Review: Well Depicted Steampunk
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 24, 2014
A well depicted steampunk novel set in the Wild West during the California gold rush, Steam and Sensibility by Kirsten Weiss is a detailed and authentic feeling steampunk tale that blends murder and mystery with excitement and just the perfect hint of romance!Steam and Sensibility is described as steampunk with paranormal suspense, and although the paranormal aspect wasn’t overly there and prominent like I expected, I still enjoyed this story. Personally I wouldn’t head into the novel expecting a focal paranormal aspect; because it’s rather a small, minimal undertone to the rest of the story. And yet I feel this small hint instead complimented the book and allowed other aspects to shine.Following nineteen year old Englishwoman Sensibility Grey, who moves to San Francisco after the death of her father to live with her estranged uncle, I will be the first to admit that it took a while for me to truly become absorbed in Steam and Sensibility. There wasn’t anything wrong with the story; it just took a while until my attention caught. That being said, I breezed through this well depicted story and by halfway, I was thoroughly caught up in the mysterious goings on our heroine found herself in involved in.I found the setting for Steam and Sensibility to be a perfect blend of Wild West and British high class. Cowboys mixed with English noblemen and women in a setting right out of the old west that featured lovely hints of steampunk amongst the story. The plotline within Steam and Sensibility was very mysterious and exciting once we got into the very heart of things.As we’re introduced to a bunch of different characters, all with their own plans and agendas, I found that following Sensibility was quite a nice experience. Obviously she is a typical young English woman; cultured and a bit sheltered but Sensibility is also extremely intelligent and this is something that sets her apart from others. With an inventor for a father, a love of tinkering with things is something she appears to have inherited and as the novel progresses this becomes more evident with the way she approaches things. Personally, I really like this about Sensibility and thought she was a nice heroine; the perfect blend of fragility and innocence with bravery and unexpected strength. Sensibility grows quite a lot throughout the novel, although she still has a long way to go.Throughout Steam and Sensibility we are introduced to a range of unique and different characters, including the rash and biting Miss Jane Algrave; a government officer who doesn’t play by anyone’s rule and the enigmatic and proud Mr. Night; a young lawyer who after a disastrous initial meeting, manages to set Sensibility’s heart a flutter, although not without a few difficult moments. As Sensibility learns who she can trust and who is out to deceive her, I really liked determining who was lying and out for themselves as apposed to noble and good.Steam and Sensibility introduces us to an intriguing steampunk world that I honestly believe author Kirsten Weiss has big plans for. The introduction we have is sufficient for this story but I foresee a lot of world building and development in future stories.Rich and proper, but with a western twist, Steam and Sensibility is an entertaining read that has me ready to read the next instalment!