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carriethis's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this book more than I did. The story, characters, setting, steampunk elements - great. But at times the prose was so confusing I had to reread whole paragraphs. Karen's humor/twang got in the way a lot during the action scenes. Too much clunky narrative made me wish the book had gone through one more round of editing.
hank's review against another edition
2.0
I am hoping to do this review late at night so I don't offend a certain friend of mine, who really enjoyed this book. I unfortunately didn't. It isn't my kind of book to begin with, I don't like fantasy/histories that are just an excuse to explore period language and period settings. I don't like 19th century language and settings to begin with particularly those I don't think well done. Bear has her characters flit between wild west 1800's language and sophisticated 20th century language. I wish I had some examples but I couldn't hold on to them in my head.
It had some weird mind control device that seemed out of place. It had a black marshal traveling with an Indian deputy trying to save a couple of asian women with the help of a lesbian. There was a gay guy involved as well. I am all for diversity but lets not hit us over the head with it.
And to top it all off the audio was horrible. There were pauses after, I swear to god, every sentence. 12 cd book that could have been 6. Sorry, I wanted to like it but I didn't
It had some weird mind control device that seemed out of place. It had a black marshal traveling with an Indian deputy trying to save a couple of asian women with the help of a lesbian. There was a gay guy involved as well. I am all for diversity but lets not hit us over the head with it.
And to top it all off the audio was horrible. There were pauses after, I swear to god, every sentence. 12 cd book that could have been 6. Sorry, I wanted to like it but I didn't
lisawreading's review against another edition
4.0
I picked up a copy of Karen Memory when it came out last year, and thanks to trying to finish up a reading challenge, I finally took it off the shelf and read it. What fun!
Karen’s voice is distinctive — maybe a little jarring at first, getting used to her grammar and word usage (especially “of” instead of “have”, as in “would of”…, etc). The first-person narrative by Karen adds a Western grittiness to the tale that really adds a lot in terms of flavor and setting.
The steampunk elements are enjoyable. I tend not to enjoy steampunk that gets so involved in the description of gears and pistons and steam engines that plot and character suffer. This is not the case in Karen Memory. The gadgets and gizmos serve the story, not the other way around.
The plot is engaging and exciting, as Karen takes on the bad guys, backed up by the do-gooder US Marshall, his Comanche partner, and the women of Madame Damnable’s. While I wished that some of the supporting characters were a bit more developed (it was hard to get a feel for several of the working girls as distinct people), overall the cast of characters is diverse, flavorful, and quite entertaining.
All in all, Karen Memory is a quirky, unusual romp of a read.
Karen’s voice is distinctive — maybe a little jarring at first, getting used to her grammar and word usage (especially “of” instead of “have”, as in “would of”…, etc). The first-person narrative by Karen adds a Western grittiness to the tale that really adds a lot in terms of flavor and setting.
The steampunk elements are enjoyable. I tend not to enjoy steampunk that gets so involved in the description of gears and pistons and steam engines that plot and character suffer. This is not the case in Karen Memory. The gadgets and gizmos serve the story, not the other way around.
The plot is engaging and exciting, as Karen takes on the bad guys, backed up by the do-gooder US Marshall, his Comanche partner, and the women of Madame Damnable’s. While I wished that some of the supporting characters were a bit more developed (it was hard to get a feel for several of the working girls as distinct people), overall the cast of characters is diverse, flavorful, and quite entertaining.
All in all, Karen Memory is a quirky, unusual romp of a read.
kyledhebert's review against another edition
3.0
A decent enough steam punk adventure yarn, but it kind of-ahem-runs out of steam near the end.
mehitabels's review against another edition
3.0
1st - an aggravation: the character is Karen MemEry . . . and if there is a reason for changing the title then I completely missed it.
2nd - the cover and minor parts of the story claim steam-punk, but it is really more of a low-key whorehouse western. not complaining, per se, but I could have done with more technological. It fits for the narrator, but I always want more.
Still, enjoyable read. I would have liked to see this as a series, either following Karen or the Marshall.
2nd - the cover and minor parts of the story claim steam-punk, but it is really more of a low-key whorehouse western. not complaining, per se, but I could have done with more technological. It fits for the narrator, but I always want more.
Still, enjoyable read. I would have liked to see this as a series, either following Karen or the Marshall.
blairconrad's review against another edition
3.0
Initially quite enjoyable, but petered out toward the end.
