Scan barcode
rui_leite's review against another edition
3.0
Well, for an anthology whose tagline is “Come for the steam, stay for the punk” I have to say I felt there was a remarkable absence of either steam or punk in most stories. Having said this I have to add that this was my first incursion into a Steam Punk universe outside the “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”, so maybe my expectations were off. Still most stories were quite enjoyable.
“Rude Mechanicals”
This was a promising beginning, I liked the way it mixed theater elements with the steam punk. It was an interesting concept. The references to both Pygmalion (I swear I half expected someone to burst into a song about rain in Spain at some point) and Romeo and Juliet were nice touches, and the way the universe was subtly established was well achieved. But the problem with it was the pacing. When I reached the end I felt it was a bit rushed, as if the author remembered that he had to wrap the show up in a very small number of lines. And it lost a lot for that.
3 out of 5
“The Cannibal Fiend of Rotherhite”
Mermaids, vernian submarines, a dark secret, rape, incestuous attempts, murder, extremely impractical but cool machinery… this story has a lot going for it, including a streak of dark humour underneath. The steampunk elements here felt a bit pasted on, though, not really relevant to the whole thing, yet I liked the writing quite a lot and, against my better judgement, I sympathized with the main character, Silka, so much that it gets a 4 of 5.
“Wild Magic”
And, as opposed to the previous story, I really didn’t find much charm in this. The setting, a XIX Century London where magic and technology compete (with an advantage to technology) had potential, but the characters, I found, were just too annoying for me to care. The main girl tried to be strong, and she sure had a lot of power, but ultimately she was always relegated to the part of damsel in distress. The boy, on the other hand was just the typical big ball of ego, manipulation and overconfidence, so much that he doesn’t amuse as much as he annoys. Oh…and the "romantic" part of falling for a boy in a portrait? Really? I could only find it shallow. And the last nail in the coffin was that every “twist” (and I use the term loosely here) was predictable from a mile away.
If you ask me: 1 out of 5, and “I’m Cutting My Own Throat” here.
“Deadwood”
This one is mainly an adventure story, but a rather well crafted one at that. The steam punk and the wild west thing mix up quite well. The characters were fun to read in pretty much the same way Indiana Jones is fun to watch. This was mainly an entertaining read, but it didn’t mean to be anything other than that, so it does deserve a solid 4 out of 5. And I should add I wouldn’t mind at all following further adventures of Martha and JW in that universe of cowboys and clockwork.
“Code of Blood”
This one wasn’t bad, It just seems…forgettable in the long run. I liked the alchemical Venice, and Chiara and Pietro where enjoyable enough as protagonists but, in the end, I don’t think this story would be hurt by a few more pages. Maybe this would work better in a full length novel format than in a short story form. But still it gets 3 out 5.
“The Clockwork Corset”
This one, to me, was one of the best. The plot is very much a traditional one that’s been done to death (a young girl disguises herself as a boy to join the army and protect her love), but the characters are so well developed that I ended up going along with it, almost forgetting I had read all that before. The steampunk element was added as a flavour, but it was a good kind of seasoning here, not too much, not too little, just enough to be palatable. In the end it all works quite well and I ended up considering this story as one of the few deserving 5 out of 5 in this anthology.
“The Airship Gemini”
Too many interesting ideas and few pages hurt this one to death. The idea of writing a story from the point of view of a siamese twin from a wandering freak show was quite good, setting it on a huge Zeppelin crossing the Atlantic, could be interesting , the addition of vampires and other supernatural creatures out of nowhere, could be good if it didn’t feel too sudden and out of nowhere. That was the problem. Maybe the author could have gotten away with it if she had more space to explore and explain the universe, as it was it just felt badly glued together from several good ideas. 2 out of 5.
“Under Amber Skies”
At first, having read some reviews here, I was preparing myself for a disappointment. But as I read it the only thing I didn’t like so much was Inek, the male protagonist, I simply wouldn’t have much effort picturing him riding a big white stallion and saving the day, with a glint in his smile. Glad he didn’t do that though, instead he was not over used, and showed some nice chracter flaws. I can live with that. Zosia, the girl from whose point of view we see the story, was not very hard to follow and had enough personality to keep me interested. Besides this story did something that really works for me, it used the steam punk setting (although Poland in WW II might be a bit too late to be considered “Steam”, but I’ll let that slide) to talk about real issues. In the end it made no difference if there were mechanically engineered Nazis and robotic spiders or not, we get the feeling that this is all about the madness and pointlessness of war, be it in this or any other universe. 5 out of 5. (Oh, and that blasted blasted end, it left me with a bitter after taste and my mouth open, but it was rather appropriate for this.)
