Stolen Bloodlines (Steam and Shadow: Book 4) by L.G. Rollins

Stolen Bloodline (Steam and Shadow Book 4) by [Rollins, L. G.]

4 Stars

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

Date of publication: August 20th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Steampunk, Paranormal

Series: Steam and Shadow

Masked by Moonlight—Book 0.5

Buried in Blue—Book 1

Waltz of Crows—Book 2 (review here)

Clockwork Image—Book 3 (review here)

Stolen Bloodlines—Book 4

Where you can find Stolen Bloodlines: Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

The heritage she never knew was hers. The future he never believed could be. 

Jasper Wimple’s art is gaining popularity and life is falling into place for him at last. After meeting the Ambassador from China, a relationship that could propel him forward, Jasper’s street smarts tell him to steer clear of the man. But nothing could have prepared Jasper for a ghostly visit from one of the ambassador’s murdered victims, or taught him what to do when the ghost demands Jasper help protect his surviving wife and daughter.

Ju is done mourning a father she never knew for the entirety of Ghost Month, despite her mother’s insistence that they continue the tradition. Instead, Ju focuses on her upcoming audition—her one chance to enter London’s most prestigious dance school.

But then her mother’s life is threatened, and Ju sets everything else aside. Working together as new friends and unexpected allies, Jasper and Ju struggle to protect Ju’s mother and each other. With their own lives, the lives of those they care most about, and a budding romance all on the line, will they bring one of the most powerful men in England to justice before he silences them for good?


First Line:

Zhi Liling slipped in through the door and tip-toed up behind her husband, Ju-Long.

Stolen Bloodlines by L.G. Rollins

My Review:

The blurb for Stolen Bloodline caught my attention. Not only because it was Jasper’s story but because of Ju. Those two paragraphs made me want to read Stolen Bloodline. I wanted to see who the lucky lady was that caught (and held) Jasper’s attention. I also wanted to see if his story was as good as Tressa. I was pleased with both.

Stolen Bloodline has an exciting couple of plot lines. Jasper is an artist who is starting to become famous. The Chinese Ambassador, Leng, approaches Jasper at one of his showings. Leng wants Jasper to steal something for him. In turn, Leng will guarantee that Jasper’s career as an artist will explode. Jasper declines, and he is visited by Leng’s associated later on that night. Jasper must choose, does he do what Leng wants and become famous, or will he risk losing everything he loves.

I loved Ju. From the minute she was introduced in the book, I knew that she was going to be unique. I did raise an eyebrow when she had the talk with her mother about not doing Ghost Month. I did think it was a little disrespectful for her not to honor the ancestors like her mother. But, then I got to thinking. If I was the daughter of an immigrant, would I have acted the same way? Yes. I also liked how Ju concluded that honoring her ancestors wasn’t bad. It was refreshing to read.

I also liked how Ju tackled her race in Stolen Bloodline. She was aware that she was different. Ju knew that there wasn’t a lot of girls/women who looked like her auditioning at the school. She still went and did it. Again, it was refreshing to read.

I loved Jasper in Stolen Bloodlines. He took being approached by Ju-Long in ghost form very well. But then again, he had dealt with a vampire in the last book, so nothing phased him. I liked that he knew how he felt about Ju. I also liked that he was awkward when trying to explain how he felt about her. There was another thing that made me love him. Unfortunately, it is part of the end of the book, so I can’t say what it is.

The paranormal angle of the book was terrific. The author had the werewolves back in this book, which I loved. But, she also had ghosts. I hope that she expands on how they interact with people. Because it was interesting!!

The romance angle of the book was subtle. It did take some time to get moving. It did get frustrating at times, but at the same time, I loved watching the dance they did.

I want to add that while Stolen Bloodlines is the 4th book in the Steam and Shadow series, it can be read as a stand-alone.

The end of Stolen Bloodlines was action-packed. I was happy that things got resolved the way they did. Leng deserved everything that happened to him. I thought what Jaspar did to call attention to Leng was ingenious. I loved that Ju and Jasper got their HEA. I am wondering if there will be a book 5 and who will it be?


I would give Stolen Bloodline an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Stolen Bloodline. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Clockwork Image (Steam and Shadow: Book 4) by L.G. Rollins

Clockwork Image (Steam and Shadow Book 3) by [Rollins, L. G.]

