Steel Lily

Part steampunky, part post-apocalyptic tale, part mystery, part teen hijinks--honestly STEEL LILY wears many hats depending on what you like/focus on. Admittedly I almost gave up on the book--wait wait hear me out. Almost from the start Avery is given the worst luck in the history of ever. Her classmate pulls a cruel trick, several folks in the Polatzi (special police force) take advantage of her 'gift', her parents are missing, her gift makes her ill--and that's not even getting into some of the other stuff.

I'm not terribly fond of heroines (or heroes) who are so heavily tread upon from the get go. Sometimes, if handled well I'll ignore it and move on. But we all have those moments of impatience right?

Once the plot starts show more rolling...well actually Avery acquires almost chronically bad luck (mostly for those around her), but her proactive spirit to survive and help those around her (even the mean classmate) make her likeable. Also I'm a sucker for sarcasm.

Jaxon (or Jax) is an odd duck to be sure. He talks a lot, but most of what he says talks circles around itself and half of what he says is to get a reaction. He's quite full of himself, or projects as much at least, and I found myself quite smitten with his kind of reckless behavior (though if I was in Avery's position I may not have). His interactions with Avery tend to be him flirting, her smacking him down, him trying harder, her smacking him down harder and so forth.

I appreciated that Curd didn't have Avery just tumble into lust with Jaxon, but not question everything he said. Until some reveals about his past come about, Jax's actions aren't what you'd call in Avery's best interests. Secreting her out her first night to do something highly prohibited, talking about escape pretty quickly after knowing her--he seems reckless, problematic and disruptive to the new life Avery wanted to build. His softer side is shown slowly and covered up by a lot of bluster when caught out.

There's a couple twists in the book that come as a one-two punch at the end, and the supporting characters are certainly worth reading about (Sari is kinda hilarious and Alice wavered for me, she felt less defined then the others, Griggs is oily and swarmy while Xander is...difficult to get a handle on). I'm eager for the next book (Winter 2013 release, hopefully) and certainly hope that Avery finds some measure of peace eventually. show less

I was sent an ARC of Steel Lily by Megan Curd in exchange for an honest review and honestly I loved this book! And...honestly I don't post spoilers!! Overall, this was a Fantastic introduction to Steam Punk Dystopia for me!

Author Megan Curd has created a believable post apocalyptic world situation. After World War III the world was in rambles and domes were built to keep people safe. Each dome has an independent ecosystem. Orphaned at an early age, Avery has been a government protege in Dome 4 due to her elemental ability to create steam. Steam is what powers Dome 4. In Dome 4 there is a strict class division and the majority of people are poor, including Avery's childhood friends Alice and Legs. There are the enforcers called Polatzi show more who keep everyone disciplined to the government's way of thinking.

One day an odd man offers Avery chance to get out from under the thumb of the corrupt government and find out what happened to her parents. He reveals a truth that unravels her whole existence. Now with the help of friends, some old and some new, they dig up the secrets and make discoveries that will change all their lives forever.

I could hardly put this book down because "just one more page" kept me wanting to find out what would happen next. Steel Lily has the perfect amount of action, drama, secrets, suspense and romance. The book wasn't centered on the romance which was a bit refreshing. There is some predictability, however there are some twists you won't ever see coming. show less

Steel Lily is FANTASTIC!!!! It's definitely one of my top 3 YA reads of the year! It's a unique mix of steampunk and dystopian and totally captivating! It's one of those books you wish you could unread, just so you can reread it for the first time again! The writing, plot, romance, characters.. everything really was perfect. There isn't one thing I would change about this book!

So, I am totally in LOVE with Jaxon. He is your atypical yet swoonworthy boy. He has dreadlocks and is overly full of himself. Here's one of my favorite scenes from him:

Are you finished checking me out? If you're not, that's okay; I allow every new woman I meet a free five-minute gawking period. After that, it'll cost you."

