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The Girl with the Windup Heart (Steampunk Chronicles, #4)

Kady Cross

Discussion: Abandoned Series

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Abandoned Series

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* Abandoned Series
By Erika , Dream Thief · 1 post · 1201 views

last updated Dec 30, 2017 06:31AM

The Dragon Heir
By Jeff , ThisGayReads · 1 post · 39 views

last updated Nov 10, 2023 09:47AM

What Members Thought

Oct 08, 2013 Lauren⁷ 💜 rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi-romance-romantasy, romance, young-adult-teen-new-adult, cover-i-love, historical-romance, library-has-a-copy

Even though this felt a bit rushed, I still enjoyed this book a lot and I thought it was a nice ending to this series.

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Jun 12, 2016 Renuka rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult, science-fiction, adventure, romance, action, historical-fiction, paranormal, magic, steampunk, reviewed

Not nearly as engaging as the first three, mostly because the plot just wasn't as all-encompassing. Many characters felt excluded or ignored, and the plot-lines just fell flat. Still an amazing world with a great cast of characters, although the series might have been better off with just 3 books.

I really have enjoyed this series overall. The first book was probably the weakest, and this conclusion was also a slight disappointment compared to the middle two. The brilliant cast of characters int Not nearly as engaging as the first three, mostly because the plot just wasn't as all-encompassing. Many characters felt excluded or ignored, and the plot-lines just fell flat. Still an amazing world with a great cast of characters, although the series might have been better off with just 3 books.

I really have enjoyed this series overall. The first book was probably the weakest, and this conclusion was also a slight disappointment compared to the middle two. The brilliant cast of characters introduced over the course of the series was ultimately ignored and shunted to the side. The once intricate plots returned to the slightly moldy Machinist plot of the first book.

There just wasn't anything gripping about the conclusion, because it was the same plot. It was supposed to be an "epic final battle between the forces of good and evil," but I felt no tension between the characters. Same forces, same powers, same people. Griffin and Finley had no character development over the course of this book, making it feel like an unnecessary, unplanned fourth book.

The other characters were in an equally disinteresting role of standing by while watching Finley risk her life for Griffin. Sam and Emily were such dynamic characters during the first three books, and suddenly they were returned to the sidelines. I would also have also loved to see more of Jasper and Cat, and delved into their different roles on the team (also their dynamic as Americans would have been super fascinating to explore some more).

The romance aspect of the book was then delegated to Mila and Jack, and as much as I wanted to like the couple, I had three problems with this:
1) No connection to the rest of the plot (seriously why did this matter)
2) I didn't really feel the chemistry (sorry not sorry)
3) IT WAS CREEPY (yep)

Honestly, as much as Mila wanted to prove herself as a "woman" there is no way I was okay with her father figure essentially becoming her lover. It was just really gross, and although I know there are huge fans of the pairing, I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Perhaps if it had been executed slightly differently I could have enjoyed it, but instead of forgetting Mila's initial childlike innocence, and Jack's role as her father/mentor, I found myself increasingly, unpleasantly reminded of it.

The world-building and cast of characters rescued the book, but overall it fell flat as a conclusion, and I wouldn't put it in the same category as the first three.
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May 22, 2014 Melissa rated it liked it

This is the final installment in the Steampunk Chronicles. For those that have been following the story all loose ends seemed to be pretty wrapped up. There were two stories within this book. One was with the Machinist, Griffin and Finley. The other had to do with Jack Dandy and Mila. I have to be honest, I wasn't too happy with splitting the focus. I would have rather have one book and one novella. The Jack/Mila storyline could have easily ended up as a novella. The ending also seemed rather ru ...more

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