Showing posts with label Steampunk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steampunk. Show all posts

Thursday, July 30, 2020

BRASS CARRIAGES AND GLASS HEARTS by Nancy Campbell Allen

BRASS CARRIAGES AND GLASS HEARTS by Nancy Campbell Allen. What a fun addition to the Proper Romance Series, and to the other Steampunk fairy tale retells Allen has already done. I will admitt I had to really think toward the end of how this story was based on Cinderella, but once I figured it out, it was truly well done. I loved Emme and Oliver. They were the perfect nemeses. I loved seeing characters from previous novels. I really loved everything about this story. The crazy situations. How things worked out in the end. It was a well done story that anyone who loves romance mixed with thrills, suspense, and adventure will love. I highly recommend it.


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A steampunk retelling of Cinderella.
Emmeline O’Shea has been an outspoken advocate for the shapeshifter community, which has come under unjust attack from a political body known as the PSRC (Predatory Shifter Regulations Committee), and her robust efforts have landed her a prestigious position as the spokesperson for the International Shifter Rights Organization. She has been selected to give the final address in Scotland before they vote on legislation that will grant protective rights to the shifter community. Because she is fundamentally changing the laws, she is also receiving death threats.
Oliver Reed is a by-the-book detective-inspector who has dealt with Emme’s borderline-illegal activism in the past, and there is little love lost between the two. When his superior tasks Oliver with guarding Emme around the clock to keep her safe until the summit is over, he is frustrated. He has several open cases requiring his attention, and his spare time is occupied with chasing down leads about the whereabouts of his brother, Vincent, a rogue vampire bent on causing trouble in Scotland.
When their airship is hijacked, Emme and Oliver are forced to parachute away before they exit British soil. They take refuge in Emme’s family’s hunting lodge where Oliver is introduced to her abusive stepsisters.
Together the pair must make their way to Edinburgh so as not to miss the summit meeting where Emme will be key in helping to pass legislation that will disband the corrupt PSRC. But between her vindictive sisters and Oliver’s rogue vampire brother, they face danger at every turn, not to mention dealing with their growing attraction for each other.
When Emme is kidnapped – leaving behind only one shoe as evidence – Oliver must find her before it’s too late – and the summit ends at midnight.

Friday, August 9, 2019

THE LADY OF THE COPPERGATE TOWER by Nancy Campbell Allen

THE LADY IN THE COPPERGATE TOWER by Nancy Campbell Allen. This steampunk version of Rapunzel was not exactly what I expected. It was a fanatasic story. I love Sam and Hazel and their professional relationship. I love that I hear a little more about characters from Nancy's other steampunk stories: KISS OF THE SPINDLE and BEAUTY AND THE CLOCKWORK BEAST. The way the story is woven together is beautifully done. However, I was expecting more of the Rapunzel type them far earlier in the book. It was a great intrigue to keep reading in order to see when the tower appeared in the story. Truly it was done very well. I would highly recommend this story to anyone who loves steampunk and/or romance.


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Hazel Hughes believes there is nothing remarkable about her, not even her strange ability to heal the sick and injured. Her employer, Doctor Sam MacInnes recognizes her special talent, but because of the difference in their social status, he can't tell her how much he admires her. When a mysterious count arrives in London and reveals to Hazel the existence of a twin sister, she agrees to accompany him to the wilds of Romania, where she learns that her healing skills are needed to save her twin's life. Worried for her safety, Sam insists on traveling with her.
Faced with dark magic, malfunctioning automatons, and dangerous magical artifacts, Hazel and Sam learn to rely on each other as they untangle a deadly web of mystery surrounding the count and search for a way to free Hazel's sister from the cursed walls of the Coppergate Tower before time runs out on all of them.


Wednesday, July 18, 2018

KISS OF A SPINDLE by Nancy Campbell Allen

KISS OF A SPINDLE by Nancy Campbell Allen. Everytime I read a steampunk novel I smile, and this romance is no exception. I wasn't sure how a steampunk version of Sleeping Beauty would be pulled off, but this was done brillantly. I loved Isla. I loved Daniel. I loved how they had to grow to trust each other dispite the blackmail involved. It was fantastic from page one to the end. There was even a twist that played out very nicely. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good romance teamed with adventure, suspense, secrets, and more.

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A steampunk Sleeping Beauty story from the author of Beauty and the Clockwork Beast.
Doctor Isla Cooper is cursed. Literally. Each night, at the stroke of midnight she falls into a death-like sleep from which she cannot be awakened for six hours. To make it worse, the curse has an expiration date--after a year, it becomes permanent. And the year is almost up.
In a desperate attempt to find Malette—the witch who cursed her—Isla blackmails her way onto Daniel Pickett's private airship bound for the Caribbean, only to discover she's traveling with three illegal shapeshifters and the despicable Nigel Crowe, a government official determined to hunt down and exterminate every shapeshifter in England. Isla and Daniel must work together to keep the identities of the shapeshifters hidden while coming to terms with their own hidden secrets, and their blossoming attraction to each other.
Filled with suspense, intrigue, and plenty of romance, Kiss of the Spindle is steampunk Sleeping Beauty story. It is a race against the clock as Isla and Daniel try to hunt down the elusive Malette before Isla's death-like sleep becomes permanent.