Blood rushed to my face. I tore my eyes show more from his magnetic gaze and watched as he pulled back his dredlocks, deep brown streaked with blonde, into a strap. His devilish grin pulled his eyes tight at the corners. He was trouble incarnate.

Trouble that I may very well want to get into, given the right circumstances.

"You're at five minutes and thirty seconds now," he said in a purr as he moved toward me. He leaned in, and I felt his breath against my cheek. My heart raced. "I'm going to start taking payment, and I choose how that payment is issued."

Megan Curd is a fabulous writer, I was awed at the ease in which she introduces us to her dystopian world. The element of steampunk and the fantasy of the elemental powers was intriguing. She's witty and can write a darn good steamy kiss. This book.. mark my word.. will be popular. There's no way it couldn't be, it's wonderful. After reading Steel Lily I know I will read anything and everything Megan Curd!

Summary
I totally don't want to give too much away about the plot because I want you to be surprised. So here's the essentials..

Since her parents disappearance, Avery has been used to provide fuel for the Dome she's been living in. That is, until a mysterious person offers her answers to the questions she's had since they left. Avery and her Alice are pondering his invitation for answers, when danger comes knocking on their door. They are saved by the very handsome and cocky Jaxon, the son of the mysterious man. They are swept away to safety, but safety may just be an illusion. Lies, deceit, and love.. Avery finds that not all answers are worth learning. show less

Originally Posted at: RJ DOES BOOKS!

STEEL LILY was a fascinating novel. As someone who has had very little exposure to "Steam Punk" before, but have had a fair share of dystopian in past few years, I can say that it was an intriguing take on an already familiar premise. At times it merged a bit of The Hunger Games-esque factioned off world with a character who possessed an elemental gift, who is far surpassed others of her kind, and is seeking a way out. An alternative life, if you will. Now again, there are other books with similar elements however Steel Lily still manages to hold its own weight.

One of the greatest things about this well rounded and noticeably well thought-out novel is the character development. Each character such as show more Jaxon and Avery, or Avery's friend Alice and more had their own unique identities that didn't seem to get muddled as I've seen in a few books lately. Often times character development is ignored or not really focused on which leads to flat characters, but Megan Curd has managed to avoid this by creating distinguishable and likeable characters.

I do wish that there was a bit more "tension" between Avery and Jaxon only because I eat that stuff up with a side of ranch! (I love it!) And there were a few parts that may have taken a while to develop or seemed to brisk through, however this is entirely understandable as this is the first novel in the series and such is to be expected when setting up the world/history.

Steel Lily has humor, action and romance all wrapped up in an alluring, yet dangerous world. Definitely worth a read!

** I would like to thank MEGAN CURD for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review! show less

NOTE: I received the eARC from the author.

Fan of dystopia I am not. Mostly because of the depression and hopelessness that follows everyone everywhere. Sure, I know that everyone gets saved in the end, because you know, there has to be something positive in all the devastation, but still... I usually steer clear of that lot.

But I just had to make an exception for author Megan Curd. I'd heard good things about her books, so I thought I'd give her a chance. To tell you the truth, I'm not sorry at all. It was a fluent read, well balanced in pacing, plot and character development. The story wasn't completely unique, but then there's yet for me to stumble upon a truly unique distopian novel. After all, they do talk about a destroyed world, show more where a tiny number of survivors are trying to hang on to dear life.

Yet, there was originality that I really came to like. Since the world as we know it ended in a nuclear war, there was radiation everywhere. This radiation is the reason why some people have developed certain abilities - mostly they have to do with controlling the elements. The more powerful the elementalist, the more sought after. In the beginning, right after the war, seven domes were erected to save the population of the U.S. Of all seven, only one remains, or so everyone's been told. Why? Well, that's the million dollar question, isn't it? And I'm not telling. If you're curious, you better go read the book for yourself.

Let's move on to the characters.

