Joint Review: Dukes are Forever by Bec McMaster

Dukes are Forever
(London Steampunk: The Blueblood Conspiracy #5)
Bec McMaster
Release: February 12, 2019
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ARC provided by the author

A compromising situation forced him into marriage. But has his wife been working for the enemy all along?

In a steam-fuelled world where vampires once ruled the aristocracy, the Duke of Malloryn knows his nemesis, Lord Balfour, has finally returned to enact his plans of revenge.

Malloryn can trust no one, and when incriminating photographs surface—of an enemy agent stealing a kiss from his wife—he is forced to question just why his wife, Adele, trapped him into marriage.

Is she an innocent pawn caught up in a madman's games, or is she a double agent working against him?

The only way to discover the truth is to seduce her himself...

Adele Hamilton may have agreed to a loveless marriage in order to protect herself, but that doesn't stop her heart from yearning for more.

Her husband promised her a cold marriage bed. He swore he'd never touch her. But suddenly he's engaged in a campaign of seduction—and the only way to keep her wits about her is to fight fire with fire.

The ruthless beauty has locked her heart away, but can she deny the passion that flares between them? And when the truth emerges, will she be the only thing that can save Malloryn's life?

Or the weapon his enemy will wield against him?

Review:
Remember when we said that sometimes we both read the same book? And sometimes we both just have to share our thoughts? I hope you do, it was only two days ago. Well, we've done it again.

We both love Bec McMaster. In fact, one of the first joint reviews we ever did was for Of Silk and Steam, the finale of  the previous London Steampunk series. But today we want to talk about the final book of The Blueblood Conspiracy.

RoseRed: I’m so sad to see this series end but Adele and Malloryn were everything!

Gretl: I was surprised how much I enjoyed this couple. I didn't really care about either of  them when the series started, though Malloryn grew on me over the last few books. They almost have an enemies to lovers thing going with the competitive nature of their relationship which was fun.

RR: One of the things I loved about this book is how McMaster took these two characters that everyone sees as heartless (Malloryn) and cold (Adele) and shows us the other side of them that no one else really sees. The romance between Malloryn and Adele was very well done and drew me in from the beginning. Which honestly was a relief because I was a bit wary of the romance going into this book. But I loved them as a couple!

G: My only complaint about the romance is that I felt like it overshadowed the political aspects of the story, which are usually one of my favorite things. In a way though, maybe that was point - Malloryn had been putting politics and patriotism above everything else and his relationship with Adele showed him there was more to life. But I still wish I had felt more invested in the politics this time.

RR: I will say that I wish we had seen a bit more interaction between COR and Adele and Malloryn but what we got was golden!

G: Adele did seem to be either with Malloryn or with the ladies, rather than being part of the group as a whole. *scratches head* I liked her friendship with Lena from the original series though. I think everyone except Blade came back in this finale. 

G: I can't help but compare Dukes are Forever to Of Silk and Steam. The characters find themselves in a similar situation at the end. And what stands out to me about that finale is the explosions - I even made a joke about going out with a bang. But I think McMaster blew up even more stuff this time. I imagine her sitting at her computer going "Oh, did I leave that standing last time? My bad!"

RR: This was a very satisfying conclusion to this series but I’m sad to leave the world and characters behind. I will say that while I enjoyed the ending of this book, I really need McMaster’s next newsletter to be out so we can read that promised epilogue.

    

4/5 Stars

and 

  1/2

4.5/5 Stars

Our reviews of other books in this series:
Mission: Improper
The Mech Who Loved Me
You Only Love Twice
To Catch a Rogue

Review: By Fire Above by Robyn Bennis

By Fire Above
(Signal Airship #2)
Robyn Bennis
Release: May 15, 2018
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"All's fair in love and war," according to airship captain Josette Dupre, until her hometown becomes occupied by the enemy and her mother a prisoner of war. Then it becomes, "Nothing's fair except bombing those Vins to high hell."

Before she can rescue her town, however, Josette must maneuver her way through the nest of overstuffed vipers that make up the nation's military and royal leaders in order to drum up support. The foppish and mostly tolerated crew member Lord Bernat steps in to advise her, along with his very attractive older brother.

Between noble scheming, under-trained recruits, and supply shortages, Josette and the crew of the Mistral figure out a way to return to Durum―only to discover that when the homefront turns into the frontlines, things are more dangerous than they seem.

