Review: Steampunk Goodness
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 28, 2011
This was a wonderful historical paranormal romance. I liked the time period in the story. Victoria was queen, Albert was still alive, and England was a bustle of invention and innovation. Add to that magick, vampyres, werewolves and a heroine who is part fairy and you have a wonderful mixture of romance and magic.Sir Merrick finds himself the guardian of five gifted children after they assist him when he is attacked by vampyres. The oldest is Tommy who is the illegitimate son of another knight and who shows strong knightly powers. Wink is the oldest girl. She is a mechanical genius. Nell sees ghosts and young Jamie has visions of the future. The other child is Piers who is a capable pickpocket and able to open locks quickly. Civilizing this mixed group of children won't be easy.Caroline is up for that task but is wary about taking a job in a single gentleman's household. She is too young and attractive and has been hunted and harassed by previous employers. Meeting the children convinces her that she is needed and the respectful treatment she gets from Merrick seals the deal.Their romance grows naturally from shared experiences and proximity. They are both attracted to each other and, at first, try to keep their distance. Meanwhile, Sir Merrick is investigating a problem of vampyres starting to congregate and someone stealing secret plans to make it possible for vampyres to blend into human society unnoticed. He is investigating the theft of parts from various Babbage engines and fears that the villains are getting ready to build their own machine to make the formula real.This was exciting and cozy at the same time. I liked the interaction of all the family members. I liked the slowly building romance. I recommend the book to lovers of romance and the paranormal.