Steampunk roller coaster ride
594262
No story that combines Sir Richard Burton and Algernon Swinburne in roles similar to Holmes and Watson, time travel, the assassination of the Queen, organic tech, travel by swan kite, and communication by parrots with Tourette's could possibly be less than amazing.

Spring Heeled Jack is over the top, but in a good way. The bonus for me in Hodder's work was to spark an interest in finding out more about the Real World characters of Burton, Swinburne, Brunel and others -- history I would never have otherwise explored. So not only does Hodder score big in the story telling department, but as the impetus behind life-long learning as well! This is the kind of literature I'd love to see being used in high schools, so kids could get excited about the past, about following threads of information, about speculating on "what if . . .?" Not holding my breath -- but read it and recommend it to a young friend!

Also - one of the most gorgeous covers I've seen in years!
2111150
It has been some time since I have had the pleasure of reading a book that I couldn't bear to put down! The author masterfully eased this reader into the world of steampunk with such vivid imagery and attention to detail that I found myself unwittingly immersed, feeling quite at home in this new-to-me genre. I adore Lenore; she's the kind of protagonist that allows others to shine at times - a true reflection of her strength, and some seriously brilliant writing. I imagine this is why all of the characters came to life in such a way that I couldn't get them out of my head even when I wasn't reading the book...trying to sort out their problems, crossing my fingers that certain plot twists would work out in their favor. And just when I had my opinion about one particular male character set in stone - Ms. Fraedrich busted it with a three-pound hammer. Well done! I thoroughly enjoyed the emotional rollercoaster ride, and I cannot wait to dig into Book 2!
3214724
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: A dark, magical steampunk tale with a strong female character set in an alternate London. A heavy, in-depth read that is full of action, strange clues and intrigue.

Opening Sentence: Emma Bannon, Sorceress Prime and servant to Britanniafs current incarnation, mentally ran through every foul word that would never cross the lips of a lady.

The Review:

The Iron Wyrm Affair is a creatively written steampunk set in an alternate world of 1800s London called Londinium. Many of the historical names/places have been changed to curious spellings such as Queen Victoria is Victrix. There is also a lot of big descriptive and architecture words that may intimidate the reader, thankfully I used my Kindle to look up some of the words I wasnft sure about. Others may not have my problem.

Emma Bannon has been sent on a quest to find out why a group of sorcerers and mentaths have been killed. Archibald Clare is the only unregistered mentath still alive and Emma comes to his rescue just as he is being attacked. Although, the question afterwards is who was the actual target of the attack, Bannon or Clare? Bannon doesnft let Clare know the reasons for his protection at first, letting him deduce the crimes with his brilliant mentath mind. She eventually opens up and gives details to him so he can come up with plans to find out who and what is behind the plan to most likely overthrow Queen Victrix.

Emma is a Sorcerer Prime and welds quite a bit of power. She is also a black sorcerer capable of some extreme magic. She must use all her powers if she wants to destroy the people behind this terrible plan. Bannon and Clare are dragged into a terrible scheme that includes steampunk style mecha-machines, dragons (wyrms) and more. Bannon will certainly find out that magic may not always help in a fight.

Emma is certainly a woman that is way to tough for her times. She makes sure she is appropriately dressed with her gowns and jewelry. The jewelry helps to hold her magic and spells. She often curses, although it is mentioned through Clare as using words more suitable to a sailer. I throughly enjoyed Emma, she made no excuses for her actions, she may have had regrets but she took no crap from anyone.

Archibald Clare was a little harder to understand. I never really quite understood the mentath ability, just that they were trained, they are very smart and the fact that their brain can melt with too much information or the fact that they could go crazy with no stimulation. Clare and his companions were definitely more of the comic relief in the book to counteract with Emmafs seriousness.

The Iron Wyrm Affair is a very involved and in-depth book. Some of the speech and names took a while to get used to but the story is constantly moving forward and unraveling new clues. There is a lot of action and intrigue. The short chapters mixing between Bannon and Clarefs point of views also added quite a bit of tension and whatfs going to happen next, as they both undertake different paths to uncover pieces of the puzzle.

In the end, I really enjoyed The Iron Wyrm Affair. It was a dark, magical steampunk tale that set up a world of its own. Even though I may have gotten lost at times, especially with the sorcery fights, I would definitely pick up another novel in this series

FTC Advisory: Orbit provided me with a copy of The Iron Wyrm Affair. No goody bags, sponsorships, gmaterial connections,h or bribes were exchanged for my review.
3298053
The Perilous Journey of the Much-too-Spontaneous Girl is the second book Ive read by Leigh Statham. I was really excited for this book to come out because I also read The Perilous Journey of the Not So Innocuous Girl. These books are in the steampunk genre and are perfect for those who like swashbuckling fights.

