Fever Crumb

Fever Crumb
by Philip Reeve

Fever Crumb is a girl who has been adopted and raised by Dr. Crumb, a member of the order of Engineers, where she serves as apprentice.

Soon though, she must say goodbye to Dr. Crumb – nearly the only person she's ever known – to assist archeologist Kit Solent on a top-secret project.

As her work begins, Fever is plagued by memories that are not her own and Kit seems to have a particular interest in finding out what they are.

Fever has also been singled out by city dwellers, who declare that she is part Scriven. The Scriven, not human, ruled the city some years ago but were hunted down and killed in a victorious uprising by the people. If there are any remaining Scriven, they are to be eliminated. All Fever knows is what she's been told: that she is an orphan.

Is Fever a Scriven? Whose memories does she hold? (description from author website)

So, a while ago I had picked up the first book in the Mortal Engines quartet, but just wasn't in the mood to tackle it then.  So, when I was looking for something to listen to in the car and saw that we had Fever Crumb available I was excited, but got even more stoked when I realized it was actually the first in a prequel series to the infamous Mortal Engines.  

The futuristic steampunk setting to this series is really intriguing.  The idea of variations of human species made things really interesting and played up the socio-economic dynamics that built tensions in London.  Trying to guess Fever's origins as she herself is trying to reason things out made the story feel more intimate and she's a great, strong character that I'm definitely interested to read more about.  

This book sort of embodies a lot of the things I really like about the steampunk genre: the mix of old and new technologies and societal expectations and mores, the imaginative possibilities of how things might have developed differently, and the discoveries characters have to make within these interesting setting frameworks.  

I listened to this as an audio book and found it well done.  I hope that I can sneak the second book in some time between review titles. 

Full disclosure: Audio book borrowed from my Library

Anxiously Awaiting... Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times!

Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times
by Emma Trevayne

Publication Date: May 2014

Description:
Ten-year-old Jack Foster has stepped through a doorway and into quite a different London.

Londinium is a smoky, dark, and dangerous place, home to mischievous metal fairies and fearsome clockwork dragons that breathe scalding steam. The people wear goggles to protect their eyes, brass grill insets in their nostrils to filter air, or mechanical limbs to replace missing ones.

Over it all rules the Lady, and the Lady has demanded a new son—a perfect flesh-and-blood child. She has chosen Jack.

Jack’s wonder at the magic and steam-powered marvels in Londinium lasts until he learns he is the pawn in a very dangerous game. The consequences are deadly, and his only hope of escape, of returning home, lies with a legendary clockwork bird.

The Gearwing grants wishes. Or it did, before it was broken. Before it was killed.

But some things don’t stay dead forever. (Goodreads.com) 

A middle-grade steampunk, alternate London...yes, please! 

The Wells Bequest

The Wells Bequest 
by Polly Shulman
Companion to The Grimm Legacy 

Publication date: June 13, 2013

Leo never imagined that time travel might really be possible, or that the objects in H. G. Wells’ science fiction novels might actually exist. And when a miniature time machine appears in Leo’s bedroom, he has no idea who the tiny, beautiful girl is riding it. But in the few moments before it vanishes, returning to wherever—and whenever—it came from, he recognizes the other tiny rider: himself!

His search for the time machine, the girl, and his fate leads him to the New-York Circulating Material Repository, a magical library that lends out objects instead of books. Hidden away in the Repository basement is the Wells Bequest, a secret collection of powerful objects straight out of classic science fiction novels: robots, rockets, submarines, a shrink ray—and one very famous time machine. And when Leo’s adventure of a lifetime suddenly turns deadly, he must attempt a journey to 1895 to warn real-life scientist Nikola Tesla about a dangerous invention. A race for time is on! (Description from Amazon.com) 

I LOVED The Grimm Legacy. The idea of a library that houses object, fairy tale objects even!, that can be lent out to the public. OMG, I would have died to have this be a real thing...to work there, AWESOME! In fact, here's a snippet from my review: 

I loved this book...really loved it. I borrowed it from the library, but I think I'll be purchasing this one so that I can read it again. As a Librarian, I was tickled pink with both the setting and premise of this book. As a fantasy lover, the plot rocked. While I was reading, all I could think was that when I'd been a tween this probably would have become my absolute new favorite book. 

To say that I was both stoked and utterly nervous to read a companion book was sort of an understatement. I wasn't quite sure that Shulman could recreate the fabulous experience I had reading the first book...and yet, I think I might have enjoyed this one EVEN more!! 

You all know that I love science fiction.  This second book delves into all sort of science fiction wonders, centering mostly around H.G. Wells and Nikola Tesla. Time travel, cool robots, electricity, and pneumatic tubes... I really loved how Shulman was able to incorporate all of these science/tech-y things without making it too overwhelmingly hard for a reader to understand.  

There's time travel, danger, death ray threats, romance, and the coolest Library EVAH! Check it out.  Really, stop by your library and CHECK IT OUT! 

PS - Ever seen the Syfy show, Warehouse 13? If you like these books, you'll like the show, I promise. I just discovered it and I've been devouring its artifact-y goodness for the last three weeks! 