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: July 25th, 2019

Genre: Steampunk, Paranormal

Series: Steam and Shadow

Masked by Moonlight—Book 1

Buried in Blue—Book 2

Waltz of the Crows—Book 3 (review here)

Clockwork Image—Book 4

Where you can find Clockwork Image: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Vandals and Vampires Beware: 
Tressa won’t let anyone stand in her way.

After years maintaining engines and repairing machines, Seawoman Tressa Wimple has come into a shockingly large sum of money. It only takes Tressa a single breath to decide what to do—she will donate it all to Westwood Orphanage, a home for children who are otherwise bound for the streets. They saved her and her brother many decades ago; now, she wants nothing more than to reach out a hand to the small and helpless of London. 

All her plans are derailed, however, when a faceless adversary decries Westwood and claims that the orphanage is a front for something far darker; as dark as an alleyway where Tressa first rescues a boy from a vampire. With the help of her brother, Jasper, and the tall, alluring Brox, Tressa determines to get to the bottom of the claims and protect the children, regardless of the risks. 

When all that is dark is forced into the light, Tressa must face her most combustible problem yet: her own past.


First Line:

Seawoman Tressa Wimple closed her eyes and listened to the boiler.

Clockwork Image by L.G. Rollins

My Review:

Seawoman Tressa Wimple has lived for 20 years on the sea, fixing machines and maintaining engines. Landbound, Tressa is surprised when she comes into a considerable sum of money. She decides to donate that money to the orphanage that raised brother and herself. She wants to give back to the place that took her and her brother in. But her memories of Westwood are not all sunshine and rainbows. Something happened to Tressa there, something terrible. Something that was supposed to be stopped 20 years previous. Determined to solve the mystery, Tressa is helped by her brother and a mysterious, attractive man named Brox. What she finds hidden inside Westwood is evil at its purest. Will Tressa have the strength to confront her past? Will she be able to help the children?

Clockwork Image is a novella that takes place in the Steam and Shadow world. For a book that was 127 pages, the author was able to pack a punch. The plotlines were fast-paced. There were not any dropped storylines. Which I was thankful for. Lately, I have read a few books where some of the storylines disappeared. That drives me nuts!!

What I also liked is that while this book is 4th in the series, it can be read alone. Some of the other characters from the previous books to make an appearance, but they are in and out. The author didn’t linger on them. Again, something that I enjoyed.

I liked Tressa. She was at a loss on what to do with her life after her career ended. She wanted to do good for Westwood even if she had bad memories of the place. So, donating the money she came into seemed like the best thing. I got her confusion when things started happening. Everything seemed to be pointing to that mysterious event in her past.

I did have a small complaint about the event. The author did a great job of keeping everything wraps, but she did it too well. The clues were leaked too far apart. I did start to lose interest in that storyline.

The steampunk angle of the book was terrific. I loved that Tressa spent her entire career maintaining engines and fixing boilers. The author went into detail about what Tressa did while at sea. Tressa fixing Brox’s engine and the beginning scene fascinated me.

I loved the romance angle. I liked that Tressa was struck by Brox as soon as she saw him. I didn’t like that she had such self-doubt about how he felt about her. I liked that Brox wanted to court her. I mean, he asked to kiss her!! But what I liked the most was that there was no sex. It made for a refreshing read..

I do want to comment on Jasper and Tressa’s relationship. At the beginning of the book, I didn’t know what to think about how they interacted. But, everything smoothed out by the end of the book.

The end of Clockwork Image was explosive!! The twist that the author threw in took me by surprise. I couldn’t believe what I was reading!! Of course, I should have known. What happened to that little boy at the beginning of the book should have clued me in.


I would give Clockwork Image an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Clockwork Image. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Waltz of the Crows (Steam and Shadow: Book 3) by L.G. Rollins

Waltz of the Crows (Steam and Shadow Novel Book 3) by [Rollins, L.]

4 Stars

Date of publication: June 4th, 2019

Genre: Steampunk, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Romance

Series: Steam and Shadow

Masked by Moonlight—Book 1

Buried in Blue—Book 2

Waltz of the Crows—Book 3

Where you can find Waltz of the Crows: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Leila Hale’s orders are clear: impersonate a nurse, make contact with her fellow spy, and get London the information it needs without being caught or killed; or worse, tripping up so horribly her superiors deem her incompetent.

Samuel Rowley has returned to find his hometown disease-ridden, with many on the brink of madness. Not a man to sit back and merely hope for the best, he determines to explore every resource available until he finds a solution. 

Together, Leila and Samuel sort out the relevant from the distractions and tease truth from lies. But as they uncover various secrets, it becomes evident that this insanity isn’t a disease at all, but a meticulously infiltrated poisoning; and the perpetrator has them in their sights.

When all is made known, will Leila and Samuel have enough wit and strength to save themselves, their future, and a town full of innocent victims?

Waltz of the Crows is Book 3 in the Steam and Shadow Series; all books in this series are stand-alone and can be read in any order. Waltz of the Crows is a Victorian Era Steampunk (think Woman in White but with cool gadgets) bundled up with a cozy mystery and sweet romance. Perfect for lovers of Marissa Meyer’s Cinder and Stephanie Garber’s Caraval.


My Review:

When I read the blurb for Waltz of the Crows, I got excited. It has been a long time since I have read a good steampunk book. I was hoping that the book lived up to its blurb. I am happy to report that this book lived up to the blurb and then some!!

The plot for Waltz of the Crows was simple. Leila was in France on a mission. There is a deadly flu that has been confined to a village in France. Leila is to gather intel on the flu and send it to London. While in France, Leila meets the dashing Samuel. With his help, Leila discovers that the people are being poisoned. Soon, it becomes a race to find out who is poisoning the village and why. Can Leila and Samuel expose the villain without getting themselves hurt? Can they stop the poisoning?

I loved Leila. She had been forced into the field early and hadn’t been able to complete her training. She was terrified that she was going to get killed or be labeled incompetent. It made her cautious at the beginning of the book. But once Victor was compromised, she started to shed her doubts. I loved watching her character grow. I cheered her on when she was intel gathering. I liked her.

I liked Samuel too. At first, I did wonder why he was being brought into the book. But as the book went on, his role in everything became crystal clear. He had a set of skills that Leila needed. He also wanted to get to the bottom of who was poisoning the village. I loved watching him fall for Leila. It was sweet.

The steampunk angle of the book was well written. This book was set in Victorian England. There were motorcars, steam run submarines, gears, and airships. I couldn’t get enough of reading about that. I couldn’t get enough of reading about that.

The mystery angle of the book was well written also. The author did a great job at keeping who was poisoning the village under wrap until the end of the book. I did have my suspicions about who it was, and I was wrong. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I loved it!!

There was also a romance angle in Waltz of the Crows. The romance between Leila and Samuel was sweet. It was innocent. It was a perfect fit in with the story.

The end of Waltz of Crows was action-packed. I was surprised at who the villain turned out to be. The author did a great job of keeping it under wrap. The other surprise is what happened to Leila and Samuel. I never predicted what happened to happen. It was a fantastic end to the book.


I would give Waltz of Crows an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Waltz of Crows I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Foundryside (Founders: Book 1) by Robert Jackson Bennett

Foundryside (Founders, #1)

4 Stars

Publisher: Crown Publishing

Date of publication: August 21st, 2018

Genre: Fantasy, Steampunk

Series: Founders

Foundryside – Book 1

Where you can find Foundryside: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

In a city that runs on industrialized magic, a secret war will be fought to overwrite reality itself–the first in a dazzling new fantasy series from City of Stairs author Robert Jackson Bennett. 
 
Sancia Grado is a thief and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle. 
 
But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The Merchant Houses who control this magic–the art of using coded commands to imbue everyday objects with sentience–have already used it to transform Tevanne into a vast, remorseless capitalist machine. But if they can unlock the artifact’s secrets, they will rewrite the world itself to suit their aims. 
 
Now someone in those Houses wants Sancia dead and the artifact for themselves. And in the city of Tevanne, there’s nobody with the power to stop them. 
 
To have a chance at surviving—and at stopping the deadly transformation that’s underway—Sancia will have to marshal unlikely allies, learn to harness the artifact’s power for herself, and undergo her own transformation, one that will turn her into something she could never have imagined.

My review:

This was my first time reading anything by Robert Jackson Bennett. I didn’t know what to expect from Foundryside. So wasn’t I surprised when I realized I was reading fantasy with steampunk elements in it. I don’t know if I had mentioned it on this blog before, but I am a huge steampunk fan. I love it. I rarely read it. Even more rarely do I review those books. So yeah, I was a pretty happy person.