Marguerite has finally gotten her wish to be a pilot, but shes not too great at it. Shes much better at the scholarly side of learning than the actual flying part of it. She is a very fun character who gets to go on very exciting adventures.though shes got to be sneaky to get there! I really like all of the characters in this book and am so glad Claude shows up!

This book is filled with adventure and twists and turns that you won't expect. If you're a fan of the steampunk genre, I definitely recommend this series. Just be sure you start with the first book or youll be lost!
812464
*This Book Was Given To Me By The Author In Exchange For An Honest Review*

This is the first book I have read by new to me author Angela Quarles and it was definitely a fun escape into the Steampunk genre.

The heroine is fun and the integration of actual history mixed up with an original tale was certainly very well done.

A stand alone book those looking for their answers will not have to wait for another installment despite the #1 in the description that these days often means "You will need book 2". You may indeed WANT book 2 I know that I do, but not for story completing purposes.

The only lacking part for me was with some of the secondary characters.  There, for me, was a lot more to be explored there and I think that would have enhanced the read for me.  Perhaps we will learn more about them in another book?

Over all 4 stars from me and I look forward to more in this series. V""V

***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. ***
4007510
What a fun ride this book was. I'm a rare book librarian myself, which is what made me decide to read the book. I loved the way the book played out the concept of parallel worlds, and I also loved how the book made the invisible library itself a troubling and never clearly explained entity. I was left wanting more and curious to see how its existence might be justified in further books. I've never read a steampunk story before and I thought the novelist wrote in such a way as to help me envision a marvelous version of London with ease. Light, fun, funny, and it hard to put down!

One negative note, which is that I listened to it on audiobook and found the narrator extremely difficult to listen to.
3411214
I love steampunk and its great to see more teen and young adult books that fall into this area. Even though you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, I will admit that the cover of this one was one of the reasons that I was so interested in it. One of the best things about the book was that the author managed to create realistic characters and events, even though the world of the story was so amazing and different than our reality. Many science fiction novels fail in this area so it was nice to see one that did such a great job with the characters.

I was engrossed with the story right from the beginning, especially with all the different elements that the world involved. The story is also one that starts with a bang and doesnt slow down as it progresses. That made the story into a great page-turner and I loved seeing how the characters developed. I will admit that the complexity of the world and the sudden start did take a little bit to get used to but I don't think this is an issue. Plus, its a great approach to stop younger readers from losing interest.
4155819
Note: this review is coming from the perspective of someone who has not yet had the pleasure of reading or watching anything from the Steampunk genre. (I'm a Steampunk newbie! ;) )

Imagine a world where the air and water are so poisonous and noxious that citizens either live under these great biodomes or in Citiships "suspended permanently in the sky."  In this world lives William Darcy, a descendant of Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy, a scientist interested in preserving and rebuilding the past, owner of Longbourn Laboratories, and referred to as "The Boss."  Also in this world, lives Seraphene Grant, aviator and research scientist, her family has suffered numerous tragedies due to The Uprising and The Authorities and she now works two jobs to support what little family she has left.

Seraphene is offered a job to work for "The Boss" on a very secret and groundbreaking project.  The opportunity to work with such cutting-edge research and receive such generous compensation is tempting, but William Darcy is controlling, egotistical, self-serving, and so supercilious that Seraphene
is certain that he is the "last man in the world" she could ever be prevailed on to work for...

I loved Monica Fairview's first two novels (The Other Mr. Darcy, and The Darcy Cousins), and while the steampunk genre isn't one I can claim any familiarity with, I was tempted to try this novel out because it was written by a clever author with a keen understanding of Jane Austen's world and a deep love for her characters.

I am so glad I did read Steampunk Darcy, it was an exhilarating ride!  The characters were well-drawn, complex, and engaging; I especially enjoyed our spirited heroine and her battles with the officious Boss!  In addition, the steampunk setting with its steam-powered machines, slime rain, automatons, various aircrafts, and Victorian fashions was a fascinating new world to explore and learn about, and Monica Fairview did a fabulous job of bringing it all to life.

One aspect of the story I greatly enjoyed was searching for the subtle parallels and nods to Pride and Prejudice.  Some were less obvious than others - there was a great social divide, a rejected offer, a sister needing to be rescued, a Caroline Bingley and George Wickham character stirring up some trouble, and an abundance of pride and stubbornness.

