Review: Finally, Finley's backstory!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 2, 2011
So now we have a backstory as to how Finley Jayne ended up working in London as a chambermaid when "Girl with the Steel Corset" opens. Cross really does a good job of making the audience feel Finley's self-hatred and independent spirit. If anything, this novella just made me love Finley as a heroine all the more.This novella went on sale before the book did, so people are probably going to be reading this one first and "Steel Corset" second. I did it the other way around, and I think that's what Cross intended in terms of mapping out Finley as a character and understanding (aside from the whole MPD/DID element) why she acted and felt the way she did in "Steel Corset" and hopefully, forthcoming books. Just like any novella from a series I really like/love, all this did was make me hungry for more. The hints at meeting the Duke of Greythorne were absolutely awesome, too. It was cute how she was swooning over him, even if she thought him gross at just imagining what he might look like. Funny how things turn out in the first book, which is exactly why this novella needs to be read after the book.We get a look at Finley Jayne that we don't really see within the first novel proper - we see her as a teenage girl, more innocent, and less jaded when compared to her entrance within the first few pages of the first novel. It's refreshing to see that sort of transition drawn out, when in so many YA novels with a similar heroine it's skipped over altogether.And our favorite steampunk-androids are back, too! I missed them. Even if they're creepy as hell. Gah. Growing up in the "Terminator" generation still makes me suspicious about Judgment Day, even though as of May 1st, we've successfully beaten Skynet to the deadline.Ahem.Still, if you're going to read "Steel Corset", give "Finley Jayne" a read. But do it AFTER reading "Steel Corset", otherwise things might not make as much sense. I really enjoyed this little venture into Finley Jayne's mind and world before getting involved with everyone in "Steel Corset". It's like watching a child grow up, and it gave me a warm fuzzy feeling inside knowing how much Finley grew as a character between both works.Even if ancient Skynet was along for the ride.(Crossposted to librarything, shelfari, and [...])