corsets & clockwork review (part two)

There are people who can’t stand an anthology. I think a lot of them read my blog. And you know what? I get it. For a long time, I hated the short story form. It was too brief, too unfinished, too…shallow. But now that I have the attention span of a gnat, I really appreciate short stories. I don’t have to stay up until 4am to finish the book. It’s there and then it’s not. Similar to how I can now eat mushrooms without gagging. Weird! It’s almost like I’m grown up or something (shhh…if we don’t tell anyone, it never happened).

In yesterday’s post I did mini-reviews of the first six stories in Corsets & Clockwork. Today I present you with the final seven. And also encourage you to check out steampink. And my steampunk giveaway!

“The Airship Gemini” by Jaclyn Dolamore

Take Siamese twins, put them on an airship over the Atlantic, and stir in a shapeshifter hoping to separate them. Result: a quirky tale just on the wrong side of believable. Part of the trouble undoubtedly lay in the length of the story (too short), but the combination of fantastical elements didn’t help either. Not without merit, but not essential.

“Under Amber Skies” by Maria V. Snyder

Snyder crafted a story of a technologically advanced Poland on the verge of World War II. While an engaging premise and mystery drive the plot, the dialogue felt forced and at times the heroine succumbed to TSTL syndrome (that’s Too Stupid To Live for you newbies out there). Partially redeemed by its twisty nature.

“The King of Greenlight City” by Tessa Gratton

A charming and surprising story that grabbed my attention and didn’t let go. It reminded me that magic is dangerous AND wondrous (which is the best sort of realization). Definitely an example of the kind of tale that takes you somewhere you didn’t expect to go, and teaches you something new about the world.

“The Emperor’s Man” by Tiffany Trent

A lovely little romance, this one. The author wove a dream-like fairy story, with just a touch of darkness for good measure and realism. Very light on steampunk, but entertaining regardless.

“Chickie Hill’s Badass Ride” by Dia Reeves

Oh. Dear. Me. Dia Reeves’ contribution took strange and turned it sideways. Not steampunk, but all sorts of weird and remarkable. I’m not sure I liked it or understood it completely, but it certainly made me sit up and notice. Bonus Factor: minorities in YA fiction!

“The Vast Machinery of Dreams” by Caitlin Kittredge

Bizarre, science-fictiony, and ultimately opaque. Written as a series of explanations of reality, this tale wasn’t straight-forward (sometimes a plus), but it also left one with a sense that they never truly knew any of the characters. If you’re here for enigmatic mysteries, this one’s for you.

“Tick, Tick, Boom” by Kiersten White

Girls dressing as boys in Victorian London? It’s becoming a cliché in steampunk circles. Thankfully White’s creation is something more than cliché. Although the romantic portion of the story feels a bit contrived, the feisty heroine is a genuine article and she (and her inventions) manage to pull off fun rather than boring. Good stuff.

As you can tell from today’s entry and part one, this collection had its moments. It was uneven, but when it was brilliant it was quite good. Frewin Jones and Tessa Gratton get A+ marks. I’m happy to report that steampunk has ARRIVED, and that I found several new-to-me authors through this short story excursion. Well worth my time, and yours, loves.

Recommended for: fans of YA paranormal romance, especially of the Clockwork Angel variety, steampunk devotees and neophytes, fans of light sci-fi, and anyone with a taste for historical fiction.

I received a finished copy of Corsets & Clockwork for review from Running Press.

corsets & clockwork giveaway

I kind of have a thing for steampunk. It’s a little on-off, but it’s been in the background (and sometimes the forefront) of my reading life for almost two years now. And I DEFINITELY have a long-standing relationship with young adult literature. When you mix the two genres, there’s a lot of…chemistry. [side note: i just made my reading lineup sound like my love life. wrong?]

I first heard about a new collection of YA steampunk short stories from Kiersten White’s blog. White, of course, is the awesome author of Paranormalcy. I knew right away that this anthology had my name written all over it, and the publisher (Running Press Books) has been kind enough to offer me a chance to give away a copy of Corsets & Clockwork to one of my US-based readers. I am going to chip in with an additional copy for my international friends. To recap: awesome story collection, two winners, anyone can enter!

Dark, urban fantasies come to life in the newest collection of steampunk stories, Corsets & Clockwork. Young heroes and heroines battle evils with the help of supernatural or super-technological powers, each individual story perfectly balancing historical and fantastical elements. Throw in epic romances that transcend time, and this trendy, engrossing anthology is sure to become another hit for the fast-growing steampunk genre!

This collection features some of the hottest writers in the teen genre, including: Ann Aguirre, Jaclyn Dolamore, Tessa Gratton, Frewin Jones, Caitlin Kittredge, Adrienne Kress, Lesley Livingston, Dru Pagliassotti, Dia Reeves, Michael Scott, Maria V. Snyder, Tiffany Trent, and Kiersten White.

To enter:

Fill out the FORM. Giveaway is open internationally, and will end on May 1 at 11:59pm EST. I will notify the winners via email.

Good luck!

paranormalcy

The power of a voice is uncanny. A good voice, maybe I should say. I bought and read Kiersten White’s debut novel Paranormalcy on the strength of her blog. If you haven’t been yet, go visit NOW. Kiersten has one of the funniest, kindest, and most endearing “voices” that I have ever read (fiction, non-fiction, you name it). The only writer I have loved more upon first acquaintance in the past few years? Sherman Alexie, author of National Book Award-winning The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

So: she’s laugh-out-loud hilarious, and I pre-ordered her debut novel last summer. What then?

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

Best word to describe Paranormalcy? CUTE. Undeniably cute. Also: entertaining, funny-as-heck, and promising. Look, I’m not going to say it’s life-changing (unless you are in dire need of laughter). It probably won’t bend the way you look at reality or affect the way you think. But given that, it’s a good time and guilt-free in every way that a chocolate sundae can’t be (look Ma, no calories!). And Kiersten’s voice, which I fell in love with months ago, is there in bits and pieces through her lovable and fallible character Evie.

Evie is the star…err…main character of Paranormalcy, and she’s wonderful in part because she is SO NORMAL. And I mean that in a ‘acts her age and makes mistakes’ kind of way. Although her situation sits squarely in fantasy territory, she’s got a good head on her shoulders and seems completely authentic, all the way down to boys, pink and answering back to authority. She’s a genuine character, and a fun one to be around, even (or especially) when she’s getting into scrapes of her own making.

Also: though I thought I could never again contemplate anything NEAR to a young adult love triangle, I somehow find myself interested in the whole Lend/Reth thing. In Lend, Kiersten has crafted a rare creature – a “real”-seeming boy. Not only is he teenage awkward, he’s sweet, and his family is as normal as you can expect from a YA paranormal romance. Oh, and did I mention that he’s hot? At least, Evie thinks so.

Paranormalcy is full of adventure, mayhem, pink, and fun. If I had to equate it to a specific experience, I'd say that it's like a summer fair with rides and cotton candy. It’s not perfect or profound, but it’s happy-making. It may not be for you. But if it sounds at all like it might be, I urge you to pick it up.

Recommended for: fans of young adult paranormal and fantasy, anyone in the mood for some good, clean fun and adventure, and light entertainment that will have you laughing (and sighing) along with Evie, Lend, and a whole cast of engaging and strange characters.