Sunday, August 7, 2016

BEAUTY AND THE CLOCKWORK BEAST by Nancy Allen Campbell

BEAUTY AND THE CLOCKWORK BEAST by Nancy Allen Campbell. I LOVED this book! Having this kind of a classic story mixed with steampunk was a thing of beauty in itself. I loved how confident Lucy is and I was sucked into Lord Miles's secret from the first time it was mentioned. The pages kept turning as the conflict grew and before I knew it, I had read the entire book. For once my guess was incorrect and I can't wait to go back and figure out the subtitle clues that were woven in with expertise. This is a fantastic story for anyone who loves romance and anyone who loves steampunk. And if you only like one or the other, this story will help you fall in love with both. I highly recommend it.


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When Lucy Pickett arrives at Blackwell Manor to tend to her ailing cousin, Kate, she finds more than she bargained for. A restless ghost roams the hallways, werewolves have been reported in the area, and vampires lurk across the Scottish border.
Lord Miles himself is clearly hiding a secret. He is brash and inhospitable and does not take kindly to visitors—even one as smart and attractive as Miss Pickett. He is unsettled by the mysterious deaths of his new wife, Clara, and his sister, Marie. Could Miles himself be to blame for the deaths?
Working together, Miles and Lucy attempt to restore peace to Blackwell Manor. But can Lucy solve the mystery of Miles? Can she love the man—beast and all?
*A reveiw copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.



Thursday, September 24, 2015

MYSTERIES OF COVE: FIRES OF INVENTION by @jscottsavage — #mysteriescove #books #review #steampunk #amreading

MYSTERIES OF COVE: FIRE OF INVENTION by J Scott Savage. This is an exciting new steampunk series that kept me turning the pages through the night. I couldn't put it down and loved everything about it from the characters to the setting and the plot. It's a wonderful new world that we've been introduced to and as you can see from the cover, there are dragons in this world! I love the adventure that Trenton and Kallista take us on. This is a book that is for all age groups, especially those who love an fantastic, entertaining new series. I can't wait for the next installment.

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Trenton Colman is exceptionally creative with a knack for all things mechanical. But his talents are viewed with suspicion in Cove, a steam-powered city built inside a mountain. In Cove, creativity is a crime and "invention" is a curse word.
Kallista Babbage is a repair technician and daughter of the notorious Leo Babbage, who died in an explosion—an event the leaders of Cove point to as an example of the danger of creativity.
Working together, Trenton and Kallista learn that Leo Babbage was developing a secret project before he perished. Following clues he left behind, they begin to assemble a strange machine that is unlike anything they've ever seen before. They soon discover that what they are building may threaten every truth their city is founded on—and quite possibly their very lives.
*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

Friday, May 15, 2015

MYSTERIES OF COVE: FIRE OF INVENTION by J Scott Savage

FIRE OF INVENTION by J Scott Savage. I'm really excited about this upcoming book. Be sure to keep your eyes open for this one!

Book Description: 
STEAMPUNK! Plus Dragons! 
Trenton Colman is a creative thirteen-year-old boy with a knack for all things mechanical. But his talents are viewed with suspicion in Cove, a steam-powered city built inside a mountain. In Cove, creativity is a crime and "invention" is a curse word. Kallista Babbage is a repair technician and daughter of the notorious Leo Babbage, whose father died in an explosion-an event the leaders of Cove point to as an example of the danger of creativity.

Working together, Trenton and Kallista learn that Leo Babbage was developing a secret project before he perished. Following clues he left behind, they begin to assemble a strange machine that is unlikely anything they've ever seen before. They soon discover that what they are building may threaten every truth their city is founded on-and quite possibly their very lives.

Author Note: 
Like many of my books, the inspiration for my new series Fires of Invention came from the collision of two ideas. The first time the story occurred to me was while I was watching the musical Wicked with my wife. The moment I walked into the theater and saw the huge mechanical dragon above the stage, I thought, Wow! I have to write a story about that! A few weeks later, I was talking with my nephew, who is probably the most creative kid I know, but whose inventiveness often gets him into trouble, and I thought, What if a kid who had the talents of my nephew lived in a world where creativity was against the law? What if the kids were building . . . a steam-powered dragon? Bam! I had my story.

Powered by great feedback from my agent, Michael Bourret, my good friend and author James Dashner, my publisher, Chris Schoebinger, and the song “Warriors” by Imagine Dragons, I wrote the entire first draft of the first volume in the series, Mysteries of Cove in four weeks. This book is unlike anything I have ever written. There are elements of City of Ember, Dragon Riders, and Hugo in it all mashed up together in a world I fell in love with from the moment I started writing.

I think what’s most exciting to me about this book is that it’s about giving yourself the freedom to imagine. To take chances. Too often we limit ourselves by only trying things we’re confident we can succeed at when what we need to do is give ourselves permission to fail. Often it is when we attempt things with no idea of how we can possibly pull them off that we achieve our greatest successes.

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J. Scott Savage is the author of the Farworld middle grade fantasy series and the Case File 13 middle grade monster series. He has been writing and publishing books for over ten years. He has visited over 400 elementary schools, dozens of writers conferences, and taught many writing classes. He has four children and lives with his wife Jennifer and their Border Collie, Pepper, in a windy valley of the Rocky Mountains.