Review: The Pyramids of London

The Trifold Age: The Pyramids of London | Andrea K. Höst 

Published: February 28th 2015

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Steampunk

Pages: 366

Format: Ebook

Source: Author, via Netgalley

In a world where lightning sustained the Roman Empire, and Egypt's vampiric god-kings spread their influence through medicine and good weather, tiny Prytennia's fortunes are rising with the ships that have made her undisputed ruler of the air.

But the peace of recent decades is under threat. Rome's automaton-driven wealth is waning along with the New Republic's supply of power crystals, while Sweden uses fear of Rome to add to her Protectorates. And Prytennia is under attack from the wind itself. Relentless daily blasts destroy crops, buildings, and lives, and neither the weather vampires nor Prytennia's Trifold Goddess have been able to find a way to stop them.

With events so grand scouring the horizon, the deaths of Eiliff and Aedric Tenning raise little interest. The official verdict is accident: two careless automaton makers, killed by their own construct.

The Tenning children and Aedric's sister, Arianne, know this cannot be true. Nothing will stop their search for what really happened.

Not even if, to follow the first clue, Aunt Arianne must sell herself to a vampire. 

Outstanding.

This book shouldn't work. Vampires and mythology and a totally reimagined world with elements of steampunk. It shouldn't but it does. Everything fits together seamlessly thanks to Höst's superior storytelling. I thought the lore and world might be seriously confusing, but it wasn't - it took a bit to get into but I loved how complex it was.

The characters were great - Makepeace was my favourite, and I'm really hoping the sequel isn't all about the kids as it sounds because I NEED more Comfrey and Arianne.

This book combines good old fashioned adventure, mystery, and paranormal, and it is thoroughly entertaining. There's so much I could praise - the blend of mythologies, the interesting monarchies, the promise of DRAGONS, the mythical creatures, the automaton thing, the vampire bond, the family relationships. EVERYTHING is so good. But what really stands out is the writing. Probably one of the best written books I've read in a while.

If you like original worlds, entertaining fantasy, and character driven stories, you have to read Pyramids of London.

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★★★

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A Riddle In Ruby (ARC Review)

Key To The Catalyst: A Riddle In Ruby | Kent Davis

Published by: Greenwillow Books, September 22nd 2015

Genre: MG, Fantasy, Steampunk, Alternate History, Ships

Pages: 352

Format: Ebook

Source: Greenwillow Books, via Edelweiss

Ruby is a thief-in-training and a keeper of secrets—ones she doesn't even know herself. A Riddle in Ruby is the first book in a witty and fast-paced fantasy-adventure trilogy for fans for Jonathan Stroud, Septimus Heap, and The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates.

Ruby Teach, daughter of a smuggler and pirate, has been learning how to swindle and steal and pick the most complex locks for as long as she can remember. But a collision with aristocratic young lord Athen sends her spinning into chaos. Little did she know that her whole life has been spent in hiding from nefarious secret societies and the Royal Navy . . . who are both now on her trail. In this debut middle grade adventure, Kent Davis weaves a rip-roaring tale through an alternate colonial Philadelphia. A world where alchemy—that peculiar mix of magic and science—has fueled the industrial revolution. With this highly original setting, a cast of fully rounded characters and rapid-fire, funny dialogue, A Riddle in Ruby will call to mind fantasy greats like Diana Wynne Jones and Terry Pratchett.

Thank you, A Riddle In Ruby, for bringing the magic back to middle grade fantasy. I've read a slew of MG fantasy this year, most with ships and pirates as is my thing, and they've all been pretty good. But not amazing. None of them had the spark for me, that magic I've been looking for. 

This book did.

A Riddle In Ruby is a fun, high stakes adventure. It starts off on a ship (you know that's my jam) and moves onto an alternate history version of Philadelphi. Now I don't know much about American history or actual Philadelphia but I thought the setting was awesome, and wholly unique. There was a city on top of the city! Everything about this book felt indulgent, like Kent Davis had looked into my head and seen everything I wanted in a book and stuck it all in A Riddle In Ruby. Ruby, especially, stuck out to me. I loved her so much, and Athen too. Maybe the characters were the real magic I've been looking for.

My only niggle was that this book stuck to the thing where the MC is a young girl and follows a slightly older boy, who is more intelligent and worldly and knows all, where the MC is a silly little girl who needs help. I've read many MG that have this for some reason and I thought this book had given me the same thing that makes me feel awkward and uncomfortable. But nope. Everything I thought I knew was really a secret very cleverly concealed. So I actually love everything about this. It just feels fresh and it's compelling - the villain is interesting and doesn't fall into the same old villainous tropes, there are metal animals (!!!), dastardly sailors, and a very serious riddle in Ruby that I'd like to solve.

