The Girl in the Clockwork Collar (Steampunk Chronicles, #2) in Multiculturalism in YA,Fantasy, Sci FI,Paranormal and fun books ;p

Aug 08, 2012 Sasha rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, steampunk

4.5 stars.

You know those times when you open a book to the first chapter, read the first few paragraphs, and just sort of do this sigh of contentment because you’re finally back in that world, reading about the characters and the storylines you love? That’s how I felt when I finally got around to reading the second book in Kady Cross’ spectacular Steampunk Chronicles series, The Girl in the Clockwork Collar.

There are many things that are absolutely awesome about this book. Right off the bat, on 4.5 stars.

You know those times when you open a book to the first chapter, read the first few paragraphs, and just sort of do this sigh of contentment because you’re finally back in that world, reading about the characters and the storylines you love? That’s how I felt when I finally got around to reading the second book in Kady Cross’ spectacular Steampunk Chronicles series, The Girl in the Clockwork Collar.

There are many things that are absolutely awesome about this book. Right off the bat, one thing that really made me excited as a reader was the cover: just like the first book, this cover is gorgeous, with an Asian girl featured on the cover. I remember my first thought being, “Awesome! A girl of color on the cover of this prominent book series! That’s not very common.” I was really excited to see who this mystery girl was, and how she factored into the story. Also, the last book left me with a lot of questions—how was Finley going to negotiate her “good” side and her “bad” side now that they were one? What was going to happen to Jasper? Were Griffin’s powers really as badass as they were hinted to be? All of these questions and more were answered in glorious fashion in The Girl in the Clockwork Collar, and I was not disappointed.

The characterization of this book was on point. We really get to see Finley’s struggles to stay honest and “good” despite the constant presence of her bloodthirsty tendencies like a voice in her ear. I also liked the development of the secondary characters, like Jasper. We didn’t really get to learn much about Jasper in the last book and I’m really glad we get more from his point of view this time around. Jasper has gotten himself into a lot of trouble, having stolen something of the criminal Dalton’s and hidden it around New York to prevent Dalton from getting his hands on it. However, Dalton has leverage on Jasper: Mei, the girl he loved, is in his grasp, and Dalton knows Jasper will do anything to protect her. I can’t go into too many details about this situation without spoiling it but I will say that Dalton is a worthy adversary and Jasper shows his true worth whenever the occasion calls for it, proving that he is a worthy addition to Griffin’s gang.

The plot moves along at a gallop, with no shortage of twists and new developments. I also liked that we got to see each character’s talents in more detail, particularly Griffin’s and Jasper’s. Griffin has control of the Aether, an unseen substance connected to the souls of the dead. Something dark is at work in the Aether, and more than once Griffin is attacked by a shadowy demon out for his blood in particular. Another time, Griffin takes hold of too much Aetheric power and showcases just what kind destruction he is capable of and has to hold a tight rein on every day. These insights into Griffin’s power peeled away some of the enigma and made him a more well-rounded character. I’ve always thought he was the least well-developed character of the gang and appreciated Cross’ efforts to make the reader understand him and his motivations a little better.

That being said, the weakest part of the plot for me was Griffin and Finley’s relationship, which to me was dull and lacking. Honestly, I forget if there was anything I enjoyed about their relationship from the first book but going on the second book alone, I wasn’t impressed. There may be affection between the two, but as for the spark, it just didn’t do it for me. I felt like Finley had a more organic attraction to people like Dalton or even Jasper, not to mention Jack Dandy, who, sadly, does not make an appearance in this book (he was hands-down my favorite in the first book. I do hope we see more of him in the third of the series).

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar is a fast-paced adventure that you will be absorbed in from start to finish. Cady owns the YA steampunk genre and for good reason. I can’t wait to see what the next book has in store for Griffin’s gang of misfits!
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Sep 08, 2011 Kathy (Kindle-aholic) marked it as to-read

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Mar 10, 2012 Cecilia Robert marked it as to-read

Shelves: steam-punk

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Mar 16, 2012 CaliGirlRae marked it as to-read

Shelves: young-adult, steampunk

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Apr 12, 2012 fabby rated it it was amazing

Shelves: steampunk

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Aug 20, 2012 Francielle De Oliveira marked it as to-read

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Mar 20, 2013 Kathy (Kindle-aholic) marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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May 18, 2013 Rich in Color is now on StoryGraph marked it as to-read

Shelves: historical, steampunk

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May 29, 2013 Tiffani Hollis marked it as to-read

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Jul 02, 2017 Cindy III marked it as to-read

Shelves: young-adult, steampunk, young-adult-historical, young-adult-paranormal, new-york, 1890s, young-adult-steampunk, purple-cover, tetralogy, 400-p

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Jul 16, 2018 Merlin rated it it was ok

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