Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (The Infernal Device #1)

Title: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Published: August 31^st, 2010 by Simon & Schuster

Source: Purchased for Audible

Format: Audiobook narrated by Jennifer Ehle

Genre: Steampunk | Paranormal | Romance

Age group: Young adult

Grade rate: A

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series. The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them...

Review

Let me start by explaining why I took so long to start this series.  I was mad. There, I said it.  Why was I mad?  Well, I loved Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments, that is until she turned it from a trilogy to a series of six books.  I was happy with the ending of City of Glass and so disappointed when I realized that it was not the ending of the series.  Anyway, I decided to read (listen) to Clockwork Angel, and I Ioved it!

I think in many ways I enjoyed Clockwork Angel even better than the Mortal Instruments.  I love steampunk and this book has plenty of it, from angels to robots and nice doohickeys. 

I think what made the book for me were the characters.  Tessa, is a mystery for sure.  She doesn’t know what she is, but she has a really neat power.  Tessa is very pragmatic and tries to take this new world and her new circumstances in stride.  She is loyal, smart, and not afraid to voice her opinion.  Will and Jem are Shadowhunters, blood brothers and best friends; and yet so different.  Will is very handsome, strong, stubborn, loyal, intelligent, and devious and tries very hard to push everyone away.  Jem is so sweet, calm, composed, resigned, yet strong, loyal and the default peace maker. Can you smell the love triangle coming?  I can from a mile away!

There is no shortage of amazing supporting characters: strong Charlotte, scatter minded Henry, bitter Jessamine, lovely Sophie, the always grand Magnus, and much more.  Our evil figure here (well, the main one at least) is The Magister and we really don’t know too much about his throughout the story.

Cassandra Claire is a genius in many levels.  Her writing is so good, it takes serious talent to invent a world full of new and old beings, of mythology, stories, culture and make you not only understand what it all means, but learn to love it.  The plot of the Clockwork Angel is very intricate, full of mystery and betrayal.  It is one of the things that makes the story so interesting and addictive. 

I already had the chance to listen to Clockwork Prince and it is, if at all possible, even better.  I can’t wait to read the last book in the series, and I will.  Soon.

About the audiobook: I really like the narrator of the book, the pace and voices.

About the cover:  The cover of the Clockwork Angel is beautiful.  We can see Will in all his handsomeness and with light coming out of his runes.  In the background we see clockwork and the city of London.  On the forefront is Tessa’s angel.  As I said, beautiful.

Review: The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson (Rithmatist #1)

Review: The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

Published: Mary 14^th, 2013 by Tor Teen

Source: Finished copy from BEA

Format: Hardcover

Genre: Steampunk

Age group: Young adult

Reviewer: ‘B’

Grade rate: A++

 More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Chosen by the Master in a mysterious inception ceremony, Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings — merciless creatures that leave mangled corpses in their wake. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles. As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students study the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing — kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery — one that will change Rithmatics — and their world — forever. Bestselling author Brandon Sanderson brings his unique brand of epic storytelling to the teen audience with an engrossing tale of danger and suspense—the first of a series. With his trademark skills in world-building, Sanderson has created a magic system that is so inventive and detailed that that readers who appreciate games of strategy and tactics just may want to bring Rithmatics to life in our world.

Review

The Rithmatist was sheer bad-assery because it’s everything an artist would love, their art coming to life.

The story is told from a third person POV, which I like because it allowed me to learn how diverse the characters were.  The main characters are Joel, Melody and Professor Fitch.  Joel is very studious and has very few friends.  He wanted to be a Rithmatist, but couldn’t because he missed his inception ceremony. He is very caring towards the people he loves.  Melody had a tragic life (which by the way is her favorite word.)  She doesn’t want to be a Rithmatist since there are four in her family already.  She very open and strong headed and she doesn’t care what others think about her. Professor Fitch is very closed and cautions and worries about keeping everyone safe.

The story is very interesting and it’s a major page turner.  The plot is fantastic and full of mystery.  World building is very well done, this is my first steampunk and it will not be the last. The writing is very descriptive and it explains everything really well.  I love all the clockwork things, especially the horse.

