Review - The Girl in the Clockwork Collar

by Kady Cross
publisher: Harlequin Teen
date of publication: May 22, 2012
format: digital review copy
pages: 416
source: Netgalley
read it in: 1 day

From Goodreads:

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling - or dangerous.

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him...for the life of the girl Jasper loves.

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens.

Finley, Griffin, and crew return in the second book of The Steampunk Chronicles, The Girl in the Clockwork Collar.  At the end of The Girl in the Steel Corset, things looked dire for Griffin's friend, the American cowboy Jasper Renn.  Now, it is up to the team to travel to New York to save him.  As a new enemy is introduced and a new plot unfolds, the faith of everyone from Finley to Griffin to Jasper will be tested.  In this riveting thrill ride, a new city will be traversed, new friends will be made, new enemies will come forth, and love will be tested once and for all.

Finley just keeps getting better and better with every story that I read about her.  Now that her two halves have merged, she is a much more complicated girl, which makes her an even more intriguing character.  As she grapples with who it is she really is, the full extent of her personality is revealed through the things she discovers about herself and the questions she now has about her nature.  Griffin, on the other hand, is beginning to have his confidence challenged, which makes him another interesting character to follow due to the ways in which he handles things.  As if that's not enough, we get to learn more about the charming Jasper Renn as he deals with his own dangers and adventures.  His story was a very welcome addition to this installment in the series, one which I enjoyed very much.  I could go on for lines and lines about all of the characters scattered throughout The Girl in the Clockwork Collar, but suffice it to say that I was thrilled with every bit of the character development within its pages.

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar is possessed of great pacing and a wonderful storyline that I couldn't get enough of.  As I became immersed further and further into the story, I was provided with just enough of a mystery to keep me guessing, but not so many clues that the story got bogged down with excessive details.  The setting made for a great adventure, especially Finley's forays into the Victorian gang territory known as Five Points.  The descriptions of Five Points and all people, places, and gadgets are rich and fully fleshed out, which was also one of the story's key attributes.  When it comes down to it, there isn't a single thing that I disliked about this book.

If this series gets any better, I'm going to feel compelled to pinch myself.  The Girl in the Clockwork Collar has everything I love in a book: strong characters, interesting settings, and an action-packed plot that keeps me reading long after I should be asleep.  If you haven't read The Girl in the Steel Corset yet, trust me when I say you should read it immediately, then pick up The Girl in the Clockwork Collar.  This series is nothing short of phenomenal and I, personally, can't say enough good things about it.  I will be waiting anxiously for the next book.

Buy The Girl in the Clockwork Collar at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - The Girl in the Steel Corset

by Kady Cross
publisher: Harlequin Teen
date of publication: May 24, 2011
format: eGalley
pages: 477
source: Netgalley
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N

From Goodreads:

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one…except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch….

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help—and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on—even if it seems no one believes her.

What I Thought

Having already read the prequel, The Strange Case of Finley Jayne, I will briefly begin by comparing The Girl in the Steel Corset to the aforementioned novella. The overall tone of each work was slightly different. The Girl in the Steel Corset was a lot more involved, as well as a lot grittier. Although the span of time that has elapsed between the two stories is not very long, there are some differences in Finley's character. While she was a formidable enough character in The Strange Case of Finley Jayne, she is much more dangerous in The Girl in the Steel Corset. In the latter, we learn the real extent of Finley's worry over her darker half, as well as just how much its influence has progressed. While she had a certain gentleness about her in TSCoFJ, glimpses of that gentleness are fewer and more far between in TGitSC. She has more worries to contend with now, as well as more serious dangers to face than she had previously.

In The Girl in the Steel Corset, we are finally introduced to the mysterious Duke of Greythorne, Griffin King, who, if you read The Strange Case of Finley Jayne, you may remember. As it turns out, Griffin is a spectacle in his own right. Much like Finley, he is in possession of some very mysterious powers, though of a vastly different type. He is also a very affable character that it would be very difficult to be annoyed with. Though only eighteen or so, Griffin possesses a maturity beyond his years thanks to the mysterious death of his parents three years prior. It is easy to forget as his authoritative attributes are explored that he is so very young. Also revealing more about Griffin is the company he keeps. Sam, Emily, and Jasper are all vastly talented people who have found both friendship and a home with Griffin. His interactions with these people, as well as Finley, do a great deal to reveal the level of kindness he is capable of. It is no wonder he is a love interest for Finley.