Image result for fantasy italian village

What I also liked about Foundryside was the place that Tevanne was modeled after. Foundryside was set in a jungle on an unnamed continent. The book is set in the city. I say almost because Sanica’s memories take us back to the plantation that she was a slave at. That was on an island, which was owned by one of the Houses. Other than that, it was pretty much well contained. I liked it because I had to only remember the name of the city and the houses it was carved into. The houses in the city reminded me of Italian cities. Italian cities that have fallen onto bad times but the likeness was there.

Foundryside starts off slow. While it doesn’t creep like some books, it also doesn’t gain momentum until the middle of the book. I would be complaining about it but it worked in this case. In doing this, the author allowed me to get to know the main characters and the city. Everything was explained, which I liked too. In my experience with books this size, there are plotlines that are dropped or holes in the plot. Not in this case.

Going with what I said above, the characters were filled out. What I liked is that they weren’t all likable. That they all had their flaws and that the author didn’t try to hide those flaws. Instead, he took them and made those flaws a part of each character’s personality.

Image result for fantasy runed wheels

I also liked how the author explained scrivings. Scrivings are industrial made magic that is used in everything in this society. Foundations, carriages, wheels…etc, they were all scrived. The only thing that couldn’t scrived is humans. It was forbidden. Until Sanica. Sanica is the only scrived human in Tevanne. Or so she thought. There is another scrived human and it blew my mind because of who it was.

I want to get into what Clef was but it is almost too hard to explain. A key that talks only to Sanica don’t even begin to touch the surface with him. He was one of my favorite characters.

Image result for butterfly shaped key

While Foundryside was a bloody mess in the 2nd half of the book. While I was expecting a little death, I wasn’t expecting how many people died. It did turn me off the book a bit. But I do think that the book couldn’t be written any other way. People had to die for Sanica to have her transformation. They also had to die to expose Estelle as the insane woman that she was.

I loved the end of Foundryside. I loved Orso giving Ofelia Dandolo what amounted to the middle finger. I also liked what Orso sprang on Sanica. But my favorite was the very ending of the book with the meeting between Ofelia and her prophet. It gave an interesting twist on things as well as opening things up for a 2nd book.

What I liked about Foundryside:

A) fantasy/steampunk combination

B) filled out characters

C) How the author explained what scrivings were.

What I disliked about Foundryside:

A) How slow the book was at first

B) How the book was a bloody mess during the 2nd half of the book

C) What happened to Sanica at the plantation

I gave Foundryside a 4-star rating. This was a well-written book with fleshed out characters. The book is slow to start and it does get bloody the 2nd half of the book. But I liked it. It was a good read.

I would give Foundryside an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is graphic violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Foundryside. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Crown Publishing for allowing me to read and review Foundryside.

All opinions stated in this review of Foundryside are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Esper Files (Esper Files: Book 1) by Egan Brass

Esper Files

4 Stars

Publisher: Inkitt

Date of Publication: October 26th, 2016

Genre: Science Fiction, Steampunk, Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal

Series: Esper Files

Esper Files – Book 1

Esper Files: The Sky Cult – Book 2 (expected publication date: January 25th, 2017)

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book Synopsis:

When an experiment goes wrong in Victorian London, Espers, people with supernatural abilities are created. In order to counter this new potential threat, the Institute is set up to teach Espers how to use their abilities for good and how to hunt down those who want to use their powers for evil.

Gifted with a formidable but self-destructive ability, Nathan is one of the Institute’s top agents. When the evil Baron executes his plan to control the minds of London’s political leaders, peace is dependent on Nathan and his team.

Will he learn to control his powers in time to save the world? Or will he succumb to their self-destructive nature?


My review:

I was so excited when I realized that this was another steampunk novel. I must have missed it in the blurb.

This book is fascinating. It starts with the Professor giving a demonstration on Electro-Magnetic energy at The Oxford Academy of Science to a crowd of people, including some influential Lords. Unfortunately, there was an accident involving a storm that blew up the lab, which was called the Great Storm. But not only the lab was destroyed in the Great Storm. Something was released, and it began to affect 20% of the Earth’s population with paranormal powers and natures. That was the day that the Espers were created.