Overall, I loved the Rithmatist and I can’t wait for the next book, even if I still have to wait a whole year. (NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!)

Some quotes for you:

“... everyone knows that ice cream is worth the trouble of being cold. Like all things virtuous, you have to suffer to gain the reward.”

“Well, that’s because they’re wrong and I’m right. No more reading for you. Let’s go get some ice cream.”

“I don’t know if the kitchen has any,” Joel said. “It’s hard to get in the summers, and—”

“Not from the kitchen, stupid,” Melody said, rolling her eyes. “From the parlor out on Knight Street.”

“Oh. I’ve … never been there.”

“What! That’s a tragedy.”

“Melody, everything is a tragedy to you.”

“Not having ice cream,” she proclaimed, “is the culmination of all disasters! That’s it. No more discussion. We’re going. Follow.”

'B' is my almost 14 y/o son

Leave B some comment love!

Review: Changeless by Gail Garriger (Parasol Protectorate #2)

Title: Changeless by Gail Garriger

Published: April 1^st, 2010 by Orbit

Source: Library 

Format: Audio book, narrated by Emily Gray

Genre: Steampunk, paranormal

Age group: Adult

Challenge(s): none

Grade rate:  A-

Alexia Tarabotti, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears - leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria. But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can.
 She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.

My Review

The Parasol Protectorate is quite possible the best adult series that I follow.  It falls in a category on its own, being a combination of steampunk-paranormal-mystery-romance. 

I read Soulless, book one of the series a while ago (see my Goodreads review here); I’m not sure why it took me so long to keep reading, but I intend to rectify my mistake and get caught up.  Wow!  How I missed Alexia’s world!  It is absolutely amazing.  It takes place in Victorian London where supernatural beings, such as werewolves, vampires and ghosts, are accepted into society.  In addition to that, it’s a world of scientific progress and advancement, while maintaining some of the strict views of the society of that time (namely attire and class). 

Besides the wonderful characters (I’ll get to that in a second), and setting, there are two other outstanding aspects of this book (and the series): the plot and the writing.  The plot of Changeless is surprising, ingenious and altogether amazing. It’s full of twists and turns, of flying machines, armed parasols, poison, and even mummies!  I wish I could find the right words to describe it all.  The book is called Changeless, because there is something preventing the werewolves from ‘changing’ and turning them human. 

The writing is another wonder.  Honestly, I don’t know how Ms. Carriger is able to create such an amazing world, characters, plot and do it all with such a quirky sense of irony and practicality.  It’s pure awesomeness.  At this point you might be asking why isn’t my review an A+; well because the ending had me gasping out loud in my car (remember I was listening to the book).  I was so mad I wanted to do something on behalf of Alexia :(

Note about the audio book:  One of the best ones ever!!!  The voices, the inflection, oh my!  I can hear them in my head now when I read the books. Yep, is that good :)

Lastly, I come to the characters.  By now you know what I’m going to say, right?  They were awesome!  Besides some of the characters from Soulless, we are introduced to a few new ones, such as Madam LeFoux and her family, and Lord Maccon’s old pack in Scotland.  We also get to see more of the characters introduced in Soulless, like Ivy Hisselpenny, and Felicity (Alexia’s sister), Lord Akeldama, Professor Lyal and Biffy.  Alexia is such a jewel; her preternatural state, her marriage to Lord Maccon and her appointment as Muhjah, turns to be the perfect recipe for disaster.  She is one of my favorite characters, and she can probably share that honor with a lot of other characters from this series!

Some quotes for you:

“Ah, Lady Maccon, how lovely. I did wonder when you would track us down.”

“I was unavoidably delayed by husbands and Ivys,” explained Alexia.

“These things, regrettably, are bound to occur when one is married and befriended.”

“She reached inside the wide ruffle and pulled out a little vial.

“Poison?” asked Lady Maccon, tilting her head to one side.

“Certainly not. Something far more important: perfume. We cannot very well have you fighting crime unscented, now, can we?”

“Oh.” Alexia nodded gravely. After all, Madame Lefoux was French. “Certainly not.”

“Ivy waved her wet handkerchief, as much as to say 'words cannot possibly articulate my profound distress'.

Then, because Ivy never settled for meaningful gestures when verbal embellishments could compound the effect, she said, "Words cannot possibly articulate my profound distress.”

About the cover:  This is the picture of Steampunk awesomeness!  This is Alexia with her unique way of dressing and a dirigible in the background. Stunning.

Have you read these series?  Do you like steampunk?  

Waiting on Wednesday: The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine in which we have the opportunity to let others know about books that we are eagerly waiting for.

Title: The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross (The Steampunk Chronicles #3)

Published by: Harlequin Teen 

Release date: May 21st, 2013

Finley Jayne, Griffin and their crew are stunned when one of their own is kidnapped. Emily has a way with machines—she can literally talk to them. But the automatons who abducted her aren’t ordinary machines. They’re almost human—and they want Emily to do something as horrifying as it seems possible.
To save Emily, Finley must contact the highly unsettling Jack Dandy and face her feelings for two vastly different men, even as Griffin’s nightmares threaten to turn into a reality that might just end them all.

Why I want to read it: Although I haven't read the second book in the series, I just can't wait for this one.  The cover looks amazing, right?  Did you imagine that Emily would look like this?

What are you waiting for this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: Legacy of the Clockwork Key by Kristin Bailey

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine in which we have the opportunity to let others know about books that we are eagerly waiting for.

Title: Legacy of the Clockwork Key by Kristen Bailey

Published by: Simon Pulse

Release date: March 5th, 2013

A teen girl unravels the mysteries of a secret society and their most dangerous invention in this adventure-swept romance set in Victorian London.When a fire consumes Meg’s home, killing her parents and destroying both her fortune and her future, all she has left is the tarnished pocket watch she rescued from the ashes. But this is no ordinary timepiece. The clock turns out to be a mechanical key—a key that only Meg can use—that unlocks a series of deadly secrets and intricate clues that Meg is compelled to follow.

Meg has uncovered evidence of an elite secret society and a dangerous invention that some will stop at nothing to protect—and that Meg alone can destroy. Together with the handsome stable hand she barely knows but hopes she can trust, Meg is swept into a hidden world of deception, betrayal, and revenge. The clockwork key has unlocked her destiny in this captivating start to a trilogy.

Why I want to read it: What can I say?  I'm in love with this cover; the little bird, the clockwork, the city in the background and even the font.  It sounds like a great steampunk adventure :)

What are you waiting for this week?

Review: Goliath by Scott Westerfeld (Leviathan #3)

Title: Goliath by Scott Westerfeld

Published: September 20^th, 2011 by Simon Pulse

Source: Purchased

Format: Hardcover book

Challenge (s): TRB pile

Grade rate: A

Alek and Deryn are on the last leg of their round-the-world quest to end World War I, reclaim Alek’s throne as prince of Austria, and finally fall in love. The first two objectives are complicated by the fact that their ship, the Leviathan, continues to detour farther away from the heart of the war (and crown). And the love thing would be a lot easier if Alek knew Deryn was a girl. (She has to pose as a boy in order to serve in the British Air Service.) And if they weren’t technically enemies.

The tension thickens as the Leviathan steams toward New York City with a homicidal lunatic on board: secrets suddenly unravel, characters reappear, and nothing is as it seems in this thunderous conclusion to Scott Westerfeld’s brilliant trilogy.

My Review

Barking spiders!  What an amazing book!  Goliath is the perfect ending to the series (although I still want more!) and it’s so sad to say goodbye to all these beloved characters and a wonderful steampunk world.

You can see my review for Behemoth, book #2 in the series here.  I love these characters!  Deryn is our intrepid heroine and she remains a fascinating, brave, loyal girl that pretends to be a lad.  Alek, you are NOT a waste of hydrogen.  You are loyal, loving, and most importantly, you have your priorities straight.  Alek did a lot of ‘growing up’ in this installment, making some difficult decisions, but I’m sure that it will all be worth it.

The always perspicacious Bovril is my favorite bestie.  I just love how he helped Alek figure out the truth about Deryn, even though we’ve heard him say Mr. Sharp many times before. In this novel, we get introduced to a few new characters, such as the loony Mr. Tesla, and we also get to see the always indiscrete and meddlesome Mr. Malone. 

