroine Finley is the kind of girl you can really sink your teeth into. Flawed, yet strong willed and determined; someone who stands up for herself and can hold her own even in the toughest world, she was wonderful to read about. It may have something to do with having spilt personalities too, but this girl could kick serious butt when the need arose! She wasn’t above fear and unease, but she managed to rise above it and pushed on no matter what. Her voice was easy to follow through the tale and I can see great potential in her, even as she continues to grow. While being strong, she felt emotion and let it show as she made friends and began to fit into the new world she had discovered.
Sam, Emily and Jasper were brilliant too, and I loved their personalities and role they had in the story, but in all honesty it was Griffin that really stood out for me.

While I admit I felt nothing for Jack Dandy what-so-ever for some reason, as a character and even as a potential love interest for Finley, Griffin on the other hand was brilliant! Griffin King, Duke of Greythrone, won me over early on and continued to captivate me as the story progressed with his good nature and strength of character. Born to wealth and in a position of power, one could understand if Griffin had succumbed to the trials that came along with this role and yet he hasn’t. Not at all. Even being as powerful as he obviously is he’s such a great guy. He truly wanted to do his best by Finely from the beginning; never wanting anything in return and not having an ulterior motive. With the book written in split POV’s, as readers we’re often gifted with the chance to get inside Griff’s head and he never disappoints. He’s charming and witty, but has a honest to god good heart. He’s one of those male leads that doesn’t have to be a bad boy to make you swoon and win you over----and I adored that about him. Yep. I’m smitten!

With excitement and mystery galore in this book, there was more than enough intrigue and questions to keep you guessing. The book speeds up in pace as questions are answered and races towards a final showdown between our heroes and their nemesis that has you on the edge of your seat.
Finishing with a couple of loose ends left untied and an ending that has you itching for the next book, The Girl In The Sleet Corset is one adventure you don’t want to miss out on!
...more

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Apr 27, 2011 NovelReaction rated it it was amazing

Jane Finley knows that she is different from other girls but she worries that her difference is going to get someone killed. Set in 1897 England The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross takes place during a time of great invetions and greater peril. Finley knows that there is a “thing” inside her that takes over and is violent. Finley accepts Griffin King’s offer of employment even though she worries about losing control and harming those around her.

Griffin King is the head of a band of misfit ...more

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