Fast forward 30 years into the future, and Nathan and James, who are Espers, are introduced. They are about to jump off an airship and use James’s power of teleportation (he can teleport anywhere he has seen once) to the Bank of England, where there is a robbery occurring. After a bloody and fire-filled fight (one of the rogue Espers could control fire), they end up back at the Institute with the rogue Esper, who was robbing the bank.

While Nathan is being healed that it is disclosed that he has a rare paranormal ability. Just by touching another Esper, he gets their abilities and the emotions associated with them. It is while interrogating Firebrand (the rogue Esper), they find out that there is a diabolical plan being set into action by a mysterious Esper named The Baron. The first plan was to rob the Bank of England for a mind-control device. The second plan is to kidnap a 9-year-old Esper called The Siren. The reason the boy is called The Siren is that he has a voice that can hypnotize people, and The Baron needs him for his diabolical plan.

That’s when Freya is introduced. She is The Siren’s (aka Cyrus) older sister and his protector. Freya is also an Esper, but she has repressed her powers until the night that a trio of blood-drinking Espers brutally murders her adoptive mother and father. After that, her brother is kidnapped by The Baron’s assassin.

Freya is rescued from the ice block she made of her house and neighborhood by Nathan and brought back to the Institute. There she is told about the plan to use Cyrus for a nefarious reason. That is when she decides to take action.

I felt terrible for Freya at first, but then she got on my nerves. She didn’t listen and found herself in some pretty dangerous situations while not knowing how to use her powers. I said to my Kindle, “Just listen to Nathan, you silly girl” during the last battle.

I liked Nathan, but I couldn’t imagine the toll his power had on him. What I liked, even more, was that he used Tai Chi to ground himself and to keep his emotions in check after gaining a new power. Plus, he was able to use it in battle at the end of the book when his powers wouldn’t have been able to help him, and I liked that. He was also a sarcastic, cheeky son of a gun, and his mouth did get him in trouble (and made me laugh).

Not going to go into the story from there but man, it was full of action and evil people doing evil things. There is one scene of an Esper taking over another Esper’s mind that freaked me out. Also, The Baron at the end of the book was downright spooky.

Not going to go into the story from there but man, it was full of action and evil people doing evil things. There is one scene of an Esper taking over another Esper’s mind that freaked me out. Also, The Baron at the end of the book was downright spooky.

There wasn’t a happy ending with this book. Some storylines were wrapped up, others were left open, and new ones were started. It paved the way for a second book, which I can’t wait to read


.

I would give Esper Files an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is mild language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Esper Files. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Escape Aether (The Trinity Key Trilogy: Book 2) by L.M. Fry

Escape Aether: A Teen Steampunk Novel (The Trinity Key Trilogy of the Aehter Series Book 2) by [Fry, L.M.]

Publisher: Eleah Enterprises

Date of publication: March 30th, 2016

Series: The Trinity Key Trilogy

Into Aether – Book 1 (review here)

Escape Aether – Book 2

Save Aether – Book 3

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Steampunk

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

Valera longs to escape her sheltered life and overbearing mother. She just never imagines that her opportunity would arrive after being kidnapped.
Now she has a decision to make: face a world filled with danger and discover her own power, or return home where it’s safe and live in a gilded cage.

My review:

What an amazing 2nd book of the Trinity Key Trilogy!!

Escape Aether starts right where Into Aether leaves off, Valera being shoved off the airship platform. Julia kidnapped Valera because she believes that Valera can help her merge the rest of the Trinity Key. After saving Valera, they head straight away to Subterria. That’s where Julia thinks that her father had kept her part of the Trinity Key. Unfortunately, Subterria is in the middle of a civil war, caused when Julia’s father attacked Harmony’s Circus and Harem of the Horrific. While they are there, they meet up with Marcus Corvus, Valera’s step-uncle. Who was even eviler than I remembered in the first book. It is in Subterria that Valera starts harnessing aether and discovers that she can use/control heat.

