I picked this book up because I was attracted by its steampunk lure. Little did I know that the steampunk essense is only some 10% of the book. The rest is of fantasy, drama, sex and colors.
This book starts with pixies. Pixies, of all things. Little flying creatures who possess the power to balance and unbalance things in this world. One wrong step, and they’ve brought on world war, have allowed freakish things into our dreams, and have let loose some of the greatest evils on Earth.
Oh, and let’s not forget that they’re about as small as your thumb.
Interestingly enough, this novel isn’t necessarily about the pixies. It’s about a lady who can see them, and who, by some odd luck, is to be manipulated helped by these creatures into changing the course of history.
But I digress. Nicola, in all her tomboyish ways, doesn’t seem to fit the part. It helps that her adversary’s the Black Falcon, known for his malice and lies. So we got an unladylike lady who’s up against a dark, handsome, “dangerous” man, and she’s the key to changing the world for the better.
Right.
The storytelling’s decent, although I at first felt confused about the part the pixies play in this mix. (It gets clearer as you go along, I suppose.) I myself sometimes get surprised when a pixie suddenly lands on Nicola’s saucy nose.
The characterization is actually pretty good. I liked how human the players were here – they showed sensitivity, strength, loneliness, atonement. I like how a kind of psychology is described here, and how misunderstandings and reputation were handled quite well. Very nice.
The plot – interesting. The premise is quickly given out, really, but the turnout of events was easily played. Some expected turns and unlooked-for twists.
Nice ending. I think it would be lovely to know what has happened to this bunch after the Finale.
Miscellaneous:
There are sex scenes in this book. I love how old English words were used here (addlepated, hoyden, etc). I enjoyed the history lesson, as well as a nice remembrance of the Industrial Revolution. The mechanical aspect here is not very detailed, but it happens. I kept muttering “tsundere” under bated breath.
Overall: An interesting look at industrial England, with a quirky little romance in the middle of it. A quick, cute read, all in all.
Clockwork Blue by Gloria Harchar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