“King of The Greenlight City”
I very much liked this one for completely different reasons than I did the previous one. What “Under Amber skies” had of realism, this one had of brilliant flights of fancy and of imagination. This has easily the most imaginative setting in the whole book (even though calling it steam punk might be stretching the concept a bit, so tin, in fact, as to near non existence). Still I enjoyed the images I was left with and the characters are classic (dark) fairytale stuff. One note, though, after “Under Amber Skies” I really didn’t need another unhappy ending, nothing against it, but putting one right after the other might be a bit too bleak.
5 out of 5.
“The Emperor’s Man”
Even though I enjoyed this one it felt a lot like the first chapter of something . The idea of a large part of Victorian London being transported to fairyland by an experiment gone wrong, (yes, buildings and all), was quite good, and it was not badly executed. No problem there, really. The only thing is that by the end of it all, I felt so much was left unsaid and unsolved that it was frustrating. And that grants this a 3 out 5 by my book.
“Chickie Hill’s Baddass Ride”
If WW II Poland seems too late for “steam”, then don’t even get me started on 1950’s USA. The only way I can see this being steam punk related is trough the reference, somewhere, of a “1890’s rocket”, which suggests that this is, in fact, the future of a steam punk universe. Again, I'll let that slide. The rest was quite enjoyable. It was fun, well crafted and even pertinent. The idea of having a story that mixes interdimensional Lovecraftian monsters plaguing a small US Town with the very real issues of Racial Segregation was well executed and none of the elements ended up conflicting with the others (in fact, the irony of using references to Lovecraft in order to discuss racial issues was not lost on me, intentionally or not). Chickie Hill was a fun guy to follow, and his girlfriend Sue Jean a good down to earth viewpoint for the story.
This takes a 5 out of 5.
“The Vast Machinery of Dreams”
This is not for everyone’s tastes, I know that. It is the kind of story in which the reader has to do half the work to understand the plot, and, even by the end, a lot is left unanswered. Still this was dark, uncomfortable, and it does drill into your brain even though you might not know why. This makes it stand out.
Much more than the story itself I loved the way this managed to convey unsettling emotions and confuse me at every turn. It felt a bit like the film “Inception” and all its “what the hell is real and what the hell is not” brothers.
4 of 5
“Tick, Tick, Boom”
This last story was quite well written, and structured, with a delightful main character. There are hints of steam, of punk, of a stuffy society, rebels, bombings…the works. And the universe never becomes overwhelming in the face of the characters. Still I found it way too short, this is another one that would be a perfect first chapter for a novel, which made it slightly frustrating. But unlike “The Emperor’s Man” it doesn’t feel unfinished, instead it just made me long for more. The “twist” is predictable though, yet the rest is very much spot on.
4of5
“Rude Mechanicals”
This was a promising beginning, I liked the way it mixed theater elements with the steam punk. It was an interesting concept. The references to both Pygmalion (I swear I half expected someone to burst into a song about rain in Spain at some point) and Romeo and Juliet were nice touches, and the way the universe was subtly established was well achieved. But the problem with it was the pacing. When I reached the end I felt it was a bit rushed, as if the author remembered that he had to wrap the show up in a very small number of lines. And it lost a lot for that.
3 out of 5
“The Cannibal Fiend of Rotherhite”
Mermaids, vernian submarines, a dark secret, rape, incestuous attempts, murder, extremely impractical but cool machinery… this story has a lot going for it, including a streak of dark humour underneath. The steampunk elements here felt a bit pasted on, though, not really relevant to the whole thing, yet I liked the writing quite a lot and, against my better judgement, I sympathized with the main character, Silka, so much that it gets a 4 of 5.
