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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Book Summary:
Emilie is sick and tired of hearing what her aunt and uncle have to say about her life. So she packed up and ran away. That sounds all dangerous, but she has a plan. She’s going to travel to where her cousin works at a school and help out there. She’s already sent ahead her supplies and everything.
There’s just one problem. She doesn’t have money to hire a ship, and the one she’s snuck onto isn’t going her way. In fact, the destination isn’t anywhere in this world. Emilie may have just begun a magical journey, entirely by mistake.
My Review:
I am slowly (oh so slowly) working my way through Martha Wells’ back catalog. It helps that Tor has kindly been republishing a lot of her older works, giving me the motivation to pick up the pace (and the books!). Enter The Emilie Adventures! The first book in this series, Emilie and the Hollow World, is a fantastical tale that not only sets the scene but also introduces us to a young and determined character.
It’s a highly entertaining adventure, from start to finish. We’re talking about a world beneath the sea, plenty of action, and even a daring escape or two. The historical fantasy element adds a nice touch, putting Emilie in a world where women aren’t expected to behave this way.
This novel is a bit more YA than the rest of Martha Wells’ works, and that’s not a bad thing. Emilie is charming, and her story is great fun. The stakes felt real, though the pacing was perhaps a bit faster than it needed to be. More time to explore the world (and the magic/tech) would have been appreciated, but then again, I’m always greedy like that.
The supporting cast helped to make this story shine, especially Kenar and Rani. I would give just about anything to see a novel or novella from their perspective. Even a short story telling more of their world would be delightful!
Side note: I read the re-edited version for the recently republished edition. All of my thoughts and comments are based on this, and not the older work.
Highlights:
Steampunk World
Layers of Worlds
Determined/Defiant Young Lady
Historical Fantasy
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Emilie is sick and tired of hearing what her aunt and uncle have to say about her life. So she packed up and ran away. That sounds all dangerous, but she has a plan. She’s going to travel to where her cousin works at a school and help out there. She’s already sent ahead her supplies and everything.
There’s just one problem. She doesn’t have money to hire a ship, and the one she’s snuck onto isn’t going her way. In fact, the destination isn’t anywhere in this world. Emilie may have just begun a magical journey, entirely by mistake.
My Review:
I am slowly (oh so slowly) working my way through Martha Wells’ back catalog. It helps that Tor has kindly been republishing a lot of her older works, giving me the motivation to pick up the pace (and the books!). Enter The Emilie Adventures! The first book in this series, Emilie and the Hollow World, is a fantastical tale that not only sets the scene but also introduces us to a young and determined character.
It’s a highly entertaining adventure, from start to finish. We’re talking about a world beneath the sea, plenty of action, and even a daring escape or two. The historical fantasy element adds a nice touch, putting Emilie in a world where women aren’t expected to behave this way.
This novel is a bit more YA than the rest of Martha Wells’ works, and that’s not a bad thing. Emilie is charming, and her story is great fun. The stakes felt real, though the pacing was perhaps a bit faster than it needed to be. More time to explore the world (and the magic/tech) would have been appreciated, but then again, I’m always greedy like that.
The supporting cast helped to make this story shine, especially Kenar and Rani. I would give just about anything to see a novel or novella from their perspective. Even a short story telling more of their world would be delightful!
Side note: I read the re-edited version for the recently republished edition. All of my thoughts and comments are based on this, and not the older work.
Highlights:
Steampunk World
Layers of Worlds
Determined/Defiant Young Lady
Historical Fantasy
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Tumblr | Reedsy | CBR | Storylace
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
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
This was wonderful! Emelie sure can get into scrapes, I can see why her family had difficulty dealing with her, but using her mother against her...
I enjoyed how she made friends everywhere, and was so helpful.
Channie Waites' accent was great, and did an incredible narration.
I enjoyed how she made friends everywhere, and was so helpful.
Channie Waites' accent was great, and did an incredible narration.
The two Emilie adventures for young adults have just been reissued, and I’m having fun reading them – it’s very much like reading Jules Verne, but our point-of-view character is a 16-year-old girl, and the strange science of this world is powered by magical aether. In this first adventure, Emilie runs away from home and ends up stowing away on a ship that’s on a rescue mission to a newly discovered land beneath the world’s surface. She’s helpful and brave and wins new friends.
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
No
Ahoy there mateys! This is an omnibus of the two YA steampunk novels about Emilie. In the first book she stows away on a vessel that goes under the sea / into the planet to the Hollow-World. In the second novel she goes on a rescue mission on an airship to the Sky-World. The world building is the highlight here. I wanted more!
Both books feel like something Jules Verne would have written. There is science and a bit of magic. It is very steampunk and takes place in an alternate Victorian setting. There are steamships, telescopes, a bustling scientific community, and new horizons to be explored. There are merpeople, plant based people, and monsters. Younger me would have adored this.
Emilie is a great character who starts out more as an observer but gains experience and becomes crucial to survival. She is plucky and thoughtful. It was lovely to watch her grow and carve out a life better suited to her wishes. The only small problem was that she feels more like 12 than 16 years old.
These books are light and fluffy. I enjoyed them but would have like a little more of everything from characterization, to descriptions, and more complex plotting. The old-fashioned feel worked well but I couldn't help but want writing more in line with Well's adult works. Arrr!
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Both books feel like something Jules Verne would have written. There is science and a bit of magic. It is very steampunk and takes place in an alternate Victorian setting. There are steamships, telescopes, a bustling scientific community, and new horizons to be explored. There are merpeople, plant based people, and monsters. Younger me would have adored this.
Emilie is a great character who starts out more as an observer but gains experience and becomes crucial to survival. She is plucky and thoughtful. It was lovely to watch her grow and carve out a life better suited to her wishes. The only small problem was that she feels more like 12 than 16 years old.
These books are light and fluffy. I enjoyed them but would have like a little more of everything from characterization, to descriptions, and more complex plotting. The old-fashioned feel worked well but I couldn't help but want writing more in line with Well's adult works. Arrr!
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Misogyny, Toxic relationship
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Emilie is stifled by the expectations of her uncle, and runs away...but kind of botches her escape and accidentally ends up on a ship with an experimental engine bound to the center of the planet. Adventure ensues!
This is the first book in the Emilie Adventures, which Tor is rereleasing as an omnibus edition. It's YA fantasy, and highly appropriate for younger readers. Emilie is headstrong, adventurous, and above all curious about the world around her. She's absorbed a lot of knowledge about her new vessel, but ultimately needs to rely on her courage to persevere through her adversity. I found this to be on the plot heavier side - the action is nonstop!! - but really enjoy Emilie's growth as a character too.
This is the first book in the Emilie Adventures, which Tor is rereleasing as an omnibus edition. It's YA fantasy, and highly appropriate for younger readers. Emilie is headstrong, adventurous, and above all curious about the world around her. She's absorbed a lot of knowledge about her new vessel, but ultimately needs to rely on her courage to persevere through her adversity. I found this to be on the plot heavier side - the action is nonstop!! - but really enjoy Emilie's growth as a character too.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated