Review: Summer of the Moon Flower by Annie Seaton
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 14, 2013
Having only recently been introduced to the steampunk genre, I think I'm now - officially - hooked. Victorian Era sensibilities, combined with steam machines of all varieties is simply too much fun to ignore. Indigo's perambulator, alone, is worthy of a least one belly laugh.Add in some mystery, intrigue, time travel, the Knights Templar, a good old-fashioned romance and ... Welcome to Summer of the Moon Flower.The second book in the de Vargas Family series follows younger sister, Sofia. Although, for all appearances, she runs the most popular couture house in Vienna, it is her after-hours work that has attracted attention - the wrong kind of attention.Continuing her father's research into the healing properties of the Alpine moon flower, Sofia runs afoul of the Knights Templar. The clandestine order believes that it holds the monopoly on immortality, abhors science, and has ordered the death of our intrepid couturier/ scientist.Enter Dougal, the Earl of Rothmore. Charged by his Templar elders to end Sofia's research, and her life, he isn't quite what he seems. Or is he?Although it only took a few hours to devour, don't let the mere 133 pages fool you. There is a lot happening between the covers of this book. Fast-paced and intense, this is a wonderful read. I still have pictures dancing in my imagination, especially of Dougal in his kilt.Now, the down side: Perhaps it's picking nits, but I found myself wondering what happened to Sofia's little gun, dropped during the confrontation at the Westbahnhof. There were, sadly, a number of errors (mostly later in the book) that seemed to be rewrite-related. It was as though phrases were redone, yet both the original and revised text remained.With that said, this is a book that I highly recommend. The small issues I had don't ruin the great story; it would simply be that much better without them.And, since I missed the beginning of the saga, I have to see about getting a copy of book one and rein in my impatience for books three and four.~*~*~Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary electronic galley of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.