“Wild Magic”
And, as opposed to the previous story, I really didn’t find much charm in this. The setting, a XIX Century London where magic and technology compete (with an advantage to technology) had potential, but the characters, I found, were just too annoying for me to care. The main girl tried to be strong, and she sure had a lot of power, but ultimately she was always relegated to the part of damsel in distress. The boy, on the other hand was just the typical big ball of ego, manipulation and overconfidence, so much that he doesn’t amuse as much as he annoys. Oh…and the "romantic" part of falling for a boy in a portrait? Really? I could only find it shallow. And the last nail in the coffin was that every “twist” (and I use the term loosely here) was predictable from a mile away.
If you ask me: 1 out of 5, and “I’m Cutting My Own Throat” here.
“Deadwood”
This one is mainly an adventure story, but a rather well crafted one at that. The steam punk and the wild west thing mix up quite well. The characters were fun to read in pretty much the same way Indiana Jones is fun to watch. This was mainly an entertaining read, but it didn’t mean to be anything other than that, so it does deserve a solid 4 out of 5. And I should add I wouldn’t mind at all following further adventures of Martha and JW in that universe of cowboys and clockwork.
“Code of Blood”
This one wasn’t bad, It just seems…forgettable in the long run. I liked the alchemical Venice, and Chiara and Pietro where enjoyable enough as protagonists but, in the end, I don’t think this story would be hurt by a few more pages. Maybe this would work better in a full length novel format than in a short story form. But still it gets 3 out 5.
“The Clockwork Corset”
This one, to me, was one of the best. The plot is very much a traditional one that’s been done to death (a young girl disguises herself as a boy to join the army and protect her love), but the characters are so well developed that I ended up going along with it, almost forgetting I had read all that before. The steampunk element was added as a flavour, but it was a good kind of seasoning here, not too much, not too little, just enough to be palatable. In the end it all works quite well and I ended up considering this story as one of the few deserving 5 out of 5 in this anthology.
“The Airship Gemini”
Too many interesting ideas and few pages hurt this one to death. The idea of writing a story from the point of view of a siamese twin from a wandering freak show was quite good, setting it on a huge Zeppelin crossing the Atlantic, could be interesting , the addition of vampires and other supernatural creatures out of nowhere, could be good if it didn’t feel too sudden and out of nowhere. That was the problem. Maybe the author could have gotten away with it if she had more space to explore and explain the universe, as it was it just felt badly glued together from several good ideas. 2 out of 5.
“Under Amber Skies”
At first, having read some reviews here, I was preparing myself for a disappointment. But as I read it the only thing I didn’t like so much was Inek, the male protagonist, I simply wouldn’t have much effort picturing him riding a big white stallion and saving the day, with a glint in his smile. Glad he didn’t do that though, instead he was not over used, and showed some nice chracter flaws. I can live with that. Zosia, the girl from whose point of view we see the story, was not very hard to follow and had enough personality to keep me interested. Besides this story did something that really works for me, it used the steam punk setting (although Poland in WW II might be a bit too late to be considered “Steam”, but I’ll let that slide) to talk about real issues. In the end it made no difference if there were mechanically engineered Nazis and robotic spiders or not, we get the feeling that this is all about the madness and pointlessness of war, be it in this or any other universe. 5 out of 5. (Oh, and that blasted blasted end, it left me with a bitter after taste and my mouth open, but it was rather appropriate for this.)
“King of The Greenlight City”
I very much liked this one for completely different reasons than I did the previous one. What “Under Amber skies” had of realism, this one had of brilliant flights of fancy and of imagination. This has easily the most imaginative setting in the whole book (even though calling it steam punk might be stretching the concept a bit, so tin, in fact, as to near non existence). Still I enjoyed the images I was left with and the characters are classic (dark) fairytale stuff. One note, though, after “Under Amber Skies” I really didn’t need another unhappy ending, nothing against it, but putting one right after the other might be a bit too bleak.
5 out of 5.
“The Emperor’s Man”
Even though I enjoyed this one it felt a lot like the first chapter of something . The idea of a large part of Victorian London being transported to fairyland by an experiment gone wrong, (yes, buildings and all), was quite good, and it was not badly executed. No problem there, really. The only thing is that by the end of it all, I felt so much was left unsaid and unsolved that it was frustrating. And that grants this a 3 out 5 by my book.
