Tag Archives: Steampunk

Review: The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton

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The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton

The Everlasting Rose (The Belles #2)
Dhonielle Clayton
Freeform/Disney Book Group
Published March 9, 2019

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About THE EVERLASTING ROSE

In this sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller, Camille, her sister Edel, and her guard and new love Remy must race against time to find Princess Charlotte. Sophia’s Imperial forces will stop at nothing to keep the rebels from returning Charlotte to the castle and her rightful place as queen.

With the help of an underground resistance movement called The Iron Ladies-a society that rejects beauty treatments entirely-and the backing of alternative newspaper The Spider’s Web, Camille uses her powers, her connections and her cunning to outwit her greatest nemesis, Sophia, and restore peace to Orleans.

My Review

I was a little hesitant to read THE EVERLASTING ROSE because a friend reviewed it and didn’t really like the writing and dialog. Based on her review, I kind of expected it to be trite or annoying or something, but I wanted to give it a try.

And I’m so glad I did. I fell in love with the story world and all its fantastical, steampunk elements. I loved the little floating lanterns and mini blimps and OMG the teacup dragons!

Camille won me over immediately, with her love for her Belle sisters and her desire to protect them and rescue those in danger. Even her anger felt easy to identify with. The story moves along at a quick pace, and Camille never wavers from her goal. I found myself staying up too late trying to fit in just one more chapter before going to bed because I really wanted to know what happened next.

My only difficulty was that I wasn’t already familiar with the story world, so I sometimes felt a little confused about some of the ways the Belle system worked. I’m not sure I understand the use of the leeches or how the Belles rebalanced their arcana. So I wish I’d read THE BELLES before THE EVERLASTING ROSE.

In terms of language and romance, this is a pretty mild book. Readers should be aware that two characters die by suicide on scene in the book, and the story does reference torture. Read the content section for more details.

Fans of THE RUBY AIRSHIP by Sharon Gosling should check out THE EVERLASTING ROSE.

Representation
Camille and some other characters have brown skin. Some minor characters are gay.

Recommended for ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. At one point Camille sleeps in bed with a man, but it’s less romantic and more hiding from certain death.

Spiritual Content
Many gods and goddesses exist in the heavens, disconnected from earth. They’ve left various favors behind – including the existence of the Belles. Another favor is teacup pets – tiny versions of animals like dragons or elephants.

Belles have arcana in their blood which gives them power to do magic. They mostly use this power to perform beauty treatments on others.

Violent Content and Trigger Warning – suicide
Sophia tortures her enemies (happens off-scene, but Camille witnesses the results). Camille witnesses two characters suddenly commit suicide. It happens quickly, but it’s shocking to the reader and devastating to Camille.

Drug Content
Sophia gets drunk on champagne.

Note: I received a free copy of THE EVERLASTING ROSE in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which don’t cost the reader anything when used but which help cover the costs of running this blog and occasionally provide an efficient caffeine delivery system for the blogger.

Review: Smoke and Iron by Rachel Caine

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Smoke and Iron (The Great Library #4)
Rachel Caine
Berkely
Published on July 3, 2018

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About Smoke and Iron
The opening moves of a deadly game have begun. Jess Brightwell has put himself in direct peril, with only his wits and skill to aid him in a game of cat and mouse with the Archivist Magister of the Great Library. With the world catching fire, and words printed on paper the spark that lights rebellion, it falls to smugglers, thieves, and scholars to save a library thousands of years in the making…if they can stay alive long enough to outwit their enemies.

My Review
As a huge fan of the Great Library series, I could not wait to get my hands on SMOKE AND IRON. This has been one of those series where I want so much to rush through to the end (why are there FIVE books and not THREE?!) but also where I can’t help treasuring every page of it. At the end, I’m sure I’ll be asking why there are ONLY five books. Ha.

Jess had me from the opening pages of book one. He’s crafty and clever, as you’d expect a smuggler to be, but he has a strong sense of morality and loyalty, too. This time, though, my favorite parts were the ones from Khalila’s point-of-view. I loved getting a more in-depth look at her relationship with Dario, the handsome and often flippant Spanish king’s cousin, and I found the way her mind works to be really engaging and fascinating. Totally different than Jess. Wolfe’s point-of-view didn’t feel as critical to the story, and it’s a bit darker, as he’s a darker character, but again, he has a very well-defined voice, and I ultimately find him very likeable, too.

The plot is pretty straightforward: this is the battle to take control of the Library and return it to its core purpose: preserving knowledge, while removing the corrupt leadership. Jess and his team have a plan, but it has a lot of moving parts and a lot of things can go wrong, which means they do! With ever-climbing stakes, and time running out, Jess and his friends race toward the final confrontation, and I could not stop turning page after page to find out what would happen.

