the girl in the clockwork collar

Steampunk and young adult books go together like milk and cookies.  Or maybe I should say, like gears and grease?  Steampunk is often about the possibilities of science and imagination – what the future and past can dream up together.  And young adult is about coming of age, examining what it means to be fully human, and how we adjust to that reality.  Steampunk YA is a framework with the addition of an inner focus.  The melded genre often makes for extremely engaging stories.  I thought Kady Cross’ opener The Girl in the Steel Corset was a fun, dizzy ride into that world, so picking up the sequel was a no-brainer.

What happens when someone you love becomes a weapon to use against you…

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling — or dangerous.

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her “straynge band of mysfits” have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade—the dangerous device Jasper stole from him…for the life of the girl Jasper loves.

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei’s neck tightens. And tightens.

From the rough streets of lower Manhattan to elegant Fifth Avenue, the motley crew of teens with supernatural abilities is on Jasper’s elusive trail. And they’re about to discover how far they’ll go for friendship.

More than ever, Finley Jayne will rely on powerful English duke Griffin King to balance her dark magic with her good side. Yet Griffin is at war with himself over his secret attraction to Finley…and will risk his life and reputation to save her. Sam, more machine than man, finds his moody heart tested by Irish lass Emily—whose own special abilities are no match for the darkness she discovers on the streets.

Now, to help those she’s come to care for so deeply, Finley Jayne must infiltrate a criminal gang. Only problem is, she might like the dark side a little too much…

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar opens with the ragtag band of teenagers from London (including the not-so-ragtag Duke of Greythorne) headed to New York City to rescue their friend Jasper Renn.  Unfortunately, Renn was a bit of a non-entity in the first book, so the impetus and loyalty of the group was never fully fleshed out.  I get why they’d go after their friend – I had just forgotten he even existed because he was not a major focus (and because I have a terrible memory, apparently).  Some friend, eh?

What follows when they arrive in New York is about what you’d expect: unknown and shifting emotions, intense action, some life-threatening situations, a crazy inventor and machines and talents that are far beyond the ordinary.  Oh, did I mention the fighting?  And pretty dresses.  Also: corsets, the mysterious collar, sinister messages and gangs.  In case you couldn’t tell, The Girl in the Clockwork Collar was a bit chaotic, fun, and heart-stopping in brief snatches.

What I liked: the continued kick-it attitude of main character Finley Jayne.  This girl is a force of nature, and she not only knows it, she’s proud of it.  Part of that pride means getting her friends to acknowledge and accept her just the way she is, and she definitely makes progress on that throughout the book.  Also high notes: the Five Points fighting bout, Wildcat, and the last 15 pages of the book.

What I found tedious: straight telling (as opposed to showing) of the ‘past’ between Jasper Renn and Mei Xing.  Nikola Tesla’s eccentricities, machines, and their dangerous applications, for another.  The repetition of silly things – in the last book it was blushing, in this book it was how easily Finley could snap a neck.  And striped stockings.  But the biggest pet peeve?  The absence of Jack Dandy.  He was a bit of all right in the last book, and I can’t wait to get him back on stage in the next adventure.

Cross has continued the series much as she began it: with stellar action and patchy suspense, but enough good fun to keep things moving along, and with developing trust, alliances, and an unexpected gem or two of a character to spice things up.  I’ll continue to tune in to this series for more steampunk-y goodness.

Recommended for: fans of action-packed young adult lit, those curious about steampunk and its appeal, and anyone in the mood for thrilling fights and adventure on the streets of an alternate New York populated with strange machines and treacherous men.

Fine print: I received an e-ARC of this book for review from Harlequin via NetGalley. And I didn't read it in time, so I bought myself a copy. Ah well.

the girl in the clockwork collar tour: quote + giveaway

Welcome to The Girl in the Clockwork Collar blog tour!

You may remember that I thoroughly enjoyed Kady Cross’ The Girl in the Steel Corset last year.  And by ‘enjoyed’ I mean ‘loved to bits,’ clearly.  It was non-stop action, fun, and steampunk goodness.  Kady Cross has returned to Finley Jayne’s story and created another adventure full of suspense, adventure and dark mystery.

What happens when someone you love becomes a weapon to use against you…

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling — or dangerous.

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her “straynge band of mysfits” have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade—the dangerous device Jasper stole from him…for the life of the girl Jasper loves.

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei’s neck tightens. And tightens.

From the rough streets of lower Manhattan to elegant Fifth Avenue, the motley crew of teens with supernatural abilities is on Jasper’s elusive trail. And they’re about to discover how far they’ll go for friendship.

More than ever, Finley Jayne will rely on powerful English duke Griffin King to balance her dark magic with her good side. Yet Griffin is at war with himself over his secret attraction to Finley…and will risk his life and reputation to save her. Sam, more machine than man, finds his moody heart tested by Irish lass Emily—whose own special abilities are no match for the darkness she discovers on the streets.

