Review: The epitome of steampunk romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 17, 2010
Leda, Countess of Caithmore was having a bad day.  Her husband left her for an actress, a woman with "fire" in her blood.  Unfortunately, Leda is known for her high level of stoicism and coldness that rumor has it, extends into the bedroom.  Upset and unable to turn to her friends, late one evening she shows up at the great inventor Ian Anderson's home.  She commissions him to build a device that would prove whether she is as frigid as her husband believes.From page one, I was hooked!  Even though this story is short, The Inventor builds a new, believable and beautiful world that reels in the reader, solidifies the catch and keeps the pages flying by.  As a lover of historical romance, The Inventor is the best of historical romance, but without the stuffiness some of the books in the genre suffer.  Also, since this short story is set in an imaginary, steampunk inspired world, the author changes the setting to fit the plot.  Honestly, I adored this feature of the book and if all steampunk books are written as well as The Inventor, steampunk is definitely the new "it" genre.Leda is a strong woman set in a time women were not supposed to exert their strength.  Fortunately, she uses her vast fortune to manipulate situations to her liking, especially when dealing with the odd inventor Ian.  I enjoyed one short scene with her mother where the reader is painted a landscape of the world Leba lives and can understand her yearning for more.On the other hand, Ian is the typical inventor-type, working for the university and hanging out with the local artistic community.  He is intrigued by Leba and gives in to her want for a custom machine.  Unfortunately, Leba is being followed by a group of people and the leader contacts Ian to discover her intentions.  This bit of mysterious plot adds to the drama between Leda and Ian, propelling the pacing of the book forward.Overall, I loved The Inventor! The world is beautiful and the characters are down-to-earth within the setting of the story.  For readers wanting an introduction to the steampunk genre, The Inventor is the best example I have read thus far and I cannot wait for future installments in the Fantasies of New Europa series!  Give me more!BookingIt Grade:  A