Full disclosure: Review copy received from SLJ 

The Peculiar

The Peculiar 
by Stefan Bachmann

Don't get yourself noticed and you won't get yourself hanged.

In the faery slums of Bath, Bartholomew Kettle and his sister Hettie live by these words. Bartholomew and Hettie are changelings—Peculiars—and neither faeries nor humans want anything to do with them.

One day a mysterious lady in a plum-colored dress comes gliding down Old Crow Alley. Bartholomew watches her through his window. Who is she? What does she want? And when Bartholomew witnesses the lady whisking away, in a whirling ring of feathers, the boy who lives across the alley—Bartholomew forgets the rules and gets himself noticed.

First he's noticed by the lady in plum herself, then by something darkly magical and mysterious, by Jack Box and the Raggedy Man, by the powerful Mr. Lickerish . . . and by Arthur Jelliby, a young man trying to slip through the world unnoticed, too, and who, against all odds, offers Bartholomew friendship and a way to belong. (description from Amazon.com) 

The world that Bachmann built here was very intriguing.  I was impressed that the author is only a *teenager!*  He managed to drop me into a world that felt very real, and very alien from our own.  As a lover of all things fairy, a fan of the steampunk sub-genre and a murder mystery fan, this book hit just about every right note for me.  Bachmann did an admirable job mashing several genres together while not overwhelming the reader.  

I distinctly enjoyed both the new world and the concept for this book.  At times, though, I felt slightly disconnected to the main characters.  While I found Bartholomew to be a character I felt great sympathy for, at times he was hard to connect to, and when the perspective would jump to Arthur, I found that to be even more true.  I was very interested in seeing how things unfolded. I wanted Bartholomew to save his sister.  I wanted Arthur to uncover his government's corruption... 

Essentially, I enjoyed this book a lot and I hope there might be another in the works... I hope in the second that I have an easier time connecting to the characters, though, too. 

Full disclosure: Purchased for my Nook 

The Madness Underneath

The Madness Underneath

by Maureen Johnson

Shades of London, book two

 

After her near-fatal run-in with the Jack the Ripper copycat, Rory Devereaux has been living in Bristol under the close watch of her parents. So when her therapist suddenly suggests she return to Wexford, Rory jumps at the chance to get back to her friends. But Rory’s brush with the Ripper touched her more than she thought possible: she’s become a human terminus, with the power to eliminate ghosts on contact. She soon finds out that the Shades—the city’s secret ghost-fighting police—are responsible for her return. The Ripper may be gone, but now there is a string of new inexplicable deaths threatening London. Rory has evidence that the deaths are no coincidence. Something much more sinister is going on, and now she must convince the squad to listen to her before it’s too late. (description from Amazon.com)

 



While I enjoyed this sequel to the thrilling The Name of the Star, I found that it did not hold my attention quite as thoroughly as the first. While I found Rory's story to be interesting and there were sections that I thought were phenomenally done, there were also bits where I found my attention wandering...

Perhaps it was the initial focus on Rory's "recovery" from her ordeal that left me feeling a little detached. I'm not sure.  It wasn't until she really got back into ghost hunting that the book really picked up for me...and when the kidnappings occur...and the romantic tension...and... well, you'll have to read it to see.  The last third of the book had me on the edge of my seat!

Overall, though, I really enjoyed it and I cannot wait to read the next book.  This one leaves you hanging off a very interesting cliff...

Full disclosure: eARC received from NetGalley for review

The Name of the Star

The Name of the Star

by Maureen Johnson

The Shades of London, book one

 

The day that Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London to start a new life at boarding school is also the day a series of brutal murders breaks out over the city, killings mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper spree of more than a century ago. Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him--the only one who can see him. And now Rory has become his next target. (description from Amazon.com)

 

This is exactly how I like my ghost stories. Creepy, but not horrifying enough to keep me awake all night, huddling under the covers in terror... Johnson uses just enough description to keep you riveted, to make you shudder, but not enough to imprint mutilated body parts in the back of your brain.

 

Easy to read, intriguing, and with a main character that I thought was pretty cool, from the moment I turned the last page, I found my fingers itching for the next book. I hope it's coming out soon! I'm totally trying to guess what may happen in the next book as it seems there may be a change of venue... ooops! NO more spoilers, I promise. LOL. 

 

Full disclosure: Purchased hardcover copy



A Spy in The House

A Spy in the House
by Y.S. Lee
The Agency, book one

Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan (and thief) Mary Quinn is surprised to be offered a singular education, instruction in fine manners — and an unusual vocation. Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls is a cover for an all-female investigative unit called The Agency, and at seventeen, Mary is about to put her training to the test. Assuming the guise of a lady’s companion, she must infiltrate a rich merchant’s home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But the household is full of dangerous deceptions, and there is no one to trust — or is there? Packed with action and suspense, banter and romance, and evoking the gritty backstreets of Victorian London, this breezy mystery debuts a daring young detective who lives by her wits while uncovering secrets — including those of her own past.
(description taken from Amazon.com)

Once again I am beyond impressed with the quality of historical fiction in YA! I had heard such great things about this series that I finally picked it up. I don't know why I seem to have it set in my head that I do not particularly care for historical fiction...as soon as I sit down to read them, I love them. Almost every time!

