Review: Romantic American Steampunk
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 25, 2011
Mash up great steampunk elements into Civil War Americana, make women as tough as nails and throw in a weak splash of adventure and you'll get Badlands. The blurb pretty much says everything that could be said to summarize this novella length story.Ever is one really strong heroine and Spencer makes a terrific hero. Their attraction wasn't fully felt by me as a reader, there was a hurriedness to it that frustrated me. I think if given more time to develop it would have been much more enjoyable as I very much liked both characters. The sexual tension element was palpable and could have really come to a proper crescendo if it had been built up over several more chapters.I loved the world deLaney presented in Badlands but it felt so very shadowed, not enough was given to really make a reader get the motivations of the characters. Even still I managed to enjoy what was there and would definitely read more of this particular flavor of steampunk. My biggest complaint overall is one I am finding myself giving frequently on novella length steampunk stories... not long enough! With great secondary characters and the appeal of post-Civil War America as a canvas I would recommend this one for fans of the genre looking for something a bit out-of-the-box.***Received Review Copy via NetGalley.