The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow

Title: The Iron Wyrm Affair
Author: Lilith Saintcrow
Genre: Fantasy, Steampunk
Series: Bannon and Clare #1

Trade paperback, 320 pages
Published on August 7, 2012 by Orbit

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|AMAZON|BOOK DEPOSITORY| 

Source: Publisher

|SUMMARY| 
Emma Bannon, forensic sorceress in the service of the Empire, has a mission: to protect Archibald Clare, a failed, unregistered mentath. His skills of deduction are legendary, and her own sorcery is not inconsiderable. It doesn't help much that they barely tolerate each other, or that Bannon's Shield, Mikal, might just be a traitor himself. Or that the conspiracy killing registered mentaths and sorcerers alike will just as likely kill them as seduce them into treachery toward their Queen.

In an alternate London where illogical magic has turned the Industrial Revolution on its head, Bannon and Clare now face hostility, treason, cannon fire, black sorcery, and the problem of reliably finding hansom cabs.

The game is afoot..

|REVIEW|

I am a big fan of steampunk/fantasy, and The Iron Wrym Affair’s cover sucked me in. I’m thinking with a kick-butt cover like that, the story must be just as good. Wrong. The book is somewhat package and said to be a steampunk novel in an alternate Victorian England but I never got that. Yes, there were clockwork horses, the mechanical wrym, and gadget terms thrown at readers but I don’t think that qualifies as being ‘steampunk’. This is one of the most confusing books I have ever read, like to the point where the book has ended and I still am unsure of what I just read! This new world that Saintcrow created felt like it was thrown together, without a clear structure or explanation. It’s as if readers are supposed to understand everything that is presented in the book. 

The characters were another problem; I didn’t feel the connection to them or even between them. Clare is suppose to be a great Mentath, a person that solves problem and puzzles using method of deduction but half the time it sounded like he was just rattling off on the obvious. I didn’t really need to read him stating what readers can see for themselves. Then we have Bannon, who has trust issue with her shield, Mikal (The man saved you countless of times, he isn’t going to murder you!) Yes, we know you’re the most powerful prime sorceress in Londinium and readers get reminded every few pages/or chapters which was quite vexing in my opinion. 

 

Overall not my cup of tea, there were way too much going on and it confused me to the end. If you’re new the steampunk genre, or interested in it…try another book. This is a pretty bad representation of steampunk, and I wouldn’t want people to get the wrong idea of the genre because they read this book. I get authors creating their own world, and making up their own terms but this was just a big mess. If you still want to check it out, I advised saving your money by borrowing from a friend or from a library.

**Thank you Orbit for sending me a copy of this book for review** 

FTC disclaimer: Orbit provided me with a copy of The Iron Wrym Affair, and in return I provide an honest review. 

Interview and Giveaway with Taylor Keating

Taylor Keating, author of The Guardian series is joining us today to answers questions about their recently released novel, Fair Game which is the third book in The Guardian series. Taylor Keating is the pseudonym of duo writers, Catherine Verge and Paula Altenburg. Fair Game is available now wherever books are sold! 

Hi ladies, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer a few questions about your new book/series! Can you give a short description of your Guardian series, for those who haven’t read it yet?

It all started out with the idea of a very smart heroine who unwittingly taps into a parallel dimension via cutting edge technology.   We tossed in some magic, some bad guys, a sexy, strong hero who is literally adrift, his body safe at home while his astral traveling spirit is enslaved by our heroine’s (and the world’s)  worst enemy.  Then we added a sidekick who sometimes steals the show.  We had fun creating a virtual world and putting our characters in grave danger.  Only then could we see who they really were and what they were made of.  

Can you give us the elevator pitch for Fair Game?

In war torn Earth, River Weston creates Hollow Man, a computer generated holographic program designed to protect humans in battle.  Except when it mutates with a virus, she puts her entire world in jeopardy and the only way to reverse it is to risk the life of the man she loves.  

Fair Game is the third book in the series, was it easier to write this book the third time around or harder?

I think this third book was the hardest to write because we really had to pull together all the threads we weaved through the first book, plus readers have been invested in these characters for three books and after torturing our hero and heroine we really wanted to make sure we gave everyone a satisfying ending. 

What is the writing process like? Example, how do you guys keep track of everything, the world building/layout? 