Now, to help those she’s come to care for so deeply, Finley Jayne must infiltrate a criminal gang. Only problem is, she might like the dark side a little too much…

The tour will be (and has been) visiting several blogs over a few weeks – check out the full schedule below:

Monday, May 14th - The Story Siren

Wednesday, May 16th - Harlequin Paranormal Blog

Friday, May 18th - Letters Inside Out 

Monday, May 21st - Hippies, Beauty and Books...Oh, My!

Wednesday, May 23rd - The Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia TODAY!

Friday, May 25th - My Shelf Confessions

Monday, May 28th - A Book and a Latte

Monday, May 28th - Book Birthday! - Alice Marvels

Wednesday, May 30th - Seeing Night Book Reviews

Friday, June 1st - Read Me, Bookmark Me, Love Me

At each stop there’s an excerpt from the book and a daily giveaway to win a copy of The Girl in the Clockwork Collar. Check out today's excerpt:

This snippet of text made me laugh because I (not-very-dangerous human that I am) have made the same sort of threat to my younger brothers when they've been annoying - but I didn't mean it as much as Finley does.  I couldn't literally follow through on the threat either, for that matter! Just a good bit of dangerous dialogue for your day. *grin*

But back to giveaways - there’s a grand prize, too – for the Clockwork Collar featured on the book cover!  If you'd like to win the Clockwork Collar, enter HERE.

Want to enter the daily giveaway for a copy of The Girl in the Clockwork Collar?  Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  US/Canadian addresses only, please!  Full contest rules available here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want to learn more about The Girl in the Clockwork Collar and Kady Cross?  Check out Kady's author website and twitter feed.

Thanks for checking out the tour stop, and look out for a review of the book tomorrow!

Fine print: Blog tour and daily giveaway coordinated by Kismet Book Tours & Harlequin Teen. Grand prize Facebook giveaway sponsored by Harlequin Teen.  I received no compensation for hosting this tour stop!

touch of frost

I had no idea Jennifer Estep wrote young adult novels. You probably didn’t either. Actually, you may not even know who I’m talking about. Let me backtrack. About a year ago, I won a contest over at The Book Smugglers (pretty awesome, right?). The prize: two adult urban fantasy/paranormal novels by Ms. Estep. I was happy, but wary – I’ve been burned by that genre in the past, and I had no experience with the author. BUT! The Elemental Assassin series is awesome. The main character, Gin, is an assassin/restaurant owner with magical powers, and she lives in a fictional southern metropolis. Her adventures are dangerous and exciting. As I said: AWESOME.

Fast forward to last week or maybe the week before, when I was cruising through ‘Waiting on Wednesday’ selections. There it was: a YA by Jennifer Estep, called Touch of Frost. After I got over my shock, I was very pleased. And then Tirzah at The Compulsive Reader sent me a copy, and I went from pleased straight to dance-around-my-room-happy.

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy — a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why—especially since I should have been the one who died…

I think one of the things Estep does best is create a likeable heroine. Gwen has insecurities and knows she’s different (and maybe not in a good way), but part of her charm is that she’s so very self-aware. She’s constantly analyzing and connecting information; pairing her curiosity with knowledge. She has a self-effacing, funny voice, and it makes for spot-on inner dialogue.

Now, this isn’t to say that a cool heroine is all that Touch of Frost has to offer. Estep has also created a believable place in the school Gwen attends, the Mythos Academy. Sure, not all of the T’s are crossed nor the I’s dotted, but I know I spent the book immersed more in its world than in figuring out what was wrong with it. That isn’t to say that I don’t have questions. First one: who does all the dirty work at this extra-fancy prep school? But those things can be answered in future books, or may just be unanswerable forever.

Other fun factors: the smart teenage banter, different ‘types’ of students, boy with mystery (and delayed gratification, what?), unexpected friends and a very, very cool library.

What I didn’t like: Good Lord above, what is it with repeating descriptors? First Kady Cross couldn’t keep Finley from blushing in The Girl in the Steel Corset, and now Estep transgresses again and again with Gwen’s ‘violet eyes.’ I get it already! There were a couple of other bits that I thought should have been caught in editing (the same revelation twice, and an inaccuracy about how swimming times work) as well. Added to that, we’ve got typical boarding school clichés and bad boy crush. BUT. I am here to tell you that in spite of that, this book was fun, I liked it, and I can’t wait for Gwen’s next adventure.

Touch of Frost wasn’t perfect, but it was quick reading, and a great pick for summertime fun. I’m definitely in LIKE. Kiss of Frost, the next in the series, comes out in November, and in the meantime there’s a prequel out called First Frost (but read this book first, do).

Recommended for: anyone with a penchant for mythology, fans of the Percy Jackson series or the X-Men comics/films, and those who like their teen lit set in boarding schools. Also perfect if you’re in the mood for a fast-paced tale featuring a curious and courageous heroine with a bit of an outsider-complex. And, you know, general awesomeness.

