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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
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
Functional, but the worldbuilding felt a bit slap-dash to me. Not associative or building off of itself. Just a bunch of disparate things the author wanted in the book.
I'm just not quite sure how to rate this, or even really review it. I think it's aimed at middle grade readers, but I also think they'd find it a bit boring. It definitely reads "young". There were some interesting concepts here, and I thought at the beginning of the book that it was going to be better than it was.
The meteor showers dropping stuff from other worlds seemed really interesting. And then what we got was a chase with a train ride, a bit of a reveal at the end, and that's about it. I kept waiting for more, but it just wasn't delivered.
The world building could have used a lot more work. And I never really connected very much with the characters. A lot of my disappoint could be that I'm reading at the same time Brandon Sanderson's Words of Radiance. And this just extremely pales in comparison with the richness of his writing. But at the same time, I think I would have been disappointed in this one regardless.
The meteor showers dropping stuff from other worlds seemed really interesting. And then what we got was a chase with a train ride, a bit of a reveal at the end, and that's about it. I kept waiting for more, but it just wasn't delivered.
The world building could have used a lot more work. And I never really connected very much with the characters. A lot of my disappoint could be that I'm reading at the same time Brandon Sanderson's Words of Radiance. And this just extremely pales in comparison with the richness of his writing. But at the same time, I think I would have been disappointed in this one regardless.
Great steampunk for middle grade readers. Strong female protagonists but not at the expense of the male main character. Piper and Gee complement each other well, making a strong team. While I would have enjoyed more background on the world of the book, it would probably have made the book quite a bit longer. And it really didn't bother me that information came in bits and pieces. The little bit of growing romance at the end between Piper and Gee was sweet. My one quibble is that the characters acted older than their given ages, more like 15 than 13. But that's a minor complaint.
4.5 stars - rounding up because I really did enjoy the story.
4.5 stars - rounding up because I really did enjoy the story.
This was my first foray into steampunk, so it may be there are conventions of the genre that aren't a match for me. I was exhausted by the constant drama and action and the brief moments of introspection/reflection felt obligatory and rote. Positives: strong female characters and building a family beyond the biological.
The characters were great and the fantastic setting felt real and exciting. I'd highly recommend this book.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Another book from my childhood.
This is a really good fantasy for kids with a nice bit of mystery as well. The world building is interesting and so is the magic system. I don’t think I’ve seen any sort of magic power revolving around machines. The two don’t usually go hand in hand so it’s a unique combination.
I won’t be keeping it because I’m a little old for it, but I might visit the library looking for the sequels.
This is a really good fantasy for kids with a nice bit of mystery as well. The world building is interesting and so is the magic system. I don’t think I’ve seen any sort of magic power revolving around machines. The two don’t usually go hand in hand so it’s a unique combination.
I won’t be keeping it because I’m a little old for it, but I might visit the library looking for the sequels.
Since her father died, Piper has been dreaming of a way to buy herself an easier life. When she finds an injured girl in the middle of a meteor storm, she thinks she has found her answer. The girl, Anna, carries the Mark of the Dragonfly, which means she is under the protection of the king. Piper thinks she will return Anna to her family, collect her reward, and begin her new life. Things get more complicated when scary man forces his way into Piper's house and tries to kidnap Anna. Piper and Anna begin a dangerous journey to find Anna's family, during which they are stolen by slavers, discover magic, and even make some unexpected friends.
I really loved this story. The world building, the characters and the plotline were very well written, interesting and made me want for more. Great middle grade/school story for fantasy lovers.