Review:
One of my favorite under the radar books last year was The Guns Above by Robyn Bennis so it's not a stretch to say that I've been anxiously awaiting the sequel, By Fire Above. It was everything I wanted it to be. It started up a bit slow because Josette needed a crash course in royal politics from Lord Bernat (aka Bernie) but it quickly morphed into the fast-paced adventure novel I was anticipating as the crew of the Mistral take part in a plan to retake the city of Durum. I was on the edge of my seat reading the last half of this book. It about gave me a heart attack but I couldn't put it down!

There's a lot of praise I could heap on this book because it really was brilliant but the thing that pleased me the most was how much the characters have grown in such a short period of time. Josette is finally becoming comfortable in her role as the captain and it’s obvious to why the crew of the Mistral trusts and willingly follows her. I think the one character whose arc surprised me the most was Bernie. I enjoyed his character in the first book but I adored him in this book! He's still a bit foppish and ridiculous but he is the perfect foil to Josette's character! And can we talk about the banter between those two? Because OMG! This book has some A+ banter. Bernie totally stole the show for me this time around.

This series is the best kind of military fantasy and I've enjoyed the heck out of it! It's the perfect balance of steampunk and military adventure in my eyes. While I still enjoyed the science of the airships and the descriptions of the tech, my favorite part of this book was the airship battles. They were brutal and chaotic and absolutely perfectly paced. They are seriously perfect. The combination of interesting characters, Napoleonic warfare, and airships made for a great story and I'm intrigued to see what will happen next! I need a book three so badly!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

   

  4 / 5 Stars



My reviews of other books in this series:
The Guns Above by Robyn Bennis

Review: Timekeeper by Tara Sim

Timekeeper
(Timekeeper #1)
Tara Sim
Release: November 8, 2016
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Two o’clock was missing.

In an alternate Victorian world controlled by clock towers, a damaged clock can fracture time—and a destroyed one can stop it completely.

It’s a truth that seventeen-year-old clock mechanic Danny Hart knows all too well; his father has been trapped in a Stopped town east of London for three years. Though Danny is a prodigy who can repair not only clockwork, but the very fabric of time, his fixation with staging a rescue is quickly becoming a concern to his superiors.

And so they assign him to Enfield, a town where the tower seems to be forever plagued with problems. Danny’s new apprentice both annoys and intrigues him, and though the boy is eager to work, he maintains a secretive distance. Danny soon discovers why: he is the tower’s clock spirit, a mythical being that oversees Enfield’s time. Though the boys are drawn together by their loneliness, Danny knows falling in love with a clock spirit is forbidden, and means risking everything he’s fought to achieve.

But when a series of bombings at nearby towers threaten to Stop more cities, Danny must race to prevent Enfield from becoming the next target or he’ll not only lose his father, but the boy he loves, forever.

Review:
Have you ever read a book that you loved so much that you can't articulate why you love it when asked? Tara Sim's debut book, Timekeeper, was one of those books for me. I adore it so much! But I haven't been able to write a review for it since I first read it in November of last year no matter how hard I've tried. I've even reread it via the audiobook and I still can't coherently explain my love for it. But I can give you five reasons why you should pick it up.

1. The Mythology

I adored this world ruled by clocks and clock towers! I found the mythology that hinted at the origin of the clock towers fascinating! The story of the old gods was perfectly intertwined with the "present day" narrative of the characters. Not all of my questions were answered in this book and I need the next ones in my hands. I can't wait to learn more about the towers and the clock spirits.

2. The Romance

I'm not going to say much about the romance between Danny and Colton other than it was absolutely adorable! I was totally shipping them by their third meeting with each other. I would recommend this book for the romance alone.

3. The Representation of Grief, Loss, Trauma and PTSD

The characters in this book have not had easy times and some of them have been through multiple traumas.

"I was in an accident. I got out. I'm safe now."

From the first time Danny said his mantra to keep himself from breaking down, I actually gasped. I knew this was something important because I *knew* what was happening here. I knew what had to have happened to him.

Sometimes you don't get out. Sometimes you do and that's only the beginning. It's going to be hard. Even years later, you might not feel safe. Sometimes trauma means you live with the scars. Sometimes you deal with them in ways that damage yourself or others. But reading books like this, that show such trauma and healing (even slow, disjointed, and derailed) with rawness and honesty... it helps. Danny, his mother, Matthias, and his best friend, Cassie, have all been through horrible things and they all responded in different and exceedingly realistic ways. People respond to trauma differently and all of those responses are valid. It was so nice to see these topics handled so well.

4. Danny and Cassie's Friendship

One of my favorite things about this book was Danny and Cassie's friendship. Their friendship was everything! They cared for each other and you can tell that they will have each other's backs no matter what. I loved their interactions so much! It was also refreshing to see a friendship between a guy and a girl that was free from romantic pining. I seriously want to see more of these kinds of friendships in YA.

5. The Family Interactions

Danny's family isn't perfect. In fact, they are about as far from from perfect as you can get. They're drowning in grief and stressed out about finances and that colors their interactions. But I loved that so much of this book was focused on Danny's interactions with his mom, his worry about his dad, and the comfort he drew from his godfather. There was also themes of found family throughout the book and it was glorious. I love this recent trend in YA where the main character's family is actually present and accounted for in their life even if they don't know how to interact with each other like Danny and his mother.

This book blew my mind! It was a breath of fresh air in the world of YA books and I can't help but sing its praises. I loved this world of clock mechanics and clock spirits and I ship the romance so hard! Also, the audiobook narrator was absolutely fantastic if audiobooks are your thing. I seriously can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the books in this series. Tara Sim has earned herself a permanent spot on my autobuy list.

ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss

    

  5 / 5 Stars!

Recommended for fans of:
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

Review: The Mech Who Loved Me by Bec McMaster

The Mech Who Loved Me
(London Steampunk: The Blueblood Conspiracy #2)
Bec McMaster
Release: June 27, 2017
Goodreads Amazon
ARC provided by the author

Ava McLaren is tired of being both a virgin, and a mere laboratory assistant for the Company of Rogues. When a baffling mystery rears its head, it presents her with the opportunity to work a real case... and perhaps get a taste of the passion that eludes her.

Blue bloods are dying from a mysterious disease, which should be impossible. Ava suspects there's more to the case than meets the eye and wants a chance to prove herself. There’s just one catch—she’s ordered to partner with the sexy mech, Kincaid, who's a constant thorn in her side. Kincaid thinks the only good blue blood is a dead one. He's also the very last man she would ever give her heart to… which makes him the perfect candidate for an affair.

The only rule? It ends when the case does.

But when an attempt on her life proves that Ava might be onto something, the only one who can protect her is Kincaid. Suddenly the greatest risk is not to their hearts, but whether they can survive a diabolical plot that threatens to destroy every blue blood in London—including Ava.

Review:

I've come to expect incredible action scenes from the London Steampunk series. The Mech Who Loved Me does deliver them, tough not to the same extent as the two most recent books. It focuses more on detective work, interviewing suspects and examining forensic evidence, since Ava is a CSI. But most of all, it spends time building the relationship between Ava and Kincaid.

Their story feels very modern in some ways. Ava suffers from PTSD after the events of Forged by Desire, the book that introduced her character. Five years later she still has flashbacks at the worst possible times. And Kincaid suffers from muscular dystrophy. While I felt like his illness humanized his somewhat larger than life character, I got bit tired of him repeatedly thinking about how it doomed his relationship. (I often have that problem with a romance though whenever a character, usually the hero, thinks they're not good enough for their love interest.) I didn't love the way Kincaid's condition was ultimately dealt with either, in part because it was predictable. It also touches on a particular PNR pet peeve of mine, which is probably too spoilery to go in to. But when Ava and Kincaid are not being all angsty, their chemistry is great to watch

The book also brings back characters from the previous series, primarily Perry and Garrett who play a big role in Ava's life. And it spends some time setting up future romances, though there aren't really any surprises there. What I didn't expect, and I'm not sure I'm happy about, is for the Big Bad to be revealed. I'm starting to have a different view of how the series will play out since there are four more members of the Company of Rogues who still need to get their HEAs.

I feel like The Mech Who Loved Me is a solid edition to the London Steampunk world, but it's not my favorite in the series. I'll admit it had some high expectations to live up to though. I'm still so happy that the series is continuing and I'm excited to see what's next.

   1/2 

3 1/2 stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
Mission: Improper

Review: The Guns Above by Robyn Bennis

The Guns Above
(Signal Airship #1)
Robyn Bennis
Release: May 2, 2017
Goodreads Amazon

The nation of Garnia has been at war for as long as Auxiliary Lieutenant Josette Dupris can remember – this time against neighboring Vinzhalia. Garnia’s Air Signal Corp stands out as the favored martial child of the King. But though it’s co-ed, women on-board are only allowed “auxiliary” crew positions and are banned from combat. In extenuating circumstances, Josette saves her airship in the heat of battle. She is rewarded with the Mistral, becoming Garnia’s first female captain.