Then the book shifts to Theo, who is still in Aetherland with her mother, father, Victor, Vivi, Nessie, and Victoria. Theo had discovered that she could cause storms and control lighting. She can also speak to Valera in her mind, but that link has been muted for some reason. The only reason that she knows Valera is alive is that she can still draw on aether. If Valera were dead, then she wouldn’t be able to draw on it. She makes the decision, with Victor and Nessie, that she is going back to Subterria to get Valera back. They get to Subterria shortly after Julia and Valera but get held up after Theo is attacked by Rufus Corvus. She is saved from him (and well, he was pushed to his death) by Victor and Benji, the strong man of Harmony’s circus. His death was awful. I had dreams of being crushed beneath gears for a few nights after I finished the book.

While they are there, they find out that Valera is willingly with Julia and that upsets both Theo and Victor. Valera does apologize to Theo and she wants Theo to tell her family that she loves them.

I’m sorry Theo. This is something I have to do. Tell my family that I love them.

They also find Titus, Victor and Valera’s stepfather, in the dungeon and decide to take him home to Victoria. When they arrive home, they are met by members of the Elder’s guard, which Theo takes out with aether. After she is taken into custody, she is charged, by the Elders of Aether, with heresy and treason. All because she and Valera combined their two keys.

On the Julia and Valera front, things aren’t going as well. After finding out that her father didn’t have the key, Julia decides to head to Boulder, Colorado. She is looking for a town called Goldsville. That is where her father’s vault is. While they were out on their adventure, Marcus finds Goldsville and where he thinks the vault might be, Azure Springs. So they head off to there.

Not going to go much into the book after this point. But I will say there is so much packed into the last half of the book, that it was hard for me to put down. Also, to see Julia and Valera’s transformations during the book was excellent.

I had started off the book not liking Julia. But as the book went on, and I read more and more about her life, I began to feel bad for her. Let’s say that she had it rough.

Valera had been hidden from the world by an overprotective mother and it showed. By the time Marcus came into the story, she was starting to develop a backbone. Her interactions with Marcus made her stronger.

The ending was not what I expected, but it was perfect. Not everything gets resolved and there are even more problems. I can’t wait to read the next book and see how the trilogy ends!!

How many stars will I give Escape Aether? 4

Why? A well-written steampunk/dystopia/fantasy. Very vividly written with great world-building, this is a series that stays with you even after you are done reading it.

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range: Teen

Why: Very clean. No sex (just a few kissing scenes with Theo and Victor). Mild violence and no language.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Into Aether (The Trinity Key: Book 1) by L.M. Fry

Into Aether: A Teen Steampunk Novel (The Trinity Key Trilogy of the Aether Series Book 1) by [Fry, L.M.]

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Date of Publication: March 26th, 2016

Genre: Science Fiction, Steampunk, Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Series: The Trinity Key

The Obsidian Star—Book 0.5

Into Aether – Book 1

Escape Aether – Book 2 (review here)

Save Aether – Book 3 (review here)

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | AbeBooks | Alibris | IndieBound | BetterWorldBooks

Goodreads Synopsis:

Colorado teen Theodora (Theo) will do anything to find her missing mom, including travel into the hidden and mysterious Victorian subculture of Aether. She takes a ride with airship pirates to a floating island full of strange automatons and even stranger people.
After a century-old feud reignites, she uncovers the alarming truth about her family’s past. Finding her mother is more important than ever.


Ahhhhh…..steampunk!!!! Ahhhhh……Celtic mythology. Ahhhh…..a mix of both!!!

As you can see, I was pumped about reading a steampunk/Celtic mythology novel. Super duper pumped about reading this book, and it didn’t let me down.

Theodora (or Theo as she liked to be called) was the perfect heroine, and I loved her. She was the perfect combination of sass, sarcasm, angst, and innocence all rolled into one. I liked that she didn’t even blink when strange things started to happen to her. That whole cross-country flight/train ride/airship ride/floating island would have freaked me out. But not her, and I admired that.

The steampunk part of the book didn’t happen until halfway through. I was in nerd heaven after that. Automans, half machine/half human people, odd way of talking, a freaking AIRSHIP!!!

The romance aspect was cute too. Theo was hilarious in fighting her feelings for Victor, and when she gave in, well, I laughed. It was cute.

The Danu storyline was also great, along with the Order storyline. Lazarus was a creep, and he got what he deserved.

The ending was a surprise to me. It was not a cliffhanger, but it left the book open for another.

I would recommend Into Aether to anyone over 13. There is no sex, minimal violence, and mild language.


If you enjoyed reading Into Aether, you will enjoy reading these books: