Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger.

In her mother's eyes, Sophronia is a failure. She's way too interested in mechanics, spying, and climbing and things just happen around her that tend to end with flying desserts landing on honored house guests. She's particularly dismayed when she discovers that a rather meddlesome honored houseguest has recommended her to attend Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But Mademoiselle Geraldine's is not what one would expect-- first of all, it's a flying school, so it's harder to find. Second of all dance lessons also include lessons on how to pass messages back and forth without being noticed. Then there are the classes in fighting. And poisons. In the middle of this educational intrigue, there is real intrigue-- flying highway men are attacking the school, after something the school has, and hidden. What is it? And where? Secret late-night trips to the boiler room, mechanical dogs and more...

This is the first book in Carriger's new YA series, set in the same world as Parasol Protectorate. It's set several years earlier, but there is a bit of character overlap-- most noticeably one of Sophronia's classmates is Sidhaeg and the little boy running around helping Sophronia--you'll recognize that one, too.

This is a fun series, with fewer vampires and werewolves and more steampunk technology than Parasol Protectorate. There is no romance in this one, which on one hand-- YAY! A YA book with girls and no romance! On the other hand, BOO! Carriger writes romance so well!

I missed the paranormal politics of the first series, but enjoyed the quick adventure of this one and want to delve more into this part of this world and see how it develops.

Book Provided by... my wallet

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I frequently complain about the plethora of authors switching tracks from adult books to YA novels, and not bringing their best game. This is not one of those complaints. Sophronia took a deep breath. " What, precisely, will I be expected to learn... Read the rest of this post

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Reader Gut Reaction: I remember reading Tiffany Trent's first Hallowmere book for the Cybils way back when, and I had enjoyed it much more than I'd expected to—I can't say Southern Gothic historical fantasy is my thing, but she crafted a fun and... Read the rest of this post

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<!-- START INTERCHANGE - LEVIATHAN -->if(!window.igic__){window.igic__={};var d=document;var s=d.createElement("script");s.src="http://iangilman.com/interchange/js/widget.js";d.body.appendChild(s);} <!-- END INTERCHANGE --> Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld and illustrated by Keith Thompson is the first in a trilogy that also includes the companion book, The Manual of Aeronautics, which is

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I want to make new style pendants. I would like to know which style I should go with. Which would you buy? Please help me by choosing from these 3 images: Leave a comment with your vote!

1. Steampunk Mad Hatter

2. Steampunk Mad Hatter Rectangle

3. Mad Hatter Simple

1. Steampunk Mad Hatter

2. Steampunk Mad Hatter Rectangle

3. Mad Hatter Simple

The post Pick your Favorite Pendant Style! appeared first on Diana Levin Art.

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Goblin Secrets
By William Alexander
Margaret K. McElderry Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster)
$16.99
ISBN: 978-1-442434523
Ages 9-12
On shelves now

I think it is time to declare the birth of the clockwork children’s novel. If you have been watching the literary trends over the last decade or so, you will note that amongst adults there has been a real rise in interest in a form of pop culture labeled “Steampunk”. The general understanding is that as the 21st century grows increasingly reliant on electronics, there is a newfound interest in books/movies/video games/costumes (etc.) that incorporate steam, gears, and other accoutrements of the visual mechanical past. This is, I should note, almost exclusively an adult fascination. I have never encountered a single child who walked up to a reference desk and asked, “Do you have any more Steampunk?” That said, there’s no reason it shouldn’t work as a genre. The trouble comes when an author tries to shoehorn a Steampunk story into a fantasy mold. The best writers know that if you’re going to incorporate odd mechanical details, the best thing to do is to set up your own odd mechanical internal logic. I think that’s probably what I like best about William Alexander’s “Goblin Secrets”. It’s not the first story I’ve read about a boy joining a troupe of traveling performers. And it’s not the first middle grade Steampunk adventure I’ve come across. Yet there’s something definitely one-of-a-kind going on in this book. An originality that you only find once in a pure blue moon. And that’s worth reading, you betcha.

Rownie’s life hasn’t been worth much since the disappearance of his older brother Rowan. Living with “grandmother”, an old witch named Graba who holds a Fagan-like power over the orphans in her sway, Rownie runs various errands until one day he finds that goblins have come to his city of Zombay. They are conducting theatrical performances, an act forbidden to humans, so it’s as much a surprise to Rownie as to anyone when he joins their little troupe. Rownie is also still determined to track Rowan down, but that may mean using extraordinary means to escape from Graba’s all-knowing, all-seeing ways.

It’s little wonder that the book was nominated for a National Book Award when you take into account the writing. In terms of description, the book has a wonderful and well-developed sense of place. At one point this is what you read, “All roads to the docks ran downhill. They wound and switchbacked across a steep ravine wall, with Southside above and the River below. Some of these streets were so steep narrow that they had to be climbed rather than walked on. Stairs had been cut into the stone or built with driftwood logs lashed together over the precarious slope.” With a minimal amount of words you get a clear sense of the location, its look, its feel, its dangers, and perhaps its beauties as well.

The details found within this strange Steampunk world are delicious, and that is in the book’s favor. You hear about “small and cunning devices that did useless things beautifully.” From gears in mechanical glass eyes to the fact that a river is something that can be bargained with, there’s an internal logic at work here that is consistent, even if Alexander is going to leave the learning of these rules up to the reader with minimal help. For example, there is the small matter of hearts and their removal. To take out a heart is not a death sentence for a person, but it can leave them somewhat zombiefied (the city’s name “Zombay” could just be a coincidence or could not, depending on how you want to look at it). And goblins aren’t born but are changed humans. Why are they changed and for what reason? That’s a story for another day, but you’re willing to wait for an answer (if answer there ever is).

Exposition. It can be a death knoll in a book for kids. Done well it sucks the reader into an alternate world the like of which they may never have seen before. Done poorly they fall asleep three pages in and you’ve lost them forever. And done not at all? That’s a risk but done right it pays off in fine dividends. “Goblin Secrets” takes place in Zombay, a fact you find out five pages in. It’s a city that contains magic, a fact you find out on page three. There are goblins in this world (page twelve) but they didn’t start out as goblins (page . . . um . . .). Facts are doled out at a deliberate but unexpected pace in this book. There are no long paragraphs of explanation that tell you where you are and what to expect. It’s only by reading the story thoroughly that you learn that theater is forbidden, Rownie’s brother is missing, Graba is relentless (but not the only villain in the story), and masks are the book’s overriding theme. In the interest of brevity Alexander manages to avoid exposition with something resembling long years of practice. Little wonder that he’s published in multiple magazines and anthologies on the adult fantasy (not that kind) side of things. Many is the adult writer who switches to writing for children that dumbs down the narrative, giving too little respect to the young audience. I think Mr. Alexander’s gift here is that he respects his younger readers enough to grant them enough intelligence to follow along.

Alexander makes his own rules with this book, and not rules I’ve necessarily seen before. With that in mind, with as weird a setting as you have here, it can be a relief to run across characters you like and identify with. They act as little touchstones in a mad, crazy world. Rownie is particularly sympathetic right from the get-go. He has a missed beloved older brother, an independence that’s appealing, but he’s not a jerk or anything. Nor is he a walking blank slate that more interesting characters can use to their own ends. Rather, Rownie is the kind of character who keeps trying to talk himself into bravery. He does it when performing and he does it on his own (“Rownie tried to summon up the feeling that he was haunting the Southside Rail Station and that other sorts of haunting things should be afraid of him…”). That’s why Alexander’s use of masks and theater is so effective. If you have a protagonist who just needs a little push to reach his potential, what better way than through performance? On the flipside, the bad guys are nice, if perhaps a little two-dimensional. Graba is nothing so much as a clockwork Baba Yaga, mechanical chicken legs and all. By extension the Mayor is a good power hungry villain, if stock and staid. There is no big bad in this book quite worthy of the good folks they face down. Graba comes close, but she’s just your typical witch when all is said and done. A little gearish. A little creaky. But typically witchy, through and through.

By turns beautiful and original, it’s a testament to Alexander’s skills that the book clocks in at a mere 200-some odd pages. Usually worlds of this sort end up in books with five hundred or six hundred pages. The end result is that when a kid is looking for a good fantasy in a new world, they are inclined to be scared off by the thick tomes gathering dust on library shelves and instead will find friends in old classics like The Black Cauldron or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Add to that list William Alexander’s latest then. A smart piece of writing that conjures up a new world using a new method.

On shelves now.

Source: Galley sent from publisher for review.

Like This? Then Try:

• The Clockwork Three by Matthew Kirby

• The Nine Pound Hammer by John Claude Bemis

• Foundling (The Monster Blood Tattoo) by D.M. Cornish

Last Line: “His fingers twitched and his mouth watered, but he waited for his supper to cool.”

Notes on the Cover: The unfortunate hardcover will happily be replaced with a far more kid-friendly paperback.  As you can see, the previous incarnation showed a Frankenstein’s monster-esque goblin juggling.  Alas the shot made it look as if the lit torch in hand was impaling him.  It was a bit of odd CGI.  The new cover is a traditional illustration and show Rownie hiding from his possessed former bunkmates.  If I were to go with a good cover seen I might go with fighting the possessed masks, but I suspect they wanted to avoid the goblins entirely with this particular jacket.

Other Blog Reviews:

• A Chair, a Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy
• The Book Smugglers
• Fantasy Matters
• Book Nut
• Heavy Medal
• Becky’s Book Reviews

Professional Reviews:

• A star from Kirkus

Interviews:

• The Enchanted Inkpot
• Nerdy Book Club

Misc:

• Good news for fans.  The sequel, Ghoulish Song, is already scheduled to be released next year.  Happiness all around.

• Make one of the masks from the book.

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Welcome to our stop on  The Lady Astronomer Blog Tour ! If you haven’t checked out Katy O’Dowd’s new release then you certainly should!

Lucretia’s life as an astronomer is quickly turned on its head by her eldest brother when he is commanded by the king to build the grandest telescope in the land. Her nights spent on rooftops gazing at the stars are replaced by adventure as the family move to be nearer the king. In a race to build the Forty-foot telescope on time, misfortunes take their toll. The lady astronomer finds court life to be more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. Can she find the strength inside to overcome the obstacles threatening her destiny? Only the
stars will tell.

* * *
Special Note:
We are proud to publish our first novel from an author who lives outside of  North America. Katy hails from Ireland. When reading this novel, please keep in mind that English is not spelled the same everywhere! Because she is from Ireland and her characters also dwell in Europe, we maintained her uses and spellings.

Get your copy today for only 2.99 at Amazon.com or Amazon.uk  

 

Enter to win free ebooks!

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Spread the steampunk love!

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Please welcome Adrienne Kress, author of The Friday Society, to the virtual offices today.  She’s here to chat about her latest release.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.

[Adrienne Kress] An author/actor who is utterly fabulous in every way, and beyond humble.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about The Friday Society?

[Adrienne Kress] In very brief:  Steampunk Charlie’s Angels without the Charlie.

In slightly less brief: Three female assistants to powerful men in London society (lab assistant, magician’s assistant, combat assistant) realise that they are just as talented (if not more so) than their bosses and team up to solve a series of murders and thefts, as well as save the city from general destruction, in London 1900. 

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?

[Adrienne Kress] This is a tough question.  The story is kind of a combination of many different things I’m interested in, Steampunk, strong female characters (as well as strong female friendship – no cattiness in my story, no frenemies, just true loyal quality friendship like the relationships I have with my female friends), mystery, humour.  I’ve also been a temp to make ends meet so I know what it’s like to be an assistant and not really get the credit or respect you are really owed.  I figured pairing that with the sexism of the Late Victorian/Early Edwardian period could result in a pretty interesting story about girls finding their way in life, as well as learning that they are strong individuals and worthy of stepping out of the shadow of their bosses.

