The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross

Genre: steampunk, science fiction
Series and Book #: Steampunk Chronicles #3
Pages: 377
Summary:

In 1897 London, something not quite human is about to awaken.

 

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 kissed 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 say in triumph, she must summon a strength even she doesn’t know she has….

 

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The villain the Machinist is revisited in the third novel in the Steampunk Chronicles. I kind of wish Kady had developed another antagonist. I don't think the Machinist really needed another mention. His main master plot was foiled in The Girl in the Steel Corset. It was unnecessary for him to come back, this time with another plan to kill off Griffin's friends. Same with Mei. I don't like her returning to the books.

Kady has as way of developing romantic relationships rather slowly. Griffin and Finley still have doubts about one another even though they're obviously in love. Emily and Sam care deeply about one another, yet they still hold off from it. The game of will they/won't they is very tiring.

I'm excited to see what happens to Mila. She's an automaton that looks like a fully grown woman, has the IQ of a fully grown woman, but the emotional quotient of a two year old. Her developing relationship with Jack Dandy is sure to be interesting especially since she's not human.

I JUST REALLY WANT TO SEE THE NEXT BOOK COVER!

I wonder what Kady has in store for the next couple of books. I'm sure the Machinist will make more appearances, but it seems like most of the conflicts she's introduced throughout the series have already been resolved. I mean, Finley has already chosen a boy to love. Emily is back home, safe and sound, in Sam's arms. The Machinist is finally defeated in the real world. Now all they've got to do is get him out of the Aether so that he doesn't torture Griffin. There was a little something with the medium who visited Griffin's estate, but that's it. I don't know what to expect!

The Cover: Oh, goodness, these covers! They're so prettyyyy.

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross

Genre: steampunk, science fiction
Series and Book #: Steampunk Chronicles #2
Pages: 408
Summary:

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, Finely Jayne will rely on the 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, Finely Jayne must infiltrate a criminal gang. Only problem is, she might like the dark side a little too much….

 

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I loved the plotline of this novel. Jasper was a character only lightly touched upon in the first novel unlike Emily, Finely, Griffin, and Sam. Since he is a member of Griffin's crew, it only seems only fitting we should have a better glimpse into who he really is.

If Kady had the goal of making Mei's deception elusive, she certainly did the job. Initially, I thought Mei truly loved Jasper. It was only until Wildcat made the comment to Finely she didn't trust Mei that I started distrusting her. Even after that, Mei was an on again/off again character. I couldn't really decide what to believe. It wasn't until the very end it was blatantly obvious Mei didn't share Jasper's feelings.

In The Girl in the Steel Corset, Kady created a love triangle between Finley, Griffin, and Jack Dandy. What happened to that? Finley obviously loves Griffin more than she loves Jack. The love triangle seemed to only be necessary in the first book, when Finley had a hard time uniting the two halves of her personality.

Its a good sequel to the first novel. The book picks up pretty much where The Girl in the Steel Corset left off. The ending was satisfying. Kady sometimes will repeat herself. It was distracting. There are some bits that I hope will find themselves in the third installment of this series, or else there are some questions that need answering.

The Cover: The Steampunk Chronicles must have some of the prettiest covers I've ever seen. Everything about it is gorgeous. The plain background draws the eyes to the lovely purple of the dress. The gigantic collar around her neck just makes me cringe, especially after reading the summary.

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

Genre: steampunk, science fiction
Series and Book #: Steampunk Chronicles #1
Pages: 480
Summary:

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

 

When a young lord tried 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.

 

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This kind of reminds me of X-Men, in a way. A band of "freaks" that are brought together by a man that seems to know more about them than they do, and can help them focus their powers into something good. They use these power in order to better society and rid the world of those who do harm. *Shrugs*

I must admit this book was more than I was hoping for. I didn't expect this very intricate plot line that includes a lot of mystery surrounding Finley, yes, but also around Griffin's family as well. I haven't read much steampunk (that's an overstatement: I don't think I've read any steampunk) but Kady did it very well. Modern technology in a past setting seems odd but she made it believable.

Ugh. Why do authors insist on creating love triangles? Finley's darker side liked Jack Dandy, the delicious bad boy who had a soft side for Finley, but she also had feelings for Griff, but he was almost too absorbed in the mystery surrounding the Machinist to notice. Both boys were wonderful and I don't even care who she chooses: but don't keep us in suspense!

Overall, I really did like this. Though the Machinist's identity was pretty obvious to me in the beginning, Finley trying to combat her Jekyll and Hyde multi-personality disorder was cool. Her and Jack Dandy made a fetching couple, don't you agree? I liked how Kady connected Griffin and Finley's families. But the idea is almost tired. Interested to see what's going to happen in book two.

The Cover: What really drew me to the book was the cover. The model is gorgeous and I love the exposed corset against the beautiful vivid red of the dress.