Touch of Frost will be released by Kensington Teen on July 26, 2011.

the strange case of finley jayne (+ steampink giveaway winners)

Kady Cross’ YA steampunk debut, The Girl in the Steel Corset, has already made fans out of skeptics of the genre. Of course, I already loved steampunk, and I enjoyed Cross’ novel. When I heard that there was a prequel out in the wide world, I made sure to acquire a copy. And you know what’s rather wonderful? You can download a free e-book copy of The Strange Case of Finley Jayne for yourself (Amazon + B&N)!

Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined…

This novella serves mainly as an introduction to Finley Jayne, the heroine of The Girl in the Steel Corset, but it functions quite well as a brief adventure also. As the summary states, Finley’s job is as a companion to Phoebe, but as she goes she learns about some truly astonishing and dangerous things. And I think that’s all you really need to know about the plot of a novella to start with, anyway. What remains? To say whether I thought it was any good, of course!

What this prequel did well: establish Finley Jayne’s likability factor and hook the reader with an exciting opening scene. What this prequel failed to do: set up a real sense of suspense or mystery, be unpredictable, or teach me anything new. Unfortunately, a promising premise came to slightly less than nothing. In good news: the novel is better (and if you have any doubts, you can always go read it for free yourself)!

As a consolation prize, check out this funny quote from page 47:

“She felt like a great eggplant atop the chestnut mare, despite Phoebe’s assurances that she looked ‘smashing.’ If that wasn’t bad enough, many of the young men she had danced with at the engagement party tipped their hats and said hello to her as they rode past in their modern vehicles, calling even more attention to her eggplantishness.”

AND…in other news…

The winners of my steampink giveaway have been selected. Please join me in congratulating:

Marlene Breakfield and Lauren G!

Each of these lucky ladies will win a YA steampunk book of their choice from my original list. If you didn’t win this time around, please check out my current giveaway for Julie Halpern’s latest release Don’t Stop Now. Have a lovely week!

the girl in the steel corset

There’s something beguiling about steampunk. It’s the Victorian era, with added spunk and style. And, of course, it seems to be very ‘in’ right now. This is good news – we’re bound to get more of it (quantity), and well-written stories, too (quality). I was excited to see another young adult steampunk story getting a lot of publicity – because a merger of two of my favorite genres can't be a bad thing. And now that I’ve read The Girl in the Steel Corset, I know for sure that it was a wonderful idea.

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one…except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch….

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help—and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on—even if it seems no one believes her.

Oh, this book was so FUN! It packed a punch from the start, and didn’t let up to the very end. I have to say that that is one of the great things about YA lit – that it can be so active and outrageous, and somehow work. The first scenes literally pulled me in and made me forget that I was worried that this blend of genres wouldn’t go over well. Hook? Perfect.

Another good element? The cast of characters. Finley Jayne is our heroine and focal point, and she’s a strong girl being pulled in multiple directions. I love that she does more than wait for the action to come to her. She is almost always a maelstrom of movement and intent and she learns and changes as the story progresses. I must say, it’s nice to read about a girl who can pull her own weight, both literally and figuratively (and I say that as an Amazon-sized person, myself).

The rest of the band each had quirks and talents that made them a mini-action force, and all were appealing in their own way. That said, my favorite character was Jack Dandy. Hold on to your hats, kids. I’m not saying I like love triangles (because I rather loathe them, and more on that later) – I’m just saying that the bits in this book that made me laugh out loud in happy surprise were usually Dandy’s part of the dialogue. I look forward to more of his rakish ways.

So I liked the action, the fast-moving plot, and the characters. At this point I might as well call it a day and get out the cherries and whipped cream, right? Wrong. I may have enjoyed the book, but I’m not blind to its faults, either (see? books are like relationships. or something.). Look away if you’re sensitive to criticism, because this next paragraph is about to get heavy.

Things I didn’t like: 1) Possible presence of love triangle(s). I’m over it. 2) Some nagging historical inaccuracies and/or unbelievable bits. Let me just be straight here: telephones didn’t work that way, the language was very modern, and the bits about the Queen of England? GAH. 3) Finley blushed about every other moment in the second half of the book. I mean, I get that she was embarrassed. There had to be another, less romance novel-y way of expressing it. 4) Absentee parents. Yes, it happens in steampunk-land too.

Having said all of that, I thoroughly enjoyed this romp through steampunk London. I felt as though I’d gotten inside an adventure, and the experience was entertaining. The good bits outweighed the stuff that would usually drive me batty. And though it definitely felt like a young adult novel and lacked some of the emotional gravity and wit I’d like to find in my reading, I had a rollicking good time with it, and can’t wait for the next volume.

Recommended for: fans of steampunk, fans of young adult lit, fans of fantasy and sci-fi, and anyone who isn’t picky about their clichés and won’t mind a good dose of fun with their reading. Innocent and amusing, to a T.

I read an e-galley version of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Harlequin, and am reviewing it in conjunction with steampink, an event to celebrate the feminine side of steampunk! You can enter to win a copy of the book here.