In general I have an interest in (and distaste for) labels and how society puts everyone into categories and doesn’t seem to want to recognise people as individuals.  This is also why I address classism and racism in my story, not just sexism. 

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Nellie?

[Adrienne Kress] Honest, sweet (though prone to anger), bold

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name one thing Cora won’t leave the house without.

[Adrienne Kress] Her pistol that her boss, Lord White, had customised for her.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things will you never find in Michiko’s bedroom?

[Adrienne Kress] Comfortable bedding, any decorative features, friends. (Michiko lives with her boss, Sir Callum Fielding-Shaw, and he doesn’t treat her particularly well.  He provides a roof over her head and food, but not much else.  He also doesn’t permit visitors.)

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences?

[Adrienne Kress] Douglas Adams, Shakespeare, Edward Gorey, children’s authors such as A.A. Milne, Lewis Carroll, J.M. Barrie, Norton Juster

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write?

[Adrienne Kress] Computer, tea, focus

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is the last book that you read that knocked your socks off?

[Adrienne Kress] A rather disturbing (and definitely not for kids) adult fantasy novel called THE PATTERN SCARS by Caitlin Sweet

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be?

[Adrienne Kress] I can’t think of just one.  The books of Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary really made me love reading as a kid.  But THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY made me see books (and writing) in a whole different light.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

[Adrienne Kress] I’m a huge cinephile, so I enjoy going to the movies a lot.  Otherwise just spending time with friends and family makes me perfectly content.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How can readers connect with you?

[Adrienne Kress] Easiest way is to email me at adriennekress(at)gmail(dot)com.  Or I’m on Twitter at @AdrienneKress.  I also have a website (and blog): www.adriennekress.com

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Thank you!

You can order The Friday Society from your favorite bookseller or by following the links below.  In stores December 6th.

About the book:

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Cover Shot! is a regular feature here at the Café.  I love discovering new covers, and when I find them, I like to share.  More than anything else, I am consumed with the mystery that each new discovery represents.  There is an allure to a beautiful cover.  Will the story contained under the pages live up to promise of the gorgeous cover art?

The second book in Bec McMaster’s steampunk series, Heart of Iron, recently had a cover reveal.  While I love the covers and the commotion in the background, I wish we could see a little more of the guy’s face. 

In stores May 2013

 

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Do you love the genre of steampunk? Your steampunk design could be featured in a  roller window blind in the UK. Direct Blinds seeks design submissions from readers around the world for an image to be printed on a window blind.

Follow this link to submit, entries must be received by December 3rd.  Science fiction authors Ian Macleod and James P. Blaylock will judge the contest. The winner will get a £250 cash prize and their design will be featured in a window blind.

Here’s more about the contest: “Do you dream of the days when airships ruled the skies, gentlemen duelled with steam-assisted rayguns, and a waxed moustache was considered the very apex of fashion? Then Direct Blinds wants to hear from you. Steampunk is the theme – so whether it’s a smoggy cityscape, a clockwork contraption, a dirigible battle or something altogether more fanciful, we want to see what you can do … Entries will be judged by acclaimed science fiction authors , who will select 20 of the best to be displayed in an online gallery. It’s then opened up to a public vote to decide the overall winner.”

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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Cover Shot! is a regular feature here at the Café. I love discovering new covers, and when I find them, I like to share. More than anything else, I am consumed with the mystery that each new discovery represents. There is an allure to a beautiful cover. Will the story contained under the pages live up to promise of the gorgeous cover art?

Kady Cross must have pleased the cover gods, because all of her books are blessed with incredible covers.  The Girl with the Iron Touch has the best so far! This is another May 2013 that I can hardly wait to get my hands on!

 

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Reader Gut Reaction: I was very excited when I saw this one at the library. It's the third volume in Wilce's Flora Segunda books, and it felt like it had been a little while since I'd last read one. I always enjoy being plunged into the fantastical... Read the rest of this post

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Sometimes even picky readers of historical fiction (ie, me) are allowed to just enjoy the ride, especially when the ride in question is to a steampunk 19th-century London that never was.  The Friday Society, by Adrienne Kress (Dial, YA, Dec. 2012), is a playful mystery/thriller in which three teenage girls--an inventor's assistant, a magician's assistant, and a would-be samurai warrior from Japan find their paths (littered with dead bodies) crossing....and they end up working together, in a sisterhood of mad talent, to foil your basic megalomaniac evil genius plot to destroy London.

(Yay!  A one sentence summary!)

So sure, it isn't historical fiction at its most un-anachronistic, but a lot of the fun comes from the author's relaxed and playful use of modern turns of phrase.  As in the first two sentences, which made me feel all happy to read the book:

"And then there was an explosion.
It was loud.  It was bright.  It was very explosion-y."

I liked all three girls--Cora, the serious inventor, Nellie, the beautiful girl who's an ace escape artist, and Michiko, formidable swordswoman confronted by barriers of language and culture.  They were each strongly individual, with nicely doled out back-story and motivations and opinions.  The point of view shifts between the three girls, which was good, in large part because it gave the reader a chance to get to know Michiko, and hear her thoughts.  I liked how Cora and Nellie, even though they couldn't exactly have complicated conversations with Michiko, never treated her as an exotic other--she was a person and an equal.  The one real reservation I had, regarding Cora being swept off her feet by feelings of physical attraction to a jerk, proved to be a reservation that the author shared, and not something she thought was ok, which was a relief.  

I liked the story--it was enough of a steampunk thriller to be interesting, without the thriller-ness using up too many pages with violent chases etc, which I often find tedious.  (nb--people who actually like tightly plotted thrillers that exercise their brains might find it untightly plotted, and might put in some critical thinking type comments here, but I am not that reader).

In short, I liked reading the book! It was just the sort of escapist fun that makes for excellent bus ride reading.  This came as a very pleasant surprise, because I did not much care for the author's two middle grade fantasy books.  I think her writing has improved lots--I felt here that she was in control of her story, which was not quite the feeling I had gotten in the past.

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It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to finishing school.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is the bane of her mother's existence. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper etiquette at tea--and god forbid anyone see her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. She enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But little do Sophronia or her mother know that this is a school where ingenious young girls learn to finish, all right--but it's a different kind of finishing. Mademoiselle Geraldine's certainly trains young ladies in the finer arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but also in the other kinds of finishing: the fine arts of death, diversion, deceit, espionage, and the modern weaponries. Sophronia and her friends are going to have a rousing first year at school.Why I'm waiting:

Ever since her adult fantasy, Soulless, caught my eye (I was about to put it on the display table when I worked for Borders, but instead bought the one copy we had on release day and then ordered 2 dozen more) I have loved Gail Carriger's funny, clever storytelling. This four-book series is set 25 years before the Parasol Protectorate books, and while I have already read the novel, I can't wait to get my hands on my own hardcover copy next week.
Preorder on Amazon.com | BN.com | Bookdepository.com | Add to your Goodreads shelf

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For those in Anaheim tomorrow evening, the Rothick Art Haus (170 S. Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92805) is hosting the opening reception of an art show called “Steampop! Pop Culture through Steampunk Goggles.” One of the artists who’ll be showing is veteran Disney animator James Lopez, whose work has been featured on Cartoon Brew in the past. It’s a familiar topic for Lopez, who is currently working on a personal steampunk-themed animated short.

(Homer Simpson piece above by Ryan Batcheller)

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'Celebrating Steampunk' by whimsicalFantasy

Steampunk is a type of genre that incorporates fantasy, sci fi, Victorian fashion and Alternate History. Its old industrial technology meets post-apocalyptic future. And here is a collection of fabulous items to celebrate my love for Steampunk!!!

Halloween Steampunk/Fan... BSDStudios $60.00

Steampunk Set 3 Cabocho... Add a Comment More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag 17. Cover Shot! Her Sky Cowboy by Beth Ciotta Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next By: Julie, on 7/6/2012 Blog: Manga Maniac Cafe (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags:  Covers, Cover, Romance, Signet, Steampunk, Add a tag Cover Shot! is a regular feature here at the Café. I love discovering new covers, and when I find them, I like to share. More than anything else, I am consumed with the mystery that each new discovery represents. There is an allure to a beautiful cover. Will the story contained under the pages live up to promise of the gorgeous cover art? I can tell that Amelia is a woman who likes to take risks.  Just look at her outfit.  From the goggles perched on her head to the  layered fringed skirt, everything about her screams, “Look at me!”  Then look at the cowboy standing next to her.  He’s kind of dull in comparison.  How I hope her wildness glams him up a bit, because he clearly has no imagination when it comes to his wardrobe! In stores November 2012 Amelia Darcy has no interest in marrying well. Her heart belongs to the sky and the dirigibles of brass and steel that swoop over Victorian England. But when her father, an eccentric inventor, dies, the Darcy siblings are left with scrap metal—and not a penny to their names. Their only hope to save the family reputation and fortune is to embark on a quest to discover an invention of historical importance in honor of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. Armed with only her father’s stories of a forgotten da Vinci workshop, a mechanically enhanced falcon, and an Italian cook, Amelia takes flight for Florence, Italy. But her quest is altered when her kitecycle crashes into the airship of ex–Air Marshal—and scandalous dime novel hero—Tucker Gentry. Tuck agrees to escort Amelia to her destination, but the two are challenged by political unrest, a devious sky pirate, and their own sizzling attraction. Soon the pair is dragged into an international conspiracy that could change the course of history…again Subscribe in a reader Add a Comment More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag 18. Home Again (part 1) - Steampunk LRRH 2 Comments | Previous | Top | Next By: Tara Chang, on 7/17/2012 Blog: Silver Apples of the Moon (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags:  steampunk, WIP, photoshoot, Add a tag Am back from my stay in Utah - so many fun things done and seen! Not the least of which this photoshoot with one of the fairy-nieces - Steampunk Little Red Riding Hood: (darling and perfect!) Looking forward to seeing where this goes. :-) And much more photo-reporting from the trip is forthcoming. Stay tuned. 2 Comments on Home Again (part 1) - Steampunk LRRH, last added: 7/18/2012 Display Comments hyunhochang said, on 7/18/2012 7:07:00 AM Cool! They are ridiculously photogenic, her and her sister Tara Chang said, on 7/18/2012 10:48:00 AM Yes, yes they are. I have *many* photos of eachof them that I'd love to turn into paintings. (you did see the Zoe-elf pic I was working on in the hotel room, didn't you?) Add a Comment More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag 19. Joe Golem and the Drowning City by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next By: Little Willow, on 7/24/2012 Blog: readergirlz (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags:  steampunk, Manhattan, Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Add a tag Run - don't walk - to get Joe Golem and the Drowning City by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden, especially if you like steampunk. I've recommended Christopher Golden's books here at readergirlz many times, and for good reason: his stories rock, and they often feature a strong female protagonist. In the heart of Manhattan, you'll find 14-year-old Molly McHugh. Described as "all freckles and red hair and youthful vigor," Molly is a force to be reckoned with. The girl's got moxie, and she can certainly hold her own. She trusts her gut, which has helped her to survive in the Drowning City. Just what has happened to the once-glorious city? Here's a little backstory: Fifty years ago, earthquakes shook Lower Manhattan, submerging the city and forever changing the landscape and livelihood of all who lived there. As the years passed, the gap between the classes widened: the wealthy live and thrive in Uptown, where they grow wealthier, as the poor people in submerged Downtown try desperately to survive in what is now known as the Drowning City. It is in Downtown that aging magician Felix Orlov resides. Molly, his energetic and devoted assistant, lives the floor above him. Dark dreams, a seance, and an attack lead to Orlov's abduction and cause Molly to run away - and enlist the help of Simon Church, an investigator, and Joe Golem, the bodyguard to end all bodyguards. If Hellboy were mixed with Eliot Spencer from Leverage and dressed in clothes from some classic Warren Beatty films, he might just be Joe Golem. Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola make me want to live in the Drowning City, to meet the wonderful characters they've created and help them defeat the monstrous villains. They've also offered up a short story, Joe Golem and the Copper Girl, but I still want more. Mignola's black-and-white illustrations are, as always, memorable. One only hopes that the movie, which is currently in development, captures the spirit and intensity of this book. The submerged city, falling buildings, and fight scenes need to be Inception-level awesome on screen. This captivating story deserves all of that, and more. I also recommend this novel to fans of Fringe. (Hello, Manhattan and alternate history!) Want to know more? Read my full review at my blog, Bildungsroman. Add a Comment More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag 20. New and Notable Releases Week of August 6 – Part One Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next By: Julie, on 8/6/2012 Blog: Manga Maniac Cafe (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags:  Fantasy, Historical, New Releases, Paranormal, Romance, Sci-Fi, Steampunk, Supernatural, Urban Fantasy, Add a tag Here are some new and notable books that are releasing this week: Check back tomorrow for YA and MG releases (Please hit your refresh button if the images don’t load)   Sweet Deception by Heather Snow Kiss of the Moon by Lisa Jackson (eBook) A Woman Made for Pleasure by Michele Sinclair     The Spymaster’s Daughter by Jeane Westin A Lady Never Lies by Juliana Gray The Black Isle by Sandi Tan (Kindle eBook is 4.99!) Contemporary   Sweet Talk by Julie Garwood One Night Rodeo by Lorelei James White Hot by Nina Bruhns   Hell on Wheels by Julie Ann Walker The Grass King’s Concubine by Kari Sperring Libriomancer by Jim C Hines   Precinct 13 by Tate Hallaway Time Untime by Sherrilyn Kenyon Biting Cold by Chole Neill   Master of Darkness by Angela Knight Desire After Dark by Jo Carlisle Kept by Seduction by Jaymie Holland   Lover’s Instinct by Katie Reus (eNovella) Mina Wentwork and the Invisible City by Meljean Brook (eNovella) Originally Human by Eileen Wilks     King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence A Wolf at the Door by K A Stewart Two Weeks’ Notice by Rachel Caine   Seawitch by Kat Richardson The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow Soul Weaver by Hailey Edwards Heart of Darkness by Kira Brady Fragile by Shiloh Walker A Lady Can Never Be Too Curious by Mary Wine Are any of these on your to buy list? Add a Comment More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag 21. Cover Shot! The Lazarus Machine by Paul Crilley Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next By: Julie, on 8/10/2012 Blog: Manga Maniac Cafe (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags:  Manga Reviews, Cover, Pyr, Steampunk, Add a tag Cover Shot! is a regular feature here at the Café. I love discovering new covers, and when I find them, I like to share. More than anything else, I am consumed with the mystery that each new discovery represents. There is an allure to a beautiful cover. Will the story contained under the pages live up to promise of the gorgeous cover art? The cover for The Lazarus Machine by Paul Crilley is so cool.  I love the colors and the flashes of lightning, and the creepy masked guys in the background – they are really creepy!  The world-building seems interesting, what with the automatons powered by human souls.  Human souls. Really?  I’m am very intrigued by this book! In stores November 2012.    An alternate 1895… a world where Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace perfected the Difference engine. Where steam and tesla-powered computers are everywhere. Where automatons powered by human souls venture out into the sprawling London streets. Where the Ministry, a secretive government agency, seeks to control everything in the name of the Queen. It is in this claustrophobic, paranoid city that seventeen-year-old Sebastian Tweed and his conman father struggle to eke out a living. But all is not well… A murderous, masked gang has moved into London, spreading terror through the criminal ranks as they take over the underworld. as the gang carves up more and more of the city, a single name comes to be uttered in fearful whispers. Professor Moriarty. When Tweed’s father is kidnapped by Moriarty, he is forced to team up with information broker Octavia Nightingale to track him down. But he soon realizes that his father’s disappearance is just a tiny piece of a political conspiracy that could destroy the British Empire and plunge the world into a horrific war. Subscribe in a reader Add a Comment More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag 22. New and Notable Releases: Week of September 3 Part One Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next By: Julie, on 9/3/2012 Blog: Manga Maniac Cafe (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags:  Books, New Releases, Contemporary, Fantasy, Historical, Military, Paranormal, Regency, Romance, Steampunk, Urban Fantasy, Add a tag Here are new adult releases for the week. It’s a monster list, with quite a few titles from my wish list.  I think I am most excited for Her Amish Man because it looks wonderfully cheesy, and  Not Proper Enough.  Are there any must haves from your list? Check back tomorrow for new and notable Young Adult releases. Click the titles for the Amazon product page.   Alone Time: Visits to Petal, Part 1  by Lauren Dane (Sep 4, 2012) Guardian (Berkley Sensation) by Catherine Mann (Sep 4, 2012) Her Amish Man by Erin Bates (Sep 4, 2012)   In Rides Trouble: Black Knights Inc. . by Julie Ann Walker (Sep 4, 2012) The Reluctant Amazon by Sandy James (Sep 3, 2012)  Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster (Sep 1, 2012)   A Lady and Her Magic by Tammy Falkner (Sep 1, 2012) The Last Renegade (Berkley Sensation) by Jo Goodman (Sep 4, 2012) Not Proper Enough (A Reforming the Scoundrels Romance) (Berkley Sensation) by Carolyn Jewel (Sep 4, 2012) Playing to Win by Jaci Burton (Sep 4, 2012) Ruined By Moonlight: A Whispers of Scandal Novel by Emma Wildes (Sep 4, 2012) A Season for Sin by Vicky Dreiling (Sep 4, 2012) When You Give a Duke a Diamond (The Fallen Ladies) by Shana Galen (Sep 1, 2012)   Witch Born by Amber Argyle (Sep 5, 2012) Dragon’s Moon (A Children of the Moon Novel) by Lucy Monroe (Sep 4, 2012)   How to Drive a Dragon Crazy (Dragon Kin) by G.A. Aiken (Sep 4, 2012) In a Fix by Linda Grimes (Sep 4, 2012) The Kingmakers (Vampire Empire, Book 3) by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith (Sep 4, 2012) The Lost Night (A Rainshadow Novel) ) by Jayne Castle (Sep 4, 2012) The Map of the Sky: A Novel by Felix J Palma (Sep 4, 2012) Primal Possession: A Moon Shifter Novel by Katie Reus (Sep 4, 2012) Ravenous (Clare Point Vampires) by V. K. Forrest (Sep 4, 2012) Riveted (A Novel of the Iron Seas) by Meljean Brook (Sep 4, 2012) The Skybound Sea (The Aeons’ Gate Book Three)) by Sam Sykes (Sep 4, 2012) A Tale of Two Vampires: A Dark Ones Novel by Katie MacAlister (Sep 4, 2012) This Case Is Gonna Kill Me by Phillipa Bornikova (Sep 4, 2012) Two Ravens and One Crow: An Iron Druid Chronicles Novella  by Kevin Hearne (Sep 4, 2012) (Novella) The Wild Road: Book Three of Karavans by Jennifer Roberson (Sep 4, 2012) Are any of these on your must have list? Add a Comment More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag 23. Under the Sea Giveaway Hop! Win Cuttlefish by David Freer! Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next By: Julie, on 9/13/2012 Blog: Manga Maniac Cafe (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags:  Action/Adventure, Contests, Pyr, Steampunk, Suspense, Action-Adventure, Giveaway, YA, Young Adult, Add a tag   Welcome to my  Under the Sea Giveaway,  hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and The Musings of ALMYBNENR.  This hop runs from September 14th to September 20, and you can win lots of new reads.  Click here for a complete list of blogs participating in the hop. I am giving away a finished copy of Cuttlefish by David Freer.  I enjoyed this seafaring adventure, and I think you will, too! The smallest thing can change the path of history. The year is 1976, and the British Empire still spans the globe. Coal drives the world, and the smog of it hangs thick over the canals of London. Clara Calland is on the run. Hunted, along with her scientist mother, by Menshevik spies and Imperial soldiers, they flee Ireland for London. They must escape airships, treachery and capture. Under flooded London’s canals they join the rebels who live in the dank tunnels there. Tim Barnabas is one of the underpeople, born to the secret town of drowned London, place of anti-imperialist republicans and Irish rebels, part of the Liberty – the people who would see a return to older values and free elections. Seeing no further than his next meal, Tim has hired on as a submariner on the Cuttlefish, a coal fired submarine that runs smuggled cargoes beneath the steamship patrols, to the fortress America and beyond. When the Imperial soldiery comes ravening, Clara and her mother are forced to flee aboard the Cuttlefish. Hunted like beasts, the submarine and her crew must undertake a desperate voyage across the world, from the Faeroes to the Caribbean and finally across the Pacific to find safety. But only Clara and Tim Barnabas can steer them past treachery and disaster, to freedom in Westralia. Carried with them—a lost scientific secret that threatens the very heart of Imperial power.   Sounds good, doesn’t it?  Just fill in the widget below for your chance to win.  Earn extra entries by following.  US shipping addresses only, please. a Rafflecopter giveaway Add a Comment More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag 24. Interview with Bec McMaster, Author of Kiss of Steel and Giveaway! Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next By: Julie, on 9/18/2012 Blog: Manga Maniac Cafe (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags:  Contests, Interviews, Romance, Sourcebooks, Steampunk, Giveaway, Add a tag   Bec McMaster is the author of Kiss of Steel, a sexy steampunk romp that blazes with action and romance.  Bec dropped by the virtual offices to chat about her book, and she brought along a copy for one of you to win! Check out what she has to say, and then enter for your chance to win a copy of Kiss of Steel! [Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less. [Bec McMaster] Dreamer, adventurer, glass half-full kind of gal with an addiction to paranormal romance, steampunk and alpha heroes. Wannabe world traveler. [Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Kiss of Steel? [Bec McMaster] Kiss of Steel is set in a steam-fuelled London where the aristocratic Echelon rule with an iron fist and crush any and all who oppose them. With their puppet queen, blood taxes and automaton army, the only man they don’t dare touch is Blade, the notorious Devil of Whitechapel – and one of their own. Fleeing from the Duke of Vickers with a secret he’d kill for, Honoria Todd is forced to accept Blade’s protection. Infected with the craving virus that makes the Echelon what they are, Blade has his own vendetta against the duke. When Honoria comes into his life she could be the key to bringing down his old enemy – or the very salvation he never dared dream of. [Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story? [Bec McMaster] I’ve always had this idea about an aristocratic race – almost like a corruption of the ton – that rule a dark and dangerous world. Then this image sprang to mind of the steamy surrounds of Whitechapel and a desperate woman hurrying through the crowds, glancing over her shoulder. Watching her from the shadows was a dangerous man with his own intentions and secrets. I couldn’t wait to find out who they were. [Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Honoria? [Bec McMaster] Uptight, fierce, protective. [Manga Maniac Cafe] What are three things Blade would never have in his pocket? [Bec McMaster] 1. A plain white cotton handkerchief. It would be silk and most likely something garish, like red, or gold. 2. A book. Raised in the rookeries, he’s never had the time to learn to read. 3. A pistol. He prefers something that will get him up close and personal in a fight – like brass knuckles or a cut-throat razor. [Manga Maniac Cafe] What is Blade’s single most prized possession? [Bec McMaster] Blade doesn’t really care about material things, but his most prized possession would be his home – and the adopted family of strays he’s gathered over the years. He never really had a home growing up, and he lost his sister at a young age, so the instinct to create his own family and to protect them is a strong one. He’ll fight to the death to keep it all. [Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences? [Bec McMaster] My grandfather used to read to me every time I stayed at his place, and they would be wonderful, exciting stories that let my imagination roam as a child. He was the one who made me fascinated with reading and all of the amazing worlds out there in books. [Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write? [Bec McMaster] 1. Tea and copious amounts of it. Preferably English Breakfast. 2. My ugg boots to keep my feet warm – and because writing is such a glamorous job. 3. Two cushions to prop me up nice and straight and keep my back comfortable. [Manga Maniac Cafe] What is the last book that you read that knocked your socks off? [Bec McMaster] Wicked as They Come by Delilah S. Dawson. I finished it last week and it was such pure steampunky-fun with blud-bunnies, an interesting take on the vampire mythos and a charming hero who has spent years waiting for his love to come to him. [Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be? [Bec McMaster] Wow, this is really tough. As I said above, my grandfather read to me from a really early age (I can’t ever remember not reading or being read to), so it’s hard to know what grabbed my attention the most. A quick list of my favorite childhood books includes Brer Rabbit, Nicky and his Forest Friends, Hiawatha, the Children of Cherry Tree Farm, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Hobbit. I could go on. I obviously liked talking animal stories. And witches. [Manga Maniac Cafe] What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? [Bec McMaster] As any writer will probably tell you, this doesn’t happen very often. I love to read, though I need to make more opportunity for this (my TBR shelves groan in agreement), I love cooking, walking the dog, going to the gym, playing netball, hanging with my boyfriend, reading travel brochures and plotting my next trip. [Manga Maniac Cafe] How can readers connect with you? [Bec McMaster] At my website at www.becmcmaster.com, @BecMcMaster on Twitter and Facebook www.facebook.com/BecMcMaster. I love to hear from readers! Thank you so much for having me! [Manga Maniac Cafe] Thank you! GIVEAWAY TIME!! Thanks to Sourcebooks, I have a copy of Kiss of Steel to give to one of you! Just fill out the widget to enter! Earn extra entries for following.  US and Canadian mailing addresses only, please.   a Rafflecopter giveaway   Didn’t win? You can purchase Kiss of Steel from your favorite bookseller or by clicking the widget below. Available in both print and digital.   KISS OF STEEL BY BEC MCMASTER – IN STORES SEPTEMBER 2012 A brilliantly creative debut where vampires, werewolves, and clockwork creatures roam the mist–shrouded streets of London… When Nowhere is Safe Most people avoid the dreaded Whitechapel district. For Honoria Todd, it’s the last safe haven. But at what price? Blade is known as the master of the rookeries—no one dares cross him. It’s been said he faced down the Echelon’s army single–handedly, that ever since being infected by the blood–craving he’s been quicker, stronger, and almost immortal. When Honoria shows up at his door, his tenuous control comes close to snapping. She’s so…innocent. He doesn’t see her backbone of steel—or that she could be the very salvation he’s been seeking. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Award-winning author Bec McMaster lives in a small town in Australia and grew up with her nose in a book. A member of RWA, she writes sexy, dark paranormals and steampunk romance. When not writing, reading, or poring over travel brochures, she loves spending time with her very own hero or daydreaming about new worlds. For more information, please visit http://www.becmcmaster.com/ or follow her on Twitter, @BecMcMaster. Add a Comment More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag 25. Review of the Day: Goblin Secrets by William Alexander 0 Comments | Previous | Top | By: Betsy Bird, on 10/31/2012 Blog: A Fuse #8 Production (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags:  Uncategorized, 2012 middle grade fantasy, 2012 middle grade fiction, 2012 reviews, Best Books of 2012, fantasy, Margaret K. McElderry, middle grade fantasy, middle grade fiction, middle grade steampunk, National Book Award, Simon and Schuster, steampunk, William Alexander, Add a tag Goblin Secrets By William Alexander Margaret K. McElderry Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) $16.99 ISBN: 978-1-442434523 Ages 9-12 On shelves now I think it is time to declare the birth of the clockwork children’s novel. If you have been watching the literary trends over the last decade or so, you will note that amongst adults there has been a real rise in interest in a form of pop culture labeled “Steampunk”. The general understanding is that as the 21st century grows increasingly reliant on electronics, there is a newfound interest in books/movies/video games/costumes (etc.) that incorporate steam, gears, and other accoutrements of the visual mechanical past. This is, I should note, almost exclusively an adult fascination. I have never encountered a single child who walked up to a reference desk and asked, “Do you have any more Steampunk?” That said, there’s no reason it shouldn’t work as a genre. The trouble comes when an author tries to shoehorn a Steampunk story into a fantasy mold. The best writers know that if you’re going to incorporate odd mechanical details, the best thing to do is to set up your own odd mechanical