Do yourself a favour and read it.

(But what does the series name mean, and what's with the key on the cover? What am I missing? I'm so excited to get answers!!!)

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world-building ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★☆

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Illusionarium (ARC Review)

Illusionarium | Heather Dixon

Published by: Greenwillow, May 19th 2015

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Steampunk, Alternative History (London)

Pages: 368

Format: Ebook

Source: Greenwillow, via Edelweiss

From the author of the acclaimed Entwined, a wholly original fantasy starring a dashing young apprentice scientist drawn into a world of adventure, fame, rebellion, and illusion. A dazzling journey that combines the evocative atmosphere of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus with the sparkling wit of Gail Carriger’s Etiquette & Espionage.

Jonathan is perfectly ordinary. But then—those magic words at the beginning of every good adventure—the king swoops into port, and Jonathan and his father are enlisted to find the cure to a deadly plague. Jonathan discovers that he’s a prodigy at working with a new chemical called fantillium, which creates shared hallucinations—or illusions. And just like that, he’s knocked off his path. Through richly developed parallel worlds, vivid action, a healthy dose of humor, and gorgeous writing, Heather Dixon spins a story that is breathtaking and wholly original.

I LOVED this book, so much more than I ever expected to. The blurb on Goodreads doesn't give much away, the cover is lovely but could be about anything*, and I'd not read Heather Dixon's previous book. What Illusionarium delivered, to my utter surprise, was a complex, exquisitely original story of parallel universes, perilous time limits, and a desperate rush for one boy to save his family from certain death.

The characters in this book are brilliant and bright, and I loved them all in different ways. Jonathan, the main character, is a total dork - he's lovely, and lost, and utterly ordinary. I would have, admittedly, preferred the book to be from the POV of Lockwood because I absolutely adore him, but I did appreciate Jonathan. Lockwood though - he's kind of an asshole, brash, noble, driven, handsome, A KNIGHT; what's not to love? I was absolutely desperate for Jonathan/Lockwood to be canon, because they had such chemistry and a great relationship growth, but alas, no luck there. Still, a pretty perfect book.

Illusionarium is a wild, fun romp through an alternative, steam powered London with vivid characters and a dark, looming threat. (Also, a standalone that's actually a standalone, not a book tricking you into another series!!)

*speaking of the cover - it appears almost as a romance with the boy and girl, though the female must be the MC's sister, and if she's on the cover, Lockwood should be with them.

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world building ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★☆

5 Mini reviews (Jan-March)

A Heart For Copper | Sharon Lynn Fisher

Published by: Silkwords, June 6th 2014

Genre: Steampunk, Fantasy

Pages: 67

Format: Ebook

Source: Silkwords, via Netgalley

An automaton created by an inventor's son, Copper has finally been given a heart by her young master. Her choice of whether to keep the key or give it to him will determine what happens next in this "pick your path" steampunk fairy tale. 

Will she join his family in their English country manor, where she'll be forced to consider the question of whether she's really human? Or will she search out the quirky alchemist responsible for giving her life? Will her master hold onto her heart, or will she be tempted by the charms of an automaton man?

This little book was a cute, steampunk tale. I liked the premise of the story, and the choose your own adventure format of the book, even if I did get mightily confused at first. It's easy to follow the progression of the story and fun to choose the outcome, to decide which choices the character makes.

I feel that the choices I made resulted in a much shorter story than the other choices would have made, but I'm pleased with the tale. I would love for it to continue, and for Copper's story to be explored more, since the end is left wide open. The one thing I didn't like was that there was a romance element between the MC and her 'master'. As usual, I hate this term and this trope, but I loved there was an alternate option, with a pretty cute boy who was more like Copper than her master. The brevity of the story didn't allow for much, if any, character development, and I didn't understand or connect with any of the characters but I suspect I would have if it were longer. The same goes for the world building - it was impressive for such a short story, but I needed more.

All in all, a unique steampunk tale in which a clockwork girl learns to make human choices - I wish it was longer!!

These are the choices I made

I keep the key.

Stay with Hephaesta and Silk.

Characters ★★★☆☆

Setting/world building ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★☆☆

Periwinkle Cove | Cassandra Pierce

Published by: Less Than Three Press, March 18th 2015

Genre: Adult, Paranormal, LGBT, Mermaids

Pages: /

Format: Ebook

Source: Less Than Three Press, via Netgalley

One year ago Darcy's lover, Gail, died in a mysterious accident at a seaside cottage. When Darcy learns that she has only three months to live, she decides it's time to return to the cottage, both to ready it for sale and to prepare for her own end.