“Chickie Hill’s Baddass Ride”
If WW II Poland seems too late for “steam”, then don’t even get me started on 1950’s USA. The only way I can see this being steam punk related is trough the reference, somewhere, of a “1890’s rocket”, which suggests that this is, in fact, the future of a steam punk universe. Again, I'll let that slide. The rest was quite enjoyable. It was fun, well crafted and even pertinent. The idea of having a story that mixes interdimensional Lovecraftian monsters plaguing a small US Town with the very real issues of Racial Segregation was well executed and none of the elements ended up conflicting with the others (in fact, the irony of using references to Lovecraft in order to discuss racial issues was not lost on me, intentionally or not). Chickie Hill was a fun guy to follow, and his girlfriend Sue Jean a good down to earth viewpoint for the story.
This takes a 5 out of 5.
“The Vast Machinery of Dreams”
This is not for everyone’s tastes, I know that. It is the kind of story in which the reader has to do half the work to understand the plot, and, even by the end, a lot is left unanswered. Still this was dark, uncomfortable, and it does drill into your brain even though you might not know why. This makes it stand out.
Much more than the story itself I loved the way this managed to convey unsettling emotions and confuse me at every turn. It felt a bit like the film “Inception” and all its “what the hell is real and what the hell is not” brothers.
4 of 5
“Tick, Tick, Boom”
This last story was quite well written, and structured, with a delightful main character. There are hints of steam, of punk, of a stuffy society, rebels, bombings…the works. And the universe never becomes overwhelming in the face of the characters. Still I found it way too short, this is another one that would be a perfect first chapter for a novel, which made it slightly frustrating. But unlike “The Emperor’s Man” it doesn’t feel unfinished, instead it just made me long for more. The “twist” is predictable though, yet the rest is very much spot on.
4of5
missbookiverse's review against another edition
3.0
GENERAL IMPRESSION
This collection of stories was entertaining enough to keep me coming back. There were some really good stories ("Under Amber Skies", "King of the Greenlight City", "Vast Machinery of Dreams") but no outstanding ones. I wish there had been more 4 star reads.
I think a lot of the stories could've been better if they'd had more space to develop, some felt novel-worthy to me. Others would've needed more time to feel more authentic, because there was a lot of insta love involved. Not very believable but hard to do differently if you only have a certain amount of words to go with, I guess.
Surprisingly most stories didn't feel very steampunky to me. Some authors just dropped in a few clockworks here and there to make it fit the theme, I think. Romance on the other hand was displayed widely.
STORY BY STORY
Rude Mechanicals by Lesley Livingston ★★★☆☆
A Shakespearian stage director gets a new actress in form of an "actromaton" who takes her role a bit too seriously.
I didn't see that coming. Could've been longer. I would've liked some scenes in which Quint teaches Jewel how to act and they get to know each other better, some more scenes for the heart.
Cannibal Fiend of Rotherhithe by Frewin Jones ★★★☆☆
A half-mermaid leaving her secluded childhood behind to seek her fortune in London.
I really liked the first half of the story because it had this creepy fairytale vibe to it (the mermaids in this story are no music-loving Arielles). Then the tone shifted into something average and the ending didn't really fit together with the creepy mermaid-descriptions of the beginning. :(
Wild Magic by Ann Aguirre ★★★☆☆
A girl from a rich family learns how to use her magical powers from a handsome, young man not quite of her standards.
The story itself had potential but it felt too rushed. The characters fell in love too quickly and the really interesting parts (like how she actually trains her powers) weren't described at all. I can see this working as a novel, not as a short story though.
Deadwood by Michael Scott ★★★☆☆
A young man and woman meet on an airship that is being kidnapped.
This one had a more steampunky feel to it than the previous stories. The characters were likable but the conflict wasn't anything thrillingly exciting.
Code of Blood by Dru Pagliasotti ★★★☆☆
A girl has to save her city (Venice) from foreign attackers.
I really liked the writing of this one but I also had trouble with all the Italian vocabulary. Foreign words just were thrown around with no explanations. The setting was very atmospheric and described well though. The story itself was a bit I-don't-really-care, especially about the girl falling in love while being busy saving her city.
Clockwork Corset by Adrienne Kress ★★★☆☆
A girl attempts to go to war to save the boy she loves.
I loved the first part of the story were the childhoods of the girl and her friend are described. I really liked the writing in this one and actually underlined some quotes. The plot fell a bit flat and the ending was sweet but also rather cheesy. Nevertheless, my favourite story in the collection so far.