She wants the job – just not the political flak attached. On top of patrolling the front lines, she must also contend with a crew who doubts her expertise, a new airship that is an untested deathtrap, and the foppish aristocrat Lord Bernat – a gambler and shameless flirt with the military know-how of a thimble. He’s also been assigned to her ship to catalog her every moment of weakness and indecision. When the Vins make an unprecedented military move that could turn the tide of the war, can Josette deal with Bernat, rally her crew, and survive long enough to prove herself to the top brass?

Review:
I knew from the moment I saw the blurb by Patricia Briggs on the cover of this book that I was going to love it. The Guns Above lived up to the hype I created in my own mind after reading said blurb. It has great characters, exciting airship battles, and lots of witty humor. I didn't expect this book to be as fun or as funny as it ended up being.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm kind of sick of the "I'm the first lady to do the thing and everyone expects me to fail." trope but I still really enjoyed reading this book! Josette Dupre is a character that is the perfect balance of cocky and respectful while knowing when it's time to be a rebel. She's very confident in herself while realizing that she's still growing into her position as captain.

One of the things I loved about this book was the dual narrative. The story is told primarily from the alternating perspectives of Josette and Lord Bernat, the foppish nobleman who's assigned to the Mistral to openly spy on her. The two POVs keeps things interesting and fast-paced. I loved reading the back and forth between the two and I loved seeing how they began to understand each other as they interacted.

This book is the kind of military fantasy that I enjoy the heck out of. It struck the perfect balance of steampunk and military adventure in my eyes. I especially enjoyed the science of the airships and the descriptions of the tech. Those little details makes my inner scientist happy. The combination of interesting characters, Napoleonic warfare, and airships made for a great story and I'm intrigued to see what will happen next!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

   

  4 / 5 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday (103)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. So here's this week's WOW pick:

An alternate Steampunk Victorian world controlled by clock towers? Dude! Sign me up! This book sounds amazing! I've heard nothing but the highest praise from trusted blogging friends about it. It's also been recommended for fans of Victoria Schwab. And really that's all I need to know about it to be excited for it.

Timekeeper
(Timekeeper #1)
Tara Sim
Release: November 1, 2016
Goodreads Amazon

Two o’clock was missing.

In an alternate Victorian world controlled by clock towers, a damaged clock can fracture time—and a destroyed one can stop it completely.

It’s a truth that seventeen-year-old clock mechanic Danny Hart knows all too well; his father has been trapped in a Stopped town east of London for three years. Though Danny is a prodigy who can repair not only clockwork, but the very fabric of time, his fixation with staging a rescue is quickly becoming a concern to his superiors.

And so they assign him to Enfield, a town where the tower seems to be forever plagued with problems. Danny’s new apprentice both annoys and intrigues him, and though the boy is eager to work, he maintains a secretive distance. Danny soon discovers why: he is the tower’s clock spirit, a mythical being that oversees Enfield’s time. Though the boys are drawn together by their loneliness, Danny knows falling in love with a clock spirit is forbidden, and means risking everything he’s fought to achieve.

But when a series of bombings at nearby towers threaten to Stop more cities, Danny must race to prevent Enfield from becoming the next target or he’ll not only lose his father, but the boy he loves, forever.

The stunning first novel in a new trilogy by debut author Tara Sim, Timekeeper is perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare and Victoria Schwab.

What book are you waiting on?

Release Day Review: Mission: Improper by Bec McMaster

Mission: Improper
(London Steampunk #6)
Bec McMaster
Release: August 16, 2016
Goodreads Amazon
ARC provided by the author

Three years ago, London society changed forever, with a revolution placing the widowed Queen firmly on the throne her blue blood husband tried to take from her. Humans, verwulfen and mechs are no longer considered the lesser classes, but not everybody is happy with the new order…

Entire families have gone missing in the East End. When Caleb Byrnes receives an invitation to join the Company of Rogues as an undercover agent pledged to protect the crown, he jumps at the chance to find out who, or what, is behind the disappearances. Hunting criminals is what the darkly driven blue blood does best, and though he prefers to work alone, the opportunity is too good to resist.

The problem? He’s partnered with Ingrid Miller, the fiery and passionate verwulfen woman who won a private bet against him a year ago. Byrnes has a score to settle, but one stolen kiss and suddenly the killer is not the only thing Byrnes is interested in hunting.

Soon they’re chasing whispered rumours of a secret project gone wrong, and a monster that just might be more dangerous than either of them combined. The only way to find out more is to go undercover among the blue blood elite… But when their hunt uncovers a mysterious conspiracy, Byrnes and Ingrid must set aside their age-old rivalry if they have any chance at surviving a treacherous plot. 

