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brookepalmer796's review
2.0
The plot was believable and I really enjoy the world-building in this series. But, this one fell a bit flat for me. I liked Daphne ok and Fletcher was interesting, but many of their interactions were awkward. All the talk of their "weaknesses" seemed forced, like the author really wanted to make a point. There were other places where the writing seem choppy as well. The other problem for me was the cover. It's supposed to be Daphne, but either she is a very mannish woman, or a very feminine man-it's hard to say.
krisrid's review
4.0
I LOVE Melissa McShane's writing!! I have read books from two of her three series so far and just loved all of them! She not only has a fabulously creative mind when it comes to creating slightly alternate magical worlds to set her characters in, but she also writes super-likable, strong characters - especially the female ones! - that a reader can connect with, root for and fall in love with!
This is the second book I've read in McShane's Extraordinaries series [though not the second in the series] and I really enjoyed this, although not *quite* as much as Ioved Burning Bright (the first book in the series).
I absolutely adored Elinor - the protagonist in the first book - and everything about her story.
While I really liked Daphne, she was a bit of a ninny at certain points, and allowed people to make her feel inferior despite her Extraordinary talent, and I wanted her to get past that. This is a very minor quibble, however, and did not detract from my overall enjoyment of this story.
I love, love, love the alternate England that McShane has created for this series, and the other Extraordinary talents, and the characters who have them make for an absolutely delightful way to spend hours visiting that world and going along on the adventures McShane gives her characters.
All the characters in these books feel so real, and most are so likable it's hard to NOT fall in love with all of them.
The added bonus is the historical aspects that each book has, which is well done and makes history into highly entertaining side stories, even if the author does take some liberties with actual historical dates, times, etc. to fit her fictional plot.
I love this series, and if you like magical alternate history stories with strong female characters, you might like them too. Highly recommended.
This is the second book I've read in McShane's Extraordinaries series [though not the second in the series] and I really enjoyed this, although not *quite* as much as Ioved Burning Bright (the first book in the series).
I absolutely adored Elinor - the protagonist in the first book - and everything about her story.
While I really liked Daphne, she was a bit of a ninny at certain points, and allowed people to make her feel inferior despite her Extraordinary talent, and I wanted her to get past that. This is a very minor quibble, however, and did not detract from my overall enjoyment of this story.
I love, love, love the alternate England that McShane has created for this series, and the other Extraordinary talents, and the characters who have them make for an absolutely delightful way to spend hours visiting that world and going along on the adventures McShane gives her characters.
All the characters in these books feel so real, and most are so likable it's hard to NOT fall in love with all of them.
The added bonus is the historical aspects that each book has, which is well done and makes history into highly entertaining side stories, even if the author does take some liberties with actual historical dates, times, etc. to fit her fictional plot.
I love this series, and if you like magical alternate history stories with strong female characters, you might like them too. Highly recommended.
ladywithaquill's review
5.0
Once again I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Melissa McShane! Having not read the second book in the series yet, I did stumble a bit in the beginning as I was getting acclimated to the time that had passed between the first book and this one. However, I was able to easily follow along and became engrossed as the story picked up. Though I did find the heroine to not be as likeable, at least in the beginning, she quickly grew on me, and the hero was equally charming.
Lady Daphne St. Clair has been reassigned - to India - as nothing more than a human chaise conveying a lord's family back and forth from England. Having just failed on the battlefield, her mistake leading to a man's death, she reluctantly accepts her punishment. However, not long after arrival, she meets Captain Phineas Fletcher, a quiet yet charming Discerner, who is in need of a Bounder for an upcoming mission. Daphne, being an Extraordinary Bounder, is perfect for the job and quickly accepts, bringing along her newfound friend, Bess, an Extraordinary Speaker. Though both girls are there for a serious purpose, Daphne finds that love has a way of making itself known even at the most inconvenient of times. But what will happen when she inevitably returns to the battlefield and leaves the Captain behind?
Daphne and Finn complimented each other nicely! Daphne was headstrong, impulsive, and talkative, while Finn was reserved, steady, and quiet. I enjoyed seeing Finn come out of his shell when around Daphne, as her exuberance rubbed off on him, particularly when she Skips with him to an abandoned palace for a tour. It's an interesting change of roles, as Finn must place his life entirely in Daphne's hands. The role reversal was exciting, to say the least! I did find Daphne's behavior to be childish at times regarding her situation, considering that she was in India because she caused a man's death. It's not as if they are punishing her for no reason. She bucks up eventually, but there are moments throughout the story when her selfishness sneaks out. She checks herself and recognizes when she's doing it though, so that helps me get back on track in the story. Overall I loved her interactions with Finn, and they were a delightful couple!
As always, I highly recommend this book to my blog readers! Any book in this series is bound to be a delight, and I can't tell you how eager I am to see what's up next.
**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**
Lady Daphne St. Clair has been reassigned - to India - as nothing more than a human chaise conveying a lord's family back and forth from England. Having just failed on the battlefield, her mistake leading to a man's death, she reluctantly accepts her punishment. However, not long after arrival, she meets Captain Phineas Fletcher, a quiet yet charming Discerner, who is in need of a Bounder for an upcoming mission. Daphne, being an Extraordinary Bounder, is perfect for the job and quickly accepts, bringing along her newfound friend, Bess, an Extraordinary Speaker. Though both girls are there for a serious purpose, Daphne finds that love has a way of making itself known even at the most inconvenient of times. But what will happen when she inevitably returns to the battlefield and leaves the Captain behind?
Daphne and Finn complimented each other nicely! Daphne was headstrong, impulsive, and talkative, while Finn was reserved, steady, and quiet. I enjoyed seeing Finn come out of his shell when around Daphne, as her exuberance rubbed off on him, particularly when she Skips with him to an abandoned palace for a tour. It's an interesting change of roles, as Finn must place his life entirely in Daphne's hands. The role reversal was exciting, to say the least! I did find Daphne's behavior to be childish at times regarding her situation, considering that she was in India because she caused a man's death. It's not as if they are punishing her for no reason. She bucks up eventually, but there are moments throughout the story when her selfishness sneaks out. She checks herself and recognizes when she's doing it though, so that helps me get back on track in the story. Overall I loved her interactions with Finn, and they were a delightful couple!
As always, I highly recommend this book to my blog readers! Any book in this series is bound to be a delight, and I can't tell you how eager I am to see what's up next.
**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**
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