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A review by masquerader888
Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster
4.0
This review also posted at A Bookish Compulsion
I really enjoyed this book. I found the characters relatable, liked the plot and the incorporation of the paranormal—finding blue-bloods vs. vampires a fun dichotomy—and simply adored the world that was created in this book. The blending of historical facts with imaginative creatures worked for me and the societal structure was both fascinating and believable, if a bit under-explored—but that is only to be expected in a series—something to explore in books to come. I did have a small disconnect with the hero’s dialect and accent written into the dialogue, but after I discovered that it did have a plot purpose I was able to re-gig my mind from heavy-handed to character clue. I would also say that the “steampunk” elements in this book were, in my opinion little more than window dressing. Seam-powered mechanical servers and a few mechanical limbs—they didn’t really have an effect on the book other that a small amount of aesthetic. With a series title of “London Steampunk” I kind of expected them to play a more predominant role. I don’t feel that this hurt the book, however if one is looking for a truly steampunk read, I am not sure that I would recommend this, as it was more of a paranormal book with steampunk overtones. Perhaps further into the series the steampunk elements will develop further, or perhaps they were incorporated to capitalize on the current steampunk fascination, in either case they helped to create a beautiful cover and enhance a good book.
I give Kiss of Steel four smiling stars with every intention of picking up the next book in this series Heart of Iron with it is released. ★★★★
As a side not, I also have to add and give props to the publishing company of this one, Sourcebooks Casablanca. This is a beautifully published paperback, with quality paper that was a joy to read. As a comparison, if anyone is interested, I weighed both this book and Ilona Andrews Bayou Moon (which has just slightly more pages) and Bayou moon came in at around 8ozs while Kiss of Steel was 11ozs. The quality of the paper was substantially above the normal mass market and made this book much cleaner to read.
I really enjoyed this book. I found the characters relatable, liked the plot and the incorporation of the paranormal—finding blue-bloods vs. vampires a fun dichotomy—and simply adored the world that was created in this book. The blending of historical facts with imaginative creatures worked for me and the societal structure was both fascinating and believable, if a bit under-explored—but that is only to be expected in a series—something to explore in books to come. I did have a small disconnect with the hero’s dialect and accent written into the dialogue, but after I discovered that it did have a plot purpose I was able to re-gig my mind from heavy-handed to character clue. I would also say that the “steampunk” elements in this book were, in my opinion little more than window dressing. Seam-powered mechanical servers and a few mechanical limbs—they didn’t really have an effect on the book other that a small amount of aesthetic. With a series title of “London Steampunk” I kind of expected them to play a more predominant role. I don’t feel that this hurt the book, however if one is looking for a truly steampunk read, I am not sure that I would recommend this, as it was more of a paranormal book with steampunk overtones. Perhaps further into the series the steampunk elements will develop further, or perhaps they were incorporated to capitalize on the current steampunk fascination, in either case they helped to create a beautiful cover and enhance a good book.
I give Kiss of Steel four smiling stars with every intention of picking up the next book in this series Heart of Iron with it is released. ★★★★
As a side not, I also have to add and give props to the publishing company of this one, Sourcebooks Casablanca. This is a beautifully published paperback, with quality paper that was a joy to read. As a comparison, if anyone is interested, I weighed both this book and Ilona Andrews Bayou Moon (which has just slightly more pages) and Bayou moon came in at around 8ozs while Kiss of Steel was 11ozs. The quality of the paper was substantially above the normal mass market and made this book much cleaner to read.