A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure ~ Review

A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure
by Angela Bell

Miss Clara Marie Stanton is determined to save her family from her villainous ex-fiancé, who is equally determined to see them ruined and thrown into an insane asylum. And Clara is sure that Arthur, her Grandfather Drosselmeyer's new apprentice, is a spy hired to help her family into ruin.

Her family sees things differently, and when her Grand decides to use his flying machine to visit Europe, Clara is left scrambling to follow the clues he's leaving for her. Can she save those she loves? Or will her attempts fall short, leaving her behind a cold hard wall of her own making?

This was a delightful read; it had little threads throughout that brought to mind The Nutcracker. And I loved the Steampunk feel that was a subtle underlying, yet important, pivotal driving force behind Clara's search. Clara's search takes her from Victorian London to various locations throughout Europe. Dreams, crushed hopes, broken hearts, and unexpected adventures. This is a story of family and love.                              

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Miss Clara Marie Stanton's family may be eccentric, but they certainly aren't insane.

London, England, 1860
When Clara's ex-fiancé begins to spread rumors that her family suffers from hereditary insanity, it's all she can do to protect them from his desperate schemes, society's prejudice, and a lifetime in an asylum. Then Clara's Grandfather Drosselmeyer brings on an apprentice with a mechanical leg, and all pretense of normalcy takes wing.

Theodore Kingsley, a shame-chased vagabond haunted by the war, wants a fresh start far from Kingsley Court and the disappointed father who declared him dead. Upon returning to England, Theodore meets clockmaker Drosselmeyer, who hires him as an apprentice, much to Clara's dismay. When Drosselmeyer spontaneously disappears in his secret flying owl machine, he leaves behind a note for Clara, beseeching her to make her dreams of adventure a reality by joining him on a merry scavenger hunt across Europe. Together, Clara and Theodore set off to follow Drosselmeyer's trail of clues, but they will have to stay one step ahead of a villain who wants the flying machine for himself--at any cost.

"Utterly charming! What an original and adorable story. Angela Bell's debut is a book I can, without hesitation, highly recommend."--JEN TURANO, USA Today bestselling author

"Bell's voice will draw you immediately into her world, and her characters will hold you there. A must-read!"--ROSEANNA M. WHITE, Christy Award-winning author

The Clockwork City ~ Review

The Clockwork City

Lady Georgia Brunel Mysteries#1

By Shelley Adina

Lady Georgia Brunel has been in mourning for a year, following the death of her husband. With Society's expectations met, she is venturing out, taking a painting holiday in Venice. Along with her late husband's aunt, Millicent Brunel, she expects to enjoy the sights and paint. All too soon, her plans are upended when Lord Somersby is found dead on the water steps of the villa at which Georgia and Millie are staying.

With Georgia ordered to stay in Venice while the police investigate her possible ties to the murder, the two do a little sleuthing of their own. With Lord Somersby's young daughter in their care, they are quickly caught up in something more than they were expecting. With political forces they don't understand, danger is closer than they know.

I always love a well-written Steampunk mystery that is clean, and The Clockwork City definitely fits all these criteria. The story is engaging, and the cast of characters play well together even if they aren't playing nice. The mystery is a subtle thread that weaves its way throughout the story so that my attention, once captured, was held throughout my reading. I can easily say I'm looking forward to what happens next.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I give my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Check out my Instagram post for a fun Giveaway

About the Book:

April 1895. A painting holiday in Venice. A villa on the canal. A body in the water?

Lady Georgia Brunel, widowed a year, has been looking forward to her holiday in the Duchy of Venice with her companion, Millicent Brunel. The clockwork city’s annual art exhibition is in full swing, and old friends and new acquaintances make for an exciting social whirl. The married Lord Somersby would pursue her if he dared. Several members of the nobility, including those with connections to Lord and Lady Dunsmuir, make entertaining companions. And Georgia will never admit that Dustin Seacombe, the disheveled and irritating Texican Ranger who steps on one’s gown and will not confide his business in Venice, is the most interesting of all.

And then early one morning, the body of Lord Somersby washes up on the water stairs at the Brunel villa. An empty gondola floats nearby. Many assume it is an accident. The Duchy police assume a lover’s quarrel, with Georgia as their suspect. For there are powerful factions in the city who want this case solved and submerged as soon as possible. Georgia and Millie must act quickly to clear her name and discover the real murderer before Georgia finds herself dancing with death instead.

First in a new series of adventurous mysteries set in the Magnificent Devices steampunk world!

Blood Secrets ~ Cover Reveal

Cover Reveal for Morgan L. Busse's Blood Secrets

the second book in the Skyworld Duology

Not everyone wants to see the world saved . . .