Airship Gemini by Jaclyn Dolamore ★★★☆☆
Siamese Twins are displayed as a freak attraction by their aunt until a magician/doctor offers to seperate them.
Very unique idea, good writing style but the ending kind of ruined it for me. First of all the fact that seemed to come out of nowhere and didn't fit with the rest of the story. It could've just been about Siamese Twins, that would've sufficed. Second of all everything just worked out too smoothly and with no real losses.
Under Amber Skies by Maria V. Snyder ★★★★☆
A girl who's father is a great inventor has to face Nazi soldiers who are looking for her father.
More like 3.5 stars. I liked it more than the previous stories. The family dynamics were very interesting to explore but some reactions (especially from Zosia's mother) felt unnatural, like I didn't know the character well enough yet to really believe the action. With more space to develop this would've made a great story. I loved Zosia's father's inventions, they reminded me of Maurice from Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
King of the Greenlight City by Tessa Gratton ★★★★☆
A boy with an affinity for more than one element has to choose between developing his skills and the girl he loves.
So far this is my favourite story in the book. It doesn't really deal with Steampunk (actually all I remember is a clockwork horse) but it was very well told and had a beautiful fairytale touch to it. Unfortunately some parts felt rushed (like the romance), this story just needed a lot more space. I can easily picture this as a full-length novel. I really didn't expect this from Tessa Gratton because her novel [b:Blood Magic|8715032|Blood Magic (The Blood Journals, #1)|Tessa Gratton|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1285013996s/8715032.jpg|7201708] didn't have much of an impact on me.
Emperor’s Man by Tiffany Trent ★★☆☆☆
A soldier starts questioning his past and the world he lives in when the princess he's supposed to protect tells him strange things.
Neat idea but I didn't care about the characters and it only scratched the surface of what it presented.
Chickie Hill’s Badass Ride by Dia Reeves ★★★☆☆
A girl and a boy try to save a group of kids from a monster "klan".
I love how Dia Reeves sets all her stories and novels in the fictional town Portero. So the setting and the monsters were great but the plot was a bit too straightforward. I liked the underlying theme of racism though, added more depth to the story.
Vast Machinery of Dreams by Caitlin Kittredge ★★★★☆
A boy meets a girl and attempts to write stories about the strange things she shows him.
I loved this one because of the way it was written. There are a lot of paragraphs and each one takes a little step back in the plot and redefines the way the story is going. It's hard to explain but I found it very creative.
Tick, Tick, Boom by Kiersten White ★★★☆☆
A girl of high stand is supposed to marry a lord she finds quite boring, she'd rather spend her time inventing things.
The story was sweet and uncomplicated, I liked the main character. The outcome wasn't too hard to guess though.
This collection of stories was entertaining enough to keep me coming back. There were some really good stories ("Under Amber Skies", "King of the Greenlight City", "Vast Machinery of Dreams") but no outstanding ones. I wish there had been more 4 star reads.
I think a lot of the stories could've been better if they'd had more space to develop, some felt novel-worthy to me. Others would've needed more time to feel more authentic, because there was a lot of insta love involved. Not very believable but hard to do differently if you only have a certain amount of words to go with, I guess.
Surprisingly most stories didn't feel very steampunky to me. Some authors just dropped in a few clockworks here and there to make it fit the theme, I think. Romance on the other hand was displayed widely.
STORY BY STORY
Rude Mechanicals by Lesley Livingston ★★★☆☆
A Shakespearian stage director gets a new actress in form of an "actromaton" who takes her role a bit too seriously.
I didn't see that coming. Could've been longer. I would've liked some scenes in which Quint teaches Jewel how to act and they get to know each other better, some more scenes for the heart.
Cannibal Fiend of Rotherhithe by Frewin Jones ★★★☆☆
A half-mermaid leaving her secluded childhood behind to seek her fortune in London.
I really liked the first half of the story because it had this creepy fairytale vibe to it (the mermaids in this story are no music-loving Arielles). Then the tone shifted into something average and the ending didn't really fit together with the creepy mermaid-descriptions of the beginning. :(
Wild Magic by Ann Aguirre ★★★☆☆
A girl from a rich family learns how to use her magical powers from a handsome, young man not quite of her standards.
The story itself had potential but it felt too rushed. The characters fell in love too quickly and the really interesting parts (like how she actually trains her powers) weren't described at all. I can see this working as a novel, not as a short story though.