Instead, she finds herself attempting to discover what really happened to Gail. Assisting her in the quest is Livia, a mysterious new acquaintance with a peculiar connection to the sea who claims she also may know a way to save Darcy's life...

Had high hopes for this book, since it's a f/f romance and features mermaids, but the execution let it down. From the first page I wasn't completely sure I liked it, and by halfway through I knew I didn't. The main character falls into insta-love with a woman in one conversation (she mentions the love interest understanding her in a way no one else ever did), something I expect from some YA but not adult fiction, and I could tell it wasn't going anywhere I wanted to read. 

DNF at 48%

Bone Gap | Laura Ruby

Published by: Balzer + Bray, March 3rd 2015

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Pages: 369

Format: Ebook

Source: Balzer + Bray, via Edelweiss

Everyone knows Bone Gap is full of gaps—gaps to trip you up, gaps to slide through so you can disappear forever. So when young, beautiful Roza went missing, the people of Bone Gap weren’t surprised. After all, it wasn’t the first time that someone had slipped away and left Finn and Sean O’Sullivan on their own. Just a few years before, their mother had high-tailed it to Oregon for a brand new guy, a brand new life. That’s just how things go, the people said. Who are you going to blame?

Finn knows that’s not what happened with Roza. He knows she was kidnapped, ripped from the cornfields by a dangerous man whose face he cannot remember. But the searches turned up nothing, and no one believes him anymore. Not even Sean, who has more reason to find Roza than anyone, and every reason to blame Finn for letting her go.

As we follow the stories of Finn, Roza, and the people of Bone Gap—their melancholy pasts, their terrifying presents, their uncertain futures—acclaimed author Laura Ruby weaves a heartbreaking tale of love and loss, magic and mystery, regret and forgiveness—a story about how the face the world sees is never the sum of who we are.

Everything about this book suggests I would love it. It doesn't hesitate to explore important topics like race and feminism. It's magical realism. Everyone and their dog rates it. But I just can't get into it. I've read, over the course of three months, 22% and I cannot get into it. I can't connect with the main character, can't figure out what the plot is, and I don't have a shred of interest in what happens - which I should have by this point. The only part I liked was one scene from another characters POV but I haven't heard from her since. I've tried around six times to read more than a few percent at a time but it's just not for me right now. I'm sad to say I can't finish this, but hopefully a few years from now I'll try it again and adore it. We'll see.

DNF at 22%

Toxic Love | Jax Garren

Published by: Silkwords, June 22nd 2014

Genre: Adult, Post-Apocalyptic

Pages: 187

Format: Ebook

Source: Silkwords, via Netgalley

A mutation allows Chloe to breathe the poisoned air of post-atoxalyptic USA. GenFriends promises her a life of luxury and ease … as soon as she picks a man to start making babies with. 

SilkWords LLC is the go-to source for interactive women’s fiction. Blurring the line between fiction and gaming, SilkWords.com offers high quality romance and erotica that allows individual readers to choose how stories proceed. Two formats are available: branched fiction ("pick your path") and linear stories that are produced with reader participation. Future phases will focus on development of a SilkWords community by adding more levels of interactivity for both authors and readers. SilkWords is a place for smart, busy, adventurous women to unwind and have fun. To learn more about our unique reading experience, visit www.silkwords.com.

I was hoping this would be a great little story, like A Heart For Copper, but I didn't enjoy it. I didn't connect to the main character, wasn't such a fan of the post-apocalyptic setting (since very little history was actually explained), and the romance just didn't feel right from the get go. I started to get the sense that it was more an erotic story with hints of apocalypse than the other way around, as I'd assumed. Possibly the cover should have tipped me off, but I was optimistic. Wish I liked this, but couldn't.

DNF

Lois Lane: A Real Work of Art | Gwenda Bond

Published by: Capstone, March 4th 2015

Genre: YA, Mystery

Pages: 17

Format: Ebook

Source: Capstone, via Netgalley

In high school art class, Lois Lane demonstrates her undeniable talent . . . but not for painting.

This is an official teaser short story for the young adult novel LOIS LANE: FALLOUT that takes place before Lois moves to Metropolis.

This short story is jam packed with personality, energy, and enthusiasm. I absolutely LOVED it! I wouldn't have thought it possible to get such a strong sense of Lois in these few pages but Gwenda Bond proved me wrong. This is such a fun little tale and gives the perfect insight into Lois's initiative and detective skills, and I for one cannot wait to get my hands on Lois Lane: Fallout.

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world building ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★★☆