The Strange Case of Finley Jayne

I picked up this novella as a freebie introduction to a Harlequin Teen Steampunk series because I was curious about the line and enjoy Steampunk. I was in no way disappointed.

Finley is an engaging character with unexplained differences that I suspect relate to her mysterious father but are not resolved in the novella. These differences cause her nothing but trouble until she is approached by Lady Morton who, rather than being appalled by Finley’s abilities, wants to employ Finley because of her tendency to defend those in need even to the point of violence.

Finley finds her companion Phoebe to be delightful, and they quickly form a bond. However, Finley soon detects that all is not right with Phoebe’s engagement to a much older show more man, but even she cannot imagine the real circumstances.

It’s a fun, historical Steampunk with friendships won in the oddest places, and Finley comes to a better understanding of herself and her abilities. Still, there’s a good bit that leads to a bigger story and the ending opens up a new adventure to come. I enjoyed this one enough to seek out the others, and if you like Steampunk, it may very well be worth your while to give this one a try. show less

Being thrown unceremoniously out of a house closely followed by your carpetbag is no way to be fired. Although when you hit a governess so hard she's sent flying across the room without half of her teeth, well one can hardly blame others for thinking her the spawn of Satan and dismissing her without a reference. And so left on the streets with nowhere else to go Finley returns home to her mothers.

Finley is hardly home a day when a job opportunity lands in her lap. However why Lady Morton, a friend of her former employer, is happy to take her on knowing the circumstances of her termination is beyond her. But despite her reservations and the mystery surrounding her new employment, Finley is happy working for Lady Morton. That is until she show more discovers the sinister reasons behind a Lord Vincent's actions.

The Strange Case Of Finley Jayne is a compact yet feisty story of a girl who is unlike other girls. Finley is intelligent, bold and strong. Incredibly strong. She also has an other self that takes her over in times of stress and anger. As an introduction to the world of automatons, high society and mad scientist, this is the perfect prequel to the Girl in Steel Corset and if it's any indication of things to come, the Steampunk Chronicles should every bit as dark and exciting as this. show less

“I would mock anyone who whines about their situation yet can’t summon the bollocks t0 fight for who and what they want.” (location 510)Finley Jayne is not the average teenage girl. She’s certainly not typical for girls growing up in Victorian England. But then, Kady Cross’s steam-punk version of England is far from what you’ve read about in history books. In the interest of full disclosure, I love the steam-punk genre and am happy to see books like Kady Cross’s Steampunk Chronicles and Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices series bringing steampunk to YA, it’s a brilliant mix.What I especially loved about The Strange Case of Finley Jayne, was the titular character. Finley is a tenacious heroine who doesn’t need saving show more by any handsome prince. In fact, she could probably save a few princes herself. In this story, the prequel to The Girl in the Steel Corset, Finley earns a position as a companion to young Phoebe Morton who has recently been betrothed to the sinister Lord Vincent. Because Finley has a unique “skill-set”, by which I mean to say, she can kick some serious butt, Lady Morton thinks Finley will be able to protect her daughter from any ill-intentions Lord Vincent may have. This story sucked me in from the beginning. I loved the details from Silas’s book store full of copies of Jayne Austen, Charles Dickens, and (of course) Mary Shelly to the juxtaposition of automatons and steam-powered machinery on the streets of Victorian England. It was also refreshing to read a story that did not center on a love triangle. Instead, readers are presented with a strong female lead who is part Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde part Jane Eyre. The narration is atmospheric and fast-paced, and readers will be completely immersed in the surreal version of England presented through Ms. Cross’s prose. I was equally impressed by The Girl in the Steel Corset (more on that later) and am eager to see what is in store for the future of The Steampunk Chronicles. http://www.mymercurialmusings.com show less

This short story is a prelude to The Girl in the Steel Corset, the first in Kady Cross's Steampunk Chronicles. I have already read The Girl in the Steel Corset and really enjoyed it. This story is good filler as to how Finely gets to where she is in the beginning of The Girl in the Steel Corset. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as a good sample of the author's writing style because there isn't a lot of back story in this short story.

Finley Jayne is different. Normally she is a good girl, but sometimes her dark violent side comes out. This is causing her trouble and she is having trouble holding down a job because sometimes she looses her temper. When she is hired as a companion for a young woman, she wonders why they girl's mother show more hired her given Finley's history. Soon Finley finds out that the girl's mother wants her to unravel a mystery that may have a vast impact on her daughter's impending marriage.

First of all let me say this isn't a very good sampling of Cross's writing. There isn't enough back story here to make the world in Cross's Steampunk Chronicles truly come alive. This is more an introduction to the character Finley, than an actual introduction to this world. I personally would recommend reading The Girl in the Steel Corset when it releases and then if you enjoy that come back and read this back story on how Finley got where she was at the beginning of that book.

