lacyparrish 's review for:

Gunpowder Alchemy by Jeannie Lin

4.0

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Enjoyable first entry into a new adult, steampunk historical fantasy with the first fun glimmers of a romance. The technical details don't overtake the emotional story of Soling's search for redemption after her father's failure and execution by the emperor. I enjoyed meeting characters from her/her father's past in new lights and figuring out who can/should be trusted. There is a defined conclusion but the overall plot is left at a cliffhanger. 

Full Rating (out of 10 possible): 7.571 (based on a modified CAWPILE system)
Romance level (out of 5 possible): 1 (for full closed-door, chaste intimacy scenes)