Review: The Girl with the Iron Touch

The Girl with the Iron Touch 

(Steampunk Chronicles #3)

by Kady Cross
Published May 28th 2013 

by Harlequin TEEN

Summary from Goodreads:

In 1897 London, something not quite human is about to awaken 

When mechanical genius Emily is kidnapped by rogue automatons, Finley Jayne and her fellow misfits fear the worst. What's left of their archenemy, The Machinist, hungers to be resurrected, and Emily must transplant his consciousness into one of his automatons—or forfeit her friends' lives.

With Griffin being mysteriously tormented by the Aether, the young duke's sanity is close to the breaking point. Seeking help, Finley turns to Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. When Jack kisses her, Finley must finally confront her true feelings for him...and for Griffin.

Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily, from Whitechapel's desolate alleyways to Mayfair's elegant mansions. He would walk into hell for her, but the choice she must make will test them more than they could imagine.

To save those she cares about, Emily must confront The Machinist's ultimate creation—an automaton more human than machine. And if she's to have any chance at triumphing, she must summon a strength even she doesn't know she has....

Thoughts:
Steampunk is a rather complex genre to write about since the author have to combined elements of science, technology and historical background to make it actually believable to the readers. Not many authors dare to write YA steampunk so when the first book of this series was published, I was so eager and excited to get my hands on it. 

What I love most about the series are the various characters and their individual quirks. Finley is super strong  but is suffering from dual personalities due to the effect's of her father's experiments. Griffin can control the Aether. Sam is also super strong while Emily is a genius with all things mechanical. There's also their American friend; Jasper who lost her Chinese girlfriend in the last book and Jack Dandy; a guy dealing with shady businesses who adored Finley.

I'm so delighted to find out that Emily (my favourite character from the series) is the main protagonist in this one. And as the gang raced through time to save her from the clutches of the evil and barely alive Machinist, it is clear to see that she is the one who always keeps the gang together. Without her, Sam and Finley are always at each other's throat while Griffin is troubled by his own visions in the Aether. Emily on the other hand faces a moral dilemma, when she meets an automaton who resembled a young girl known as 312.

The romantic relationships between the various characters are also at the forefront here. And it is indeed nice to read how the gang finally confront their feelings towards each other. Overall, I must say this book is a fitting conclusion to the series and Kady Cross has done a brilliant job in tying up everything together. However, I do hope there'll be more stories about Jasper or even Jack Dandy since they deserved their own happy endings.

Verdict: 4 stars.
In my Books in a Series and Fantasy Reading Challenge 
Available on: Amazon

Review: Impostor

Impostor (Variants #1)
by Susanne Winnacker 

Published May 28th 2013

by Razorbill

ARC from Netgalley

Summary from Goodreads:

Can Tessa pose as Madison . . . and stop a killer before it’s too late? 

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again.

Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.

Thoughts:

Impostor is ultimately about shapeshifters and teenage mutants who worked with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities (FEA). At the center of the story is Tessa; a shapeshifter who was abandoned by her own mother before joining the FEA. As her first mission, Tessa is tasked with finding a serial killer by impersonating one of the victim. 

It is interesting to see how Tessa cope by pretending to be someone else and although she struggled at first, Madison's family and friends welcome her with open arms. Tessa also finds herself unwittingly drawn to Devon who happens to be Madison's twin brother. I would have like it if their relationship is explored further but instead another fellow Variant; Alec is featured as her romantic interest. Alec was supposed to be involved with Kate who can read minds so it was annoying to read about him pining over Tessa in a not so subtle way every chance he got.

It also bothered me that Tessa sometimes get sidetracked from her mission and seemed to focused a lot of attention on the boys surrounding her. You would expect that a teen secret agent to be more in control of her emotions after all that years of training but Tessa's skills as a spy left a lot to be desired.

Verdict: 3 stars.
In my Books in a Series Reading Challenge 
Available on: Amazon

Waiting on Wednesday #30 : Kinslayer

Waiting on Wednesday is a wonderful meme created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating.

Kinslayer (The Lotus War #2)
by Jay Kristoff 

Hardcover, 464 pages

Expected publication: September 17th 2013
by Thomas Dunne Books

Summary from Goodreads:
A SHATTERED EMPIRE
The mad Shōgun Yoritomo has been assassinated by the Stormdancer Yukiko, and the threat of civil war looms over the Shima Imperium. The Lotus Guild conspires to renew the nation’s broken dynasty and crush the growing rebellion simultaneously – by endorsing a new Shōgun who desires nothing more than to see Yukiko dead.

A DARK LEGACY
Yukiko and the mighty thunder tiger Buruu have been cast in the role of heroes by the Kagé rebellion. But Yukiko herself is blinded by rage over her father’s death, and her ability to hear the thoughts of beasts is swelling beyond her power to control. Along with Buruu, Yukiko’s anchor is Kin, the rebel Guildsman who helped her escape from Yoritomo’s clutches. But Kin has his own secrets, and is haunted by visions of a future he’d rather die than see realized.

A GATHERING STORM
Kagé assassins lurk within the Shōgun’s palace, plotting to end the new dynasty before it begins. A waif from Kigen’s gutters begins a friendship that could undo the entire empire. A new enemy gathers its strength, readying to push the fracturing Shima imperium into a war it cannot hope to survive. And across raging oceans, amongst islands of black glass, Yukiko and Buruu will face foes no katana or talon can defeat.

The ghosts of a blood-stained past.

Babble:
Although I had some issues with the first book, I'm eagerly anticipating for the second especially since I can't wait for Yukiko and her Buruu to kick some ass in this one! Hopefully there will be less use of redundant words in the story and more focus on the plotline.

Review: Towering

Towering
by Alex Flinn
Hardcover, 293 pages
Published May 14th 2013 

by HarperTeen

Summary from Goodreads:

At first, I merely saw his face, his hands on the window ledge. Then, his whole body as he swung himself through the window. Only I could not see what he swung on.

Until, one day, I told my dream self to look down. And it was then that I saw. He had climbed on a rope. I knew without asking that the rope had been one of my own tying.

Rachel is trapped in a tower, held hostage by a woman she’s always called Mama. Her golden hair is growing rapidly, and to pass the time, she watches the snow fall and sings songs from her childhood, hoping someone, anyone, will hear her. 

Wyatt needs time to reflect or, better yet, forget about what happened to his best friend, Tyler. That’s why he’s been shipped off to the Adirondacks in the dead of winter to live with the oldest lady in town. Either that, or no one he knows ever wants to see him again.

Dani disappeared seventeen years ago without a trace, but she left behind a journal that’s never been read, not even by her overbearing mother…until now.

Thoughts:

First of all, I'm beginning to think that there's a curse to all the books that I've been eagerly anticipating this year since most of them just fall into the 'meh' category. Towering was one of those. Now let me explain, I'm a big fan of Alex Flinn and so far I've already read 3 of her books not including this one. Her books are always funny, light and entertaining with a dose of whimsical magic here and there.

But Towering is just dark and confusing with an underlying plot of a girl's disappearance and a boy trying to overcome his mysterious past. The ending was so disappointing as there are too many questions left unresolved. And the characters are neither likeable nor funny which makes this book not as enjoyable as the rest of Alex Flinn's books. The previous book; Bewitching was such an exhilarating read that I found this one just pales in comparison.

Verdict: 2 stars.
In my Books in a Series Reading Challenge 
Available on: Amazon