When we start a new story we create a story board and break everything down into chapters and turning points.  We use different color sticky notes for each character and another one for world building.  We don’t always follow it exactly but it is a guideline as we are writing.  As for the actual process when we’re deep into a story we talk on the phone almost every day.  I will write for a couple days a week, and then hand the work over to her.  She’ll edit what I wrote (she’s the grammar queen) and then she’ll add new pages.  After she passes it back to me, I’ll reread, and we’ll discuss direction etc before I add my new pages.  It’s a pretty good partnership, especially considering my weaknesses are her strengths and vice versa.  Although I must say, we’re both learning from each other and overcoming our weaknesses.

What actors would you choose to play some of your characters if your book were made into a movie or TV show?

Ah, such a good question.  I would love to see Kate Beckinsale play River, Karl Urban play Hawk and Timothy Olyphant for Nick. 

Taylor Keating (via Goodreads Profile)

Tell us three interesting things about yourself that can’t be found in your biography section. 

Paula snores and I don’t.  

Paula is the grammar queen and I’m not.

Paula and I have completely opposite tastes in movies. (Although we both love Justified and I’d like to see Timothy Olyphant play Nick in our books!) 

If you were shipwrecked on a desert island what 3 books would you want with you?

Cathryn: Well, I’d probably want a book on how to survive on a desert island (I’m so not the camping type!), another on how to build a raft and probably a good hot romance by either Shayla Black or Sasha White to get me through the cold nights.  LOL

Paula: This is a tough one! Something by Madeline Hunter, George R.R. Martin, and probably Kim Harrison’s latest.

What is a movie or TV show that you watched recently and really enjoyed?

Cathryn : Well, last night I flicked on It’s Complicated with Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin.  I laughed and cried.

Paula: The first two seasons of Justified, and the latest Batman movie. Hmm. I seem to have a thing for vigilantes. I’m really not much for television, though. I’d rather read. But my husband and I love movies. He’ll watch anything with me, including The Princess Diaries. LOL. And I’ll watch just about any movie too, except I’m not a big fan of quirky for some reason. I’ll watch certain things with people who enjoy them, but would never choose them myself. My husband wants to see ParaNorman but I’m kind of “meh” about it. Does that make me selfish?

What are you currently reading right now or what are some books in your TBR pile?

Cathryn: I just finished A Perfect Storm by Lori Foster, I’m currently reading a fabulous Young Adult novel Divergent.  Next up is My Soul to Keep, book four in Shari Kohler’s moon chaser series.    

Paula: George R.R. Martin’s A Feast for Crows. My TBR pile has a lot of new romance releases in it, everything from paranormal romance to historical. I’m a big Madeline Hunter and Sherry Thomas fan. And I love anything with “For Dummies” in the title. I’m not a biographies type of reader, but I love reading to learn new things. If it looks like a textbook I have to buy it.

What other projects can we look forward to reading from you in the future (as a team, and individually)?

We just put together a new Taylor Keating proposal and it’s in the hands of our agent right now.  We’re very excited about it and hope we can divulge the details soon.  

One half of Taylor Keating also writes as Cathryn Fox and Cat Kalen.  Cathryn Fox just released two books with Samhain Publishing, Wet in Whispering Cove and Brazen in Whispering Cove, and she has A lick of Flame (Sept 18) the second book in the Boys of Beachville series coming out next month.  Cat Kalen writes Young Adult and she has Pride’s Pursuit the third book in the Wolf’s Pride series coming out next month.  More information can be found here.  www.cathrynfox.com and www.catkalen.com

 

Paula Altenburg has the Demon’s Daughter, the first book in her three book Demon Outlaws Series coming out soon with Entangled.  More information can be found here.  www.paulaaltenburg.com  

Do you have any advice to aspiring writers?

Work hard, never stop learning, treat others with respect and give back to the writing community.  So many people have helped me along my journey and I will never, ever forget it.

Finish this statement: You’ll enjoy Fair Game if you like…books with action, suspense, magic and an incredibly hot hero!

**This or That questions**

Facebook or Twitter? Facebook

Coffee or Tea? Coffee

Vampires or Werewolf? Werewolf

Morning or Night? Morning

Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings? Harry Potter

Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate

Baked or Fried? Fried, but will usually go for baked.

E-reader or physical book? Ereader

Comedy or Horror? Comedy

 To learn more about Taylor Keating

||BIO||

Buy Fair Game at

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GIVEAWAY

US/CA ADDRESSES ONLY

 Tor Books has generously offered (3) copies of Fair Game to Short & Sweet Review readers! To enter, please leave a comment for Taylor Keating, and your email address on this post. Giveaway ends Saturday, September 1, 2012. Winners will be announced and notified Sunday.

Review: The Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent

Title: The Unnaturalists
Author: Tiffany Trent
Genre: YA-Steampunk/Dystopian
Series: The Unnaturalists #1

Hardcover, 305 pages
Published August 14, 2012 by Simon & Schuster BFYR

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|AMAZON|BOOK DEPOSITORY|

Source: (ARC) Publisher

Reading level: Ages 12 and up

||SUMMARY||
Vespa Nyx wants nothing more than to spend the rest of her life cataloging Unnatural creatures in her father’s museum, but as she gets older, the requirement to become a lady and find a husband is looming large. Syrus Reed’s Tinker family has always served and revered the Unnaturals from afar, but when his family is captured to be refinery slaves, he finds that his fate may be bound up with Vespa’s—and with the Unnaturals.

As the danger grows, Vespa and Syrus find themselves in a tightening web of deception and intrigue. At stake may be the fate of New London—and the world.

||REVIEW||

I remember the first time I saw the cover for this novel, it blew me away! It’s one of those books you would buy just on the cover alone, but the summary was unlike anything I’ve heard of before…fantastical/mythical creatures displayed in museum. These unnatural creatures are very much alive, but are like stone statues because they’re under a shield force that keeps them stationary. Hmm, where to begin? The novel wasn’t what I thought it would be. The book was told from two perspectives, Syrus the Tinker and Vespa, with chapters alternating between the two. The word-building was very interesting, setting in an alternative steampunk London but there were too much information to process and at times the lack of information. I felt there were many little stories all going on at once in regards to the main plot problem and at times when the author is mentioning an unnatural creature/or background information it isn’t explained thoroughly leaving the reader mystified and lost.

Vespa Nyx our heroine wants to break the traditional mold of what society thinks a Victorian lady should be, and while in the end she accomplishes that she didn’t stand out in any way through the book. I never felt a connection with Vespa, she never did or said anything remarkable. Vespa is supposed to be the savior of the people and have insane magical power, but nothing showed for it. Then there’s the love interest Bayne, I do not see anything appealing in his characters. His interaction with Vespa were odd, because he was always distancing himself from her or giving her the cold shoulder…it was very limited interaction. Most of the time he was trying to convince himself that he shouldn’t like her; I honestly don’t even remember the reason why! Syrus the Tinker was the only interesting character, with much more emotion than the other two main characters. I was more engrossed when his POV chapters came up than Vespa. The rest of the secondary characters in the books were MEH- I didn’t care for them, and they weren’t that memorable.

Overall this was a good book…not great but good. There were a lot of flaws, but the concept is so original, I just wish it was executed better. Why am I giving this book 3 star and not 2? It still a decent book, and like I said I love the idea of unnatural creatures being displayed in the museum, and as you read on what happens to all those disappearing unnatural creatures. While the overall book didn’t blow me away like the cover, but I think other readers might enjoy it more than me. This isn’t a fast paced book; everything that happens is at a general/constant speed. So, if you’re expecting a climax in the story or explosive action scenes…then you might want to think twice before reading this book, its more on the slow side. 

**Thank you Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book for review** 

FTC disclaimer: Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of The Unnaturalists, and in return I provide an honest review. 

Review: The Immortality Virus by Christine Amsden

Title: The Immortality Virus
Author: Christine Amsden
Genre: Science-Fiction, Dystopian
Series: N/A

Trade paperback, 270 pages
Published June 15, 2011 by Paladin Timeless Books

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Source: Author

Reading level: Age 14 and up

||SUMMARY||

In the mid-21st century, the human race stopped aging. Those who know why aren't talking, and the few who are brave enough to ask questions tend to disappear. To an elite few, The Change means long life and health, but to the increasing masses, it means starvation, desperation, and violence.Four centuries after The Change, Grace Harper, a blacklisted P.I., sets off on a mission to find the man responsible for it all and solicit his help to undo The Change - if he's still alive. To complicate matters, Grace's employer is suspected of murdering his father, and when the police learn of their connection, they give her a choice - help them find the evidence they need to convict Matthew Stanton, or die. But if they discover Grace's true mission, they won't hesitate to kill her in order to protect their shot at immortality.

||REVIEW||

What would it be like if we were given the chance to be a step closer to immortality? In Mrs. Amsden’s science fiction/dystopian thriller, readers get to explore that possibility where our main character Grace Harper lives in the world where no one ages.  Grace is a 130 year old black-listed private investigator, but she doesn’t look a day older than 25 years old. The totalitarian government is a world in which no one wants to live in, the older timers (those who were already old before the change) rule/high society while everyone else makes the low class, scrounging for food or nutri-bars.  Grace Harper is hired by Matthew Stanton to help him find a man that hasn’t been located for almost 400 years to clear his name in his father’s murder. While on the other side, The Establishment (government) wants Grace to help them prove Matthew Stanton is the killer. Grace has three days to find the answers, but she doesn’t know which side to be on….because between Matthew Stanton and The Establishment…it would be helping the lesser of two evils.

