The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady CrossMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sixteen year-old Finley Jayne doesn't know exactly what she is, but for your own safety, it is unwise to make her angry. When the son of her employer attacks her, Finley protects herself, and finds herself out of a job and running for her life. While running away from the repercussions of her violent actions, Finley stumbles into Griffin King, the young Duke of Greythorne, who has some unusual abilities of his own. He and his group of unusual friends are after a man they call the Machinist who is turning automatons against their owners, and using them to commit crimes. Griff, recognizes Finley as one of their own, and tries to convince her that she can help him stop the Machinist and find out who and what she is once and for all.
This has to be one of my favorite books this year. It is so original and fun that from start to finish I didn't want to put it down. There are many things that I enjoyed about this book, but to keep this review brief I am only going to name a few.
First, the characters are wonderful--even the supporting ones. Finley Jayne is smart, strong, and even sassy at times. She has two warring personalities, and this is portrayed very well. Plus an unexpected surprise about her parentage added a bit of thrill to the story! I love Griffin, his calm reassurance that he always has a plan and his desire to save everyone. Emily is charming and it is so refreshing to see a girl that is smart and mechanically inclined. Sam was probably my least favorite character, but that is because I felt like he wallowed in his losses. The character development was outstanding. I love these characters and wanted to spend more time with them.
Secondly, the setting was exceptionally well done. The story takes place in a steampunk version of Victorian London. Although steampunk adds technology that doesn't exist in the time period of the book, it blended well into this novel. The technology and the Victorian era go well together, and it never felt forced to me. I could believe that this world existed and I wanted to go there.
Finally, the story keeps the reader engaged. It was vivid, fast paced, and action packed. I couldn't wait to keep reading this novel because I wanted to know what would happen next.
Overall, this novel is positively stunning. I loved this book, these characters, and couldn't stand to step away from it when finished. To be honest, I am already contemplating rereading it because I enjoyed it so much. This book is the first book in the Steampunk Chonicles series. My only regret is that I don't know when book #2 in the series will come out. Not soon enough for this fan!
Cautions for sensitive readers: Violence. No language and no sex, although the attack on Finley was suggestive in nature.
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