What I found missing from this story (and the reason I can't give it a higher rating) is an explanation or history of the events that happened prior to this novel. What was The Uprising and The Repression?  When did they take place? Why did they happen? Who are The Authorities?  What is the Grid, Citiships, and biodomes? I think this book definitely needs a prologue or at least some kind of index in the beginning defining all these events and inventions.  It was just a little too difficult to sort it all out with only context clues.

Brimming with danger, grit, adventure, and romance, Steampunk Darcy is action-packed journey into a world of science fiction, industrialization, and invention!  Well done, Monica Fairview!  Thank you for my first Steampunk experience!

Austenesque Reviews
1301484
This was my first foray into Steampunk. Theres a generous mix of Alternate History in this book alongside the Steampunk elements, this is primarily noticeable in the dragons, the Industrial Religious sects, and the mention of historical figures like Charles Babbage.

The infamous madness of King George takes on a far more sinister element in this book, and the end result is amazeballs. Intrigue runs high, and its hard to know who to trust among the characters sometimes. I found it hard to get into the formal language at first, but it's worth persevering.
3420724
So much fun. Steampunk. A smart female main character. No romance in the plot (yet. I'm sure it's coming). I really don't need much more to be happy, but this book is such a delight that I ended up basing parts of my current Pathfinder character on her.
162729
A fun and jolly steampunk romp ... enjoying the series so far.  As my first (2nd?) foray into this genre and world - I quite enjoy it
841187
Railroad! Volume One: Rodger Dodger by Tonia Brown is a unique steampunk western serial novel that will keep you coming back for more. The reader is introduced to Rodger Dodger, a man with a past that he can't wait to forget. In an attempt to leave his old life behind, he decides to apply for a security job. Upon arriving to the Sleipnir, Rodger starts to question if he should take the job when he is confronted by the man who placed the help wanted ad, characters that aren't as they appear, and the majestic Sleipnir.

Hieronymus J. Dittmeyer is not only eccentric but the creator of the extraordinary Sleipnir - a steam powered train that does not need tracks to run because she has the ability to lay her own tracks. With an invention so unique, there are several people that would love to have the Sleipnir for their own and Hieronymus will do anything to protect her.

Add one of a kind characters such as Mr. Torque and Ched, and the Sleipnir is a guaranteed wild ride. If you love westerns, especially with steampunk elements, do yourself a favor and lose yourself in the western world that Tonia Brown has created. If you aren't familiar with steampunk, be sure to read Railroad! first as Tonia Brown will instill the love of steampunk in your heart forever. Board the train and let the adventure begin!
2131273
What an amazing rollercoaster ride,a screaming trip into a different side of Life. Wizards work hand and paw with werewolves and witches. I could not stop turning pages.
335716
Steampunk requires a great imagination, and Fesmire delivers. The zombies of the title are not fantasy creations, but real people reborn through steampunk technology. This gives the story a dose of realism that makes it very interesting and full of suspense. The  world of Santa Cruz, circa 1870, is beautifully created, and the characters are well-defined and quite realistic. Once in a while I like to read something a little different, and this book was perfect. I can't wait for the next adventure of Bodacious Creed.
1512767
I don't think I'm a fan of steampunk but I really enjoyed this story and it pulled me in. I found it well written, full of action and a good length. I liked the character and world development even if the latter was bit out there. Found myself looking for the next book by the author to keep the story going.
4169121
This is a treacherous romance set within a backdrop of Steampunk and dark Gothic Victorian England. The machinery of the book does not eclipse the development of the main characters. The gas lamps and mechanical horses add to a flavor of fantasy that is very appealing as it provides both a dark and cold atmosphere that perfectly complements the affair of the two men.

The young story teller, Cedo Reilly, is lost in the city's streets since his mother disappeared in his childhood. He was more enterprising than rogue, although perhaps equal parts exist in his psyche. His street life changes overnight when the principle warmonger and weapons creator, Erus Veetu, decides to be entertained.

From the moment that Cedo decides to follow Ventu, his life grows slowly more passionate, and ultimately much more dangerous. Like all imbalanced relationships, there is growing danger and disaster in the story line. It has many twists and plot developments that I found excellently executed and delightfully revealed.

If you already enjoy elements of Gothic Fiction, Steampunk culture, and forbidden romances then you will truly enjoy "Mars On The Rise". 5 Stars.
2100006
This book took me on a roller coaster ride so many times. The characters were so well thought out and the story was absolutely amazing. I would recommend this to any Sci-Fi fan looking for a good read.