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A review by that_kitten
The Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent
4.0
I enjoyed this book very much, for the most part. It's very well-written, and the blend of steampunk "science" and magic was well-planned and almost reminiscent of a Miyazaki film -- a feeling that was accentuated by the pro-environment, anti-industrialism tone. This book is most definitely in the realm of magical/supernatural steampunk, rather than science fiction in tone. It paints a picture of an alternate universe where New Londoners demonized the natural, magical world in favor of a "logical scientific" one. Magical creatures ("Unnaturals") are kept in museums, practicing magic is punishable by death, and the people who still live with the forest outside the city ("Tinkers") are captured and enslaved in the city's factories.
This book had a unique narration style, which took some getting used to. It's told in dual-POV, but the alternating chapters are told in first-person present (Vespa, our heroine) and third-person present (Syrus, a pre-teen Tinker boy). It's a style I haven't seen much of before, and it was strange, but it worked for the most part. The voice is about what you'd expect from a Victorian-style novel set in London, which is to say very proper and... Victorian. With some odd modern-day flair thrown in? Hm. Sometimes it felt like there was a little too much attention paid to the clothes/description/niceties, which slowed down the pacing, but if you're into those sorts of details, it'll probably work for you. Some of the characters/names are difficult to keep straight for reasons I won't spoil, but... yeah.
The descriptions were lovely, and the story itself was a good one. If you enjoy a plot along the lines of the girl with powers she didn't know she had, the boy trying to protect magic from those who would abuse it, and a journey toward protecting the forest, you'll dig this. There's a romantic subplot that I feel pretty "meh" about. It wasn't bad, but it felt sudden and I didn't get very much chemistry. Still, I thought it was mostly well-handled, and it didn't overtake the main storyline. There's a lot packed into this book, and I'm a little surprised to see it's the first in a series, because this one seemed to wrap up very nicely (people who hate cliffhangers, take note).
Overall, and enjoyable read and a great, well-written addition to the YA Steampunk genre.
This book had a unique narration style, which took some getting used to. It's told in dual-POV, but the alternating chapters are told in first-person present (Vespa, our heroine) and third-person present (Syrus, a pre-teen Tinker boy). It's a style I haven't seen much of before, and it was strange, but it worked for the most part. The voice is about what you'd expect from a Victorian-style novel set in London, which is to say very proper and... Victorian. With some odd modern-day flair thrown in? Hm. Sometimes it felt like there was a little too much attention paid to the clothes/description/niceties, which slowed down the pacing, but if you're into those sorts of details, it'll probably work for you. Some of the characters/names are difficult to keep straight for reasons I won't spoil, but... yeah.
The descriptions were lovely, and the story itself was a good one. If you enjoy a plot along the lines of the girl with powers she didn't know she had, the boy trying to protect magic from those who would abuse it, and a journey toward protecting the forest, you'll dig this. There's a romantic subplot that I feel pretty "meh" about. It wasn't bad, but it felt sudden and I didn't get very much chemistry. Still, I thought it was mostly well-handled, and it didn't overtake the main storyline. There's a lot packed into this book, and I'm a little surprised to see it's the first in a series, because this one seemed to wrap up very nicely (people who hate cliffhangers, take note).
Overall, and enjoyable read and a great, well-written addition to the YA Steampunk genre.