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Gaslight Chronicles #1
Steam & Sorcery
Sir Merrick Hadrian hunts monsters, both human and supernatural. A Knight of the Order of the Round Table, his use of magick and the technologies of steam power have made him both respected and feared. But his considerable skills are useless in the face of his greatest challenge, guardianship of five unusual children. At a loss, Merrick enlists the aid of a governess.Miss Caroline Bristol is reluctant to work for a bachelor but she needs a position, and these former street children touch her heart. While she tends to break any mechanical device she touches, it never occurs to her that she might be something more than human. All she knows is that Merrick is the most dangerously attractive man she's ever met-and out of reach for a mere governess.When conspiracy threatens to blur the distinction between humans and monsters, Caroline and Merrick must join forces, and the fate of humanity hinges upon their combined skills of steam and sorcery...76,400 words
212 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2011
About the author
Cindy Spencer Pape
79 books254 followersCindy Spencer Pape has been, among other things, a banker, a teacher, and an elected politician, though she swears she got better. She volunteers in environmental education, when she can fit it in around writing. She lives in Michigan with her husband, two teenage sons, a dog, a lizard, and various other small creatures, all of which are easier to clean up after than the three male humans.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 253 reviews
August 30, 2013
DNF 70%
Sir Merrick is a Knight of The Order of the Round Table. His job is to hunt vampires and werewolves and other creatures of the night. While investigating the disappearance of a group of young women he gets some help from an unlikely source. A band of street urchins step in and help him battle a group of vampires and free the young women.
When he detects magical power in them he brings them into his home. But they are a ragtag lot and run riot. Merrick needs a governess.
Caroline finds it difficult to keep a job. Hungry and desperate she accepts some help from Merrick's mother and ends up working for him as governess to the little scamps. Caroline and Merrick fight their attraction but let’s face it, it’s a foregone conclusion.
Steam & Sorcery is a pretty good idea which unfortunately ran out of...well, steam. It had a promising start but the wheels had fallen off by about 30%. By 70% when I finally walked away it had become banal and predictable.
There was definitely some good things about this book and my negative review is probably as much a result of it being the third or fourth book that has made me cringe in the past few weeks as anything else. I know it's not entirely fair therefore the disclosure.
Sir Merrick is a Knight of The Order of the Round Table. His job is to hunt vampires and werewolves and other creatures of the night. While investigating the disappearance of a group of young women he gets some help from an unlikely source. A band of street urchins step in and help him battle a group of vampires and free the young women.
When he detects magical power in them he brings them into his home. But they are a ragtag lot and run riot. Merrick needs a governess.
Caroline finds it difficult to keep a job. Hungry and desperate she accepts some help from Merrick's mother and ends up working for him as governess to the little scamps. Caroline and Merrick fight their attraction but let’s face it, it’s a foregone conclusion.
Steam & Sorcery is a pretty good idea which unfortunately ran out of...well, steam. It had a promising start but the wheels had fallen off by about 30%. By 70% when I finally walked away it had become banal and predictable.
There was definitely some good things about this book and my negative review is probably as much a result of it being the third or fourth book that has made me cringe in the past few weeks as anything else. I know it's not entirely fair therefore the disclosure.
March 16, 2011
This ARC was provided to me by Carina Press and no money was exchanged for this review
It wouldn't be entirely true to say that Steam & Sorcery is Jane Eyre with a mechanical Kraken.
[image error]
Much like a Mechanized, gun-toting Abraham Lincoln: It would blow your mind!
Because, firstly, there are no mechanical Kraken in this novel and because it's more like a SteamPunk The Sound of Music only a little less awesome than even that would be.
Still, it's quite fun and fresh. Not quite the Gothic romance it aims to be but still highly readable.
Merrick as a thirty-five year old crime-fighting magician of sorts who adopts five street urchins with unusual talents.
His interrogation techniques are pretty brutal...
He hires Caroline, who is unique as well, to be their governess. Enter romance, action and sweet family bonding time.
Most of the characters in this novel were great. I felt Dorothy was highly under used but that Merrick lacked charisma and personality. This contributed to what I felt were uninspiring romance scenes and a lacklustre romance in general.
The ending was very much rushed and the last action scenes were really just uninvolved recaps of the drama.
Over all, though, the book was still a fun read. Even if it totally lacked in the mechanical Kraken department.
It wouldn't be entirely true to say that Steam & Sorcery is Jane Eyre with a mechanical Kraken.
[image error]
Much like a Mechanized, gun-toting Abraham Lincoln: It would blow your mind!
Because, firstly, there are no mechanical Kraken in this novel and because it's more like a SteamPunk The Sound of Music only a little less awesome than even that would be.
Still, it's quite fun and fresh. Not quite the Gothic romance it aims to be but still highly readable.
Merrick as a thirty-five year old crime-fighting magician of sorts who adopts five street urchins with unusual talents.
His interrogation techniques are pretty brutal...
He hires Caroline, who is unique as well, to be their governess. Enter romance, action and sweet family bonding time.
Most of the characters in this novel were great. I felt Dorothy was highly under used but that Merrick lacked charisma and personality. This contributed to what I felt were uninspiring romance scenes and a lacklustre romance in general.
The ending was very much rushed and the last action scenes were really just uninvolved recaps of the drama.
Over all, though, the book was still a fun read. Even if it totally lacked in the mechanical Kraken department.
November 25, 2013
Geez, what am I going to do with this book? I could justify every rating between 1 and 4 stars. I'll probably rate it 3 stars despite of all its issues, or maybe because it doesn't really care about all those issues and just wants to play.
Merrick Hadrian is a knight of the Order of the Round table, descendants from Arthur's knights, who fight vampyres (they are called vampyres here...with a y...cause it's cool....you know?).
On one of his vampyre hunting trips, Merrick gets rescued by a bunch of vampyre fighting street urchins and their clockwork dog George. (George is awesome!)
One of the kids radiates with the knight aura, so Merrick takes in the kids as his wards. As a bachelor he's in dire need of help. Enter Caroline Bristol, beautiful (look at the cover) guverness with a magical secret.
That's the basic absurdity we have to work from. Now the book does something really interesting. It sends the plot on vacation (Bye plot, have a nice time in Brighton!) and focuses on Caroline's role and the kids. The kids are actually the strongest asset of the book and they are depicted rather well and age appropriate.
At the 50% mark the plot decides to come back, opens the door and watches the adult characters having sex. That happens like 5 times until the end and everytime everyone is clothed again, the plot sneaks in and tries to be included...says something about vampyres and seems very relieved when a cheesy happy ending rescues him.
Another issue of the book is its language. I've read Soulless by Gail Carriger (also a Paranormal Romance in a Steampunk corsett) recently and Steam & Sorcery can't compare, when it comes to reflecting the speech patterns of the era and the general stiffness of the setting. The language is very easy and modern compared to Carriger.
So, as you can see, on a very rational level this book is 1-2 star material, but and it's a big but (no pun intended) it's actually quite fun. Although I rolled my eyes at times, I enjoyed this book enough to honestly say that I liked it, so that's that.
So, if you're in for a Romance with sprinkles of supernatural and steampunk elements with a heart warming Mary Poppins story arch, this might be something for you.
Merrick Hadrian is a knight of the Order of the Round table, descendants from Arthur's knights, who fight vampyres (they are called vampyres here...with a y...cause it's cool....you know?).
On one of his vampyre hunting trips, Merrick gets rescued by a bunch of vampyre fighting street urchins and their clockwork dog George. (George is awesome!)
One of the kids radiates with the knight aura, so Merrick takes in the kids as his wards. As a bachelor he's in dire need of help. Enter Caroline Bristol, beautiful (look at the cover) guverness with a magical secret.
That's the basic absurdity we have to work from. Now the book does something really interesting. It sends the plot on vacation (Bye plot, have a nice time in Brighton!) and focuses on Caroline's role and the kids. The kids are actually the strongest asset of the book and they are depicted rather well and age appropriate.
At the 50% mark the plot decides to come back, opens the door and watches the adult characters having sex. That happens like 5 times until the end and everytime everyone is clothed again, the plot sneaks in and tries to be included...says something about vampyres and seems very relieved when a cheesy happy ending rescues him.
Another issue of the book is its language. I've read Soulless by Gail Carriger (also a Paranormal Romance in a Steampunk corsett) recently and Steam & Sorcery can't compare, when it comes to reflecting the speech patterns of the era and the general stiffness of the setting. The language is very easy and modern compared to Carriger.
So, as you can see, on a very rational level this book is 1-2 star material, but and it's a big but (no pun intended) it's actually quite fun. Although I rolled my eyes at times, I enjoyed this book enough to honestly say that I liked it, so that's that.
So, if you're in for a Romance with sprinkles of supernatural and steampunk elements with a heart warming Mary Poppins story arch, this might be something for you.
August 21, 2013
Have you ever been on fanfiction.net or a similar site, read one of those stories about a Beautiful Heroine With A Tragic Past (TM) and no money who meets a Ruggedly Handsome Rich Guy (TM), falls in love with him, then discovers that she is in fact a Special Snowflake With Awesome Powers (TM) and somewhere on they way she gets lots of pretty dresses and they have Absolutely Faboulus First Time Sex With Hillarious Euphemisms For Penis and Vagina In The Description Of It (TM)? Have you read one of those stories and thought 'I wish there would be one with better spelling, slightly fewer plot-holes and only three pages of dress-descriptions instead of six?'
I have fabulous news for you: Such a book exists!
I almost don't know what else to say about Steam & Sorcery because that is basically it. I admit it started out quite enchanting. Of course it was obvious from the beginning that Merrick and Caro would end up together and I didn't mind that, I also wouldn't have minded if the book had been simply heavy on the romance but after a quite promising beginning in which some interesting elements were introduced (A WEREWOLF CONSTABLE! WHY DOESN'T HE HAVE HIS OWN SERIES??? freaking mechanical dogs and Merricks rather awesome aunt) the romance takes over completely and everything else gets shoved in the background: the children Merrick adopts barely get any personalty: Tommy is the oldest, Wink the one who builds the mechanical pets and also seems to make eyes at every handsome guy who appears (at least that is what Caro believes everytime Wink just looks at them/asks about them...always with an explanation why it's impossible) and I genuinly can't name the other three even though I only just finished the book and I only remember that one girl can talk to ghosts and one boy has prophetic dreams - with that each could be the main character of their own novel but it's barely gone into...
It's also painfully obvious who the bad guy is (OK, I called one more or less the moment he appeared, I did not call the other but only because I had almost forgotten his existence between all the sex and drama) and after half the book it also doesn't really seem as if they still bother investigating, they only react if they're attacked but spent their free time swooning and angsting over each other. I just wanted to yell at them 'HELLO VAMPYRES TRYING TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!! Could you be bothered to think with your brain for a few hours and not with various other parts?'
(Of course it's vampYres and magicK...because you simply get instant-awesome if you throw in a few Ks and Ys...didn't you know?).
Even if the book hadn't tried to pretend to be something else than a straight-up romance, the romance in the book was also somewhat lacking. Granted, there were a few cute scenes but most did boil down to 'Gawd (s)he's so HAWT' and Caro angsting about the fact that she's a bastard and he's a nobleman and now matter how much he's throwing himself at her feet and swearing undying love he would never really marry her. If done well I don't mind if the main character of a book worries about something that is completely obvious to the reader and I admit that Caro would probably doubt his sincerity especially considering her background but it wasn't done well. It came of as whining when there was never a serious doubt about the book having a HEA.
So overall: not impressed.
But hey: it had a werewolf constable!
I have fabulous news for you: Such a book exists!
I almost don't know what else to say about Steam & Sorcery because that is basically it. I admit it started out quite enchanting. Of course it was obvious from the beginning that Merrick and Caro would end up together and I didn't mind that, I also wouldn't have minded if the book had been simply heavy on the romance but after a quite promising beginning in which some interesting elements were introduced (A WEREWOLF CONSTABLE! WHY DOESN'T HE HAVE HIS OWN SERIES??? freaking mechanical dogs and Merricks rather awesome aunt) the romance takes over completely and everything else gets shoved in the background: the children Merrick adopts barely get any personalty: Tommy is the oldest, Wink the one who builds the mechanical pets and also seems to make eyes at every handsome guy who appears (at least that is what Caro believes everytime Wink just looks at them/asks about them...always with an explanation why it's impossible) and I genuinly can't name the other three even though I only just finished the book and I only remember that one girl can talk to ghosts and one boy has prophetic dreams - with that each could be the main character of their own novel but it's barely gone into...
It's also painfully obvious who the bad guy is (OK, I called one more or less the moment he appeared, I did not call the other but only because I had almost forgotten his existence between all the sex and drama) and after half the book it also doesn't really seem as if they still bother investigating, they only react if they're attacked but spent their free time swooning and angsting over each other. I just wanted to yell at them 'HELLO VAMPYRES TRYING TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!! Could you be bothered to think with your brain for a few hours and not with various other parts?'
(Of course it's vampYres and magicK...because you simply get instant-awesome if you throw in a few Ks and Ys...didn't you know?).
Even if the book hadn't tried to pretend to be something else than a straight-up romance, the romance in the book was also somewhat lacking. Granted, there were a few cute scenes but most did boil down to 'Gawd (s)he's so HAWT' and Caro angsting about the fact that she's a bastard and he's a nobleman and now matter how much he's throwing himself at her feet and swearing undying love he would never really marry her. If done well I don't mind if the main character of a book worries about something that is completely obvious to the reader and I admit that Caro would probably doubt his sincerity especially considering her background but it wasn't done well. It came of as whining when there was never a serious doubt about the book having a HEA.
So overall: not impressed.
But hey: it had a werewolf constable!
July 3, 2012
Steam & Sorcery is a quick read, and with two protagonists, an aunt, five children, and a variety of side characters, you'd think it would be quickly overwhelmed by a confusing number of names, but Pape does a fantastic job in giving them all dimension and keeping them distinct. Children are especially difficult to write well, since they often veer either to acting several years younger/older than they're meant to be or simply depicted as being so annoying you grit your teeth every time they're on the page (assuming, of course, the author pays much attention to them other than being used as a plot device). In this case, however, I honestly liked each of the children, and in spite of there being five of them, they had distinct personalities and abilities. (It helps that they're not very young children, ranging in age from 9-15.) I could have happily spent the entire book in the nursery, watching the kids adjust to their new surroundings and interact with Caroline and with each other. They were fun to read about and I actually wished we spent a little more time with them. We do spend a bit of extra time with the two oldest, Tommy and Wink, a potential Knight and a mechanical genius, respectively.
You may have guessed by this point that Steam & Sorcery is a very character-driven book. The plot does suffer a bit for this, becoming more of a random series of events that culminate in a big finale rather than something that builds one piece at a time to a natural conclusion. There are a number of elements that are introduced and then kind of wither off into nothing, sitting around unused and watching the character interplay. Not that I could blame them, because that's pretty much what I was watching while reading, too.
Pape is also fond of splitting her phrases. It's not at all unusual to see two or three em dashes in a page, sometimes even in one paragraph:
I have nothing against a good em dash, but when they're used that often, it becomes noticeable.
It's not a perfect book, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it immensely anyway. Truth be told, I pretty well devoured the thing. It's a quick read, and a lot of fun, and not only am I looking forward to reading the next two volumes in the series, I did an excited happy dance when I discovered there's a fourth volume featuring Wink as the heroine coming out in October. And yes, I'm actually pleased enough about that it got marked down on my book calendar so I don't forget.
You may have guessed by this point that Steam & Sorcery is a very character-driven book. The plot does suffer a bit for this, becoming more of a random series of events that culminate in a big finale rather than something that builds one piece at a time to a natural conclusion. There are a number of elements that are introduced and then kind of wither off into nothing, sitting around unused and watching the character interplay. Not that I could blame them, because that's pretty much what I was watching while reading, too.
Pape is also fond of splitting her phrases. It's not at all unusual to see two or three em dashes in a page, sometimes even in one paragraph:
Caroline saw the fear that lurked behind his pale gray eyes. These children were bold but terrified. It would be good to put their minds at ease before she went on her way --and she could have another bite or two while she was about it. The sandwiches were delicious, after all --if she nibbled long enough, she wouldn't have to buy supper tonight.
I have nothing against a good em dash, but when they're used that often, it becomes noticeable.
It's not a perfect book, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it immensely anyway. Truth be told, I pretty well devoured the thing. It's a quick read, and a lot of fun, and not only am I looking forward to reading the next two volumes in the series, I did an excited happy dance when I discovered there's a fourth volume featuring Wink as the heroine coming out in October. And yes, I'm actually pleased enough about that it got marked down on my book calendar so I don't forget.
January 3, 2021
Steam and Sorcery
By: Cindy Spencer Pape
Narrated by: Helen Stern
This book has a governess hired to teach/care for a handful of street orphans that each have special gifts. The man that hired her was saved by the kids when they helped fight off vampires! He took them in and needed someone to care for them. It's a fun story. Each kid is a special character. Has a happy ending.
By: Cindy Spencer Pape
Narrated by: Helen Stern
This book has a governess hired to teach/care for a handful of street orphans that each have special gifts. The man that hired her was saved by the kids when they helped fight off vampires! He took them in and needed someone to care for them. It's a fun story. Each kid is a special character. Has a happy ending.
March 23, 2011
This delightful, anachronistic story begins in the year 1851, London, England with Sir Merrick Hadrian who is a Knight of the Order. He gets into a bind while investigating the disappearance of some women in the area. While investigating, he is suddenly pitted against two vampyres and unwittingly receives the help of five street children with supernatural powers to help dispatch the vampyres.
As a Knight of the Order, Sir Merrick is used to hunting human and animal monsters; but, he is not sure he is up to taking care of five children on his own. His devious spinster Aunt Dorothy introduces Caroline Bristol into Sir Merrick’s household. By trade Caroline is a governess. She has been employed in a few households but cannot keep a position for very long. Her lack of steady employment is partially due to her attractiveness. Ms. Bristol’s former employers have a bit of trouble keeping their hands to themselves which causes the ending of her gainful employment since this behavior is unacceptable.
When Caroline is offered a job with the attractive Sir Merrick, she is not sure being under the same roof with him is a good idea since she very attracted to him. The five supernaturally charged children tug at her heart strings and she stays. Ms. Bristol is easily able to keep the children out of trouble and busy. While handling the children, the instant attraction between Sir Merrick and Caroline grows intensely.
The mystery of the missing women and the reason for the insurgence of vampires is keeps the momentum of the adventure on a nice even keel while assisting in making the romance between the hero and heroine more emotional.
Steam & Sorcery written by Cindy Spencer Pape is a very beguiling paranormal tale. While parts of the story can be predictable, the main and supporting characters keep the story engaging. I whole heartedly recommend this book to any paranormal romance lover.
Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!
As a Knight of the Order, Sir Merrick is used to hunting human and animal monsters; but, he is not sure he is up to taking care of five children on his own. His devious spinster Aunt Dorothy introduces Caroline Bristol into Sir Merrick’s household. By trade Caroline is a governess. She has been employed in a few households but cannot keep a position for very long. Her lack of steady employment is partially due to her attractiveness. Ms. Bristol’s former employers have a bit of trouble keeping their hands to themselves which causes the ending of her gainful employment since this behavior is unacceptable.
When Caroline is offered a job with the attractive Sir Merrick, she is not sure being under the same roof with him is a good idea since she very attracted to him. The five supernaturally charged children tug at her heart strings and she stays. Ms. Bristol is easily able to keep the children out of trouble and busy. While handling the children, the instant attraction between Sir Merrick and Caroline grows intensely.
The mystery of the missing women and the reason for the insurgence of vampires is keeps the momentum of the adventure on a nice even keel while assisting in making the romance between the hero and heroine more emotional.
Steam & Sorcery written by Cindy Spencer Pape is a very beguiling paranormal tale. While parts of the story can be predictable, the main and supporting characters keep the story engaging. I whole heartedly recommend this book to any paranormal romance lover.
Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!
March 12, 2011
This is a quickie review. Full review available at The Romanceaholic
Finally! A Steampunk novel that includes both airships and welding goggles (albeit in very small doses)! One thing that bugs me with the explosion of so called “Steampunk romances” these days are the stories where the steampunk elements are practically nonexistent, or play such a minor part that they merely act as set dressing. Steam & Sorcery, while not as “Steampunk” as, say, The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook, does rely heavily on automatons and clockwork devices, and as I mentioned, actually had an airship that made a very brief appearance.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. There were just enough Steampunk elements to keep my interest without distracting me with trying to keep up with which implausible inventions were going to be introduced next, and the paranormal elements added a delicious bit of flavor without distracting from the more important inner dynamics of the Hadrian household.
4.5/5 Stars
Finally! A Steampunk novel that includes both airships and welding goggles (albeit in very small doses)! One thing that bugs me with the explosion of so called “Steampunk romances” these days are the stories where the steampunk elements are practically nonexistent, or play such a minor part that they merely act as set dressing. Steam & Sorcery, while not as “Steampunk” as, say, The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook, does rely heavily on automatons and clockwork devices, and as I mentioned, actually had an airship that made a very brief appearance.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. There were just enough Steampunk elements to keep my interest without distracting me with trying to keep up with which implausible inventions were going to be introduced next, and the paranormal elements added a delicious bit of flavor without distracting from the more important inner dynamics of the Hadrian household.
4.5/5 Stars
September 29, 2011
I'm going through a steampunk phase at the moment and am still very much enjoying indulging the phase by snapping up all things Victorian and mechanical. Prior to this, I'd read the first four of the Parasol Proctectorate series by Gail Carriger and since finishing this I've read Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. Both big hitters on the steampunk scene that appears to be all the rage at the moment. I enjoyed this as much as I did those so although it isn't "pure" steampunk, it is certainly no black sheep of the genre!
Sir Merrick Hadrian is a (rather delightful sounding) knight whose job is to use his natural magickal abilities to stalk the shadows, hunt vampires and generally be the kind of tall and dark hero that any Victorian lady (heck, any lady!) would be happy to have protecting her. On one of his investigative jaunts around the slums of London, Merrick is helped out by five feisty little street urchins. When the children are spied by some nasty night-time horrors, Merrick gets all paternal and decides to bring that really he shouldn't just leave them to be picked off and eaten but should bring them home with him. As a character in a steampunk/fantasy/romance, he's perfect! Brooding and dashing, with the type of protective streak that might include sword-fighting for your honour - could you ask for anything more from a Victorian knight? No...
Caroline was a more difficult character for me to like because she can be a little prim at times and a bit too much with the damaged-and-won't-trust-anyone persona. On the whole though I did grow to like her - she's feisty and independent and the kind of Victorian woman that actually might garner the respect of a "modern" woman (i.e. she doesn't faint all the time and allow a man to save her!).
The book is also made by the five children who capture Merrick's heart. Honestly, I'm not always the most maternal woman that ever lived but these kids made me do a very girly "Awww...". In true steampunk/urban fantasy spirit, every one of them is endowed with a special talent, including a girl that can talk to the dead and a boy who dreams the future. They're such a motley little street gang and so charming (you know, for kids...) and a perfect supporting cast that I hope are carried into the remainder of the series (that I only recently learnt existed through GoodReads...)!
So the characters are good, what about the story? A few chapters in, I realised that I wasn't reading because I had been lured in by the characters but because I wanted to read about what was going on in their London - the plot is intriguing enough to keep all of the strong personalities occupied and there's a good dose of fisticuffs every now and then just to keep you on your toes! Plus, the vampires and bad guys are properly bad, which is always more fun!
It has been a very long time since I read a book in one day; as in years, not months. I know that's shocking for a professed book-lover but because I often find that either I don't have the time/concentration (because I tend to read longer books). Because this book balances so many aspects, however, I was completely caught up and, every time I tore myself away to do some boring housework, I found myself right back with my eReader in my lap as soon as physically possible. As good an accolade as any, I'd say!
A minor health warning: The romance is on the more...adult side, shall we say. No simpering heroines or chaste heroes here! I personally don't mind the odd raunchy episode (because I'm scandalous like that) but I know that some people don't like it, so here's my way of politely saying that if you like your romance books to stop at the bedroom door, you might want to give this a miss...
Overall: A great example of both steampunk and urban fantasy with a healthy dose of romance for good measure. The vampires and other nasties are those from nightmares, the engineering and machinery are well-integrated into the Victorian aspects and the romance also manages to fit into the dark story without ruining the tone - definitely worth a couple of hours!
Sir Merrick Hadrian is a (rather delightful sounding) knight whose job is to use his natural magickal abilities to stalk the shadows, hunt vampires and generally be the kind of tall and dark hero that any Victorian lady (heck, any lady!) would be happy to have protecting her. On one of his investigative jaunts around the slums of London, Merrick is helped out by five feisty little street urchins. When the children are spied by some nasty night-time horrors, Merrick gets all paternal and decides to bring that really he shouldn't just leave them to be picked off and eaten but should bring them home with him. As a character in a steampunk/fantasy/romance, he's perfect! Brooding and dashing, with the type of protective streak that might include sword-fighting for your honour - could you ask for anything more from a Victorian knight? No...
Caroline was a more difficult character for me to like because she can be a little prim at times and a bit too much with the damaged-and-won't-trust-anyone persona. On the whole though I did grow to like her - she's feisty and independent and the kind of Victorian woman that actually might garner the respect of a "modern" woman (i.e. she doesn't faint all the time and allow a man to save her!).
The book is also made by the five children who capture Merrick's heart. Honestly, I'm not always the most maternal woman that ever lived but these kids made me do a very girly "Awww...". In true steampunk/urban fantasy spirit, every one of them is endowed with a special talent, including a girl that can talk to the dead and a boy who dreams the future. They're such a motley little street gang and so charming (you know, for kids...) and a perfect supporting cast that I hope are carried into the remainder of the series (that I only recently learnt existed through GoodReads...)!
So the characters are good, what about the story? A few chapters in, I realised that I wasn't reading because I had been lured in by the characters but because I wanted to read about what was going on in their London - the plot is intriguing enough to keep all of the strong personalities occupied and there's a good dose of fisticuffs every now and then just to keep you on your toes! Plus, the vampires and bad guys are properly bad, which is always more fun!
It has been a very long time since I read a book in one day; as in years, not months. I know that's shocking for a professed book-lover but because I often find that either I don't have the time/concentration (because I tend to read longer books). Because this book balances so many aspects, however, I was completely caught up and, every time I tore myself away to do some boring housework, I found myself right back with my eReader in my lap as soon as physically possible. As good an accolade as any, I'd say!
A minor health warning: The romance is on the more...adult side, shall we say. No simpering heroines or chaste heroes here! I personally don't mind the odd raunchy episode (because I'm scandalous like that) but I know that some people don't like it, so here's my way of politely saying that if you like your romance books to stop at the bedroom door, you might want to give this a miss...
Overall: A great example of both steampunk and urban fantasy with a healthy dose of romance for good measure. The vampires and other nasties are those from nightmares, the engineering and machinery are well-integrated into the Victorian aspects and the romance also manages to fit into the dark story without ruining the tone - definitely worth a couple of hours!
March 15, 2011
Meljean Brook and Gail Carriger have proven that mixing together alternate history, technology, fantasy and romance can bring about the most delightful results. I loved Carriger’s Soulless and Brook’s Iron Duke, and so when I came across Steam & Sorcery, which sounded like it had some similar themes, I was eager to give it a try.
Steam & Sorcery starts off strong and seems to be heading on the path to some interesting destinations, but unfortunately it never quite makes it. The story opens as Sir Merrick is working on cracking a case involving the kidnapping of several women in London. Suddenly, two vampires materialize from the darkness, and attack. Just as Merrick is certain that he is about to die, a group of street urchins intervene and skillfully put an end to the vampires. Merrick is startled to discover how young his saviors are, and that they each appear to possess some magical abilities. Disinclined to leave them to the streets, Merrick invites the children to his home, to become his wards.
This was a great beginning to the story, and I couldn’t wait to find out more about these children and their magic, as well as how they came to be such skilled vampire hunters.
Strangely though, after their initial fight with the vampires, the children become rather unremarkable. Yes, they do each have some kind of magical talent; one sees ghosts, one has prophetic dreams and one can create any kind of mechanical device, but these abilities don’t actually play any substantial part in the story. The story also doesn't explore how the kids were able to defeat the vampires, and- to my disappointment- they don't do anything similarly interesting again.
When a governess is hired to take the unruly children in-hand, the plot begins to follow a familiar pattern. Caroline and Merrick are inexplicably drawn to each other, though they do their best to maintain a professional relationship, for a while, at least. Their relationship follows the predictable path, as does the rest of the story. And when Merrick realizes that there may be a traitor among the Knights, working with the vampires, a couple of none-too-subtle clues make it pretty obvious who the culprit is.
The only real surprise for me about the book was that Pape did not make use of all the interesting elements that she had introduced into the story. I really thought she was going to dress up the traditional Jane Eyre plot with the magical children, supernatural creatures and steampunk technology, and I was really looking forward to see how it would all play out. But neither the magical or paranormal aspects were developed and while there was some steampunk technology, these items were just mentioned but not explained in any way.
While Steam & Sorcery did not turn out to be another Soulless or Iron Duke, it was entertaining enough that I easily read through it in just a few hours. The writing wasn't bad and both Caroline and Merrick are likable characters whom I enjoyed reading about. Readers of romance would probably enjoy this story, though anyone looking for a paranormal or steampunk novel will likely be disappointed.
Steam & Sorcery starts off strong and seems to be heading on the path to some interesting destinations, but unfortunately it never quite makes it. The story opens as Sir Merrick is working on cracking a case involving the kidnapping of several women in London. Suddenly, two vampires materialize from the darkness, and attack. Just as Merrick is certain that he is about to die, a group of street urchins intervene and skillfully put an end to the vampires. Merrick is startled to discover how young his saviors are, and that they each appear to possess some magical abilities. Disinclined to leave them to the streets, Merrick invites the children to his home, to become his wards.