Deadwood by Michael Scott ★★★☆☆
A young man and woman meet on an airship that is being kidnapped.
This one had a more steampunky feel to it than the previous stories. The characters were likable but the conflict wasn't anything thrillingly exciting.
Code of Blood by Dru Pagliasotti ★★★☆☆
A girl has to save her city (Venice) from foreign attackers.
I really liked the writing of this one but I also had trouble with all the Italian vocabulary. Foreign words just were thrown around with no explanations. The setting was very atmospheric and described well though. The story itself was a bit I-don't-really-care, especially about the girl falling in love while being busy saving her city.
Clockwork Corset by Adrienne Kress ★★★☆☆
A girl attempts to go to war to save the boy she loves.
I loved the first part of the story were the childhoods of the girl and her friend are described. I really liked the writing in this one and actually underlined some quotes. The plot fell a bit flat and the ending was sweet but also rather cheesy. Nevertheless, my favourite story in the collection so far.
Airship Gemini by Jaclyn Dolamore ★★★☆☆
Siamese Twins are displayed as a freak attraction by their aunt until a magician/doctor offers to seperate them.
Very unique idea, good writing style but the ending kind of ruined it for me. First of all the fact that
Spoiler
James turns out to be a vampireUnder Amber Skies by Maria V. Snyder ★★★★☆
A girl who's father is a great inventor has to face Nazi soldiers who are looking for her father.
More like 3.5 stars. I liked it more than the previous stories. The family dynamics were very interesting to explore but some reactions (especially from Zosia's mother) felt unnatural, like I didn't know the character well enough yet to really believe the action. With more space to develop this would've made a great story. I loved Zosia's father's inventions, they reminded me of Maurice from Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
King of the Greenlight City by Tessa Gratton ★★★★☆
A boy with an affinity for more than one element has to choose between developing his skills and the girl he loves.
So far this is my favourite story in the book. It doesn't really deal with Steampunk (actually all I remember is a clockwork horse) but it was very well told and had a beautiful fairytale touch to it. Unfortunately some parts felt rushed (like the romance), this story just needed a lot more space. I can easily picture this as a full-length novel. I really didn't expect this from Tessa Gratton because her novel [b:Blood Magic|8715032|Blood Magic (The Blood Journals, #1)|Tessa Gratton|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1285013996s/8715032.jpg|7201708] didn't have much of an impact on me.
Emperor’s Man by Tiffany Trent ★★☆☆☆
A soldier starts questioning his past and the world he lives in when the princess he's supposed to protect tells him strange things.
Neat idea but I didn't care about the characters and it only scratched the surface of what it presented.
Chickie Hill’s Badass Ride by Dia Reeves ★★★☆☆
A girl and a boy try to save a group of kids from a monster "klan".
I love how Dia Reeves sets all her stories and novels in the fictional town Portero. So the setting and the monsters were great but the plot was a bit too straightforward. I liked the underlying theme of racism though, added more depth to the story.
Vast Machinery of Dreams by Caitlin Kittredge ★★★★☆
A boy meets a girl and attempts to write stories about the strange things she shows him.
I loved this one because of the way it was written. There are a lot of paragraphs and each one takes a little step back in the plot and redefines the way the story is going. It's hard to explain but I found it very creative.
Tick, Tick, Boom by Kiersten White ★★★☆☆
A girl of high stand is supposed to marry a lord she finds quite boring, she'd rather spend her time inventing things.
The story was sweet and uncomplicated, I liked the main character. The outcome wasn't too hard to guess though.
pewterwolf's review against another edition
3.0
Review Taken From The Pewter Wolf
Now, I didn't know much on steampunk before I was told. But, to my understanding, it's an alternative history that uses steampower. Most stories are set in the Victorian England, but there can be set in the Wild West, in the Second World War among others. You could include Mortal Engines and His Dark Materials as steampunk novels (that's according to that trusted site, Wikipedia). And steampunk novels can have touchs of fantasy, sci-fi and other genres, but as long as there's steam technology in the background.
I could be completely wrong about the above paragraph but that's how I read Wikipedia.
So, 13 short stories set in the worlds of steampunk from well-known YA authors. Did this collection make me fall in love with steampunk?