The plot is incredible in its imagination.  The story is fast-paced, never boring, and SO good. Mr. Westerfled, if you can hear this plea I’m sure that all your fans would love you forever and ever if you were to write about Deryn and Alek again.  I’m sure there are many more adventures for this wonderful couple, Dr. Barlow and Bovril.  Thank you for the ‘extra chapter and drawing (you can find it here), but I need more :) Okay, I’m done begging.  A truly incredibly outstanding story and characters, please read this series!

Review: Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld (Leviathan #2)

Title: Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

Published: October 5^th, 2010 by Simon Pulse

Source: Puchased

Format: Hardcover book and audio book

Challenge(s): TBR Challenge

Grade rate: A

The behemoth is the fiercest creature in the British navy. It can swallow enemy battleships with one bite. The Darwinists will need it, now that they are at war with the Clanker powers.

Deryn is a girl posing as a boy in the British Air Service, and Alek is the heir to an empire posing as a commoner. Finally together aboard the airship Leviathan, they hope to bring the war to a halt. But when disaster strikes the Leviathan's peacekeeping mission, they find themselves alone and hunted in enemy territory.

Alek and Deryn will need great skill, new allies, and brave hearts to face what's ahead.

My Review

I first read Leviathan in 2009 and although I had Behemoth, just like other unread (but not unloved) books in my shelves, I hadn’t had the chance to read it before now.  When I saw the audio book at my local library, I quickly decided to pick it up.  Barking spiders! It was an extraordinary adventure!

In the audio book, actor Alan Cumming does a wonderful job.  I really enjoyed the different accents (German, British, Scottish, Middle East) and different voices, it was a true masterpiece.  However, I usually listen to audio books in the car and it was taking too long to finish the book that way AND I also missed the beautiful (and helpful) drawings; therefore I finished the book by actually reading my copy. 

If you haven’t read Leviathan, let me give you a very brief summary.  This is Steampunk at its best!  It is a re-telling of some of the events of WWI (early 1900s) in which the world is divided between Darwinists (who create creatures or ‘beasties’) and Clanckers (who create amazing machines) and they are at war. 

It was so good to visit again with these beloved characters.  Deryn is so funny, loyal, extremely intelligent, and resourceful.  She makes an extraordinary soldier, even if she has to hide in breaches to become one.  Alek is so focused on making a difference that sometimes his judgment gets him in trouble.  It’s a good thing that he has Deryn to look after him!  He still blames himself for the start of the war. 

The characterization for these series is really good; it makes the reader invested in the story and in what the characters are going through.  I enjoyed all the characters, Lilit, Dr. Barlow, Count Volger, and specially Bovril. Deryn, I love you and I hope that Alek does too!

I really enjoy all the drawings, as I said before, they are beautiful AND very helpful since they portray amazing creatures and machines that help the reader visualize the huge imagination that Mr. Westerfeld has.    The plot is truly a stroke of genius!  It is complicated, unexpected, full of twists and turns and amazing besties and machines.   I really love this series and I already order Goliath, the last book in the series.

Have you read this series?  Do you love it?  Have you read other amazing Steampunk?

In My Mailbox #20

IMM is a weekly meme inspired by Alea at the Pop Culture Junkie and hosted by the wonderful Kristi at The Story Siren.  All links are to Goodreads.

I had an awesome week!  Some books that I ordered came in the mail, there was a sale at BAM and I dared go into the library (trying not too, since school doesn't leave a lot of room for reading).

From the Library

Dairy Queen by Cartherine Gilbert Murdock - Not too long ago we had a Top Ten Tuesday list (or course, I can't remember what it was about now), but the Dairy Queen series was in a lot of them, so I'm giving the first book a try.

Dust & Decay by Johathan Maberry (audiobook) - This is the second book of the Benny Imura series that started with Rot & Ruin (see my review here).  I am listening to this book in my car now.

Illusions by Aprilynne Pike (audiobook) - Illusions is the third books of the Wings series, can't wait to see what happens next.

Steampunk!: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories, Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant (editors) - Steampunk! Need I say more?

Purchased

Isle of Night by Veronica Wolff - I have seen this book in a lot of blogs lately and it looks really good.

Ice by Sarah Beth Durst - I bought this book based in the cover only. Isn't it beautiful?

The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti - I have never read a book by Deb Caletti, so this is my chance to get to know her.

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon - Another beautiful cover.  I've already finished this one, review coming soon!

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - The Wolves of Mercy Falls is one of my favorite series, I really love Ms. Stiefvater's writing, I will read anything she writes!

   

Kindle

Jenny Pox by J. L. Bryan - I saw a review earlier this week and promptly got this free book in my Kindle.

Deep Blue Secret by Christine Anderson - This cover is both beautiful and creepy at the same time, I also liked the book description.

What is in your mailbox this week?

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross (Steampunk Chronicles #0.5)

Title: The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross

Published: May 1^st, 2011 by Harlequin Teen

Source: eBook (free for my Kindle)

Grade rate: A

Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined…

My review

I “purchased” The Strange Case of Finley Jayne as soon as I finished reading The Girl in the Steel Corset (see my review here) because I loved it (and just like chocolate, I wanted more!)  This is a short prequel that finds Finley between jobs when she starts struggling with the “darker” part of herself.   We get to see a little bit more of her mother and stepfather and the interactions between them. 

Finley’s new job is full of excitement and a bit of mystery that she quickly unravels, acting like the heroine that she is deep down.  A definite must for Ms. Cross’s fans!

Review: The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross (Stempunk Chronicles #1)

Title: The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
Published: May 24th, 2011
Source: Library
Grade rate: A

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch...

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits. Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help-and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on, even if it seems no one believes her.

My Review

In the acknowledgment The Girl in the Steel Corset is described by Ms. Cross as ‘The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’ meets ‘X-Men’ in Victorian London.  It is so funny, because I while I was reading I thought it was a mix of ‘The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’ and Disney’s ‘The Great Mouse Detective’.  And guess what, I love all these movies!  This was an awesome read for me.

The characters were all so well developed and I really enjoyed the third person narrative because it allows me to get insight in all the characters and not just a few.  You really get to understand them, care for them, and even love them.  Finley was a kick-ass heroine, and I absolutely fell in love with Griffin.  Sam, Emily, Jasper and even Mr. Dandy are flawed, incredible, amazing, smart, and bound by love and friendship.

The plot of The Girl in the Steel Corset was a little predictable, but enjoyable all the same.  Two things that I really liked: We know almost everyone’s ‘secrets’ and abilities right away (no mystery and guessing), and it didn’t have an excess of narrative.  By that I mean that sometimes, especially when a novel introduces a ‘new world’, so to speak, there are pages and pages and pages of description to ‘set up the scene’.   The novel didn’t do this and I didn’t miss it either.  Ms. Cross’ writing is flawless with a nice rhythm and pace.

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne is a prequel available in e-book (just got it for my Kindle for free!)  I am looking forward to the sequel, The Girl in the Clockwork Collar that will be published sometime next year.

About the cover:  The cover is so pretty, I don’t think is very representative of Finley or the story but it’s beautiful all the same.

Waiting on Wednesday: Steampunk! by various authors

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Title: Steampunk! by Kelly Link (editor)

Published by: Candlewick Press

Release date: October 11, 2011

Imagine an alternate universe where romance and technology reign. Where tinkerers and dreamers craft and re-craft a world of automatons, clockworks, calculating machines, and other marvels that never were. Where scientists and schoolgirls, fair folk and Romans, intergalactic bandits, utopian revolutionaries, and intrepid orphans solve crimes, escape from monstrous predicaments, consult oracles, and hover over volcanoes in steam-powered airships. Here, fourteen masters of speculative fiction, including two graphic storytellers, embrace the genre’s established themes and refashion them in surprising ways and settings as diverse as Appalachia, ancient Rome, future Australia, and alternate California. Visionaries Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant have invited all-new explorations and expansions, taking a genre already rich, strange, and inventive in the extreme and challenging contributors to remake it from the ground up. The result is an anthology that defies its genre even as it defines it.

Why I want to read it: Big names like Elizabeth Knox, Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, and Holly Black are sure to make this book one of a kind.  I enjoy steampunk and can't wait to read it!  Isn't the cover kind of crazy-weird?