This was a great beginning to the story, and I couldn’t wait to find out more about these children and their magic, as well as how they came to be such skilled vampire hunters.
Strangely though, after their initial fight with the vampires, the children become rather unremarkable. Yes, they do each have some kind of magical talent; one sees ghosts, one has prophetic dreams and one can create any kind of mechanical device, but these abilities don’t actually play any substantial part in the story. The story also doesn't explore how the kids were able to defeat the vampires, and- to my disappointment- they don't do anything similarly interesting again.
When a governess is hired to take the unruly children in-hand, the plot begins to follow a familiar pattern. Caroline and Merrick are inexplicably drawn to each other, though they do their best to maintain a professional relationship, for a while, at least. Their relationship follows the predictable path, as does the rest of the story. And when Merrick realizes that there may be a traitor among the Knights, working with the vampires, a couple of none-too-subtle clues make it pretty obvious who the culprit is.
The only real surprise for me about the book was that Pape did not make use of all the interesting elements that she had introduced into the story. I really thought she was going to dress up the traditional Jane Eyre plot with the magical children, supernatural creatures and steampunk technology, and I was really looking forward to see how it would all play out. But neither the magical or paranormal aspects were developed and while there was some steampunk technology, these items were just mentioned but not explained in any way.
While Steam & Sorcery did not turn out to be another Soulless or Iron Duke, it was entertaining enough that I easily read through it in just a few hours. The writing wasn't bad and both Caroline and Merrick are likable characters whom I enjoyed reading about. Readers of romance would probably enjoy this story, though anyone looking for a paranormal or steampunk novel will likely be disappointed.
February 27, 2011
This book was a load of fun. A LOAD. The blending of steampunk, knights, magick, vampyres and other supernatural critters just flat out worked. The mystery of what the vampyres were working toward, the flashes of magick, the rigid social lines that both Caroline and Merrick were trying not to cross and the five gifted children that tied it all together made for a sassy, spunky, well-crafted world with surprises hiding around every corner.
First off, I loved the children. They each had their own strengths and they all looked out for one another. They had made themselves into a family even though they weren't all related by blood. That becomes a sort of theme as Caroline begins to view them as more than just her charges and Merrick takes them under his wing despite his occasional misgivings. When one of them is threatened, they all rush in to help - from the adults right on down to their clockwork dog.
Caroline is initially reluctant to get involved with Merrick's household. She's been treated badly by other male employers and she has no desire to go down that road again. Once she gets steamrolled (haha! I said steamrolled and I'm talking about a steampunk book! I love it when words come together like that!) into helping Merrick and the children, she finds that all of them get under her skin and into her heart.
Merrick's desire to do the right thing, both for the children and for Caroline, makes him a sweet, chivalrous hero. The fact that he's a hunky knight with a handful of magick doesn't hurt him in the least.
This book pretty much hit the spot for me on every level. It was sexy, clockwork-y, violent and sweet. All at once. And that's a nice combination.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
First off, I loved the children. They each had their own strengths and they all looked out for one another. They had made themselves into a family even though they weren't all related by blood. That becomes a sort of theme as Caroline begins to view them as more than just her charges and Merrick takes them under his wing despite his occasional misgivings. When one of them is threatened, they all rush in to help - from the adults right on down to their clockwork dog.
Caroline is initially reluctant to get involved with Merrick's household. She's been treated badly by other male employers and she has no desire to go down that road again. Once she gets steamrolled (haha! I said steamrolled and I'm talking about a steampunk book! I love it when words come together like that!) into helping Merrick and the children, she finds that all of them get under her skin and into her heart.
Merrick's desire to do the right thing, both for the children and for Caroline, makes him a sweet, chivalrous hero. The fact that he's a hunky knight with a handful of magick doesn't hurt him in the least.
This book pretty much hit the spot for me on every level. It was sexy, clockwork-y, violent and sweet. All at once. And that's a nice combination.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
July 31, 2015
Disclaimer - the author is primarily a romance writer, so there's some predictability here, the occasional mild ick factor, and several explicit sex scenes. But overall a very light, enjoyable read with characters to care about.
July 2015 - re-reading.
July 2015 - re-reading.
May 4, 2011
Originally posted at Once Upon a Chapter
Sir Merrick Hadrian is a member of the Order of Knights. It is a secret society of descendants from the original Knights and King Arthur. Men can only join if they are blood related and have the gift. It is usually the oldest male sibling in the family. Merrick takes his responsibilities seriously. He watched his mother grow farther and farther away while his father was on assignment for the Order. The last thing Merrick wants is a wife and children at home to worry about and worry for him.
One night Merrick comes across two vampyres while getting information from an informant. He easily takes care of one but the other is almost upon him when a rough and tumble group of five children come to his rescue. Tom, the oldest at 17, refuses to let Merrick go on his own to the next point of the operation. The children help him take out a party of thugs and more vampyres and then disappear into the night when Scotland Yard shows up. Vampyres never work together and it is enough for Merrick to think about that he doesn't think of the danger the children might be in until a few days later.
The children have a hard time believing their luck when Merrick takes them in. Merrick can hardly believe that in one day he becomes the guardian of five children. His household quickly becomes a zoo. The children who lived on the street before are having a hard time adjusting to their new surroundings. Staff are also having a hard time adjusting to caring for five children.
Caroline Bristol can't remember a time when she wasn't supporting herself. It's been a rough life but she has taken it in stride. Caroline has held many positions as a governess. Unfortunately her employment ends abruptly. It usually coincides with the time that the father in the family can no longer keep her hands off of her. Caroline never invites the attention but can never seem to escape it. She can't believe that she has found another position in another upstanding household very shortly after being dismissed from her previous employer.
Once she meets the children she can't say no. They are truly wonderful. Each one talented in a different way but devoted to each other unconditionally. Caroline accepts the position and tries to ignore Merrick as much as possible. The attraction they feel is impossible to ignore and quickly insinuates itself.
Merrick has been assigned to find a betrayer within the Order. If Merrick can't find out who is leaking information the world as they know it will change forever. Merrick didn't plan on the search bringing harm to his new wards and he will do anything to protect them and Caroline.
My Thoughts:
Oh my! This book was amazing. As it is a Carina Press title it is only available as an ebook. I am VERY glad that I have my Nook. If you have an ereader, heck even if you don't, you can't miss this book! It is a steampunk. For those who may not know it means that it is set in a somewhat alternate historical time period. It is alternate in that there are clockwork machines to ease everyday life and steam is a very valuable power source. I'm sure there's much more to it than that, but that's my basic definition.
There is a lot going on in Steam & Sorcery. The relationship between Merrick and Caroline is an intense one. They both want to ignore it fiercely. Merrick doesn't want the responsibility and Caroline feels like Merrick is above her touch considering she is in service. It is fun to watch them dance around each other. The children are a great addition to the story. They play a large part and I found myself becoming quite attached to them myself.
The mystery was hard to solve. Like I mentioned before, there is a lot going on in this book: betrayal, secret societies, a new adoptive family and a romance. Cindy Spencer Pape does a wonderful job balancing it all. I never felt like one aspect of the book was dominating the entire plotline. If you are in the mood for a read that will sweep you away and into a different world for a little while this is the treat you have been looking for!
Sir Merrick Hadrian is a member of the Order of Knights. It is a secret society of descendants from the original Knights and King Arthur. Men can only join if they are blood related and have the gift. It is usually the oldest male sibling in the family. Merrick takes his responsibilities seriously. He watched his mother grow farther and farther away while his father was on assignment for the Order. The last thing Merrick wants is a wife and children at home to worry about and worry for him.
One night Merrick comes across two vampyres while getting information from an informant. He easily takes care of one but the other is almost upon him when a rough and tumble group of five children come to his rescue. Tom, the oldest at 17, refuses to let Merrick go on his own to the next point of the operation. The children help him take out a party of thugs and more vampyres and then disappear into the night when Scotland Yard shows up. Vampyres never work together and it is enough for Merrick to think about that he doesn't think of the danger the children might be in until a few days later.
The children have a hard time believing their luck when Merrick takes them in. Merrick can hardly believe that in one day he becomes the guardian of five children. His household quickly becomes a zoo. The children who lived on the street before are having a hard time adjusting to their new surroundings. Staff are also having a hard time adjusting to caring for five children.
Caroline Bristol can't remember a time when she wasn't supporting herself. It's been a rough life but she has taken it in stride. Caroline has held many positions as a governess. Unfortunately her employment ends abruptly. It usually coincides with the time that the father in the family can no longer keep her hands off of her. Caroline never invites the attention but can never seem to escape it. She can't believe that she has found another position in another upstanding household very shortly after being dismissed from her previous employer.
Once she meets the children she can't say no. They are truly wonderful. Each one talented in a different way but devoted to each other unconditionally. Caroline accepts the position and tries to ignore Merrick as much as possible. The attraction they feel is impossible to ignore and quickly insinuates itself.
Merrick has been assigned to find a betrayer within the Order. If Merrick can't find out who is leaking information the world as they know it will change forever. Merrick didn't plan on the search bringing harm to his new wards and he will do anything to protect them and Caroline.
My Thoughts:
Oh my! This book was amazing. As it is a Carina Press title it is only available as an ebook. I am VERY glad that I have my Nook. If you have an ereader, heck even if you don't, you can't miss this book! It is a steampunk. For those who may not know it means that it is set in a somewhat alternate historical time period. It is alternate in that there are clockwork machines to ease everyday life and steam is a very valuable power source. I'm sure there's much more to it than that, but that's my basic definition.
There is a lot going on in Steam & Sorcery. The relationship between Merrick and Caroline is an intense one. They both want to ignore it fiercely. Merrick doesn't want the responsibility and Caroline feels like Merrick is above her touch considering she is in service. It is fun to watch them dance around each other. The children are a great addition to the story. They play a large part and I found myself becoming quite attached to them myself.