Avery is the POV of this story. She's the strongest elementalist in Dome 4(I hope I'm not wrong), who could create the life sustaining steam which everything in the dome operates on. Think electricity, food production, clean water supplies, uncontaminated air, protection from the outside world... you name it, it runs on steam. And there's only three people supplying steam, one of whom is Avery. Despite the value of her ability though, there are only a couple of people who actually care about her - her best friend Alice, and a boy everyone calls Legs. Avery is supposed to be protected by the Dome's government, but all she gets is blackmail, ridicule, hatred and the like. Which is why she's so eager to escape the place, hoping there's salvation somewhere outside.

I don't exactly know how it happens that the villain always knows when the protagonist is at his/her weakest and attacks, but that's how it happens here as well. Except, the villain here isn't acting like one and we, along with the protagonist are led to believe the villain is actually the savior. I'm not really surprised, since that's how it is in real life too.

The other lead character was Jaxon. Son of the heartless villain, who is a sweetheart behind the wall of sarcasm. I can't say I liked Jaxon right away. I'm not into the cocky bad boy type, so that's no surprise. When his armor or rudeness and sarcasm started slipping away though... I couldn't not like him. He had a bleeding heart that wouldn't really take on mending. His wounds go way down and I can't even begin to tell you how sad and sick it made me to read about the things done to him. That he's still standing firm and fighting is a miracle of its own.

Alice was the cheerful friend, the ever optimist, the person who never saw the gray and black. I thought she was a bit foolish to see only pink in a destroyed world. But then again, I believe in a group of people there must be one to keep the spirits up at all times.

Xander was difficult to decipher. He was suspicious in a very subtle way, but still kept me guessing his intentions until the very end.

In conclusion, I'd like to say that Steel Lily is a quick read with an interesting plot. If you're into dystopian novels, you'd probably like it. show less

My mini review--I hope that once I am done recovering from Disney and the resulting cold, I hope to more thoroughly review this one.
Megan is one of my writer friends, and I loved her Bridger series. She really helps me branch out, because I didn't know much about the Irish or goblins, but loved Bridger, and I don't do much steampunk, but I couldn't resist opening this one!
Avery is quite the character, I could feel her dedication to her friends, and that loyalty as well as her questioning nature really helped me to connect to her.
There is constantly something going on, and it kept me engaged with the good pacing and character development.
Avery learning more about her parents' disappearance as well as the truth that has been hidden about show more her world is wonderfully written and the mystery and suspense was great.
Mr. Mystery man was such an enigma and wanting to know more about him, the interest in Avery and how he knows so much getting to Avery and about elemental was interesting.
The world building is good as well, I easily understood Avery's world, and learning as she does about what her government has hidden from her.

Bottom Line: Loved Avery and this world. show less

I received a copy of the e-arc from the author in return for an honest review.

Avery's life was turned upside down when WWIII forever changed her. Now living in Dome 4 she is learning how to control her elementalist powers, that is when her teachers or government aren't forcing her to use it for their personal needs. When she is suddenly taken by a stranger to another dome - one that wasn't supposed to exist, Avery decides to try to find out the truth about the war, the domes and what really happened to her parents. In order to do this she has to trust her new friends including Jaxon the mysterious and arrogant son of the man who kidnapped her and her best friend Alice from Dome 4. The quick pace, interesting story and likeable show more characters will keep you reading well into the night.

I really enjoyed the characters, the setting and the story. This dystopia takes place in 2030 after WWIII devastates America and people are forced to live in domes to survive. The plot moves quickly, has plenty of twists and turns and of course romance. The characters are multidimensional, realistic and overall (except of course the bad guys) really likeable. Avery has you rooting for her from the moment the story begins. [a:Megan Curd|4904383|Megan Curd|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1372563369p2/4904383.jpg] does a really great job both creating the characters and their backstories and with the relationships and interactions amongst them. The characters are really what drives this book, and I am looking forward to continuing their stories in the next book. Overall, I really loved the story - I felt that occasionally there were parts that were a little too descriptive and wordy, and the romance was a bit overdone but other than that the story had me riveted. I am looking forward to the next book! show less