This is a great series for fans of SIX OF CROWS though it’s a little less dark and reads a little younger, I think. Fans of THE RING AND THE CROWN by Melissa de la Cruz will like the re-imagined history of The Great Library series, too. I recommend starting with the first book rather than jumping straight into the middle of the series, though. You can find my review of book one, INK AND BONE. The series finale, SWORD AND PEN, is expected to be released in summer 2020.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Santi and Wolfe (two men) are gay and in a relationship together. Khalila is from the Middle East. Dario is Spanish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two men and between a boy and girl. Some hints at sex. One minor character lives a very free life in which she has many partners and feels positively about it. Morgan worries that she’ll be forced to take a lover to create a child with Obscurist powers.

Spiritual Content
Some brief references to Khalila’s faith (Islam) and to Catholicism.

Violent Content
References to torture. A couple of intense battle scenes. In two scenes, innocent people are abruptly killed. A spear kills one and a knife across the throat kills the other. They’re both shocking scenes and meant to be so.

Drug Content
Morgan is drugged several times. Some characters drink wine socially.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My Steampunk Book Fairy Costume

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For my birthday this year, my mom surprised me with something incredible. She made a costume for me! Not only is it a pretty freaking awesome outfit, she also incorporated some of the authors and stories that most inspire me, and even a reference to my own recently completed manuscript. So today I’m going to show off my spectacular gift and talk a little about each piece.

Newsboy Cap and Steampunk Goggles

We already had the newsboy cap, but the steampunk goggles are made using this tutorial from Dark Revette. I love the gears and chains on the sides of them.

Steampunk Story Choker Necklace

The center piece is an old watch casing from my grandfather, who use to repair jewelry and watches. Inside and around it are small metal gears and 3D stickers of typewriter buttons. I think she got those from a craft store like JoAnn’s. Charms hang below– check out the rabbit and clock face, a nod to Alice in Wonderland.

Pen Nub Earring

Inspired by Steampunkonda, she made this earring that looks like a fountain pen nub.

Author Cameo Charms

This part is one of my favorites. Tiny frames show the faces of a few of the authors who’ve most inspired me. I printed tons of pictures to place in the frames, but these are the ones I’ll be wearing to a costume party next weekend. Pictured, from top left to bottom right: Nova Ren Suma, Jane Austen, Markus Zusak, R J Palacio and Emil Ostrovski.

She also included charms here to represent some of my favorite stories, specifically, a mockingbird for To Kill a Mockingbird and a crow for Six of Crows. The whole piece attaches to the corset on the left side.

Wrist Cuffs

The right cuff has a watch face and gears. Very steampunk. The left cuff has at its center, a vial of broken glass. Weird, right? Unless you knew that Broken Glass is the working title of my completed contemporary YA manuscript. So cool that she included this.

Opened Book Ring

She actually made this ring from a tutorial on a web site called When Women Talks, which is currently offline. I’ve created a pinterest board with the pins that inspired the costume, so you can find out more and see those images yourself by checking that out.

Steampunk Boots

For these, she modified a pair of combat boots I had in my closet. All the additions are attached in ways that would allow them to be removed afterward, in case I want to wear the boots for something else.

Fairy Wings

These came from a craft store– Michael’s, I think. I love that they’re black– makes me think of Six of Crows!

Handwriting Corset and Book Pages Skirt

These two pieces make the bulk of the costume. The corset has the author cameos attached and book pages tacked along its bottom edge to give the top and skirt a seamless look. Under the corset, I’m wearing a peasant blouse sort of top.

The skirt began with another piece I had already. It’s a layer cake skirt that I picked up in Tokyo, actually, and wore as part of my punk rock Halloween costume last year. (I got the combat boots for that costume as well.) The book pages are sewn and stapled to the skirt. She added some tulle underneath to give it a more tutu-like shape. Those are real book pages from a copy of one of my favorite novels.

Under the skirt I’m wearing my Hamlet leggings– another piece I happened to already own. They were a Christmas gift from my aunt.

That takes you through the whole outfit. I’m super excited to get to wear it next weekend, and I’m already trying to think of other places I could potentially dress up. I’m going to a couple of bookish events in the next six months, but I don’t think anyone really dresses in costume for those, so I’m kind of conflicted about whether I could do it. It would certainly be eye-catching and memorable.

A huge thank you to my mom, who researched all sorts of ideas and crafted the whole costume around new bits and pieces we already had. Another big thank you to my sister-in-law Michelle who took many of these gorgeous photos so I could share this with everyone. (The ones that look cheesy are ones I took: the earring, the boots, the choker necklace and the cameo charms.)