The mystery was hard to solve. Like I mentioned before, there is a lot going on in this book: betrayal, secret societies, a new adoptive family and a romance. Cindy Spencer Pape does a wonderful job balancing it all. I never felt like one aspect of the book was dominating the entire plotline. If you are in the mood for a read that will sweep you away and into a different world for a little while this is the treat you have been looking for!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2011
Steam & Sorcery is a nice blend of steampunk and romance. The characters are well developed while allowing for some twists and growth. It's nice how we find out Caroline's original problems as a governess come from a specific source, and I hope this is explored in future books. The children were written very believably, which is a nice change from some adult novels. I liked the touches of science the steampunk added, though I would have liked to see more examples of the uses of steam power. The combination of steampunk and fantasy is natural, and I hope to see more fiction like this in the future.
The ending was suitably happy for any fan of romance, though the climax was somewhat abrupt and rushed. Everything turned out well, though, and I enjoyed the story. I'm always little skeptical with these historical romances, wondering if relationships really would be allowed to develop in the manner the one in the book did, but the overall story is good enough that I didn't mind. I'll be on the lookout for more books by this author.
I received this e-ARC from Netgalley and the publisher.
The ending was suitably happy for any fan of romance, though the climax was somewhat abrupt and rushed. Everything turned out well, though, and I enjoyed the story. I'm always little skeptical with these historical romances, wondering if relationships really would be allowed to develop in the manner the one in the book did, but the overall story is good enough that I didn't mind. I'll be on the lookout for more books by this author.
I received this e-ARC from Netgalley and the publisher.
August 21, 2015
If you enjoy Steampunk, adventure, and the paranormal mixed with your Romance, this is a fun series that introduces a group characters and sees them find happily ever after in their own books.
Fans of Kerrelyn Sparks, Love at Stake series would enjoy this series. And vise versa for Cindy Spenser Pape fans looking for a new series to sink your teeth in.
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
Fans of Kerrelyn Sparks, Love at Stake series would enjoy this series. And vise versa for Cindy Spenser Pape fans looking for a new series to sink your teeth in.
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
February 2, 2013
Maybe 2.5.
I liked a few things about the fantasy, but the romance was underwhelming. I mean really - very much more powerful/higher status male who's totally smitten and planning to marry the poor, abused governess, but just doesn't tell her about it? Her determination to be with him while she can, knowing her heart will be broken when he leaves her doesn't cause the necessary heart-string tugging when the reader knows he's just -- uh, waiting for the perfect moment? Didn't find the sex scenes very appealing either, partly because Merrick was being such a goop in letting Caroline think he only wanted an affair. Not my cuppa, though I'm not sure there was anything really wrong with it.
I liked a few things about the fantasy, but the romance was underwhelming. I mean really - very much more powerful/higher status male who's totally smitten and planning to marry the poor, abused governess, but just doesn't tell her about it? Her determination to be with him while she can, knowing her heart will be broken when he leaves her doesn't cause the necessary heart-string tugging when the reader knows he's just -- uh, waiting for the perfect moment? Didn't find the sex scenes very appealing either, partly because Merrick was being such a goop in letting Caroline think he only wanted an affair. Not my cuppa, though I'm not sure there was anything really wrong with it.
August 20, 2013
Don’t read this book for the adventure. Or the mystery plot. Or because you're into steampunk. You will be disappointed. If you read this for the romance, however, you should be fine.
I purchased this book because I felt like I needed to read something light, fluffy, preferably with some colourful, sympathetic characters, a shining hero to swoon over and an imaginative setting. Well, Steam and Sorcery delivered perfectly on that account. I really enjoyed myself, when I began reading, but after a while I simply could not ignore the many faults any longer.
It is a decent quick read that never realises the full potential of its premise. Its first half is significantly more readable than the second.
This book isn't all bad. Especially in the first half it does a couple of things really, really well. While we're introduced to the basic setting and our main players, one of our protagonists is investigating a crime that will immediately get you hooked, immediately followed by a nicely paced action scene. The book keeps up the pace, introducing new elements fast enough to make you wonder how the characters will react to each them. It keeps you turning the pages, even when there are no mysteries to be solved or monsters to fight.
I also liked the idea of combining a historical setting, especially that of the budding industrialisation at its height, with supernatural creatures, an order of magic knights in service of the British crown, and light steampunkt elements.
The book gets further bonus points for featuring vampires that truly look like undead monsters rather than hot humans with a couple of sexy animal features. The nocturnal seducer has, of course, been the modern vampire's main raison d'être since it was codified in times of Romanticism, but I certainly won't blame an author for escaping a trend that has become ubiquitous in paranormal romances in recent years.
However, the book reveals its most ugly problems when it comes to finding a balance between focus on setting, characters and action:
At first everything takes a backseat to the plot leading to the status quo of installing all the main players at Hadrian House: The book uses a very short time-frame, in which characters develop and relationships grow so fast it hurts the story’s credibility.
You would think the book does this because the plot calls for a whirlwind romance, but at least the relationship between the lovebirds takes a bit longer to develop than the others.
In fact, once the players are all in place the plot takes a backseat to the romance!
Finally, sadly, the development of the setting, the world building, takes a backseat to everything. The steampunk elements in this book are a gimmick, not an experiment that set up the plot. How much would actually change if you took these elements out? Not much. It seems almost like the book doesn’t have much interest in its steampunk elements apart from their coolness.
Even worse, how the most prominently featured machines work is never explained. Take the many clockwork pets: How do they work? They obey voice commands; something stops them from running into people or furniture. They are programmed! This exceeds simple steam engine technology. It is hinted that the technology of this world is based on Ada Lovelace’s forays into programming computers, but how this would work exactly is never specified. How can the clockwork servants tell when there are people around they need to serve? Without running into them?
However, I do like that the author used Ada Lovelace and her importance to the technological progress in her world, to give women’s rights a push, i.e. making it easier for them to enter formerly entirely masculine fields of work and allowing them entry into libraries. That is a nice bit of alternate history world building. It’s a shame this is not explored further in the novel.
But I get it, this book is not about world building, it is about romance. But the fact remains that I feel disappointed. The combination of urban noir fantasy with steampunk elements deserved to be explored in greater detail and not to be treated as mere window dressing.
This becomes especially frustrating when the romance aspect, that takes over the book completely at about the half-way point, gets bogged down by more and more clichés and repetitive dialogue emphasising how perfect our lovebirds are for each other, and how much they love the kids. I began to be less charmed by the characters and their interaction, and felt more and more compelled to roll my eyes at the lovers' syrupy sweetness, the sudden possessiveness in their relationship, and the run-of-the-mill sex scenes, that are not without their "duelling tongues", "wet cavern"s, "damp folds", and similar expressions that either make you smile fondly at their awkwardness, or that evoke the sexiness of a stagnant swamp. I kept waiting for the fleshy spear of tender impalement and passion but it never showed up.
Had the book shown more interest in its world-building, characters aside from the protagonists, and, ultimately, it's mystery plot, I might have been more inclined to overlook the accumulation of purply prose and tooth ache inducing domestic scenes. In the end the book tries to hard to make the make-shift family look so perfect, that the whole thing feels forced.
I guess straight up romance simply isn't my genre. I would have loved to see the adventurous plot treated at least equal to the romance. But it mostly disappears after the first half of the book, to be taken up again only for the final two chapters in a rush.
Add to that a couple of lapses in the books logical corset. Take the first proper chapter. As the scene is set it is so dark in the streets that our protagonist can barely make out what is about an arm's length in front of him. Yet, a couple of minutes later, without additional light sources being mentioned, he can see a man's throat being slashed out of the corner of his eye.
Then the kid characters show up, and while George is adressed, it is not revealed that he is a dog, much less a mechanical dog until about 10 pages later. You don't mention the existence of a clockwork mastiff a chapter after it would have been most relevant! IT IS A GODDAMN CLOCKWORK MASTIFF!
Then there's all the other problems I had with the premise and the writing itself: How did a bunch of homeless, orphaned street urchins acquire swords to fight the undead with? This is never explained. Neither is it later explained how Caroline managed to hide a sword between her skirts and whatever gave her the idea this would be a good, accessible place for a weapon, if you need to retrieve it quickly in an emergency? Victorian skirts where not designed to be lifted quickly and inconspicuous.
And why, if the existence of vampires is an open secret, is it not fashionable for Merrick to carry a sword with him? Especially since he is repeatedly referred to as an officer, and even could have disguised his weapon as ornamental, to prevent the other nobs from turning up their noses at it.
At least the book doesn’t pretend to be anything it isn’t. It’s fluff. And it does what it sets out to do: Be a quick, fun adventure read, with a focus on romance and to tug on your heartstrings with cosy domestic scenes. Unfortunately it gets increasingly bogged down with romance clichés as the story progresses, and the writing, while over all decent, turns unnecessarily purply from time to time. Add to that the occasional flaw in logic or research, and you ultimately have, while not a horrible book, a quick read with a few flaws too many to be truly called good.
I purchased this book because I felt like I needed to read something light, fluffy, preferably with some colourful, sympathetic characters, a shining hero to swoon over and an imaginative setting. Well, Steam and Sorcery delivered perfectly on that account. I really enjoyed myself, when I began reading, but after a while I simply could not ignore the many faults any longer.
It is a decent quick read that never realises the full potential of its premise. Its first half is significantly more readable than the second.
This book isn't all bad. Especially in the first half it does a couple of things really, really well. While we're introduced to the basic setting and our main players, one of our protagonists is investigating a crime that will immediately get you hooked, immediately followed by a nicely paced action scene. The book keeps up the pace, introducing new elements fast enough to make you wonder how the characters will react to each them. It keeps you turning the pages, even when there are no mysteries to be solved or monsters to fight.
I also liked the idea of combining a historical setting, especially that of the budding industrialisation at its height, with supernatural creatures, an order of magic knights in service of the British crown, and light steampunkt elements.
The book gets further bonus points for featuring vampires that truly look like undead monsters rather than hot humans with a couple of sexy animal features. The nocturnal seducer has, of course, been the modern vampire's main raison d'être since it was codified in times of Romanticism, but I certainly won't blame an author for escaping a trend that has become ubiquitous in paranormal romances in recent years.
However, the book reveals its most ugly problems when it comes to finding a balance between focus on setting, characters and action:
At first everything takes a backseat to the plot leading to the status quo of installing all the main players at Hadrian House: The book uses a very short time-frame, in which characters develop and relationships grow so fast it hurts the story’s credibility.
You would think the book does this because the plot calls for a whirlwind romance, but at least the relationship between the lovebirds takes a bit longer to develop than the others.
In fact, once the players are all in place the plot takes a backseat to the romance!
Finally, sadly, the development of the setting, the world building, takes a backseat to everything. The steampunk elements in this book are a gimmick, not an experiment that set up the plot. How much would actually change if you took these elements out? Not much. It seems almost like the book doesn’t have much interest in its steampunk elements apart from their coolness.
Even worse, how the most prominently featured machines work is never explained. Take the many clockwork pets: How do they work? They obey voice commands; something stops them from running into people or furniture. They are programmed! This exceeds simple steam engine technology. It is hinted that the technology of this world is based on Ada Lovelace’s forays into programming computers, but how this would work exactly is never specified. How can the clockwork servants tell when there are people around they need to serve? Without running into them?
However, I do like that the author used Ada Lovelace and her importance to the technological progress in her world, to give women’s rights a push, i.e. making it easier for them to enter formerly entirely masculine fields of work and allowing them entry into libraries. That is a nice bit of alternate history world building. It’s a shame this is not explored further in the novel.
But I get it, this book is not about world building, it is about romance. But the fact remains that I feel disappointed. The combination of urban noir fantasy with steampunk elements deserved to be explored in greater detail and not to be treated as mere window dressing.
This becomes especially frustrating when the romance aspect, that takes over the book completely at about the half-way point, gets bogged down by more and more clichés and repetitive dialogue emphasising how perfect our lovebirds are for each other, and how much they love the kids. I began to be less charmed by the characters and their interaction, and felt more and more compelled to roll my eyes at the lovers' syrupy sweetness, the sudden possessiveness in their relationship, and the run-of-the-mill sex scenes, that are not without their "duelling tongues", "wet cavern"s, "damp folds", and similar expressions that either make you smile fondly at their awkwardness, or that evoke the sexiness of a stagnant swamp. I kept waiting for the fleshy spear of tender impalement and passion but it never showed up.
Had the book shown more interest in its world-building, characters aside from the protagonists, and, ultimately, it's mystery plot, I might have been more inclined to overlook the accumulation of purply prose and tooth ache inducing domestic scenes. In the end the book tries to hard to make the make-shift family look so perfect, that the whole thing feels forced.
I guess straight up romance simply isn't my genre. I would have loved to see the adventurous plot treated at least equal to the romance. But it mostly disappears after the first half of the book, to be taken up again only for the final two chapters in a rush.
Add to that a couple of lapses in the books logical corset. Take the first proper chapter. As the scene is set it is so dark in the streets that our protagonist can barely make out what is about an arm's length in front of him. Yet, a couple of minutes later, without additional light sources being mentioned, he can see a man's throat being slashed out of the corner of his eye.
Then the kid characters show up, and while George is adressed, it is not revealed that he is a dog, much less a mechanical dog until about 10 pages later. You don't mention the existence of a clockwork mastiff a chapter after it would have been most relevant! IT IS A GODDAMN CLOCKWORK MASTIFF!
Then there's all the other problems I had with the premise and the writing itself: How did a bunch of homeless, orphaned street urchins acquire swords to fight the undead with? This is never explained. Neither is it later explained how Caroline managed to hide a sword between her skirts and whatever gave her the idea this would be a good, accessible place for a weapon, if you need to retrieve it quickly in an emergency? Victorian skirts where not designed to be lifted quickly and inconspicuous.
And why, if the existence of vampires is an open secret, is it not fashionable for Merrick to carry a sword with him? Especially since he is repeatedly referred to as an officer, and even could have disguised his weapon as ornamental, to prevent the other nobs from turning up their noses at it.
At least the book doesn’t pretend to be anything it isn’t. It’s fluff. And it does what it sets out to do: Be a quick, fun adventure read, with a focus on romance and to tug on your heartstrings with cosy domestic scenes. Unfortunately it gets increasingly bogged down with romance clichés as the story progresses, and the writing, while over all decent, turns unnecessarily purply from time to time. Add to that the occasional flaw in logic or research, and you ultimately have, while not a horrible book, a quick read with a few flaws too many to be truly called good.
October 4, 2020
I wasted my time reading it and hoping to become better. No! It didn't, it became worse.
Nothing wrong with the idea and the potential characters. But everything else was just... not good.
The story seemed like a compilation of some really good steampunk and vampire novels, even manga (Alucard especially). It's like a sum of different good things like vampires, werewolves, fairies, knights, romance, atmosphere of dark gothic England, gifted children... you name it! First - just too many different themes, second - mixed in a really bad way, random pieces not related to each other. It was already bad, but add here some fishy sex scenes between a lady who really hated all the love-love thing between employer and employee, gives up really fast and falls for this new employer of her. Just feels unnatural.
Nothing wrong with the idea and the potential characters. But everything else was just... not good.
The story seemed like a compilation of some really good steampunk and vampire novels, even manga (Alucard especially). It's like a sum of different good things like vampires, werewolves, fairies, knights, romance, atmosphere of dark gothic England, gifted children... you name it! First - just too many different themes, second - mixed in a really bad way, random pieces not related to each other. It was already bad, but add here some fishy sex scenes between a lady who really hated all the love-love thing between employer and employee, gives up really fast and falls for this new employer of her. Just feels unnatural.
October 24, 2015
QUATTRO E 1/2
Incantesimi e ingranaggi è un libro meraviglioso, mi aveva proprio attirata il genere Steampunk di cui era infuso l'epoca che naturalmente si aggira intorno a quella vittoriana e la storia intricata.
Tutto il racconto si fonda su questa triade, intrecciato, appassionante, ben scritto e strutturato, tutto racchiuso in duecento pagine. La serie che è denominata "Steampunk Chronicles" avrà tanti titoli in uscita, in America sono già all'ottavo. La storia non è semplice ma tutt'altro, molto complicata ma facilmente districabile.
La protagonista Miss Caroline Bristol, è davvero sorprendente, con quel suo modo di fare e la sua forte personalità la rendono un personaggio unico; ella stessa dovrà accudire cinque bambini che Sir Merrick Hadrian ha trovato per strada, con vari poteri soprannaturali e che l'hanno aiutato a risolvere un caso intricato e spigoloso.
Ho adorato ogni singolo personaggio della storia, la ZIA audace e spiritosa, perfetta per quell'epoca un pò ottusa e retrograda. I bambini, ognuno ha un piccolo particolare che lo contraddistingue, messi insieme formano una squadra perfetta. Nella storia si mescolano elementi soprannaturali, steampunk e originali rendendola davvero toccante.
Imbastita anche una storia d'amore, ma non vi dirò fra chi, che non guasta minimamente anzi fa salire la verve e il tono che conduce il romanzo stesso. Un tema che io amo e mi sta molto a cuore. Ho adorato tutto, fino all'ultima virgola...quindi non vedo l'ora di leggere il seguito! Buona Lettura...
Cospirazioni, amore, magia mescolati al sapore amaro di Londra.
Incantesimi e ingranaggi è un libro meraviglioso, mi aveva proprio attirata il genere Steampunk di cui era infuso l'epoca che naturalmente si aggira intorno a quella vittoriana e la storia intricata.
Tutto il racconto si fonda su questa triade, intrecciato, appassionante, ben scritto e strutturato, tutto racchiuso in duecento pagine. La serie che è denominata "Steampunk Chronicles" avrà tanti titoli in uscita, in America sono già all'ottavo. La storia non è semplice ma tutt'altro, molto complicata ma facilmente districabile.
La protagonista Miss Caroline Bristol, è davvero sorprendente, con quel suo modo di fare e la sua forte personalità la rendono un personaggio unico; ella stessa dovrà accudire cinque bambini che Sir Merrick Hadrian ha trovato per strada, con vari poteri soprannaturali e che l'hanno aiutato a risolvere un caso intricato e spigoloso.
Ho adorato ogni singolo personaggio della storia, la ZIA audace e spiritosa, perfetta per quell'epoca un pò ottusa e retrograda. I bambini, ognuno ha un piccolo particolare che lo contraddistingue, messi insieme formano una squadra perfetta. Nella storia si mescolano elementi soprannaturali, steampunk e originali rendendola davvero toccante.
Imbastita anche una storia d'amore, ma non vi dirò fra chi, che non guasta minimamente anzi fa salire la verve e il tono che conduce il romanzo stesso. Un tema che io amo e mi sta molto a cuore. Ho adorato tutto, fino all'ultima virgola...quindi non vedo l'ora di leggere il seguito! Buona Lettura...
Cospirazioni, amore, magia mescolati al sapore amaro di Londra.
November 14, 2017
Meh. I picked this up because it was in the Audible Romance package and there's honestly nothing like a good paranormal/steampunk/romance mash-up. Unfortunately, this wasn't one.
The paranormal aspect of this book left a lot to be desired, it felt like an afterthought to me. There's a lot of paranormal on the surface but it's not well explored, taking away all the paranormal aspects of the characters and replacing the big bad vampires with some other sort of crime boss would have left you a perfectly reasonable historical/mystery/romance mash-up without changing much of the story.
Likewise the steampunk aspect was less explored than I would have hoped. One of the children fostered by the main character in this story is mechanically inclined and has several mechanical animals that are around. A lot of time is spent on Babbage's Difference Engine, but that alone doesn't make steampunk steampunk.
The romance wasn't anything special. There was too much telling the readers about the chemistry between the two and not enough showing. I didn't feel the tension between the two, there was no real segue between the not a relationship phase and the relationship phase.
Audiobook gets a solid 4.
I got the second book eons ago for free on kindle, so I'll likely read it now. Not sure that I'll continue after that... but the title of the third book is Kilts & Krakens and those are two of my favorite things. So..... maybe.
