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hoarderreader's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
dragoneyes451's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
So I was at BEA, walking around, when I came upon the Shadow Mountain booth. I was instantly drawn to Steampunk! Dragons! and ended up coming back to meet the author, who is very nice by the way.
I knew Fires of Invention was middle grade. I knew it was going to contain steampunk elements. I knew there were going to be dragons involved, though. What surprised me is that it turned out to be more dystopian than anything. I think the taglines were a bit off on this one.
I really enjoyed Fires of Invention. I thought the dystopian elements were well done, and in such a way that made it appropriate for middle grade. I loved the idea that creativity and invention were illegal, it was a fresh take on the dystopian genre. I was also kind of kept guessing where it was all going - I obviously knew pretty early on what it was they were building, but I wasn't sure how it was going to come together and tie into the "mysteries of Cove".
I thought the worldbuilding of Cove was well done. Savage's descriptions really allow you to picture the city, and the background is fleshed out well. There's a lot of machinery talk without getting too technical, which was a good balance for a middle grade novel.
I both liked and disliked Trenton. I quickly became annoyed with his constant inner dialogue of "I shouldn't be doing this, but I'm going to anyway". The repetition of it was probably the biggest downfall of this book for me. On the other hand, I LOVED Kallista. She's this spunky girl who's just not going to accept things for what they are.
The feminist in me was kind of bothered by the relationship dynamic between Trenton, Simoni and Kallista. I thought the relationship between Simoni and Trention was age appropriate, but I was annoyed by the stereotypical actions of Simoni.
I liked the way Fires of Invention ended. It wasn't a cliffhanger, thank goodness! And yet, it left the story open for future books in the series in a way that made you excited for the next book.
Overall, I think Savage did a great job with this series starter, even if the book tagging was a bit off-base. I was bothered by the main characters repeated hypocritical tendencies and by the stereotypical female character, but the worldbuilding and plot development made up for it. I really look forward to the next book of The Mysteries of Cove series!
This review was originally posted on Books Are My Thing
So I was at BEA, walking around, when I came upon the Shadow Mountain booth. I was instantly drawn to Steampunk! Dragons! and ended up coming back to meet the author, who is very nice by the way.
I knew Fires of Invention was middle grade. I knew it was going to contain steampunk elements. I knew there were going to be dragons involved, though
Spoiler
I was surprised at just how long into the book I had to read before we even got to the dragonsI really enjoyed Fires of Invention. I thought the dystopian elements were well done, and in such a way that made it appropriate for middle grade. I loved the idea that creativity and invention were illegal, it was a fresh take on the dystopian genre. I was also kind of kept guessing where it was all going - I obviously knew pretty early on what it was they were building, but I wasn't sure how it was going to come together and tie into the "mysteries of Cove".
I thought the worldbuilding of Cove was well done. Savage's descriptions really allow you to picture the city, and the background is fleshed out well. There's a lot of machinery talk without getting too technical, which was a good balance for a middle grade novel.
I both liked and disliked Trenton. I quickly became annoyed with his constant inner dialogue of "I shouldn't be doing this, but I'm going to anyway". The repetition of it was probably the biggest downfall of this book for me. On the other hand, I LOVED Kallista. She's this spunky girl who's just not going to accept things for what they are.
The feminist in me was kind of bothered by the relationship dynamic between Trenton, Simoni and Kallista. I thought the relationship between Simoni and Trention was age appropriate, but I was annoyed by the stereotypical actions of Simoni.
I liked the way Fires of Invention ended. It wasn't a cliffhanger, thank goodness! And yet, it left the story open for future books in the series in a way that made you excited for the next book.
Overall, I think Savage did a great job with this series starter, even if the book tagging was a bit off-base. I was bothered by the main characters repeated hypocritical tendencies and by the stereotypical female character, but the worldbuilding and plot development made up for it. I really look forward to the next book of The Mysteries of Cove series!
This review was originally posted on Books Are My Thing
suey's review against another edition
4.0
Intriguing story taking place in a dystopian world where creativity is bad, working hard is good, and dragons are... well, you'll just have to read it to find that out!
railyuhreads's review against another edition
4.0
My son (age 9) gave this 100 stars out of 5.
I have to say, I was very surprised by the turn this book took near the end. And I like that in a book.
I have to say, I was very surprised by the turn this book took near the end. And I like that in a book.
shoelessgirl's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars. This was an enjoyable read, with some interesting ideas, but I struggled with the characters and characterisation - they just felt a bit flat.
the_ovenbird's review against another edition
I was enjoying this book but eventually my dislike of the narrator couldn't be made up for by the story. Had to return it.
jennathebookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
librarydanielle's review against another edition
5.0
Trenton lives in a strange dystopian world. it isn't the "future" but it isn't quite steampunk either. from what I could gather about the dates it's ridge around the late 90's, not they the year matters much. The society that Trenton lives in its strictly controlled. but not as strict as some dystopians. Foods ate regulated (This day is beef, that is fish), but families choose how to prepare each meal. Students also are assigned their career based on aptitude tests.
Creativity and invention ates STRICTLY prohibited, with infractions resulting in "retraining" (we never fully discover what retraining is though). as usual, most of society is content with this system. but Trenton is bored. he likes machines and wants to make them better. we guest meet him as he's creating an unauthorized invention- a modified swing. he is discovered, and escapes retraining when he frees a jam in a coal feeder. the cause of the jam is a mysterious tube. the tube intrigues Trenton and it leads him on an adventure where he meets Kallista, an infamous inventor's daughter, and discovers that things aren't quite what they seem.
I enjoyed this very much. the dystopian overtones and the surprise at the end were so much fun. the world is clear, worth the exception of the mysterious retraining, and the characters well developed. the only thing that kept nagging at me was the infamous inventor's name: Leo Babbage. it kept reminding me of Rick Riordan's Leo and I'd have to take a second to remember that I wasn't in that world. it did get jarring and annoying after a while, but not enough to dock a star.
this will definitely appeal to kids who like adventure, mystery, fantasy, and dystopia, so a variety of tastes. ;)
Creativity and invention ates STRICTLY prohibited, with infractions resulting in "retraining" (we never fully discover what retraining is though). as usual, most of society is content with this system. but Trenton is bored. he likes machines and wants to make them better. we guest meet him as he's creating an unauthorized invention- a modified swing. he is discovered, and escapes retraining when he frees a jam in a coal feeder. the cause of the jam is a mysterious tube. the tube intrigues Trenton and it leads him on an adventure where he meets Kallista, an infamous inventor's daughter, and discovers that things aren't quite what they seem.
I enjoyed this very much. the dystopian overtones and the surprise at the end were so much fun. the world is clear, worth the exception of the mysterious retraining, and the characters well developed. the only thing that kept nagging at me was the infamous inventor's name: Leo Babbage. it kept reminding me of Rick Riordan's Leo and I'd have to take a second to remember that I wasn't in that world. it did get jarring and annoying after a while, but not enough to dock a star.
this will definitely appeal to kids who like adventure, mystery, fantasy, and dystopia, so a variety of tastes. ;)
theaudioauditor's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0