A steampunk Sleeping Beauty story from the author of Beauty and the Clockwork Beast.
Doctor
Isla Cooper is cursed. Literally. Each night, at the stroke of midnight
she falls into a death-like sleep from which she cannot be awakened for
six hours. To make it worse, the curse has an expiration date—after a
year, it becomes permanent. And the year is almost up.
In a
desperate attempt to find Malette—the witch who cursed her—Isla
blackmails her way onto Daniel Pickett's private airship bound for the
Caribbean, only to discover she's traveling with three illegal
shapeshifters and the despicable Nigel Crowe, a government official
determined to hunt down and exterminate every shapeshifter in England.
Isla and Daniel must work together to keep the identities of the
shapeshifters hidden while coming to terms with their own hidden
secrets, and their blossoming attraction to each other.
Filled with suspense, intrigue, and plenty of romance, Kiss of the Spindle is
steampunk Sleeping Beauty story. It is a race against the clock as Isla
and Daniel try to hunt down the elusive Malette before Isla's
death-like sleep becomes permanent.
Opening line:
"Isla Elizabeth Cooper extended her hand toward the airship ticket agent."
Isla
has had a spell, or rather, a curse placed on her, where every night at
midnight she falls into a deep sleep and doesn't awake until 6 am. She
jokes she sleeps like the dead and she almost does; her breath is
shallow and her skin is tinged with blue. She's on a deadline to find
the cure before the curse becomes permanent.
She bullies her way on
to an airship, much to the dismay of the captain, Daniel Pickett who
does not want any more passengers on his ship but somehow cannot resist
Isla. For on Daniel's ship are three shape shifters who Daniel is
smuggling away from London and persecution.
Before Daniel can get
off the ground, another unwanted person bullies his way onto the
airship: Nigel Crowe. Notorious for sending shape shifters off to the
dungeon or to be hanged. His work is in total contrast to what Isla
does, so the tension between the two and then the whole ship's
passengers begins right from the start.
The author does a fantastic
job of fleshing out her characters where the reader comes to love and
cheer for them. Even the villain is easy to hate! And the 'ton Samson
was easily a favorite of mine.
I enjoyed the storyline of Sleeping Beauty and the mix of steampunk and a twist of the plot.
The
romance was perfectly paced in that it wasn't overly dramatic or love
at first sight It was a sweet build up until the...well, I can't tell
you. You just need to read this book!
I would recommend this book to any reader who loves a well-written adventure with enough romance and kissing to keep reading.
Thanks to netgalley for the read!
When Lucy Pickett
arrives at Blackwell Manor to tend to her ailing cousin, Kate, she finds
more than she bargained for. A restless ghost roams the hallways,
werewolves have been reported in the area, and vampires lurk across the
Scottish border. Lord Miles himself is clearly hiding a secret. He is
brash and inhospitable, and does not take kindly to visitors—even one as
smart and attractive as Miss Pickett. He is unsettled by the mysterious
deaths of his new wife, Clara, and his sister, Marie. Working together,
Miles and Lucy attempt to restore peace to Blackwell Manor. But can
Lucy solve the mystery of Miles? Can she love the man—beast and all?
First line:
"It
had never been proven that Lord Blackwell had killed his wife, but then
the man in question hadn't actually denied it, either."
Oh my. I
loved this book more than I thought I would! Because a twist on Beauty
and the Beast with a twist of steampunk? I wasn't sure. But yes. I loved
it.
Lucy's cousin is ill, which is very unusual for her so Lucy
takes it on herself to help her get better. She arrives at Blackmoor
Manor to rude servants, rumors of ghosts and murder most foul.
Lucy
is smart (she's a botanist!) and witty (she takes on the Beast, er, Earl
of Blackmoor) and brave (she survives so many attacks! Seriously! How
many can one girl take?). She uncovers many of the mysterious
surrounding the Manor and the family and in the meantime, finds herself
caring for the Earl. He, on the other hand, pulls away from anyone who
might betray him or hurt him and his brother. He's very protective of
those close to him and doesn't give much to the wiles of women. But
somehow, Lucy draws him in with her wit and spirit and bravery.
This
story is set in the Victorian era with a bit steampunk, werewolves,
vampires, magic and mystery and fairy tale. It's a great, clean romantic
book that I would recommend to anyone.
L: No
V: animal and human attacks, poisonings, murder, but none graphic
S: kissing
5 STARS
Thanks to netgalley for the advance read in exchange for my honest review.
Trenton Colman is a creative thirteen-year-old boy with a knack for all things mechanical. But his talents are viewed with suspicion in Cove, a steam-powered city built inside a mountain. In Cove, creativity is a crime and “invention” is a curse word.
Kallista Babbage is a repair technician and daughter of the notorious Leo Babbage, whose father died in an explosion—an event the leaders of Cove point to as an example of the danger of creativity.
Working together, Trenton and Kallista learn that Leo Babbage was developing a secret project before he perished. Following clues he left behind, they begin to assemble a strange machine that is unlikely anything they’ve ever seen before. They soon discover that what they are building may threaten every truth their city is founded on—and quite possibly their very lives.
Ok. I already love Savage's storytelling so I may be biased...BUT this was another great read from this awesomesauce author.
I loved the world, the creativity and inventions but "creativity" is a naughty word and inventing is against the law. The world is totally opposite of SKY JUMPERS by Peggy Eddleman, where inventing is honored and if you can't invent, you're an outcast.
Good word-building, deep characterization, and great villains, as well as twists and turns and... can't tell ya. You'll have to read it to find out!
Good, clean book, perfect for a summer read! I'm going to buy one for my son.
V: a couple of scenes, not graphic
L: no
S: no. Well, maybe cheek kiss
4 STARS
Thanks netgalley for the read!