I liked Karen, although the "should of"s sometimes grated, and more so when she started "should have"ing. The supporting cast of characters (the "good" ones, at least) were a hoot, and really helped make the book. The steampunk elements were quite good, and I quite enjoyed the worldbuilding. The romantic elements seemed quite sweet, especially juxtaposed with Karen's offscreen seamstressing.
The story did really nothing for me, though. The "mystery" really wasn't one, and the plot twist at the end just didn't work. Although very cool.
I liked Karen, although the "should of"s sometimes grated, and more so when she started "should have"ing. The supporting cast of characters (the "good" ones, at least) were a hoot, and really helped make the book. The steampunk elements were quite good, and I quite enjoyed the worldbuilding. The romantic elements seemed quite sweet, especially juxtaposed with Karen's offscreen seamstressing.
The story did really nothing for me, though. The "mystery" really wasn't one, and the plot twist at the end just didn't work. Although very cool
Spoiler
steampunk vehicle thingie, and that's all I'll say about thatfshguy's review against another edition
3.0
Thought this was a fun ride. May have been too many subplots and nothing about the beginning of the book really told you about where this was going. Definitely a lot of a sewing in this book.
nenya_kanadka's review against another edition
4.0
The plot in this one wasn't very strong in the latter half, but I didn't really care because I liked the characters so much. Madame Damnable, Miss Francina (my favourite!), Priya and Karen and Marshall Reeves and Crispin--I just wanted them to be happy and take care of each other and keep in touch, and in the end they did.
The villain reveal didn't surprise me, but it crept up on me with a slowly dawning sense of horror, so that part was pretty well done. The Seattle Underground, I mean the Rapid City Underground, was really good but I felt maybe there could have been more detail on the steampunk/mad scientist front. (I'm still confused about the steampunk sewing machine, for example.)
But I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would rec.
The villain reveal didn't surprise me, but it crept up on me with a slowly dawning sense of horror, so that part was pretty well done. The Seattle Underground, I mean the Rapid City Underground, was really good but I felt maybe there could have been more detail on the steampunk/mad scientist front. (I'm still confused about the steampunk sewing machine, for example.)
But I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would rec.
lesbrary's review against another edition
3.0
If “lesbian steampunk Western” doesn’t already pique your interest, I’m not sure what else to say, but I’ll give it a try! . . .
I listened to this as an audiobook, and I thought the narrator did a fantastic job. I really got a sense of Karen’s voice. On the other hand, I have trouble following action-packed plots at the best of times, and by listening to the audiobook, I definitely dropped the thread a few times. I think I enjoyed it more by listening to it, but I probably would have understood what was happening better if I had read it. I’m sure this would be a fantastic read for fans of Westerns or steampunk books, especially if you wish they were a little less straight and white, but it wasn’t the perfect genre match for me. I prefer stories that concentrate on characters, and although I got a sense of Karen’s voice, I didn’t get to know her as a character as well as I would like.
Despite those notes, I did like it enough to immediately pick up the other book in the series, and it looks like I’m going to like Stone Mad even more: Victorian spiritualists are my jam.
Full review at the Lesbrary.
I listened to this as an audiobook, and I thought the narrator did a fantastic job. I really got a sense of Karen’s voice. On the other hand, I have trouble following action-packed plots at the best of times, and by listening to the audiobook, I definitely dropped the thread a few times. I think I enjoyed it more by listening to it, but I probably would have understood what was happening better if I had read it. I’m sure this would be a fantastic read for fans of Westerns or steampunk books, especially if you wish they were a little less straight and white, but it wasn’t the perfect genre match for me. I prefer stories that concentrate on characters, and although I got a sense of Karen’s voice, I didn’t get to know her as a character as well as I would like.
Despite those notes, I did like it enough to immediately pick up the other book in the series, and it looks like I’m going to like Stone Mad even more: Victorian spiritualists are my jam.
Full review at the Lesbrary.
blodeuedd's review against another edition
1.0
Sometimes I just dig my heels in. Dunno why, but I do. Maybe cos it was a book that I really wanted to enjoy. So I read half of it and was bored. I kept thinking that I must suffer through. But then I started to skim cos I was all hell with this!
Karen works at a brothel.
Someone is killing ladies of the night.
In comes the lone ranger
It was a steampunk book
Not a lot of steampunk in it.
I did not care for anyone or anything.
I was bored.
I do believe it would work better on audio though...hmmm
Karen works at a brothel.
Someone is killing ladies of the night.
In comes the lone ranger
It was a steampunk book
Not a lot of steampunk in it.
I did not care for anyone or anything.
I was bored.
I do believe it would work better on audio though...hmmm