The paranormal aspect of this book left a lot to be desired, it felt like an afterthought to me. There's a lot of paranormal on the surface but it's not well explored, taking away all the paranormal aspects of the characters and replacing the big bad vampires with some other sort of crime boss would have left you a perfectly reasonable historical/mystery/romance mash-up without changing much of the story.
Likewise the steampunk aspect was less explored than I would have hoped. One of the children fostered by the main character in this story is mechanically inclined and has several mechanical animals that are around. A lot of time is spent on Babbage's Difference Engine, but that alone doesn't make steampunk steampunk.
The romance wasn't anything special. There was too much telling the readers about the chemistry between the two and not enough showing. I didn't feel the tension between the two, there was no real segue between the not a relationship phase and the relationship phase.
Audiobook gets a solid 4.
I got the second book eons ago for free on kindle, so I'll likely read it now. Not sure that I'll continue after that... but the title of the third book is Kilts & Krakens and those are two of my favorite things. So..... maybe.
May 2, 2011
A satisfying steampunk read with magic and the paranormal!
This book is a fun filled journey back in time. The writing is so detailed you'll be transported to life in 1800's London, from the streets and architecture to the beautiful fashions. Vampires, werewolves and fae mixed with technology, secret societies and magic make Steam & Sorcery a must read for fans of all things steampunk and romance!
Read my full review here: http://romancingthedarkside.blogspot....
This book is a fun filled journey back in time. The writing is so detailed you'll be transported to life in 1800's London, from the streets and architecture to the beautiful fashions. Vampires, werewolves and fae mixed with technology, secret societies and magic make Steam & Sorcery a must read for fans of all things steampunk and romance!
Read my full review here: http://romancingthedarkside.blogspot....
August 12, 2016
I didn't expect to like this story. It is a fairy tale. Even though it is a romance, that is not what drives the story. Romance starts much later. Before that you have a group of gifted street urchins fighting vampires and protecting each other, an aunt who isn't afraid to say or do what she likes and two main characters who are not annoying (you have to admit that in most of the historical romances, one of the two does something stupid at least once).
September 17, 2017
A Victorian era romance in a steam punk lite setting. I enjoyed Caroline's strength of character and sense of fun. There was a decent amount of action, and the romance grew normally through attraction, chemistry and multiple interactions. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
January 18, 2019
This book sucked me in from the beginning. But, I was irrevocably hooked when the children entered. I loved the main characters. The mystery was so-so. Mostly, I loved the characters. And, the relationships - from the aunt to the servants to the children. It was heart warming.
Why 3 stars? It annoyed me. It takes place in a "victorian" England setting, then proceeds to complain about Victorian England. If you don't like it, don't stay there. England hasn't. :P
Why 3 stars? It annoyed me. It takes place in a "victorian" England setting, then proceeds to complain about Victorian England. If you don't like it, don't stay there. England hasn't. :P
May 23, 2011
A LASR 'BEST BOOK'!
If Steam and Sorcery is an example of Steampunk Romance I’m going to put this genre on my favorites list.
The time is 1851. Queen Victoria is on the throne of England. On the surface the era appears unchanged from the one we know from history. All is not as it seems.
Sir Merrick Hadrian is a Knight of the Round Table. He is descended from Arthur’s original knights - who were were completely different from the knights portrayed in legend. Merrick is gifted with magic. His secret duties include disposing of vampires, rogue werewolfs and other supernatural beings who endanger the mechanical Victorian England.
Life becomes extremely complicated when five gifted children help him defeat several vampires. He suspects one of them is descended from a Knight. He takes all five children into his home to protect them from the revenge of the vampires. Chaos erupts in his orderly household so he hires a governess and then promptly falls in love with her.
Caroline Bristol is not the frumpy governess she tries to appear. An instant rapport grows between her and the children, but she also has a hidden talent - or fault as she thinks of it. Her other problem is the instant attraction she develops for her employer.
The two adults and five children must solve the riddle of the vampires. Merrick and Caroline also have the difficulty of fighting their growing desire for each other.
I thought Steampunk Romance differed from ordinary romances by having machines appearing in unlikely times of history, particularly Victorian times. Ms. Spencer Pape has certainly placed her story in the correct era. The wonderful machines in her book also make it steampunk. George the mechanical dog is a particular favorite of mine. Her inclusion of the paranormal and magic is so natural it gives the story a well deserved richness in tone. Humor lightens the world of the paranormal which can often be dark and scary.
The characters are people you could imagine in your everyday life. Caroline is a feisty young lady who refuses to allow any male employer to take advantage. Merrick is determined not to marry. What wife would allow him to chase vampires and werewolves? Five children ranging in age from nine to sixteen add a contrast between being funny, and at times distressing.
Definitely a book I would recommend. Truth be told, I couldn’t put this one down.
originally posted at http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...
If Steam and Sorcery is an example of Steampunk Romance I’m going to put this genre on my favorites list.
The time is 1851. Queen Victoria is on the throne of England. On the surface the era appears unchanged from the one we know from history. All is not as it seems.
Sir Merrick Hadrian is a Knight of the Round Table. He is descended from Arthur’s original knights - who were were completely different from the knights portrayed in legend. Merrick is gifted with magic. His secret duties include disposing of vampires, rogue werewolfs and other supernatural beings who endanger the mechanical Victorian England.
Life becomes extremely complicated when five gifted children help him defeat several vampires. He suspects one of them is descended from a Knight. He takes all five children into his home to protect them from the revenge of the vampires. Chaos erupts in his orderly household so he hires a governess and then promptly falls in love with her.
Caroline Bristol is not the frumpy governess she tries to appear. An instant rapport grows between her and the children, but she also has a hidden talent - or fault as she thinks of it. Her other problem is the instant attraction she develops for her employer.
The two adults and five children must solve the riddle of the vampires. Merrick and Caroline also have the difficulty of fighting their growing desire for each other.
I thought Steampunk Romance differed from ordinary romances by having machines appearing in unlikely times of history, particularly Victorian times. Ms. Spencer Pape has certainly placed her story in the correct era. The wonderful machines in her book also make it steampunk. George the mechanical dog is a particular favorite of mine. Her inclusion of the paranormal and magic is so natural it gives the story a well deserved richness in tone. Humor lightens the world of the paranormal which can often be dark and scary.
The characters are people you could imagine in your everyday life. Caroline is a feisty young lady who refuses to allow any male employer to take advantage. Merrick is determined not to marry. What wife would allow him to chase vampires and werewolves? Five children ranging in age from nine to sixteen add a contrast between being funny, and at times distressing.
Definitely a book I would recommend. Truth be told, I couldn’t put this one down.
originally posted at http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...
August 23, 2016
I enjoy steampunk books but this book isn't what I was hoping. It really is just a glorified romance novel.
Set in Westminster, London in 1851, Sir Merrik Hadrian is working in the order and trying to keep normalcy in the city. After a short chase with vampires, he runs into a group of children and they help him defeat the foes. After this sort of bond, the children come home to live in society, be educated and be tended to by a governess.
Miss Caroline Bristol is a governess that seems to sexually attract her male employers, causing her to lose or quit her position. After Merrik's sister insists she come work for them, Caroline reluctantly agrees.
There are five children in all, they are all orphans and have lived on the streets for some time. Caroline takes to them immediately. Merrick and Caroline begin with a professional relationship but their feelings grow. Meanwhile, the children are in danger.
The book contains a power called Magick within the Knight of the Order. There are vampyres, werewolves and clockwork devices mentioned in the book but nothing really new and nothing is explained in detail. The world was fairly typical and only served as a backdrop to the story.
The romance was cheesy and quite unlikely. It had an air of "yeah, right!" The governess role was stretched to include into society when the children were present at a social function. I thought it was rather unlikely but this book is not supposed to be super accurate.
The author took her time in developing each child's character. With five of them, it could very easily become confusing and convoluted. I appreciated the author taking time in naming the children then explaining their ages, circumstances and abilities. It helped me keep everyone together.
Miss Dorthy is Merrick's sister. She is in a relationship with Miss Julian. Mr. Berry is Tommy's tutor and I thought he was rather mean. Meanness doesn't teach and I wasn't a fan of his. Caroline and him clashed and for good reason, but Mr. Berry was only "talked to."
Overall, not the most exciting and deep book ever but it was somewhat entertaining. I won't continue on in the series. I just didn't love the characters and the story that much. I was disappointed that the book concentrated more on the romance between the two main characters and not the steampunk world they lived in.
Content: some language
Set in Westminster, London in 1851, Sir Merrik Hadrian is working in the order and trying to keep normalcy in the city. After a short chase with vampires, he runs into a group of children and they help him defeat the foes. After this sort of bond, the children come home to live in society, be educated and be tended to by a governess.
Miss Caroline Bristol is a governess that seems to sexually attract her male employers, causing her to lose or quit her position. After Merrik's sister insists she come work for them, Caroline reluctantly agrees.
There are five children in all, they are all orphans and have lived on the streets for some time. Caroline takes to them immediately. Merrick and Caroline begin with a professional relationship but their feelings grow. Meanwhile, the children are in danger.
The book contains a power called Magick within the Knight of the Order. There are vampyres, werewolves and clockwork devices mentioned in the book but nothing really new and nothing is explained in detail. The world was fairly typical and only served as a backdrop to the story.
The romance was cheesy and quite unlikely. It had an air of "yeah, right!" The governess role was stretched to include into society when the children were present at a social function. I thought it was rather unlikely but this book is not supposed to be super accurate.
The author took her time in developing each child's character. With five of them, it could very easily become confusing and convoluted. I appreciated the author taking time in naming the children then explaining their ages, circumstances and abilities. It helped me keep everyone together.
Miss Dorthy is Merrick's sister. She is in a relationship with Miss Julian. Mr. Berry is Tommy's tutor and I thought he was rather mean. Meanness doesn't teach and I wasn't a fan of his. Caroline and him clashed and for good reason, but Mr. Berry was only "talked to."
Overall, not the most exciting and deep book ever but it was somewhat entertaining. I won't continue on in the series. I just didn't love the characters and the story that much. I was disappointed that the book concentrated more on the romance between the two main characters and not the steampunk world they lived in.