The Immortality Virus was a breath of fresh air in the sea of my usual paranormal books; I haven’t read a great science fiction novel in a while…so it was a nice change of book scenery LOL. The action and suspense started immediately in the first chapter, where Grace learns why she was called in by the richest man in Kansas. The pacing was usually on point, but kind of bogged down in the middle when Grace arrives at the farm (slave-like camps) and didn’t really hold my interest much but once readers passed those farm scenes it got interesting again. Grace was a very likeable character, she strong, independent and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. There were two love interests in the book for Grace, but the romance was almost nonexistent in the book, while the book focused more on the main plot. I don’t know if this is a series or not but the book ended on a cliff hanger. There’s a likely chance that there will be another book in the series, since there are still a lot of unsolved problems. Overall this was a great science fiction/dystopian novel, and I highly recommend it to everyone who is looking for a new book to read. The Immortality Virus will appeal to all genre readers, whether it is science fiction, dystopian, fantasy, mystery, or contemporary fiction. 

**Thank you Christine for sending me a copy of this book for review** 

FTC disclaimer: The author provided me with a copy of The Immortality Virus, and in return I provide an honest review.  

Review: Hearts of Darkness by Kira Brady

Title: Hearts of Darkness
Author: Kira Brady
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Deadglass #1

Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
Published on  August 7, 2012 by Zebra

Source: Author

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Reading level: Ages 18 and up

||SUMMARY||
Nurse Kayla Friday has dedicated her life to science and reason. But for her, Seattle is a place of eerie loss and fragmented, frightening memories. And now the only clue to her sister’s murder reveals a secret battle between two ancient mythologies…and puts Kayla in the sights of lethally-sexy werewolf mercenary Hart. He’ll do whatever it takes to obtain the key to the Gate of the Land of the Dead and free what’s left of his soul. But seducing the determined Kayla is putting them at the mercy of powerful desires neither can control. And as the clock ticks down to hellish catastrophe, the untested bond between Kayla and Hart may lead to the ultimate sacrifice.

||REVIEW||

I knew I wanted to read this book right when I read the summary, I’m a sucker for any book with werewolves or shifters…and this book had both!! Before starting this book, I read several reviews that compared this series to Karen M. Moning’s Fever series. I love the Fever series as much as the next reader, but after reading this book the similarities to the Fever series are the main heroine trying to find out who killed her sister and her sister’s link to a supernatural world. Other than those two tid-bits, the similarities ended there. This is one of the most original paranormal romances I’ve read all year; I love everything about this book from the characters, to the appealing world-building.  

The novel takes place in an alternate Seattle, where ghosts/Wraiths are the cause of the occasional black outs around the city and the unknowing humans are dependent on the old invention of gas lamps to light the dark. Kayla Friday, our heroine of the novel arrives in Seattle to identify her sister’s body and what she doesn’t know is that she just walked right into a war that has been brewing between two shifter races for control of the city. The two main shifter clans are The Kivati (Native American) who can shift to any animal on the totem pole) and the Drekar (Norse) who are Dragon shifters.

I really enjoyed the world that Mrs. Brady created. She did a wonderful job of blending Native American, Babylonian and Norse Mythology together for a flawless story with strong-unique characters.  Kayla, I don’t really know how I feel about her, there were times when I admired her and other times felt annoyed with her.  Hart, was the typical tortured-bad boy, alpha male which will have readers swooning over him. There were also secondary characters that made a lasting impressing such as; Grace, a small girl known as The Reaper, Oscar another fellow comrade of Hart, Lucia the prophesied princess, Sven the Drekar and many more.  The pacing of the book was great, it keep getting more interesting with each page and never let up even till the end. There were so many interesting characters in this book, and what I like about this book was that there wasn’t necessary a bad guy or a good guy...everyone was in the gray area. Everyone made their choices because they believe that it was the right thing to do, which was refreshing to see from the norm of other books.

 There were a lot of twists near the end of the book, which took me by surprised…totally didn’t see it coming! This is a first book in a planned trilogy, and while the book ended on a good note for our main hero/heroine the ending sets the next book up for a whole new problem that needs to be solved. I highly recommend this to Urban Fantasy, Paranormal and even Fantasy Fans. If you’re looking for a new, refreshing read full of complex characters, and a dark and gritty world look no further….this series is worth checking out! I can’t wait to read book 2, Hearts of Shadow which comes out May 2013. 

**Thank you Kira for sending me a copy of this book for review** 

FTC disclaimer: The author provided me with a copy of Hearts of Darkness , in return I provide an honest review. 

Interview with Kira Brady

Kira Brady, author of The Deadglass Trilogy is joining us today to answers question about her recently released debut novel, Heart of Darkness! Heart of Darkness is available now wherever books are sold!

Hi Kira, so happy that you can join us today! Can you give us the “elevator pitch” for Heart of Darkness?

Thanks for having me! Elevator pitch: In a gritty, alternate Seattle, two shape shifter races fight to control the Gate to the Land of the Dead. A human woman must join forces with a mercenary werewolf to stop the Gates from falling and unleashing an apocalypse.

Where did you get the inspiration/idea for Heart of Darkness?

I took a ghost tour of Pike Place Market and was inspired by the ghost stories and dishonest political dealings of our city's founders. Growing up in Seattle, I've always been surrounded by Pacific Coast Native American and Scandinavian mythology. Deadglass Seattle is a dark reflection of the real city, where the myths, legends, and ghost stories are real.

I’ve read some reviews for HoD, and they were comparing your series to Karen M. Moning’s Fever Series. What are your thoughts on that?

I'm honored by the comparison, because I think Moning writes awesome books. However, I don't really think the series is like the Fever series. There are superficial similarities--the heroine's investigation into the mysterious death of her sister, the hero who is part of the secret world and acts as mentor, the breaking down of the separations between supernatural and natural worlds, and the gritty city setting. I guess I'm afraid of people being disappointed if they read it expecting it to be like Fever.

What did you do to celebrate when you found out your trilogy was acquired by Kensington Zebra? 

I took my family and parents out to dinner, and then I started writing book 2. I also had afternoon tea with my critique partner and mom-in-law. I've been surprised at how long the wait is between finishing the book, selling it, and it finally appearing on bookshelves. It's really spread out the celebrating--more tea for me!

What are you currently reading right now or what are some books in your TBR pile?

I loaded about twenty books on my kindle for vacation and then it broke. *sob* When I get it fixed (and I finish writing book 3!), I will be reading Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore, Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson, Mina Wentworth and the Invisible City by Meljean Brook, Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews, Enclave by Ann Aguirre, Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber, and Darkest Day by Britt Bury.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Write, write, and write some more. Finish the projects you start, even through the dreaded middle, and allow yourself the freedom to write a sucky first draft. The second and third drafts are for prettying it up. Take all writing advice with a grain of salt. The best thing you can do for yourself is practice your craft as much as possible.

Finish this statement: You’ll enjoy Hearts of Darkness if you like…

Marjorie Liu? Jeanine Frost? Kensington says Lara Adrian, Larissa Ione, Nalini Singh, Keri Arthur, Rachel Vincent, Jacquelyn Frank, and J.R. Ward.

**Quick lightning round questions**

Twitter or Facebook? Twitter

Team Peeta or Team Gale (The Hunger games)? Gale

Vampires or Werewolf? WEREWOLF!!!

Coffee or Tea? Tea

E-book or Physical copy? Paper...because it won't break on you :(

**Word association **

Werewolves- alpha

Apocalypse-  now

Black- pepper

Hot- peppers

TV- books

Author's Bio: A native Seattleitte, Kira spent her childhood hiking the rainy forests of the Pacific Northwest and drying out by the fire with a good book and a mug of something hot. She graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania, where she met her real life Prince Charming and promptly dragged him back to sunless Seattle. She fell in love with historic, haunted cities in graduate school. Now she writes about the twisted cities of her imagination, where wraiths and shape-shifters stalk the night and love redeems even the darkest heart. When not writing, she can be found drinking inordinately large mugs of Assam tea, knitting wool socks, and raising a wee heroine-in-training. Her website is http://kirabrady.com

Buy the book! Hearts of Darkness can be purchased at:

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