Steam & Sorcery

This is the first book in the Gaslight Chronicles, there are eight books in this series. This was a sweet and fun read, set in a unique world. I loved that there were a lot of different elements blended together here. You have some Arthurian mythology, vampires, werewolves, sorcery, steampunk elements, and romance. There is also a lot of mystery and some action.

I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook is very well done. I actually got this through Audible Escapes and was impressed with the narration quality. There have been some complaints that later books in this series are more novellas than full length novels.

I really enjoyed the blend of topics and genres in this story. I thought the book was well written and fun to listen show more to. I really enjoyed Caro's relationship with the children she is governess to. I thought the interactions between her and Merrick were well done too.

Overall this was just a fun little steampunk romance read. It had engaging characters, a sweet story, an intriguing mystery, and creates a world that’s an interesting blend of different genres. I plan on continuing the series and would definitely recommend if you are into steampunk romance with some unique Arthurian and fantasy elements. show less

Sir Merrick Hadrian is a member of the Knights of the Order of the Round Table and a hunter of monsters, both human and supernatural. During the course of one of his cases he is aided by a gang of 5 children, homeless orphans who have formed a sort of family. Hadrian takes them home and makes them his wards when he determines that the eldest boy is a potential Knight and the children will not be separated. Because of their unusual skills and former life style they need education and social skills. Caroline Bristol is at first reluctant to work for a bachelor, but is drawn to the children whom she has a great affinity for. As the mystery of Hadrian's case begins to impact the children and threaten the future of humans, Caroline and show more Merrick work together to protect the children and society, falling in love along the way. A very nice beginning to a steam-punk series. show less

So many things that appeal to me here--really interesting child characters, bookish folks, steampunk goings-on, magic, romance, kindness, queerness at least a bit visible in a MC's sister who appears to be in a happy long-term romantic relationship with another woman--and yet the treatment of gender (feels gender essentialist and very binary), attraction, attractiveness (she removes her unneeded spectacles and behold they were hiding some of her extraordinary beauty!), and sexual pleasure (the sex scenes seem boring and not important to character or plot development to me, and keep referring to her "womb" as the big place she's feeling desire and pleasure?), as well as of the power dynamics between a governess who's been sexually show more harassed and assaulted by a string of employers and her ... employer ..., all feel a bit yuck to me. show less

There was something just so utterly delightful about this book. I loved the steampunk, which I haven't read much of but I am definitely a fan. Then the author threw in other genres that I enjoy. This blending of vampyres, knights, some 1800 time period romance and shifters is so much fun. I love the spunky characters. The kids, the governess, the stodgy tutor and Lord Merrick himself are an interesting assortment of characters. I have never read anything by this author before but I think I will definitely read more.

Never would I have expected historical romance to blend so well with steampunk and the paranormal. Cindy Spencer Pape accomplishes not only that in Steam & Sorcery, but she also creates a full, rich plot, scorching hot romance, and lots of lovable characters. Despite being a quick read, Steam & Sorcery has all the elements I hope for in longer novels and the book never felt rushed or confusing.

Sir Merrick was a wonderfully unique hero. I loved reading about a magical knight taking on five magical, or equally hazardous, orphans. It was always humorous to hear his thoughts on the rag tag family they became and I couldn't help but fall in love with him considering how sweet he was to each of them. The plot was centered around Sir Merrick's show more secret organization and the possible disaster a steampunk machine could cause by giving vampyres the illusion of humanity. It was just as fun to read about him with the kids as it was when he was completing a mission or trying to avoid Caroline. Caro is another very unique character. I don't want to say much on that as the discovery and what that's about is integral to the plot. Caro is the most obvious deviation from a realistic historical (besides the paranormal and steampunk) as she's very forward thinking. I don't think this took away from the book's credibility and it certainly didn't diminish my enjoyment. Just because Miss Dorothy, Nell, Wink, Tommy, Piers and Jamie were secondary characters didn't make them any less fleshed out or lovable. Dorothy was the cliched matchmaker. I didn't mind her in this role at all though, in fact she brought something new to the role. The orphans... they completely won me over. I could read a twenty book series on them and never get bored.

When I began this book, I expected it to be like a typical romance; heavy on the build up, a few love scenes then suddenly the plot threatens to separate them. Steam & Sorcery is nothing like that typical mold. Instead, the storyline and the romantic aspects worked as one to deliver a wonderful book. I loved both of them. This is definitely an adult book, yum, but I think even nonromance readers would enjoy it. I am looking forward to the next book in the series!

See my blog for quotes and my thoughts as I read: http://bitten-books.blogspot.com/2011/03/early-review-steam-sorcery-gaslight.htm... show less

In Steam & Sorcery, there’s steampunk, there’s romance, and like Gail Carriger’s books, there are supernaturals afoot. (I love a transparent title.) On the steamy side, there’s a wonderful romance between our plucky heroine Caroline, a young woman forced to earn a living as a governess after being cast out by her relatives due to her illegitimacy, and our rugged hero Merrick, a Knight of the Order sworn to protect queen and country from all manner of threats. Their chemistry is lovely and the development of their relationship made me smile, particularly Merrick’s tendency to sneak kisses.

The five kids in the story are all great little people. They must have been fun to write since they were so entertaining. My favourite is show more probably Wink, with her love of gadgetry, but all of them are adorable. Hopefully there will be more of them in future stories!

Cindy Spencer Pape does a great job of incorporating the steampunk and fantasy elements into Steam & Sorcery. They coexist in her world in a way that is authentic and fun. There are lots of little details that add to the steampunk atmosphere, plus there are historical figures like Charles Babbage whose work figures into the storyline in a very organic way. Likewise, the fantastic elements of the story are well thought out. I loved the fact that the Order harkens back to Arthurian legend and that the exposition about the order is incorporated in a way that doesn’t make you feel like you’re being bombarded by history. (The fact that her vampyres stink reminded me of Keri Arthur‘s Riley Jensen books for a quick moment but the two concepts of vampirism are different enough that it was just a passing thought.)

Another story set in this world, Photographs & Phantoms, is being released on the 25th and I look forward to reading that short story in the near future. It was available for free as a pre-order on the Carina site a couple days ago, which is when I downloaded it, and it was still available last I checked. Get your copy before it’s too late! show less

Both the author, Cindy Spencer Pape, and the Steampunk genre are new to me. I enjoy Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance, so I thought this book might be a good fit, and I was right. I'm usually a critical reader, but enjoyed the writer's style a lot. This was one book I was very sorry came to a close.

I enjoyed the juxtaposition of Victorian England, interesting clockwork machines, dirigibles, paranormal elements, a mystery, romance including steamy sex, and a warm domestic scene with the children. (Somewhat the same feeling as reading "Little Women", not that I'm comparing the two books in any way at all). The author did a great job of making all of this work, keeping me engrossed till the very end. And yes, it was a HEA (happily ever show more after) but that just made smile.

For the most part, characters were very well defined, but there were a lot of them. At the end, I admit I had a small problem remembering some of the peripheral players.

There was just enough Steampunk for me in this novel. Any more focus on machinery or odd inventions might had put me off some. Steam and Sorcery is a good introduction to the genre and will satisfy many readers, I think. Definitely worth a read. show less