 

 

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Review: Curio by Evangeline Denmark

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Curio
Evangeline Denmark
Blink YA/Zondervan

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

In a world in which women are of little value, Grey tries to remain beneath the notice of the ruling Chemists. To draw attention to herself risks her very life and the lives of her family and her best friend Whit. When Chemists punish Whit for protecting Grey, she abandons hope of escaping notice and vows to help others like Whit, no matter the cost to herself. When the Chemists realize what she’s done, her family protects her by spiriting her away to a world within her grandfather’s curio cabinet. There, among a strange world of clockwork people, Grey must find a hidden ally and a key that may bring an end to the Chemists’ tyranny.

Though I’ve been long fascinated with steampunk literature, I hadn’t really read much of it. I enjoyed this story very much. I loved the way Denmark creates not only the dystopian world in which Grey lives but also another hidden world within the curio cabinet. I hadn’t realized when I started reading that a great majority of the story would take place within the cabinet. At first I wasn’t sure if I’d like that idea, but actually, though I think the dystopian world is complex and interesting in its own right, I came to prefer the part of the story that happens within the curio.

Blaise is absolutely my favorite character. I liked that he was a bit removed from both worlds. In terms of the way the story unfolds, I liked that he held his own and played his own part in fighting evil and rescuing Grey, but she had her own heroic role to play.

Also, I have to say that the villain in the curio was super creepy. Like, not in a ‘beware!’ kind of way, but in the sense that I definitely felt the danger Grey was in when she was in his custody.

Over all, I loved the pacing of the story and its great characters. Because of the pervasiveness of the attraction the characters feel for one another and the intense situation described below, this may not be a great book for younger or more sensitive readers. See the content notes for more information.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
From almost the very beginning of the story, Grey has some intense feelings of attraction toward her friend Whit and another man she meets. There are a few kisses exchanged, but nothing beyond that, though there are a lot of moments when Grey or other characters dwell on the romantic pull toward one another.

There’s a scene which might be a trigger for abuse or rape survivors. See below for details.

Spoiler — One of the porcies takes a fascination to Grey, and though the porcies aren’t capable of procreation, he intends to “explore” Grey, by force if necessary. He ties her down and tries to take advantage of her, but doesn’t get very far. It’s definitely intense, but she’s able to escape.

Spiritual Content
Within the curio cabinet, the clockwork people believe they were created by a Designer. This idea seems consistent with metaphors for our relationship with a Creator, but it’s not explored.

Within Grey’s village, powerful Chemists who have magical abilities rule the people.

Violence
Chemists mete out harsh punishments for rule violations. Whit bears injuries resulting from being whipped. In the curio, a fall or other mishap seriously damages the fragile porcies (living people made of porcelain with steam-powered inner workings.) A girl loses her hand in a battle. At one point, Grey finds a mass grave of tocks (living people made with clockwork pieces.)

Drug Content
Whit comes across a potion dealer who adds an addictive element to the potions. It seems to affect him the way illicit drugs would (he’s a bit out of things for a while after taking it), and he craves more of the stuff.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Review: The Ruby Airship by Sharon Gosling

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The Ruby Airship
Sharon Gosling
Capstone Young Readers
Published on February 1, 2015

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Reformed jewel thief Remy Brunel tries to live the quiet life of a stage performer in a busy London theater. Thaddeus Rec, a detective with the London police force, wants to believe Remy has given up her old ways. When one of Remy’s old friends shows up in town, he can’t help but wonder if this man is connected to a string of impossible robberies he is responsible to solve.

As Thaddeus investigates further, he uncovers hints of a much larger, more sinister plot. Before he can warn her, Remy disappears with her old friend, gone back to France to track down the circus in which both had once performed.

Packed with action from page one, The Ruby Airship is an intense, exciting story. The historic settings – London and the French countryside – add even more sense of adventure and a bit of romance as well. The central characters are complex, funny and endearing. Claudette, Remy’s old circus friend, seemed the least consistent to me. I couldn’t always get why she did some of the things she did. But those were small moments and really didn’t ruin the story for me. There were some plot details (characters proximity to lava) that probably just are not possible, but again, it’s fiction and it didn’t distract me enough to take away entertainment value.

Note: The Ruby Airship is a sequel to The Diamond Thief, which I have not read. There are references to events from the first book (a professor who creates some powerful weaponry for instance.) I didn’t always grasp the full significance of those references but this novel includes enough information and backstory that I was able to enjoy it without having read its predecessor.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Very mild profanity used very infrequently. (hellfire, hellcat, etc.)

Sexual Content
Brief kissing.

Spiritual Content
A young man hypnotizes others to control them.

Violence
A young girl is imprisoned in some pretty terrible conditions (not much description.) In one scene, the good guy and bad guy face off. Swords, fires and excitement but no gore.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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