As this is a YA novel, there is (perhaps not too surprisingly), a love triangle in the works. The other member of this triangle is a bit shocking, however. Rather than another member of Griffin's household or circle, Finley's interest is piqued by Jack Dandy, a cocky criminal overlord with a Cockney accent. The interactions between the two is perhaps more surprising. There is something underneath the surface of Jack that leaves behind the feeling of curiosity. What are his motives? Just what is he involved in? How can Finley possibly be interested in a self-admitted criminal? There are several points to ponder, which makes him a very intriguing character. I will be curious to see what else he has to offer in the next books.

I loved the action that The Girl in the Steel Corset had to offer. From tangles with people to altercations with automatons, there is a lot going in this book that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It was very easy to become immersed in this book. Kady Cross has also given us a fascinating taste of steampunk, a taste that has left me with a craving for more. With strong female characters, biting wit, and gritty action sequences, this book is sure to please. There is so much more I could say, but it would give away too much. Suffice it to say that I will be looking forward to Kady's next book and give this offering 5 hoots.

Obligatory legal statement: This galley was provided to me free of charge via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Review: The Strange Case of Finley Jayne

by Kady Cross
publisher: Harlequin Teen
date published: May 1, 2011
format: NOOK eBook
pages: 78
source: free download from B&N
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N
challenges: Goodreads 2011 Reading Challenge; 2011 E-Book Reading Challenge; 2011 YA Reading Challenge

From Goodreads:

Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined…

What I Thought

I came across The Strange Case of Finley Jayne completely by chance while perusing B&N's assortment of free and inexpensive eBook downloads. When I read the plot synopsis, I knew I had to download it and read it very soon. The Strange Case of Finley Jayne is a prequel to the upcoming novel The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross, the first book in The Steampunk Chronicles. After getting my first taste of steampunk from Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel, I have been looking for other books to read in this subgenre. I first heard about The Girl in the Steel Corset back in late March/early April and knew that I definitely wanted to read it. As the book comes out on May 24, I had few options aside from waiting it out. When I saw The Strange Case of Finley Jayne as a free download, however, I thought it would be a great idea to download it to read as a sneak peak of what I could expect from The Girl in the Steel Corset. I am very glad that I did. This novella was an action-packed, fun read from the very beginning.

Our first introduction to Finley gets off to a roaring start. As the story opens, we find her being fired and ordered out of the house where she has been working as a maid. As we come to find out, she has been sacked not for saying something inappropriate. She has been fired for punching the governess. What is truly remarkable about this occurrence is that she punched said governess hard enough to knock out her teeth. Why did she do this, you may ask? Finley was visiting retribution upon the woman, who had been mistreating a child. This lets us know that Finley has a strong sense of right and wrong. Her strong reaction is the result of what she attributes to a darkness within her that takes over in situations of high stress or anger. Combined with her abnormal strength, this makes Finley a person not to be crossed. From this very first chapter it is apparent that Finley is going to be a heroine who takes matters into her own hands and puts up with no nonsense. She is straightforward, independent, and willing to do what it takes to ensure that wrongs are righted. When Finley is approached by Lady Morton to be a companion for her daughter, Phoebe, she is given the opportunity to show more of her characteristics. As soon as the trio attend Phoebe's engagement party, we are clued in that something is amiss. Finley will use every bit of her intelligence, strength, and confidence to get to the bottom of the situation.

The plot for this story was fairly well-done since it had to be so compact. As you may have noticed above, the book contains 78 pages, so brevity can be key. Perhaps as a result the secondary characters (Lady Morton, Phoebe, Lord Vincent, Lord Morton, and Finley's mother and stepfather) were not described at as much length as a full-length novel, which may leave a reader feeling a bit in the dark as to the full extent of these characters' traits or physical descriptions. Most of the emphasis is on Finley, as she is who is meant to be introduced the most. Also, the details as to the peril Phoebe is in and the motivations behind it are a bit spare, detracting from the sense of urgency one would expect. There is a sense of worry for Phoebe, but there just doesn't seem to be enough time to fully impart that punch of dread that is needed to have the reader on the edge of their seats.

I really did enjoy The Strange Case of Finley Jayne. It served to whet my appetite in anticipation of the release of The Girl in the Steel Corset next week. I have the feeling that I am going to love Finley as a heroine even more once I read TGitSC and look forward to seeing what else Kady Cross has in store. In the meantime, I will be waiting anxiously to read more and am happy to give The Strange Case of Finley Jayne 4 hoots.