Reviews
Oh man, I rarely give 5 stars, but this novel was exquisite! For me, it was an incredible introduction to the steampunk genre. The characters feel like friends, they breathe from the pages and have such gorgeous dialogue, you'll feel a part of their conversations. Chatsworth created a wonderful world I can't wait to return to!
2/5 Stars ** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!** DNF'D @ 22% I wanted to love this book, the synopsis just sounded amazing and piqued my interest. Unfortunately, that's kind of where it ended. I didn't completely hate this book, there were some good points. The characters weren't terrible and there were some lol moments. I'm going to contribute a lot of this to personal preference. I wasn't a major fan of the writing and often felt confused. I didn't feel like I knew what was happening at all. I'm also not a major fan of steampunk books in general. While I think there is merit in the book and I know there are people out there that will love this, it just wasn't for me.
Disclaimer: I received the arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own. Book: The Brass Queen Author: Elizabeth Chatsworth Book Series: Standalone Rating: 4/5 Recommended For...: fantasy, steampunk, sci-fi, historical fiction, romance Publication Date: January 12, 2021 Genre: Historical Sci-Fi Recommended Age: 17+ (violence, gore, romance, slight sexual content) Publisher: CamCat Books Pages: 448 Synopsis: In 1897, a fiery British aristocrat and an inept US spy search for a stolen invisibility serum that could spark a global war. Miss Constance Haltwhistle is the last in a line of blue-blooded rogue inventors. Selling exotic firearms under her alias, the ‘Brass Queen,’ has kept her baronial estate’s coffers full. But when US spy, Trusdale, saves her from assassins, she’s pulled into a search for a scientist with an invisibility serum. As royal foes create an invisible army to start a global war, Constance and Trusdale must learn to trust each other. If they don’t, the world they know will literally disappear before their eyes. Review: For the most part I really enjoyed this book. I've never really had luck with steampunk inspired novels but this was a fun read with magic and we'll explained technology. The character development was well done, the world building and magic system building was sound, and I really enjoyed the story. The only issue I had with it is that the beginning is super slow and confusing. It took a bit for me to get into the book. I also found the romance off-putting for some reason. I can't really name it, but I didn't like it. Verdict: It’s a good book, just takes a bit to get into.
The first thing I noticed when I had the book in my hands was, how lovingly crafted it was. The naked hardcover has a beautiful velvet texture and it comes with an illustrated map and adorable chapter spot illustrations, so the reader knows at the beginning of each chapter, which character's POV they're reading. I have not read anything like The Brass Queen before and I enjoyed the fresh scene, wild scientific ideas and worldbuilding. The side characters were hilarious too and I enjoyed Constance's manservants Cawley and Hearn a lot. Some of the comments and ideas might appear too silly for some readers, but I absolutely loved them, animal-machine-polo anyone? I laughed out loud at all the flower references at the ball and I had a grand old time with the scene about the saucy ankle pictures. The only thing I wished for, would have been maybe a bit more "steam" in the romance department between our main characters, but since one of the main underlying focuses of the story was that women cannot inherit anything and don't have much independence, that was probably the reason why the author didn't go this particular route. Altogether I can highly recommend this to anybody who wants a book with fresh ideas and fun to read. I hope that this is not the only book we will see in this world and I can see this book adapted into a TV show (fingers crossed for the author). I would so watch it! Thank you so much dear people from Smith Publicity for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.