Reviews

L'étrange secret de Finley Jayne by Kady Cross

sdb27's review against another edition

4.0

This novella provided a nice backstory for Finley, and it gave me some more insight into her personality. This was a fun little read that tied in nicely to the start of the first book in the series.

May or may not do a full review, depending on time.

quietweather's review against another edition

2.0

I actually read this while at the store, waiting for my dad.

sofyy1102's review against another edition

4.0

Loved it! Finley Jayne is one hell of a main character :)

amym84's review against another edition

2.0

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne is a short story prequel that takes place before the rest of the series. I haven't read the [b:The Girl in the Steel Corset|9166877|The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles, #1)|Kady Cross|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1297987541s/9166877.jpg|14046028] yet so perhaps I will like that better, but I found myself just kind of skipping through a lot with this story. Everything that happened was just too convenient and of course Finley managed to save the day to everyone's delight.

I'm hoping the longer novel will be much more fleshed out than this was. I think that Cross sets things up nicely in the end for The Girl in the Steel Corset. Hopefully it delivers.

geisttull's review against another edition

3.0

interesting piece of the overall stories. not completely necessary to understanding the other full books in the series, though.

haneysolo's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

eamily's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Toxic relationship

Minor: Gun violence, Murder, Death, and Classism

bmg20's review against another edition

3.0

This is my first exploration into 'steampunk' and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

'The Strange Case of Finley Jayne' is the prequel to 'The Girl in the Steel Corset'. The prequel introduces Finley Jayne, a girl who is far from normal. She has just lost her job and is surprised that she's offered another the very next day. Her new job is to be a companion to Phoebe Morton who has recently been engaged to Lord Vincent. Phoebe's mother feels there is something off about Lord Vincent and hires Finley in hopes that she can protect her if necessary.

The story was so interesting and different that I'm extremely excited to get my hands on 'The Girl in the Steel Corset'.

blodeuedd's review against another edition

3.0

My review can be found in the review of The Girl in the Steel Corset

bookishvice's review against another edition

5.0

Finley Jayne can't keep a job. She's not normal. Normal girls didn't give in to dark urges like hitting someone, or saying cruel truths. It's not proper! After losing her latest job, and being fired without a reference, Finley knows it'll be next to impossible to find another. But the next day a Lady comes with a job offer, as a companion for a young debutante named Phoebe. Finley accepts, but she soon finds out that her job is more complicated than a mere companion. Lord Vincent is hiding something, and Finley senses that Phoebe might be in danger. Finley will have to use her extraordinary skills if she hopes to save her new friend from this terrible engagement.

This short story sets the background for Finley's story, one of the main characters from The Girl in the Steel Corset. She honestly believes she's a monster, and possesses some kind of devilish being inside of her that makes her do those horrible things. It's also the first time she consciously starts to use her 'power,' whereas before it just kind of took over her. Finley it's an amazing heroine. Her Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde effect kept me turning pages waiting to see what she would do next. I'd only read about ten pages of this short story and already knew I was going to continue with the series.

The steampunk was there in all its steam powered glory. I mean a mechanical eyes, steam powered coaches, mechanical horses, and, of course, automatons. We get a peek at one other main character of The Girl in the Steel Corset, The Duke of Greythorne. Not much is said about him other than he is an odd Duke that likes to keep to himself, and that has a nice derriere. And, you know, that’s definitely another reason to keep reading the series!

This is just a little taste of the amazing world Kady Cross created in the Steampunk Chronicles. The ebook is Free on Barnes & Noble! So drop by and grab a copy, you don't need a nook to read it. You can just download the app on your computer or phone and read it from there!