Title: The Wild Adventure of Jasper Renn
Author: Kady Cross
Series: Steampunk Chronicles #3.5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Steampunk, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: “He surely would, but you wouldn’t deserve to hang for doing the world a favor.”

In this companion novella to The Girl with the Iron Touch, American cowboy Jasper Renn finds himself in a situation his lightning-fast skills cannot rescue him from…

After surviving a triumph-turned-tragedy in New York City, Jasper is determined to secure a happier future with his gifted band of friends. So when the group’s mechanical genius Emily is abducted, he’ll plunge into England’s darkest places to rescue her…

But his old flame Wildcat is turning London twon upside down to find her missing sister, and Jasper finds the attraction between himself and the fierce beauty as tempting and dangerous as ever. Their trail leads deep into the city’s most unusual circus. Soon, Jasper will find his loyalties – and future – tested more than he could ever imagine…

I kind of love the idea of an American cowboy in steampunk England. It gives the storyline a little more flavour, but mostly I think that the idea of Jasper just sounds kind of cute. He’s sweet, a bit of a charmer, and I can imagine his swagger as he waltzes around with a cowboy hat on. It helps that Cross’ vivid descriptions create a world where it is easy to imagine Renn running around the streets of London (literally).

When Cat makes another appearance in The Girl with the Iron Touch, I was admittedly excited. I love when my favourite characters find themselves a perfect significant other. And Cat seemed kind of perfect for Jasper, plus a fairly enthralling character that I want to discover more about. Having a novella that actually investigates this woman (and her relationship with Jasper) further, just completely made my day.

Image source: Pinterest

Title: The Girl with the Iron Touch
Author: Kady Cross
Series: Steampunk Chronicles #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Steampunk, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: Regardless, she most certainly cannot look after herself.

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, Finley turns to Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily. 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…

The more I read of this series, the more I love it, and the harder I find to put it down. Emily, Finley and the rest of the gang journey onwards in their battle to find their place in the world and seek justice. Yet, The Machinist’s legacy still haunts them, and it forces Emily to face up to her inner terrors and strengths. Some of Emily’s past has been alluded to in the preceding books, but it’s not until The Girl with the Iron Touch that it truly comes to light. Along with her immense capacity for love and strength.

Not only is there a lot of personal growth in the characters throughout this series, but there’s also great relationship developments. Emily and Sam have a great connection, but the depth of their love for one another isn’t really explored until this novel – it divulges far more of their thoughts and dedication. Finley and Griffin too find a way to progress in their relationship, even though there are still secrets and many layers of confusion between the two of them. There are even hints of a future love interest for Jasper in the presence of the Wildcat. It’s a little bit of a cliché, but also kind of nice that it seems as though each of the main characters have paired up. Or are about to…

Mixing a vivid, beautiful world with the battle of good versus evil, the supernatural talents of the characters and the technology of steampunk all jumps off the page. It not only makes it impossible to put down this story, but it helps to make an already thoroughly enjoyable storyline all the better. After all, it’s not everyday that you find a story that has great fashion, great characters, great settings and a great storyline.

Image source: Goodreads

Title: The Dark Discovery of Jack Dandy
Author: Kady Cross
Series: Steampunk Chronicles #2.5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Steampunk, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: Jack tossed the packet of bills at him.

Before he makes his appearance in The Girl with the Iron Touch, Jack Dandy had an adventure of his own. Learn how his actions set the plot in motion in The Dark Discovery of Jack Dandy, a short teaser story from author Kady Cross’s Steampunk Chronicles.

Jack Dandy didn’t become prince of the London underworld at barely twenty-one by being softhearted, even if a certain girl in a steel corset has wormed her way into his affections of late. He knows how to manipulate, charm and rob people blind. And if his criminal activities embarrass his aristocratic father, so much the better.

So, when a friend of Jack’s father hires him for an underhanded job, Jack is happy to oblige – for an outrageous fee, of course. Delivering a mysterious crate seems like an easy task – until Jack realizes just what is inside…

Jack Dandy fascinates me. He is the stereotypical ‘bad guy’, wearing black, acting charming, but running a cut throat (literally) business. Yet, there is obviously some kind of relationship with Finley throughout the rest of the Steampunk Chronicles books. Reading a novella that not only thinks about this relationship from Jack’s point of view, but also opens up the storyline for the next novel was incredibly enjoyable.

Jack’s heritage and history are finally brought to light in this great novella. Even the reasons for his almost courtship of Finley, and his work with the criminal underworld are shown. His petty attempt at revenge and strike back at the class system of 1800’s England help to further create a multi-dimensional image of this complex character.

I really enjoyed not only the short journey that Jack goes on throughout this story, but how Cross is able to build up on one of her secondary characters throughout it. Now I just can’t wait to delve into The Girl with the Iron Touch.

Image source: Goodreads

Title: The Girl in the Clockwork Collar
Author: Kady Cross
Series: Steampunk Chronicles #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Steampunk, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: When they’d first stolen the thing, Daltonhad been as excited as a kid let loose in a sweetshop.

In 1897, New York City, life has never been more thrilling or dangerous. What happens when someone you love becomes a weapon to use against you…

I loved the contrast between the setting of this and The Girl in the Steel Corset. New York and England, both set in the 1800s, and filled with the beautiful imagery of the steampunk world. Finley’s ability to navigate this world is put to the test as not only her relationship with Griffin changes and evolves, but she struggles to understand more of Jasper’s convoluted history.

The past is something that we can never run from. Not only does it shape us, but it also haunts us in the worst possible moments. Jasper is forced to face up to this as the gang of misfits struggle to free him and clear his name. Yet, it is the woman who he loves that holds the key to his past (and possible future) more than anyone else. The girl who wears the clockwork collar is beguiling and somehow slightly off throughout this entire tale – most of the story, I thought that it was just because I prefer Finley and Emily, but, towards the end, I discovered that it was something more. There isn’t just Jasper’s continuous feeling of guilt, but that lingering feeling that things aren’t quite right definitely held true. You’ll just have to find out how by reading this amazing story yourself!

The stakes are slowly raised for Griffin as well. Not just in admitting what his feelings for Finley are, but also in understanding his own strengths, and weaknesses. In a time where men are supposed to be the protectors, his physical in capabilities constantly haunt him. But, it’s his ability to control the raw power of the aether which makes him such a potent enemy. Something that comes in handy towards the finale. And something that might be incredibly important in future stories, as it seems the Machinist isn’t quite finished with them…

Image source: Goodreads