I am really looking forward to the second book in this series now, The Body at the Tower because I found Mary Quinn to be a wonderful character. She is smart, quirky, snarky, big-hearted, and beguilingly vulnerable. I loved the fact that she is half-Chinese in such an interesting time as Victorian England when having Asian descent was considered so "unfortunate." The way that she doesn't really fit in anywhere makes for such great opportunities for her to learn to disguise herself everywhere!

The London setting was perfectly crafted. I could almost taste the palpably odiforous stench, referred to as the "The Great Stink." Lee does a fantastic job inserting details that make the entire city come alive, inviting readers into new worlds, not just those of London's elite.

Alongside the setting, Lee imagined wonderful, rich characters. I loved to learn more of Mary's teachers, the horrendous family she is sent to work for, the potential love interest/detective partner/friend (Oh, yes, definitely liked meeting James!), and the other quirky secondary characters like the Cook, the Coachman, and Mr. Chen.

I tore through this book and cannot wait to pick up the second!

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker
by Leanna Renee Hieber

Six young men and women are called to protect the living world from the dead in Hieber's Gothic romance debut. Mysterious powers give Alexi and his peers the mission of keeping the restless dead in line and seeking a prophesied seventh guardian. Miss Percy Parker, an albino orphan with a talent for languages, fills none of their expectations, but Alexi is drawn to her all the same. Hieber draws Victorian London as beautiful and grim, with depictions of Jack the Ripper as a nightmarish many-headed hound alongside charming descriptions of the Athens Academy, Percy's boarding school, and Greek mythology that smartly draws together various elements of the story. (description taken from Publisher's Weekly)

I picked this book up after reading a blog review about it and becoming intrigued. It sounded like a fantastic, almost steampunkish paranormal romance.

It was well written. I like Hieber's style; It's fluid and lyrical. Percy Parker is a great character, as is her love interest Alexi. My favorite characters, though, actually turned out to be two of the secondary characters who were exceedingly well drawn. Though this book didn't really turn out to be what I'd expected, it has a very novel mythology.

*Spoiler Alert* Percy is the reincarnation of the Roman goddess Persephone, parted from her love when Hades takes her, attempting again to find him...and save the world. The Ripper was an awesome hell-hound type demon that terrorized London.

It was an awesome blend of history and mythology. The fantasy is light, but thoroughly entertaining. This was not my favorite book, but it was good.

Soulless

Soulless
by Gail Carriger
The Parasol Protectorate, book one

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 ettiquette.

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 is 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 embarassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart? (taken from back jacket copy)

This is paranormal romance at its finest. This is steampunk at its finest. This is the best combination of the two that I have come across yet! I LOVED the start of this new series and kicked myself that I did not read this book sooner.

Alexia is my favorite kind of heroine. Determined, intelligent, independent, resourceful, yet still vulnerable. I love that she carries a specially ordered parasol for protection. I love that she can be snarky with the head London Werewolf. You have to love that chutzpah!!

Lord Maccon, Conall, is one sexy beast...and yes, I do mean that almost literally. He is an Alpha Werewolf and he wants nothing more than to have Alexia for his own. His second, Professor Lyall, cracked me up...balancing propriety with scientific advancement and practicality to assist his Alpha in all aspects of pack life.

What made this great steampunk is the setting and descriptions. Alexia and the others are in Victorian London, complete with hackney carriages, strolls in Hyde Park, going to routs, etc., but they also have dirigibles, exsanguination machines, and many other more advanced scientific machinations. The delicate balance between Alexia's manners, dress, and societal expectations with her bluestocking nature and interest in all the advancements around her pulls readers right into a world that feels natural.

Add to that mix a sprinkling of vampires, werewolves, ghosts, automatons, and more! Ahh, I was in heaven. I cannot wait to read Changeless and Blameless!!

Prada and Prejudice

Prada and Prejudice

by Mandy Hubbard

Callie is tired of being a clumsy geek-girl. So during a school trip to London she buys her ticket to popularity: a pair of real Prada pumps. But then she wobbles on the cobblestones, trips in her too-high heels, and conks her head. When she comes to, it's the year 1815!

Luckily she meets kindhearted Emily, who mistakes Callie for a long-lost friend. Sparks soon ignite -- of the nice and not-so-nice variety -- between Callie and Alex, the handsome but totally arrogant Duke of Harksbury. Too bad Alex seems to have something sinister up his ruffled sleeve...

Can Callie save Emily from a dire engagement, win a kiss from Alex, and prove to herself that she's more than just a loud-mouth klutz before her time in the past is up?

This was a really sweet, fun, light read! I loved the descriptions of the fashions, the dances, and the Duke's home in 1815. Emily, Alex, and Victoria (the dowager duchess) were all charming characters...in their own ways, and Callie was a girl I could really root for! My favorite part, aside from watching the romance build :P, was seeing Callie become sure of herself and then apply that newfound confidence when she returns home! A great read!