Book Shelf: The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles #1) by Kady Cross

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch...

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits. Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help-and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on, even if it seems no one believes her.

Blurb from Goodreads.....


Review:

The Girl In The Steel Corset has got to be one of the most exciting books I’ve had the pleasure of reading in a long, long time!

Honestly I’m not quite sure why it took me so long to get around to reading it, but from the very moment I started this book, I didn’t want to stop. Stepping foot (figuratively speaking) into this world is like stepping back in time and even into another dimension. Set in London in the late 1800’s, Kady Cross’s debut novel is a breath of fresh air in a YA genre saturated with books all of a similar nature. Unique and an exceptional steampunk novel, Cross blends Victorian London perfectly with action, adventure and even a hint of romance!

The world within this book is so descriptive and well thought out and you really find yourself lost to it as you read the tale. While I admit the technological aspect sometimes dragged on and seemed a bit much at times, it really added an aspect of authenticity to the story. Cross has backed up her world and creation with fantastic contraptions and specimens native to the time and even a bit before it too.
The characters practically jumped off the page with their different personalities and I simply adored them all! Each and everyone won me over with their depth and well roundedness, especially with this being the first book in a new series. All with specialities of one form or another, no one ever felt like they were there simply because they needed to be. They had purpose within the story and this made them shine.

Our heroine Finley is the kind of girl you can really sink your teeth into. Flawed, yet strong willed and determined; someone who stands up for herself and can hold her own even in the toughest world, she was wonderful to read about. It may have something to do with having spilt personalities too, but this girl could kick serious butt when the need arose! She wasn’t above fear and unease, but she managed to rise above it and pushed on no matter what. Her voice was easy to follow through the tale and I can see great potential in her, even as she continues to grow. While being strong, she felt emotion and let it show as she made friends and began to fit into the new world she had discovered.
Sam, Emily and Jasper were brilliant too, and I loved their personalities and role they had in the story, but in all honesty it was Griffin that really stood out for me.

While I admit I felt nothing for Jack Dandy what-so-ever for some reason, as a character and even as a potential love interest for Finley, Griffin on the other hand was brilliant! Griffin King, Duke of Greythrone, won me over early on and continued to captivate me as the story progressed with his good nature and strength of character. Born to wealth and in a position of power, one could understand if Griffin had succumbed to the trials that came along with this role and yet he hasn’t. Not at all. Even being as powerful as he obviously is he’s such a great guy. He truly wanted to do his best by Finely from the beginning; never wanting anything in return and not having an ulterior motive. With the book written in split POV’s, as readers we’re often gifted with the chance to get inside Griff’s head and he never disappoints. He’s charming and witty, but has a honest to god good heart. He’s one of those male leads that doesn’t have to be a bad boy to make you swoon and win you over----and I adored that about him. Yep. I’m smitten!

With excitement and mystery galore in this book, there was more than enough intrigue and questions to keep you guessing. The book speeds up in pace as questions are answered and races towards a final showdown between our heroes and their nemesis that has you on the edge of your seat.
Finishing with a couple of loose ends left untied and an ending that has you itching for the next book, The Girl In The Sleet Corset is one adventure you don’t want to miss out on!

Rating:
Source: Sent to me by Harlequin Australia (Thank-you so much Gabby!)
Format: Paperback
Recommend: Yes!
Recommend borrow or buy: Buy
Cover: It's beautiful
Read sequel/continue with series: Oh, yes.....