Time is running out. Cities are being engulfed in the Mist and humanity is on the brink of extinction. Theo believes he has found a way to stop mankind from Turning, but he doesn’t know how to alter Cass’s unique blood into a cure. Or if it can even be done.

Meanwhile, Cass struggles with the idea that she is possibly the savior of the world—a world she is not sure is worth saving.

From the Winchester manse to the steel city of Decadenn, there is something more chasing Cass than the House of Lords or the masked man who can walk in the Mist. Soon she must decide if she will use her blood to save mankind or let those who only care about themselves perish.

Pre-order https://amzn.to/3H7ias5

Runaway Lyrics ~ Review

Runaway Lyrics

By C.O. Bonham 

Snow and Rose are twins who though nearly identical physically couldn't be more different from one another. Both are skilled musicians but where Snow loves music, Rose loves the magic she creates from her music.  Both dream of leaving home and following their individual passions but the rhythm that joins them together is the very thing that could cost them their lives. 

When an airship brings their talents together and they save a life the secrets that have been hidden away from them are suddenly exposed. Snow and Rose are more than they had ever realized and the future of their kingdom, the earth, and humanity rests on them...  

Runaway Lyrics is a story of sisterhood and the bonds they share. If you are looking for a story that will take you into a world of love, magic, music, and betrayal you have found it. The story is well-paced and draws one in from the first few words "Morning is the most musical time of the day, Snow thought, as she shrugged on her dressing gown." 

Can two young women save themselves, the world, and those they love? Or will the evil threatening to consume them triumph in their stead? The music is there if they will open themselves up to it and all it can show them.  Prepare to be delighted!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - All thoughts expressed are my own.                               

Book Description: 

What one sister has, she must share with the other . . . 

Snow loves music. She has spent her entire life learning, new instruments and memorizing new pieces, only to while away her life in a country manor with only her mother and twin sister as company. If only she could get out on her own and play in front of a real audience. 

Rose loves magic. The things she can do with music would amaze her twin sister, but whenever she shows her, Snow quickly forgets as if the event had never happened. If only Rose could get out on her own and work some real magic. 

When an airship crashes near their home Snow’s magical abilities awaken. Together the sisters must learn to use their magic, rescue a pair of cursed princes, and discover their own secrets. 

Discover the magic of music in this retelling of Snow White and Rose Red. 

Purchase Link: Amazzon

Add Book on Goodreads 

Author Bio: 

C.O. Bonham is the pen name for a commonly misspelled first name. She loves stories of all kinds, but really likes the ones that are weird, and outside the norm. A certified book geek, when she isn’t writing stories of her own, she is busy reading stories by others. A homeschool graduate with a degree in creative writing, her goal is to create stories that make people think, feel, and have fun. 

Visit www.cobonham.com to read author interviews, book reviews, and to hear about what she’s working on next. 

Sign up for her newsletter to make sure you never miss an update!

Brothers, and Sisters, and Bears, Oh My! 

Six exciting new retellings of Snow White and Rose Red! 

Be sure to check out all the stops and books on this tour and be sure to enter the giveaway for details and the main tour: https://aristasdirectory.blogspot.com/p/six-frosted-roses.html

Secrets in the Mist ~ Review

Secrets in the Mist

Skyworld #1

By Morgan L. Busse

The Mist rules their world - for years it has been feared altering those touched by it into something horrific. The Touched are to be feared - no longer living yet walking carriers of the Mist.

Cass managed to avoid the Purge that took her parents, but life is hard scavenging to find enough to live on. But living further up the mountain is not for the likes of her as she has been reminded on more than one occasion. But Cass longs for something more than mere existence which she gets when she gets caught aboard the airship Daedalus. Offered a job as a diver Cass has a decision to make - one that would raise her above the clouds and offer her hope. But this choice comes with great danger as she would go into the Mist and face the unknown dangers that lurk within it.

The Mist has given the Five Families that rule from sky islands great power over all who live on the lands beneath. Lands that have limited space and even fewer resources.  When the population of the lowest grows they order the Purge to slow the demand on resources and doom those cast into the Mist of an existence as one of the Touched.

Theodore Winchester wants to stop the Mist. But no one wants to help him prove that the Mist can be stopped or altered. When his questions threaten the very foundations of his world he has to decide what he will do. Delve for answers that may cost him his life? Or close off his mind and embrace a life of power and privilege instead?

When long held secrets are revealed a course is set and the fate of the world and humanity hangs in the balance. 

If you are a fan of Dystopian or Steampunk fiction you will have to read Secrets in the Mist as it combines the best of both for a page-turning experience you don't want to miss. And as this is the open book of a new series you'll want, no you'll need to be ready for when book 2 releases. This is one of those can't-put-it-down books and believe me putting it down is not easy. You will want to stay up all night reading it and the sleep depravation is well worth it! The characters, the setting, pacing - everything is a perfect world to get lost in - but beware the Mist...