Since I had already read The Girl in the Steel Corset and was familiar with this world, I did enjoy this story. It was nice to have some additional back story on Finley and get to meet her family in more detail. I think fans of the Steampunk Chronicles will enjoy this addition to the storyline.

Overall a good addition to The Girl in the Steel Corset. I don't think it stands very well on its own though and I also don't think it is a very good introduction to Cross's writing...it introduces Finley but doesn't do a good job introducing the world. I wouldn't use this story to determine whether or not you will read the book; I would read the book and then come back and read this additional story if you enjoy the book. Young adult fans of steampunk should enjoy this universe; Finley is a fun and plucky young woman. show less

I think I actually enjoyed this short story more than I liked The Girl in the Steel Corset. This is mostly because of Finley Jayne. Finley’s character and her struggles with her darker side, her questions about what she is, her reluctant acknowledgment that she’s different than most people, and her unconscious decision to use whatever is inside of her, be it good or monstrous, to help others. The times she gives in to the darkness and lets it control her are probably the most interesting parts of the story. The dichotomy isn’t quite as pronounced as in The Girl in the Steel Corset, she doesn’t lose herself quite as much in darkness, possibly because the darkness hasn’t gotten a firm grip on her yet – it’s still growing. show more Yet it’s still fascinating.


Though I am a huge fan of romance, it was refreshing to see Finley interacting with characters outside of a romantic entanglement. I feel like I got to know her more fully under the circumstances of this novella than I did in the full-length sequel – the focus is on her instead of the love triangle she becomes embroiled in later on. I love her relationship with Lady Morton and Phoebe, and I sincerely hope that they’ll both make another appearance at some point in this series. I also love how Griffin was both in this novella while not being in this novella. You’ll have to read it to see what I mean.


Overall, an enjoyable prequel that provides more insight into Finley’s character and that ultimately made her more relateable. show less

So now we have a backstory as to how Finley Jayne ended up working in London as a chambermaid when “Girl with the Steel Corset” opens. Cross really does a good job of making the audience feel Finley’s self-hatred and independent spirit. If anything, this novella just made me love Finley as a heroine all the more.

This novella went on sale before the book did, so people are probably going to be reading this one first and “Steel Corset” second. I did it the other way around, and I think that’s what Cross intended in terms of mapping out Finley as a character and understanding (aside from the whole MPD/DID element) why she acted and felt the way she did in “Steel Corset” and hopefully, forthcoming books. Just like any show more novella from a series I really like/love, all this did was make me hungry for more. The hints at meeting the Duke of Greythorne were absolutely awesome, too. It was cute how she was swooning over him, even if she thought him gross at just imagining what he might look like. Funny how things turn out in the first book, which is exactly why this novella needs to be read after the book.

We get a look at Finley Jayne that we don’t really see within the first novel proper – we see her as a teenage girl, more innocent, and less jaded when compared to her entrance within the first few pages of the first novel. It’s refreshing to see that sort of transition drawn out, when in so many YA novels with a similar heroine it’s skipped over altogether.

And our favorite steampunk-androids are back, too! I missed them. Even if they’re creepy as hell. Gah. Growing up in the “Terminator” generation still makes me suspicious about Judgment Day, even though as of May 1st, we’ve successfully beaten Skynet to the deadline.

Ahem.

Still, if you’re going to read “Steel Corset”, give “Finley Jayne” a read. But do it AFTER reading “Steel Corset”, otherwise things might not make as much sense. I really enjoyed this little venture into Finley Jayne’s mind and world before getting involved with everyone in “Steel Corset”. It’s like watching a child grow up, and it gave me a warm fuzzy feeling inside knowing how much Finley grew as a character between both works.

Even if ancient Skynet was along for the ride.

(Crossposted to goodreads, shelfari, and witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com) show less

I really liked this novella. It was interesting to see Finley in her days before she began working with other individuals to take down a mad man with his machines. I wasn't exactly sure how everything in this book would connect to the first book in the series, but it quickly became clear right before the book ended.It was touching, rather sad really and while depressing, it was kind of shocking. I think I would have been more shocked by the story if I hadn't figured out what Lord Vincent was planning before it was actually revealed. That's sort of a pet peeve of mine when it comes to books. I'm not a big fan of books that tend to give away a major part of the plot before it actually occurs. It ruins the story. I was going to give this show more book a three star rating but after reading through the end, I had to give it a better rating. I really thought the point where Finley and Lord Vincent met and fought was well written. It was action packed, not overly done, not rushed and descriptive. I think one of my other issues with this novella was how easily and willing Finley's newest employer, Lady Morton was to employ her even after hearing what she did that cause her to be fired in the first place. While I understand her wanting protection for her daughter after she realized something wasn't right with her daughter's engagement, I'm just have a hard time believing that someone would be so willing to employ someone that someone else has considered 'dangerous'. show less