Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The Girl in the Steel Corset ~ Kady Cross review

The Girl in the Steel Corset (The Steampunk Chronicles #1)
HarlequinTEEN
May 24, 2011
473 pages
add to Goodreads/buy from Book Depository/or Amazon


"There's a darkness within me something I can't always control.


If you like a girl with a secret side, you're gonna love me..."

There's something special about a book that can fulfill the declaration made on its back (or inside) cover.  Kady Cross' The Girl in the Steel Corset does just that and more.

Finley Jayne, just sixteen, is already convinced that she's a freak and that there's no one else in London - or, likely, the world - like her. After all, no one else has two sides to themselves: one that is their normal everyday self and another that is darker, stronger. One that takes over and does things Finley shouldn't be able to do - shouldn't want to do and leaves her with no real memory of what exactly happens.

Then she finds Griffin King. Their encounter happens quite by accident and Finley is, at first, unsure as to his motives - he's a Duke and she's far from high society, to say the least. But Griffin insists she's one of 'them,' his band of friends and introduces Finley to a whole new world. One where she just may fit in.


The Girl in the Steel Corset just may be the first steampunk book I've read  (Masque of the Red Death had some steampunk elements but . . .) and I loved it. The blend of the Victorian era with the instruments that would normally be considered more modern was brilliant. I loved the way things that could have been too modern for the period - and the story - were brought in but they fit because of the way in which they were presented and/or said to be invented/produced.

The steampunk brought a whole new layer of enjoyment and awesomeness to TGitSC.

The robots could have made it all just too insane but somehow it made it all fit and work even more for me. They weren't using the latest update from some company's server or using someone's wifi to control them, so it actually didn't seem out of place or date. It as an extra thing for Finley and the other characters to have to face.

I was intrigued by Finley from the very beginning. It was great to see all that she learned about herself and all that she gained in this first book in the series. I liked the other characters as well - some quite a bit more than others - but do admit that I liked them more as their relationships grew as the book progressed.

I am hoping the relationship between Finley and Griffin gets more play (or gets deeper) in the second book. I wasn't feeling it as much as I was about every other relationship in the book. Which isn't to say I didn't like it, I just thought the other characters' relationships were stronger, better written.

It's a fantastic book and with The Girl in the Clockwork Collar out today (review soon!) you'll want to read it soon!

Rating: 9/10

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