Author: Colleen Gleason
Published: September 17th 2013 by Chronicles
Book Description:Published: September 17th 2013 by Chronicles
Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you’re the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood. And when two society girls go missing, there’s no one more qualified to investigate.
Now fierce Evaline and logical Mina must resolve their rivalry, navigate the advances of not just one but three mysterious gentlemen, and solve murder with only one clue: a strange Egyptian scarab. The stakes are high. If Stoker and Holmes don’t unravel why the belles of London society are in such danger, they’ll become the next victims.
My thoughts:
The first time I saw the book, I was already intrigued. The
plot is filled with mind blowing elements: Steampunk, Time Travel and History. Those
elements gave this book the edge I was looking for.
Mina and Evaline were called upon to solve a missing girl
case; Two different girls from two famous families, Holmes and Stoker. Both are brilliant but opposites. They are
asked to find the missing girls and the people behind it. Dark secrets would be
revealed. Who are those 3 boys? Will they be able to solve the case, now that
their lives are also in peril? Buy the book to find out more.
The world-building is amazing. The setting is in 1889 London
where the theme is dark, steamy (literally) and magnificent. The way Colleen
describe London made me feel like I was there sight-seeing. It was intricate and
magical. The Steampunk, Time Travel and History gave the book some spice. It
was interesting to get lost into. As for the pacing, the first part was slow
but it will build its way towards the ending, so it is worth the wait. But not
all the questions were answered yet. Since, this is just the first book of the
series –bummer. Also, the mystery behind the story kept my curiosity from start
to finish, making this book hard to put down.
The characters are interesting and easy to connect with. Also,
you get the see the story from dual perspectives. For those who don’t like dual
perspectives, don’t worry! Every angle is important and fascinating. You won’t
get confused or detached. Who wouldn’t
like to see how Mina Holmes is like her uncle Sherlock or How Evaline Stoker
kick-ass? There are also some side characters that made the story more
colorful; like the 3 hot mysterious boys? I shall leave them to your
imagination so bring buy a copy now.
The love-angle is okay. Not much highlight was given but a
hint here and there. The romance was innocent. But the curiosity of “who ends
up with who?” will put your patience to the test.
Overall, the book is a great read for adventure seekers and Egyptian
mythology lovers. The world-building is distinctive too. A series to watch out
for!
I give this, 4.5 Egyptian Whales.
This sounds like a fantastic book! Steampunk and detective? Sign me up!
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I have seen that bug on the cover in real life flapping around on a fence. I'm not kidding! It had a metal-ish shell and was literally that size. Super scary!
ReplyDeleteOkay, sorry for the digression (but the bug scared me!). This one sounds really good! I'm not usually a big historical reader, which is why I've never read a steampunk, but the world building sounds top-notch. And dual perspective is usually a plus for me. I don't the romance would bug me too much. So I may have to try this one if I'm feeling adventurous. Great review, Dannielle :D
Just the mention of steampunk, time travel and history had me perking up. I love the sound of this book! I'm glad to hear that the world-building was well done, in particular. I can't resist an 1800s London setting. I'll definitely have to bump this up the TBR pile now. Fantastic review, Dannielle! :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like this ticked all the boxes for an awesome adventure, wonderful mystery and hopefully, at some point, a good romance. Lovely review, Dannielle! I'll have to check this series out! :)
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