Content: some language
March 13, 2011
Impromptu Review: Steam & Sorcery by Cindy Spencer Pape
I am not gonna lie, I squealed when I got the galley from Carina Press. I discovered Cindy Spencer Pape’s Motor City Series, and found her writing delightful. Her worldbuilding is immersive, her characters’ chemistry sizzles and her love scenes are hot.
Now, I read lots of paranormal, historical, urban fantasy and spec fic. I have only dabbled in steampunk, and it’s been mixed – some of it I loved, some left me meh. The thing that makes me meh on steampunk is when stories rely on it instead of building characters that you care about. I do not need or want to read text that fawns over the mechanics and how wonderful and marvelous they are. Your characters are living with them. C’mon, do you fawn over your smartphone? Pape does not fall into this trap. The characters treat them as part of their world, and it was a much more natural experience as a reader.
Steam & Sorcery never forgets that ultimately, it’s about the characters. Merrick, who opens the novel, is investigating for the Order. He is attacked by a large group of vampyres (scary ones, yay!) and a group of street children come to his rescue. Initially he reminded me of Mr. Darcy – he strives to remain aloof, but the plight of the children draws him in and they end up his wards. And then he is indeed of a governess.
Carolyn has a genteel background, but she has fallen on hard times, and she has had difficulties with other employers getting a little to handsy and trying to take liberties with her. For this reason, she’s inclined to refuse Merrick’s offer of employment, but again, the children win her over. Over the course of the book, you get to see Merrick soften, Carolyn open up despite her past, and they become a family. I don’t want to get too spoilery on the plot beyond that, because the book is such a pleasure to read.
In keeping with our new ratings system, I give Steam & Sorcery an 8 – I’d fight 8 rabid wolverines to keep the book. In fact, since the galley goes back, I’ve got it preordered as a keeper on my Nook. I look forward to picking up the novella Photographs & Phantoms in April.
—Heather
I am not gonna lie, I squealed when I got the galley from Carina Press. I discovered Cindy Spencer Pape’s Motor City Series, and found her writing delightful. Her worldbuilding is immersive, her characters’ chemistry sizzles and her love scenes are hot.
Now, I read lots of paranormal, historical, urban fantasy and spec fic. I have only dabbled in steampunk, and it’s been mixed – some of it I loved, some left me meh. The thing that makes me meh on steampunk is when stories rely on it instead of building characters that you care about. I do not need or want to read text that fawns over the mechanics and how wonderful and marvelous they are. Your characters are living with them. C’mon, do you fawn over your smartphone? Pape does not fall into this trap. The characters treat them as part of their world, and it was a much more natural experience as a reader.
Steam & Sorcery never forgets that ultimately, it’s about the characters. Merrick, who opens the novel, is investigating for the Order. He is attacked by a large group of vampyres (scary ones, yay!) and a group of street children come to his rescue. Initially he reminded me of Mr. Darcy – he strives to remain aloof, but the plight of the children draws him in and they end up his wards. And then he is indeed of a governess.
Carolyn has a genteel background, but she has fallen on hard times, and she has had difficulties with other employers getting a little to handsy and trying to take liberties with her. For this reason, she’s inclined to refuse Merrick’s offer of employment, but again, the children win her over. Over the course of the book, you get to see Merrick soften, Carolyn open up despite her past, and they become a family. I don’t want to get too spoilery on the plot beyond that, because the book is such a pleasure to read.
In keeping with our new ratings system, I give Steam & Sorcery an 8 – I’d fight 8 rabid wolverines to keep the book. In fact, since the galley goes back, I’ve got it preordered as a keeper on my Nook. I look forward to picking up the novella Photographs & Phantoms in April.
—Heather
September 14, 2011
This is A Flash Of Fiction (capsule or brief) review. See the full content at:
Read My Mind
I Liked -- Plot: Steampunk is growing into a popular sub-genre, and I have wholeheartedly embraced it. While I like the machinery and the airships and the danger that can go along with steampunk stories, Pape's novel had more of the historical aspect included in the plot, and I always enjoy reading about Regency/Victorian England, so it was just the right thing to capture my attention. There was a great balance between the heat between the hero and heroine and the steampunk element. As an equal opportunity science-fiction, fantasy and romance lover, all of the right spots for me, were hit with STEAM AND SORCERY.
I Liked -- Character: There wasn't any one character that I liked more than the rest. Pape truly rounded out both the male and female main characters, so that neither one seemed flat or superfluous or even only there to spotlight the other. What I really liked though, was the fact that the children that Caroline Bristol was supposed to be in charge of, did not fade into the background. In other words, they were characters and important to the story other than putting her in the sphere of Hadrian in order to create a romance between the two.
My Rating: 14/15 (4.5 stars) Must Read
Find the author at:
Website | Blog | Twitter | GoodReads | Facebook
I Liked -- Plot: Steampunk is growing into a popular sub-genre, and I have wholeheartedly embraced it. While I like the machinery and the airships and the danger that can go along with steampunk stories, Pape's novel had more of the historical aspect included in the plot, and I always enjoy reading about Regency/Victorian England, so it was just the right thing to capture my attention. There was a great balance between the heat between the hero and heroine and the steampunk element. As an equal opportunity science-fiction, fantasy and romance lover, all of the right spots for me, were hit with STEAM AND SORCERY.
I Liked -- Character: There wasn't any one character that I liked more than the rest. Pape truly rounded out both the male and female main characters, so that neither one seemed flat or superfluous or even only there to spotlight the other. What I really liked though, was the fact that the children that Caroline Bristol was supposed to be in charge of, did not fade into the background. In other words, they were characters and important to the story other than putting her in the sphere of Hadrian in order to create a romance between the two.
My Rating: 14/15 (4.5 stars) Must Read
Find the author at:
Website | Blog | Twitter | GoodReads | Facebook
March 16, 2011
Steam & Sorcery had the potential of being a really great novel; there is a capable, smart and handsome hero, a headstrong heroine that can take care of herself, five orphaned children with supernatural abilities, vampires, werewolves and interesting gadgets one of the children creates. But when it came to the actual plot, it fell a bit flat.
The story starts out at a good pace with action right off the bat; Sir Merrick is a Knight in a secret order that protects the rest of the world against the monsters. He is investigating the disappearance of several women when vampires ambush him and help comes in the package of five young waifs. When he discovers that one boy is a potential knight and the others have special abilities of his own he brings them into his home as his wards. However, he soon realizes he needs help and with the suggestion of his aunt hires Caroline as a governess. There is an instant sizzle between them, each character is interesting, but after the initial character introductions the story plods along slowly with the action dwindling. The romance between the two main characters is hot but predictable, they fight their attraction for each other and try to keep a professional distance but give in eventually. The mystery of the missing women and the congregation of vampires is weaved into the romance but the slow-going romance is the center of the plot. Merrick’s Aunt added fun feminist humor, the paranormal side was intriguing but never fully developed, the steam punk aspects were in large part children’s toys and the ending felt rushed. But overall it was still a fun read.
The story starts out at a good pace with action right off the bat; Sir Merrick is a Knight in a secret order that protects the rest of the world against the monsters. He is investigating the disappearance of several women when vampires ambush him and help comes in the package of five young waifs. When he discovers that one boy is a potential knight and the others have special abilities of his own he brings them into his home as his wards. However, he soon realizes he needs help and with the suggestion of his aunt hires Caroline as a governess. There is an instant sizzle between them, each character is interesting, but after the initial character introductions the story plods along slowly with the action dwindling. The romance between the two main characters is hot but predictable, they fight their attraction for each other and try to keep a professional distance but give in eventually. The mystery of the missing women and the congregation of vampires is weaved into the romance but the slow-going romance is the center of the plot. Merrick’s Aunt added fun feminist humor, the paranormal side was intriguing but never fully developed, the steam punk aspects were in large part children’s toys and the ending felt rushed. But overall it was still a fun read.
Read
December 1, 2011Who knew that Vampires, magical children, a sexy Knight and a governess would make such a fantastic story. And would have me glued to the page right from the first sentence until the very last page? I wish I hadn't waited so long to read this book - because it was awesome!
Miss Bristol has lost her job and is just barely scrapping by on what she's managed so save. She reluctantly takes a job with the nephew of an acquaintance - to help him look after several orphans he took in. Little did she know when she took the job that she'd be on one roller-coaster of an adventure with Merrick and those kids!
Each child has their own special talent and is just starting to trust Merrick and Caroline. Merrick stumbled onto the children - they actually saved his life from a group of Vampires who attacked. Sensing their powers he offered them a home to help teach them to use and master their skills. This book was action packed and had me cheering on Merrick, Caroline and the kids to overcome the 'bad guys' that show up to ruin everything! I don't want to give anything because I was shocked at who was behind it all!
One of the really unique things about this book was the setting - Victorian England. I've never read 'Steampunk' before and I didn't know what I was missing! This was such an interesting mix of historical, magical and paranormal. How it all was intertwined and flowed was amazing. Cindy Spencer Pape did an incredible job and I can't wait for the next installment of the Gaslight Chronicles.
Miss Bristol has lost her job and is just barely scrapping by on what she's managed so save. She reluctantly takes a job with the nephew of an acquaintance - to help him look after several orphans he took in. Little did she know when she took the job that she'd be on one roller-coaster of an adventure with Merrick and those kids!
Each child has their own special talent and is just starting to trust Merrick and Caroline. Merrick stumbled onto the children - they actually saved his life from a group of Vampires who attacked. Sensing their powers he offered them a home to help teach them to use and master their skills. This book was action packed and had me cheering on Merrick, Caroline and the kids to overcome the 'bad guys' that show up to ruin everything! I don't want to give anything because I was shocked at who was behind it all!
One of the really unique things about this book was the setting - Victorian England. I've never read 'Steampunk' before and I didn't know what I was missing! This was such an interesting mix of historical, magical and paranormal. How it all was intertwined and flowed was amazing. Cindy Spencer Pape did an incredible job and I can't wait for the next installment of the Gaslight Chronicles.
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