Er… yes and no. And the reason for both these answers is that it depends on the author and the story they wrote. I mean, this is a collection of short stories so, of course, you will find stories that were great and longed for more. And then there were others that were just ok. Nothing great, but alright. And then you have one or two where you finished the story more confused and preplexed than when you started the story! It's a mix bag and you are not going to like them all.
There's not much else to say expect this is a nice way to introducing yourself to steampunk (and die-hard steampunk fans will love it). And, after reading Maria V. Snyder's Under Amber Skies, am very excited to read Poison Study.
Now, I didn't know much on steampunk before I was told. But, to my understanding, it's an alternative history that uses steampower. Most stories are set in the Victorian England, but there can be set in the Wild West, in the Second World War among others. You could include Mortal Engines and His Dark Materials as steampunk novels (that's according to that trusted site, Wikipedia). And steampunk novels can have touchs of fantasy, sci-fi and other genres, but as long as there's steam technology in the background.
I could be completely wrong about the above paragraph but that's how I read Wikipedia.
So, 13 short stories set in the worlds of steampunk from well-known YA authors. Did this collection make me fall in love with steampunk?
Er… yes and no. And the reason for both these answers is that it depends on the author and the story they wrote. I mean, this is a collection of short stories so, of course, you will find stories that were great and longed for more. And then there were others that were just ok. Nothing great, but alright. And then you have one or two where you finished the story more confused and preplexed than when you started the story! It's a mix bag and you are not going to like them all.
There's not much else to say expect this is a nice way to introducing yourself to steampunk (and die-hard steampunk fans will love it). And, after reading Maria V. Snyder's Under Amber Skies, am very excited to read Poison Study.
libertyskies's review against another edition
3.0
Some creepiness but I'll be revisiting a couple of these in the future I'm sure.
jaderobynn's review against another edition
3.0
Although this book is all short stories; some of them seem lacking in detail. They also seem juvenially writen. I am enjoying the novel tough. It gives a twist to new and old aged romance. Incorporating technilogy into ages where you would never have seen it, and giving characters who in other books may have been 'evil' good qualities, and personalities. All in all, I'd suggest this book to people who enjoy a quick read.
malus23's review against another edition
2.0
This collection shows some of steam-punk's growing pains. When this type of story started coming out, just being steam-punk was innovative. Now that it's been around long enough to have its own set of tropes, it takes a little more effort to stand out. Tick tick boom in particular, while written solidly enough technically, was completely paint by number steampunk, and completely forgettable. (Just a week after reading, I had to look it up 3 times to remember what happened.) The darker stories in the collection tended to be better, but even though I liked Vast Machinery of Dreams it's very lovecraft-lite. Cannibal Fiend was a little gross, but interesting. Under Amber Skies was well done, and split my sympathies in an unexpected way. Chickie Hill has promise too, but was a little wacky. Memorable though, which I can't say for some of the others.
So, not a bad collection if you want mostly very classic, comfortably predictable steam-punk shorts, but not as much new here.
So, not a bad collection if you want mostly very classic, comfortably predictable steam-punk shorts, but not as much new here.
dorktaped's review against another edition
3.0
Some of the short stories didn't really have my complete interest but there were a couple that totally made up for that.
kappareads's review against another edition
4.0
(I didn't finish it but at this point I'm not gonna finish it, so let's review it)
This anthology will always have a special place in my heart, so that's why the rating is 4 stars even though the average rating is 3 stars.
I don't know what it is with anthologies and magic, but this one as well has several stories that I feel focus more on the magic than the steampunk, which is not what I want. I try being "objective" with the ratings, but a lot of the time I'm swayed by whether they're a heavy magic or no magic.
Rude mechanicals - 4/5 stars, I love the idea of an automation actor, I just wish more time had been dedicated to the romance so it didn't feel so show horned (although the explanation the author does give, I feel is satisfactory)
The cannibal fiend - 3.5/5 stars, a very Jack the Ripper feel with enough steampunk aspects that make me happy, which is what saves it from feeling too magicy
Wild Magic - 2.5/5 stars, too heavy on the fantasy, not enough with the steampunk. Also, didn't remember much of it from past readings and it shows.
