Author: Adrienne Kress
Release date: December 6, 2012
Published by: Dial/Penguin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
3 young women:
1. The assistant to the amazing and exotic magician, The Great Raheem.
2. The right-hand gal to Lord White, a prestigious member of Parliament and secret, genius inventor.
3. The self-defense teaching assistant to Sir Callum Fielding-Shaw.
After meeting at a Gala thrown by the upper crust of London while coming to the aide of each other in their own way, they become entangled deeper and deeper in murder, mystery and intrigue. When it becomes clear that these devious happenings are getting too dangerous, they try to enlist the police to help, but it's very clear that the police couldn't care less about what 3 young ladies have to say.
It's up to Cora, Nellie and Michiko to solve these hideous crimes they believe are all connected before it's too late!
My thoughts: This was an action-packed thriller from beginning to end! I loved how the story moved from one girl to the other throughout the whole book. Multiple perspectives worked perfectly for this story! Each girl had such a different but similar story that I was instantly rooting for them each after meeting them. Each girl was strong in her own way, but also needed to grow to become who she was at the end...to become her own hero! Oh how I loved that message! :)
I do have to say that the only reason I didn't give this 5 stars, was that here and there (especially in the beginning) were (in my opinion) some serious flaws in using present day sayings like, "...hot young blonde..." and "...totally obsessed with..." and "...super high voice..." which completely took me out of the story and historic setting every single time! This really flustered me! I was even wondering if I'd be able to continue the story at one point in the beginning. Now, to be fair, I did read an ARC from NetGalley so I'm crossing my fingers that these were altered after this particular version of the book was loaded on NetGalley. After the beginning quarter, or eighth, of the book they didn't show up so much which kept it at a 4 for me instead of dropping it even lower.
The Steampunk technology and clothing was deliciously fun and interesting. There were things I've seen or read before, but there were also new creations to soak up which really made me ever so happy to keep reading and reading. I loved the setting of London in the turn-of-the-century with it's growing vision of industrialism, but also it's darkness of opium dens, poverty and murder. Each setting for each girl's home, or daily routines, was also just as fabulous in its details and explanations of background and day-to-day happenings along with the actual places themselves.
Final thoughts: This would make the BEST TV SHOW!!! If you are fan of Firefly or Warehouse 13, you would LOVE THIS! Anyone who loves the Sherlock Holmes movies, or The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen this is a MUST READ for you!! If you have read, and loved, Kady Cross's The Girl in the Steel Corset and The Girl in the Clockwork Collar, then THIS IS FOR YOU! BUT, if you haven't read them then READ THOSE NEXT! Start with the very inexpensive prequel, The Strange Case of Finley Jayne as an eBook!
I can't wait to see what's next from Adrienne Kress! Check out her fun blog which includes Steampunk Tuesdays! Will we see more of The Friday Society? I truly hope so!
Great review!! I was really interested about this book but wasn't sure if I would like it. The story just sounds so cool and I love all the different girls! It's a bummer about the modern language in places though!
ReplyDeleteBut great review! I think I might pick this one up if I get a chance. :)
Hello
ReplyDeletethis is a really nice review.
The book, which reads Rachel is very good. I know it only in German as "Plötzlich Fee". The books by Julie Kagawa is always very exciting.
Greetings
Eva