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A review by mfred
Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook
2.0
Was it just me, or did anyone else think there was no conflict in this story?
- It is revealed, through backstory, that at one point Archimedes was unable to have feelings, and so we understand, by being told about it, why Archimedes wanted to fall in love. Which he does, because he decided to do it. Uh, yeah. Good follow-through, dude.
- Yasmeen decides she will sacrifice Archimedes the minute he betrays or embarrasses her, but he doesn't, so she doesn't. And so she gradually falls in love with the guy who is always good to her.
- And, SPOILER ALERT: The bad guy is reasonable and so he just gives up at the end because it's the right thing to do. So, that's nice?
I have complained umpteen times about kickass heroines that never actually kick ass. And while Brook never sacrifices Yasmeen's kickass-ed-ness for the sake of the love story, I don't think she ever really put either character on the line either. They just kept suiting each other! They are the ulimate well suited couple! Yasmeen is afraid of Archimedes betraying or undermining her power and position? He intuitively understands and acts beta. Archimedes wants to adventure on and on, forever? Yasmeen won't stop him because she does too! And so, I felt, the whole story went, until our heroes ride off into the sunset together.
For an adventure story set in alterna-steampunk Europe filled with zombies and menacing nanotechnology, I never once felt like anyone was truly in any danger-- either emotional or physical. And to finally get to the last grand adventure, when Yasmeen and Archimedes are set to confront the Big Bad, and have him decide to abdicate his power because he is just so reasonable was just... so underwhelming! And a little undermining of all of the adventuring it took to get to there.
So, points for Yasmeen staying Yasmeen. But I can't say this book really moved me, especially compared to the emotional powerhouse that was The Iron Duke.
- It is revealed, through backstory, that at one point Archimedes was unable to have feelings, and so we understand, by being told about it, why Archimedes wanted to fall in love. Which he does, because he decided to do it. Uh, yeah. Good follow-through, dude.
- Yasmeen decides she will sacrifice Archimedes the minute he betrays or embarrasses her, but he doesn't, so she doesn't. And so she gradually falls in love with the guy who is always good to her.
- And, SPOILER ALERT: The bad guy is reasonable and so he just gives up at the end because it's the right thing to do. So, that's nice?
I have complained umpteen times about kickass heroines that never actually kick ass. And while Brook never sacrifices Yasmeen's kickass-ed-ness for the sake of the love story, I don't think she ever really put either character on the line either. They just kept suiting each other! They are the ulimate well suited couple! Yasmeen is afraid of Archimedes betraying or undermining her power and position? He intuitively understands and acts beta. Archimedes wants to adventure on and on, forever? Yasmeen won't stop him because she does too! And so, I felt, the whole story went, until our heroes ride off into the sunset together.
For an adventure story set in alterna-steampunk Europe filled with zombies and menacing nanotechnology, I never once felt like anyone was truly in any danger-- either emotional or physical. And to finally get to the last grand adventure, when Yasmeen and Archimedes are set to confront the Big Bad, and have him decide to abdicate his power because he is just so reasonable was just... so underwhelming! And a little undermining of all of the adventuring it took to get to there.
So, points for Yasmeen staying Yasmeen. But I can't say this book really moved me, especially compared to the emotional powerhouse that was The Iron Duke.