Heart of Steel (Iron Seas, #2) in Exclusive Author-Editor Chat featuring author Meljean Brook and editor Cindy Hwang

Aug 09, 2011 Jill Myles rated it it was amazing

This was like...the sweetest romance to ever feature a bloodthirsty pirate captain and her cabin boy. LOVE.

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Dec 22, 2010 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it it was amazing

Shelves: family-issues, major-illness-or-injury, tortured-heroine, enemies-to-lovers, favorite-heroes, favorite-heroines, 2011-read, on-the-run, favorites, steampunk

This is a Quickie Review. For the (much longer, and shockingly, spoiler free) full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.com

Expected Release Date: November 1, 2011 (Available Now!)
Publisher: Penguin
Imprint: Berkley Trade
Author’s Website: http://meljeanbrook.com/
My Source for This Book: Amazon.com
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 2, Iron Seas
Series Best Read In Order: Yes
Steam Level: Steamy

I do recommend that new readers go back and pick up The Iron Duke before reading this one, as both Yasmeen and Ar ...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Melindeeloo rated it it was amazing

Shelves: steampunk, x2018-audio-challenge, x2018-favorites, x2018-series-binge

4.5 stars for my second 'read' in audio. I enjoyed in even more this time around, pary of that is expectations and part is the reader. I wish Brook would write more, I miss her amazing world building and characters.

My original review...
4 stars -In the previous installment of 'The Swashbuckling Lady Lynx and the Idiot Adventurer', Yasmeen - the Captain of the Lady Corsair - threw a desperate Archimedes Fox to the zombies... but I just knew that the colorful Archimedes couldn't really be gone – he 4.5 stars for my second 'read' in audio. I enjoyed in even more this time around, pary of that is expectations and part is the reader. I wish Brook would write more, I miss her amazing world building and characters.

My original review...
4 stars -In the previous installment of 'The Swashbuckling Lady Lynx and the Idiot Adventurer', Yasmeen - the Captain of the Lady Corsair - threw a desperate Archimedes Fox to the zombies... but I just knew that the colorful Archimedes couldn't really be gone – he'd survived zombies before and it would it would have been such a waste of a fabulous character.

Fortunately, Archimedes was just having an off day, because he was anything but an idiot here, actually both he and Yasmeen were so much 'more' than was shown in their short screen time in the Iron Duke and I was surprised at how much that liked both the capable and not as ruthless as she seems, Yasameen, and the clever dashing roguish Archimedes who's determined to court her.

I was almost afraid to read Heart of Steel, I'd been looking forward to reading this second Iron Seas novel sooooo much that I was worried about being over hyped - I was so blown away by the first book and the way the Victorian society was warped by technology and by occupation by the Mongol Horde, that I had really high expectations for this book. Since Heart of Steel is more of an adventure story, and since Archimedes and Yasmeen spend most of their time on an airship (or battling zombies while searching for treasure), Heart of Steel didn't quite have the same 'wow' factor for me – the worldbuilding doesn't jump to the forefront as much here even though the steampunk elements are still strong. As an adventure story however, Heart of Steel was a rollicking read, and the action alternating with interaction between the Archimedes and Yasmeen - which included some excellent sensual tension building - kept me turning the pages.

Expectations aside, if there was a weakness to the story it was that the two big conflicts facing Archimedes are resolved easily instead of capitalizing on all of the angst that went before. But that really was a minor nit that didn't keep me from enjoying the book. On the positive side, some little things that I enjoyed: brief appearances by Ivy and Mad Machen from “Here there be Monsters” were fun and I also really liked Archimede's sister Xenobia – hope to see more of her. So now the excitement and the waiting begins again, next up for the Iron Seas according to Brook's blog are a Scarsdale short and a Rhys/Mina short next year. ...more

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May 10, 2011 Jaclyn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: keeper, historical, steampunk, zombies, alternate-history

Thanks to Goodreads Giveaways, I got that chance to read the ARC of this book. I loved it! The adventurous world Meljean Brook brings us to once again is still filled with excitement, danger and, of course, love.

Where The Iron Duke has more build-up to help readers understand the world the author is placing them in, Heart of Steel begins with heartache and pushes on to the Europe-hopping adventure that has Yasmeen (Lady Corsair) and Archimedes Fox joining forces. I won't spoil anything be descr ...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Fedora rated it it was amazing

Goodness--this was completely amazing. I loved The Iron Duke and waited to read this in part because I wasn't sure how this would compare. This blew any concerns out of the water.

I loved Yasmeen and Archimedes's larger-than-life characters. Ms. Brook made them such colorful characters but with such a deep core of emotion. I loved seeing their relationship grow from the somewhat antagonistic one they started with to one where they truly are the perfect match.

And both Heart of Steel and the bonus ...more

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May 06, 2011 Mcvane rated it really liked it

Shelves: iron-seas

Set in zombie-infested Europe, Captain Yasmeen and Archimedes Fox go on a hairy search for the legendary da Vinci's map that could lead them to the legendary Clockwork Army and lotsa money. Somewhere along the line, Captain Yasmeen eventually allows herself to believe and embrace Fox's declaration of love while Fox learns to take his own words seriously as well.

Heart of Steel is quite different from novella Here There Be Monsters and last year's novel The Iron Duke, but still set in the same un ...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Rhianna rated it it was amazing

Everything I desire in a Romance done to perfection.

Archimedes Fox, legendary hero of serial novels and treasure hunter, is bound and determined to have his greatest adventure yet. He plans to fall in love. But not with just any woman. Fox wants Yasmeen, the equally legendary Captain of the Lady Corsair, the woman who has done nothing but make her heart of steel obvious. From tossing him to zombies to taking his most valuable find courting Yasmeen could be more trouble than any adventurer—legend Everything I desire in a Romance done to perfection.

Archimedes Fox, legendary hero of serial novels and treasure hunter, is bound and determined to have his greatest adventure yet. He plans to fall in love. But not with just any woman. Fox wants Yasmeen, the equally legendary Captain of the Lady Corsair, the woman who has done nothing but make her heart of steel obvious. From tossing him to zombies to taking his most valuable find courting Yasmeen could be more trouble than any adventurer—legendary or not—can handle.

Getting his treasure back is a life or death matter for Fox. When circumstances alter the course of their adventure to get it back the pair must brave zombies, a mutinous crew, and Horde territories. Can the pair survive their most dangerous adventure yet? Will Yasmeen's heart find enough warmth in Archimedes to melt her cold exterior or will her past keep her from a love worth waiting a lifetime for?

I shouldn't be reviewing this book. I'm having a terrible time finding anything I didn't like about it which makes it difficult to be objective. Keeping that in mind let me just say that I know this book and series will not work for everyone. You have to suspend disbelief a considerable bit and let the pseudoscience be.

Brook has built one of the most exciting worlds I've read but there's so much of it I think it'd be easy to get Tolkien-esque in description overload. Fortunately, Brook has done an excellent job of not overly fatting this novel while still giving readers much more of the world to explore. If you've read THE IRON DUKE and wanted to know more about the Horde this book will be very satisfying.

As an adventure this book is great. As a romance it is exceptional. The groundwork for it was laid a bit in THE IRON DUKE so I honestly would not recommend this as a stand-alone though I think it's the better of the two. Yasmeen is an intriguing woman and finally getting some background on her made her even more enjoyable. Archimedes is charming and could disarm any other woman thrown at him but naturally he wants the one who doesn't want love with him or anyone. Their banter is as amusing as always but the sexual tension in this one sparks off the page to the point of nail-biting. Looking for some steamy steampunk? This is your book, hands down.

If you read THE IRON DUKE and struggled with disliking Mina and Rhys or finding their romance a little too unbelievable (I know many of you did based on reading others' reviews) I'd suggest giving this one a try. Yasmeen is no wilting flower and Archimedes is not the overbearing alpha-male type that I personally can't stand. The pair are equals in all ways which is exactly what I was looking for. This is one of my favorite romances I've ever read and the adventure only makes it more exciting. I'm scared Brook might not be able to top this one but I'm anxiously awaiting more Iron Seas novels.

**Review copy received via publisher. ...more

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Apr 19, 2011 Michelle Cummings rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: steampunk

I really liked this book, and while there is not a darn thing wrong with it, it did not blow me away like the first book in the series, The Iron Duke. The worldbuilding continues, but now it is not in London but all over Europe. We learn still more about the history of the Horde Invasion, and the exodus from Europe to the New World of the major countries, which while interesting, was not quite as fascinating as the first time through.

Yasmeen, our heroine, is an airship captain, and a truly wonde ...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Jill Myles rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audio

Love the audio for this one too! Archimedes sounds playful, and Yasmeen sultry and dangerous. It did throw me a little when Mad Machen had a Scottish accent, though. :)

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