Early Review: The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross

The Girl with the Iron Touch
by Kady Cross
Series: Steampunk Chronicles #3
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication date: May 28, 2013
Genre: YA Steampunk
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository
Source: ARC provided for unbiased review
*purchase through buy links  support this blog

When mechanical genius Emily is kidnapped by rogue automatons, Finley Jayne and her fellow misfits fear the worst. What's left of their archenemy, The Machinist, hungers to be resurrected, and Emily must transplant his consciousness into one of his automatons—or forfeit her friends' lives.  With Griffin being mysteriously tormented by the Aether, the young duke's sanity is close to the breaking point. Seeking help, Finley turns to Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. When Jack kisses her, Finley must finally confront her true feelings for him...and for Griffin.  Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily, from Whitechapel's desolate alleyways to Mayfair's elegant mansions. He would walk into hell for her, but the choice she must make will test them more than they could imagine.  To save those she cares about, Emily must confront The Machinist's ultimate creation—an automaton more human than machine. And if she's to have any chance at triumphing, she must summon a strength even she doesn't know she has....

I remember when I picked up the novella The Strange Case of Jayne Finley back in 2011 and fell in the love with the quirky character and Kady Cross’s version of steampunk and suspense. It’s been a love affair ever since and each novel adds more depth to the characters as it delivers an action packed tale. The Girl with the Steel Touch delivers the most romantic tale of the series thus far. We see character and relationship growth all while fighting our favorite nemesis. I was captivated from page one and cannot wait for the next book in this series.

We are back in 1987 London after our adventure in America and something is wrong with Griffin.  Jack shares some interesting and disturbing news about a crate he delivered and Emily is kidnapped by automations.  The tale that unfolds was riveting as we face danger, see relationships develop and face our nemesis the Machinist once again.

While all of Cross’s characters are fleshed out this tale gives us the most romantic developments to date and we see character growth in quite a few characters. Griffin the big lug is struggling with the Aether and of course keeps it all to himself causing Jayne to feel cut off from him and unsure where she stands.  Griffin really carries the weight of the world and fate of his friends on his shoulders and watching him open up and expose himself was delightful. We see growth in Jayne as she takes chances, faces danger, and makes personal demands. It was delightful to watch. Sam and Emily are two of my favorite and tormented characters. There is a lot of self discovery and confessions which I loved. Their interactions had me giggling one moment and sighing the next. Jasper is still a character we do not really know all that well, and I am anxious for his story to be revealed. Jack Dandy is back and ooh baby he can call me poppet anytime. Perhaps the most mysterious character in the series we see a softer side of him and questions are raised about his true identity. I want to peel back all of his layers and expose him and look forward to what Cross reveals next.  We meet a new character and I adore her and hope she has a larger role in future novels. Leonardo Garibaldi aka the Machinist and his rogue automations are back and creepier than ever. Cross brings them all to life making the danger real.

From the very first page Cross allowed me to slip into the world she has created immediately drawing me into the story and the characters I have come to love. Her descriptive writing style brings the automations and steampunk gadgets to life making for some heart stopping action. This was fast paced and before I knew it I’d finished the tale. I loved the banter between the characters and found the danger Emily faced to be fascinating and cleverly done. Cross mixes a little paranormal into her steampunk that is clever and I enjoyed the thread regarding Griffin and his struggles with it. The climatic ending was suspenseful and I felt Cross gave me a panoramic view of the events as they unfolded. The author has a vivid imaginations that she seamlessly conveys into the pages of her novels from the gadgets to the characters facial expressions. I am looking forward to continuing this story and like the way the overall ARC is progressing.

If you loved the previous novels in the Steampunk Chronicles you are sure to find The Girl with the Iron Touch delightful. There is a novella to be released July 1, 2013 called The Dark Discovery of Jack Dandy and I am looking forward to seeing what secrets it reveals about Jack!

Four cups of coffee out of five 

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

Something Strange and Deadly
by Susan Dennard
Series: Something Strange and Deadly #1
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication date: July 24, 2012
Genre: YA Historical/Paranormal/Steampunk
Purchase: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository

The year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…
Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.
And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother. Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.(synopsis from Goodreads)

Something Strange and Deadly is the first novel in Susan Dennard’s Something Strange and Deadly series. The tale takes place in Philadelphia, PA in the year 1876. I loved this steampunk zombie novel, featuring the feisty, sleuth protagonist Eleanor Fitt. I easily finished this novel in two evenings and look forward to reading more.

We are immediately immersed in the tale as Eleanor waits at the train station for her beloved brother, Elijah to arrive. When he doesn't arrive she heads to the telegram counter for news. The dead alarms begin to ring. This signals that zombies are in the station. Chaos breaks loose as people scramble to escape. Eleanor dives into the telegram booth and hides. When the window shatters and a zombie appears she just about faints. Instead of attacking her, it drops a telegram on her lap. Too frightened to read it she rushes home. Here she reads the message and discovers he won’t be returning. Eleanor begins to believe that the zombies have him. When she sees an article about Spirit Hunters, she sets off to get answers and hopefully some help. The tale that unfolds has moments of suspense, mystery, humor and a smidgeon of romance. The dead are rising from Laurel Hill Cemetery and a necromancer is controlling them. I became completely immersed in the tale as Eleanor tries to stop the dead and save her brother. 

Eleanor Fitt is sixteen and lives with her overbearing mother and maid. Her brother Elijah has been away for over two years. The families finances are crumbling and her mother is constantly spending money trying to impress others. I liked Eleanor; she is witty, inquisitive and brave. Her need for answers causes her to be reckless and her free spirit creates tension with her mother. Daniel is an inventor and member of the Spirit Hunters. He is cute, stubborn and quick to temper. He is also protective when it comes to Eleanor. I enjoyed their witty banter and Eleanor’s attraction to him caused me to giggle. While there is a tiny bit of romance, their story is just beginning. Other characters added suspense and mystery.

The world-building while at times predictable kept me entertained.  Dennard beautifully captures the era and some of its ridiculous society rules. She does this without overwhelming the reader in details and instead focuses on the characters and plot. The flow of this novel was wonderful. I would have liked more gadgetry but enjoyed the tools the Spirit Hunters used. The characters themselves and mystery kept me turning the pages. Discovering the necromancer and searching for clues was entertaining. The zombies are in the background of this tale, but when they do make appearances the scenes are delightful. While the tale felt complete, Dennard’s ending has hinted at what is to come. While I easily pieced together the clues regarding the necromancer it was fun to discover the reasons.

I recommend Something Strange and Deadly to fans of steampunk, zombies and character driven tales. I loved the mystery and suspense of this novel and the sweet budding romance. I look forward to A Darkness Strange and Lovely the second novel in this series due to publish in 2013.

I want to thank Harper Teen and Edelweiss for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I gave this novel 4 coffee cups out of 5.