Deadwood - 4/5 stars, Martha is a great main character and I love the combination of wild west and steampunk
Code of blood - 3.5/5 stars, again too much magic over steampunk, but there were more steampunk elements here than in other magic ones. Enjoyed the adventure even if there's a bit insta-love
Clockwork corset - 5/5 stars its only after reading have I realized how much this story had influenced my own style of writing, with witty dialogue and all. I just love this story
Airship Gemini - 3.5/5 stars, like most of these steampunk works, I wish there was no magic. I did however like the idea of the twins not wanting to be separated and their guardian wanting them to be separated. A nice subversion on the usual tripe that comes with an abusive guardian and kids who are extraordinary.
Under Amber Skies - 3/5 stars, I like that this is steampunk not in Victorian settings, but it's weird for it to be in the time of nazis
King of the Green Light City - 2/5 stars, there are clockwork objects but it's entirely focused on magic. Add some instant love, it's just an ok story
Emperors man - 2.5/5 stars, rating given due to pacing not magic use. At least this marriage of magic and steampunk had a unique setting
Chickie Hill’s Badass Ride - DNF, I read about a doll moving and noped the fuck out
Vast machinery of dreams - 1/5 stars, dull, confusing, yes it had clockwork stuff but didn't feel steampunk at all. I have many unanswered questions
Tick tick boom - 4.5/5 stars, definitely one of the best in here. Love the undercover rebel plot line. Wish the romance part had been explained more, as we're left with kind of a cliff hanger at the end
This anthology will always have a special place in my heart, so that's why the rating is 4 stars even though the average rating is 3 stars.
I don't know what it is with anthologies and magic, but this one as well has several stories that I feel focus more on the magic than the steampunk, which is not what I want. I try being "objective" with the ratings, but a lot of the time I'm swayed by whether they're a heavy magic or no magic.
Rude mechanicals - 4/5 stars, I love the idea of an automation actor, I just wish more time had been dedicated to the romance so it didn't feel so show horned (although the explanation the author does give, I feel is satisfactory)
The cannibal fiend - 3.5/5 stars, a very Jack the Ripper feel with enough steampunk aspects that make me happy, which is what saves it from feeling too magicy
Wild Magic - 2.5/5 stars, too heavy on the fantasy, not enough with the steampunk. Also, didn't remember much of it from past readings and it shows.
Deadwood - 4/5 stars, Martha is a great main character and I love the combination of wild west and steampunk
Code of blood - 3.5/5 stars, again too much magic over steampunk, but there were more steampunk elements here than in other magic ones. Enjoyed the adventure even if there's a bit insta-love
Clockwork corset - 5/5 stars its only after reading have I realized how much this story had influenced my own style of writing, with witty dialogue and all. I just love this story
Airship Gemini - 3.5/5 stars, like most of these steampunk works, I wish there was no magic. I did however like the idea of the twins not wanting to be separated and their guardian wanting them to be separated. A nice subversion on the usual tripe that comes with an abusive guardian and kids who are extraordinary.
Under Amber Skies - 3/5 stars, I like that this is steampunk not in Victorian settings, but it's weird for it to be in the time of nazis
King of the Green Light City - 2/5 stars, there are clockwork objects but it's entirely focused on magic. Add some instant love, it's just an ok story
Emperors man - 2.5/5 stars, rating given due to pacing not magic use. At least this marriage of magic and steampunk had a unique setting
Chickie Hill’s Badass Ride - DNF, I read about a doll moving and noped the fuck out
Vast machinery of dreams - 1/5 stars, dull, confusing, yes it had clockwork stuff but didn't feel steampunk at all. I have many unanswered questions
Tick tick boom - 4.5/5 stars, definitely one of the best in here. Love the undercover rebel plot line. Wish the romance part had been explained more, as we're left with kind of a cliff hanger at the end
waywardskyril's review against another edition
DNF-ed for now. This book has been on my "reading" shelf for actual years, but I haven't touched it in ages. Maybe I'll come back to it one day. Short stories aren't really my thing, apparently, especially a whole book of them.
From what I remember, this is a mixed bag, as I imagine most collections of short stories would be. There's something in here for everyone if you're a fan of steampunk.
From what I remember, this is a mixed bag, as I imagine most collections of short stories would be. There's something in here for everyone if you're a fan of steampunk.
g1rlwhol1ved's review against another edition
3.0
some of the stories were better than others but i think my favorites were the first one (rude mechanics) and one from the middle (the clockwork corset)