internal logic. I think that’s probably what I like best about William Alexander’s “Goblin Secrets”. It’s not the first story I’ve read about a boy joining a troupe of traveling performers. And it’s not the first middle grade Steampunk adventure I’ve come across. Yet there’s something definitely one-of-a-kind going on in this book. An originality that you only find once in a pure blue moon. And that’s worth reading, you betcha. Rownie’s life hasn’t been worth much since the disappearance of his older brother Rowan. Living with “grandmother”, an old witch named Graba who holds a Fagan-like power over the orphans in her sway, Rownie runs various errands until one day he finds that goblins have come to his city of Zombay. They are conducting theatrical performances, an act forbidden to humans, so it’s as much a surprise to Rownie as to anyone when he joins their little troupe. Rownie is also still determined to track Rowan down, but that may mean using extraordinary means to escape from Graba’s all-knowing, all-seeing ways. It’s little wonder that the book was nominated for a National Book Award when you take into account the writing. In terms of description, the book has a wonderful and well-developed sense of place. At one point this is what you read, “All roads to the docks ran downhill. They wound and switchbacked across a steep ravine wall, with Southside above and the River below. Some of these streets were so steep narrow that they had to be climbed rather than walked on. Stairs had been cut into the stone or built with driftwood logs lashed together over the precarious slope.” With a minimal amount of words you get a clear sense of the location, its look, its feel, its dangers, and perhaps its beauties as well. The details found within this strange Steampunk world are delicious, and that is in the book’s favor. You hear about “small and cunning devices that did useless things beautifully.” From gears in mechanical glass eyes to the fact that a river is something that can be bargained with, there’s an internal logic at work here that is consistent, even if Alexander is going to leave the learning of these rules up to the reader with minimal help. For example, there is the small matter of hearts and their removal. To take out a heart is not a death sentence for a person, but it can leave them somewhat zombiefied (the city’s name “Zombay” could just be a coincidence or could not, depending on how you want to look at it). And goblins aren’t born but are changed humans. Why are they changed and for what reason? That’s a story for another day, but you’re willing to wait for an answer (if answer there ever is). Exposition. It can be a death knoll in a book for kids. Done well it sucks the reader into an alternate world the like of which they may never have seen before. Done poorly they fall asleep three pages in and you’ve lost them forever. And done not at all? That’s a risk but done right it pays off in fine dividends. “Goblin Secrets” takes place in Zombay, a fact you find out five pages in. It’s a city that contains magic, a fact you find out on page three. There are goblins in this world (page twelve) but they didn’t start out as goblins (page . . . um . . .). Facts are doled out at a deliberate but unexpected pace in this book. There are no long paragraphs of explanation that tell you where you are and what to expect. It’s only by reading the story thoroughly that you learn that theater is forbidden, Rownie’s brother is missing, Graba is relentless (but not the only villain in the story), and masks are the book’s overriding theme. In the interest of brevity Alexander manages to avoid exposition with something resembling long years of practice. Little wonder that he’s published in multiple magazines and anthologies on the adult fantasy (not that kind) side of things. Many is the adult writer who switches to writing for children that dumbs down the narrative, giving too little respect to the young audience. I think Mr. Alexander’s gift here is that he respects his younger readers enough to grant them enough intelligence to follow along. Alexander makes his own rules with this book, and not rules I’ve necessarily seen before. With that in mind, with as weird a setting as you have here, it can be a relief to run across characters you like and identify with. They act as little touchstones in a mad, crazy world. Rownie is particularly sympathetic right from the get-go. He has a missed beloved older brother, an independence that’s appealing, but he’s not a jerk or anything. Nor is he a walking blank slate that more interesting characters can use to their own ends. Rather, Rownie is the kind of character who keeps trying to talk himself into bravery. He does it when performing and he does it on his own (“Rownie tried to summon up the feeling that he was haunting the Southside Rail Station and that other sorts of haunting things should be afraid of him…”). That’s why Alexander’s use of masks and theater is so effective. If you have a protagonist who just needs a little push to reach his potential, what better way than through performance? On the flipside, the bad guys are nice, if perhaps a little two-dimensional. Graba is nothing so much as a clockwork Baba Yaga, mechanical chicken legs and all. By extension the Mayor is a good power hungry villain, if stock and staid. There is no big bad in this book quite worthy of the good folks they face down. Graba comes close, but she’s just your typical witch when all is said and done. A little gearish. A little creaky. But typically witchy, through and through. By turns beautiful and original, it’s a testament to Alexander’s skills that the book clocks in at a mere 200-some odd pages. Usually worlds of this sort end up in books with five hundred or six hundred pages. The end result is that when a kid is looking for a good fantasy in a new world, they are inclined to be scared off by the thick tomes gathering dust on library shelves and instead will find friends in old classics like The Black Cauldron or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Add to that list William Alexander’s latest then. A smart piece of writing that conjures up a new world using a new method. On shelves now. Source: Galley sent from publisher for review. Like This? Then Try: The Clockwork Three by Matthew Kirby The Nine Pound Hammer by John Claude Bemis Foundling (The Monster Blood Tattoo) by D.M. Cornish Last Line: “His fingers twitched and his mouth watered, but he waited for his supper to cool.” Notes on the Cover: The unfortunate hardcover will happily be replaced with a far more kid-friendly paperback.  As you can see, the previous incarnation showed a Frankenstein’s monster-esque goblin juggling.  Alas the shot made it look as if the lit torch in hand was impaling him.  It was a bit of odd CGI.  The new cover is a traditional illustration and show Rownie hiding from his possessed former bunkmates.  If I were to go with a good cover seen I might go with fighting the possessed masks, but I suspect they wanted to avoid the goblins entirely with this particular jacket. Other Blog Reviews: A Chair, a Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy The Book Smugglers Fantasy Matters Book Nut Heavy Medal Becky’s Book Reviews Professional Reviews: A star from Kirkus Interviews: The Enchanted Inkpot Nerdy Book Club Misc: Good news for fans.  The sequel, Ghoulish Song, is already scheduled to be released next year.  Happiness all around. Make one of the masks from the book. 0 Comments on Review of the Day: Goblin Secrets by William Alexander as of 1/1/1900 Add a Comment More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag View Next 25 Posts © 2012 Jacketflap.com                         About Us   FAQ   Advertise on JacketFlap   About our Widgets program for Publishers   Privacy   Terms