Review:
The last London Steampunk book, Of Silk and Steam, was one of my favorite books of 2015 so I had some pretty high expectations for Mission:Improper. And it lives up to many of them. There's even more action, including rooftop chases, vampire battles, and rappelling reminiscent of the movies that inspired the title.

The Duke of Malloryn has assembled a covert team featuring several characters from previous books to investigate a new terrorist group. If you had asked me which characters I wanted to know more about, this team might have been my whole list. (Charlie Todd, who was a child at the start of the series, would be right at the top.) I'm really looking to forward to the rest of their stories! I also liked getting see a different side of Byrnes who played a big role in Forged by Desire. I would not have pegged him as a dirty talker!

But I felt like maybe there was just a little too much stuffed in to the story. It focuses on Byrnes and Ingrid, but I feel like all of the other couples are already set up, which probably wasn't necessary. And I wonder if it might have been more effective to peel back one layer of the conspiracy in each book instead of all of them at once. It seemed to take me entirely too long to read the book even though I can't point to any obvious lulls.  It's not unusual for the first book in a series to get bogged down in backstory, but since this isn't exactly a first book and so many of the characters were familiar it's frustrating.

I also kept feeling like I missed a novella. Byrnes and Ingrid's story begins with a case they worked a year prior to the start of this book. That case is referenced several times but I wanted to know more. I wish that Byrnes and Ingrid had gotten the same treatment as Garrett and Perry who had a prequel novella before their book.

Still, I loved being back in the London Steampunk world and I'm so happy that more books are on the way.

Recommended for fans of: Gail Carriger and Kristen Callihan

    

4  stars

Our reviews of other books in this series:
Kiss of Steel (London Steampunk #1)
Heart of Iron (London Steampunk #2)
Forged by Desire (London Steampunk #4)
Of Silk and Steam (London Steampunk #5)

Review: Soulless by Gail Carriger

Soulless
(Parasol Protectorate #1)
Gail Carriger
Release: October 1, 2009
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Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

SOULLESS is the first book of the Parasol Protectorate series: a comedy of manners set in Victorian London, full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

Review by Rose Red:

I've been a fan of steampunk and alternate history stories for a long time and I'm always looking for new books and series. I read Soulless ages ago because one of my friends recommended it to me and I loved it. Unfortunately, I never carried on with the series. I decided that with the release of Gail Carriger's latest book, Imprudence, that it was time to marathon all of her books. So I reread Soulless and I think I love it more than when I first read it. It's a delightful mix of witty banter, romance, and the supernatural. Think Pride and Prejudice meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer but with a twist.

Soulless follows our heroine, Alexia Tarabotti, a curvy, opinionated spinster who possesses the remarkable distinction of being born without a soul. As such, she is able to nullify all traces of the supernatural by merely touching the skin of any vampire or werewolf. The caveat is that this unique ability only works while maintaining physical contact. If that contact is broken, the person's supernatural powers are restored.

When Alexia is attacked at a London ball by a rather disheveled vampire, she is forced to kill him which she does with a wooden hairpin and a parasol. This event sets the story in motion as Alexia soon discovers vampires are appearing and disappearing all throughout London. The Vampire Hive thinks Alexia's responsible. Lord Maccon, Alpha of the Woolsey werewolf pack and Head of BUR, knows she isn't and tries to determine who is. To top it all off, a shady villain and frightening henchman have their sights set on Alexia.

Soulless is one of the wittiest and smartly written books with one of the best heroines that I've ever read. Rather than rely on the traditional male hero to swoop in and save the day, Alexia embodies tenacity, critical thinking, stubbornness and independence. She is NOT helpless, she is NOT passive, and she is NOT stick thin. Alexia is a twenty-six year old half-Italian woman with a large nose and figure who loves food and dishes out plenty of sass. Not only is she witty but she has a temper that makes reading her interactions with Lord Maccon fun to read. That alone makes the book worth reading.

Add to that a fascinating blend of alternative history where werewolves and vampires helped shaped the English Crown and British politics, and you end up with a brilliant book that moves at a quick pace and delivers a solid story. There was not a single moment this book didn't have my interest. I read it in one sitting and I immediately started the next book after it. I can't what to see what shenanigans Alexia gets into next.

Soulless is exactly what it sells itself as: A comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking. It was utterly charming and I can't recommend it enough!

Recommended for fans of: 
Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster
Clockwork Dagger by Beth Cato
Prince of Hearts by Margaret Foxe

    

  5 / 5 Stars!