Title: The Mapmaker’s Apprentice
Author: C.J. Archer
Series: Glass and Steele #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical fiction, Magic, Steampunk
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2016

I’m loving reading about the two couples in this as the story unfolds. Both Matt and India, and Duke and Willie are fantastic couples. They might both be in the budding stages of their respective relationships, but they both work so well together. Plus, it makes me want to dive into the next book just to see which couple gets together first!

I love that throughout this, India is discovering more about her magic and self. She spends the actions of The Mapmaker’s Apprentice growing into herself and gaining confidence. Plus, she’s finding out more about how magic works in the world and why it’s so forbidden in certain circles. Which, as the reader, I loved putting together the pieces alongside India.

Matt’s eligibility and marriageability is being seriously tested by his aunt throughout. I think that this is partly because she sees his attachment to India, but also because she’s an aunt and that’s what bored aunts do. The constant attempts to set him up and have him happily married are incredibly fun and somewhat awkward. I love that whilst the attempts petered off at the end of this novel, there’s so many hints of future attempts and just Matt’s feelings in general.

Although, for me, the focus in this story is on the relationships and growth of the characters, there was also the plot afoot. I was expecting the missing persons case they worked to have a much happier ending. So, although I loved this novel, I did find that I turned the last page with a bit of a melancholy mood. Which, somehow just makes me all that much more keen to dive into The Apothecary’s Poison.

Image source: Amazon

Title: The Watchmaker’s Daughter
Author: C.J. Archer
Series: Glass and Steele #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Historical fiction, Magic, Steampunk
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2016

I’ve already read one C.J. Archer book, so when The Watchmaker’s Daughter perfectly filled one of my reading challenge prompts, I was excited to dive right in. And, boy, was I NOT disappointed. This was a fun, engaging whirlwind of a story that now has me completely hooked on the author. Like The Last Necromancer, The Watchmaker’s Daughter is a tale that had me on the edge of my seat – incredibly keen to see what was going to happen next. The fantastic historical fiction / steampunk world building just made me more and more excited as the storyline unfolded.

Although I am completely obsessed with historical fictions, in particular, historical romances at the moment – I do sometimes find it a little… unrealistic when the lead female is so damn headstrong. It’s a little less… enjoyably historical when the heroine is so damn modern. I mean, in the past, women who were THAT outspoken and strong… were probably burned at the stake, or worse. Which is what makes India such a lovely and refreshing lead for this genre. She wants to be what we would perceive in the modern era as strong, but she is restricted by society. So she finds and enacts her strength in a myriad of more subtle ways. Ways which make you love her all that much more because we’ve all felt restrained by our societies and unable to act exactly the way we want.

The mystery of Matthew’s watch continues right throughout this novel. And whilst parts of his history and the watch-obsession are revealed, even at the end of this novel, you realise that there are so many more things that are to be revealed and realised throughout this series. Which, of course, just makes me want to pick up The Mapmaker’s Apprentice all that much more. I love how whilst everything was tied up nicely at the conclusion of this story, there are still so many more mysteries to uncover. It is the mark of a fantastic writer that the end of the story leaves you hanging for the next book in the series, but also feeling like everything has been tied up nice and neatly.

The whole gang in this story are characters that I absolutely loved. I want to sink further and further into this series. Plus, I want to see how the hints of romance between India and Matthew blossom. They seem like kind of the perfect couple, which means that it will be fantastic to see if they do, in fact, make a good couple when push comes to shove. Plus, there is also the tantalising hints of Duke and Winnie to consider…

Image source: Goodreads