Book Review - Steampunk Chronicles #1 Girl in the Steel Corset - Kady Cross

She thought there was something wrong with her. She was right.
Finley Jayne has known for quite some time that she isn’t ‘normal,’ but when she beats up the son of her employer and is forced to flee, she stumbles into a world where there are bigger freaks than her. They take her in, treat her like family and demand her trust. How can Finley trust them when she can’t trust herself? And why is she drawn to the powerful Griffin as well as the dangerous Jack? She has to get herself under control before she gets into trouble she can’t get out of.

Griffin King is one of the most powerful men in Britain but he couldn’t save his best friend from almost dying. He is determined to save Finley and help her become the person he knows she can be, but there’s evil afoot in London. Machines have attacked humans under the orders of a nefarious criminal called The Machinist. He has sworn to protect his country against such a threat, but he’s never faced any foe like this. However, when he discovers The Machinist’s connection to his past, Griffin vows to end the villain once and for all — but he’ll need the help of all his friends, including the beautiful Finley Jayne – the girl in the steel corset.

This book is due for release in June and it is going to be popular. It is set in 1897 Victorian England, where automatons are the rage and horses are becoming redundant. Finley Jayne is a girl who has a duel soul and is on the run from the unwanted advances of her employers son. Trouble follows her and leads her to Griffin King, Duke of Greythorne who takes her back to his home and introduces Finley to his assortment of family. The writing is well done and the characters are believable. I throughly enjoyed this book. I finished it within a day of starting it. It is aimed for the older teens as it does have some mature content but I can see people who love steampunk and alternative histories loving this series. I myself, can't wait to read book 2 when it comes out. This is a book to look out for!

The quote on the back cover is from Sherrilyn Kenyon "Kady Cross never disappoints"

If you would like to know more then go to Kady Cross's blog page here
People who like Michael Pryor and Scott Westerfeld will love this series!

REVIEW Iron Duke - Meljean Brook

'Seductive danger and steampunk adventure abound in the gritty world of the Iron Seas, where nanotech is fused with Victorian sensibilities—and steam.

After the Iron Duke freed England from Horde control, he instantly became a national hero. Now Rhys Trahaearn has built a merchant empire on the power — and fear — of his name. And when a dead body is dropped from an airship onto his doorstep, bringing Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth into his dangerous world, he intends to make her his next possession.

Mina can’t afford his interest, however. Horde blood runs through her veins, and despite the nanotech enhancing her body, she barely scratches out a living in London society. Becoming Rhys’s lover would destroy both her career and her family, yet the investigation prevents her from avoiding him…and the Iron Duke’s ruthless pursuit makes him difficult to resist.

But when Mina uncovers the victim’s identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans — and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.'

When I picked up this book i was like, wow look at that cover :D Then I read the blurb and thought that it sounded like a good book to read....I was wrong.....

It was a FANTASTIC book to read. 

It has adventure, emotion and airships! It is classically steampunk and has a great plot. The story starts off with a body being thrown out of an airship. It was a little bit confusing at first because of where it started. I believe that Meljean could quite easily write about the days before the Iron Duke defeated the Horde and come up with a few books out of it. 
The characters have depth and spirit, I love Mina's character, she is hesitant to commit to feelings, becuase she was brought up never being allowed to feel emotions. It was such a good idea and one I haven't seen much in other books. 
 The Iron Duke is definatly an Alpha Male, but you get to see the side of him that makes you itch not to slap him, but to understand and comfort him.

Both main characters have well written histories and dialouge. The supporting characters are well written and have depth to them as well. 

All in all a very good read, and I would recommend it to anybody who likes steampunk and adventure.

Tarran