I was provided a complimentary pre-release copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

What’s lurking in the Mist is the least of their worries…

In a world where humanity lives in the sky to escape a deadly mist below, Cass’s only goal is survival. That is, until she finds a job on the airship Daedalus as a diver. Now she explores ruined cities, looking for treasure and people’s lost heirlooms until a young man hires her to find the impossible: a way to eradicate the Mist.

Theodore Winchester is a member of one of the Five Families that rule the skies. Following in his father’s footsteps, he searches for the source of the Mist and hopes to stop the purges used to control overpopulation. But what he finds are horrifying secrets and lethal ambition. If he continues his quest, it could mean his own death.

The Mist is rising and soon the world will be enveloped in its deadly embrace, turning what's left of humanity into the undead.

The Brass Giant ~ Review with Giveaway

The Brass Giant
A Chroniker City Story
By Brooke Johnson

Petra Wade wants to be a engineer with the Guild.  But she is a girl and as such is not allowed to enter the Guild.  But Petra knows that she belongs in the Guild, she feels it in her very being.  If only she could convince the members of the Guild that she has the skills needed to earn her a place within its walls.

But Petra doesn't know who she is, she's one of the victims of the Guild fire, she lost her family and her heritage.  Her days are spent working as a shop girl cleaning and tinkering with damaged clocks and similar small machines.

But when she sees a young engineer showing off his automaton, she can't help pointing out its flaws.  Her knowledge and critique convince Emmerich Goss that he needs Petra's assistance if he is to perfect his automaton within the time frame he has been given.

But accepting Emmerich's offered chance will put them both in danger.  And if caught the charge is treason with a possible sentence of execution.  But something about Emmerich and the chance to create an automaton is worth the risk.  

More than her life is at stake if she's not careful, she could lose her heart.

But there is a faction that is determined to change the world forever and Petra's work with Emmerich is about to become the catalyst that will decide the fate of the world.  Who can be trusted?  And who is manipulating the Guild?  Discovering the truth may be Petra and Emmerich's only hope.

The Brass Giant is an exciting and entertaining story.  Fans of Steampunk, Romance, Alternate Histories, Mysteries, or just Fiction in general will find much to love in this book.

I was provided a digital loan of this book in exchange for my honest review, but I enjoyed this book so much I purchased a copy so that I could read it again at a later date.  I, for one, hope to read more Chroniker City stories in the not too distant future.

Title: The Brass Giant
Author: Brooke Johnson
Publisher: Harper Voyage Impulse
Genre: Steampunk
Format: Kindle

Sometimes, even the most unlikely person can change the world

Seventeen-year-old Petra Wade, self-taught clockwork engineer, wants nothing more than to
become a certified member of the Guild, an impossible dream for a lowly shop girl. Still, she
refuses to give up, tinkering with any machine she can get her hands on, in between working and
babysitting her foster siblings.

When Emmerich Goss–handsome, privileged, and newly recruited into the Guild–needs help
designing a new clockwork system for a top-secret automaton, it seems Petra has finally found
the opportunity she’s been waiting for. But if her involvement on  the project is discovered,
Emmerich will be marked for treason, and a far more dire fate would await Petra.

Working together in secret, they build the clockwork giant, but as the deadline for its completion
nears, Petra discovers a sinister conspiracy from within the Guild council … and their automaton
is just the beginning.

To Purchase The Brass Giant:

Amazon

BN.com

 Goodreads

EXCERPT

A machine is more than its function, more than the parts that shape it. 
The gears, pinions, and springs, they make the machine tick, but deeper 
than that—beyond the spindles and bearings, beyond the weights and 
levers—a machine is truth. 

—Lady Chroniker

About the Author:

Brooke is a stay-at-home mom, amateur seamstress, RPG enthusiast, and art hobbyist, in 

addition to all that book writing. As the jack-of-all-trades bard of the family, she adventures through life with her fiercely-bearded paladin of a husband, their daughter the sticky-fingered rogue, and their cowardly wizard of a dog, with only a sleep spell in his spellbook.                                                                                                                                                                                                   They currently reside in Northwest Arkansas, but once they earn enough loot and experience, they’ll build a proper castle somewhere and defend against all manner of dragons and goblins, and whatever else dares take them on.

For More Information

Visit Brooke at her website

Connect with her online at the following:

Brooke and Harper Voyage Impulse are  giving away a $25 Gift Card!

Terms and Conditions:
* By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
* One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift                                                             Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
* This giveaway begins April 27 and ends on May 15.
* Winners will be contacted via email on May 17.
* Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

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