Review: Tempered
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 11, 2014
Tempered takes us out of the familiar steampunk streets of London and brings us into a country side estate.Mr. Oliver Ashmore, Cherry's guardian, has stepped in and saved Cherry from the menagerie...he has also taken her away to help her “dry out” from her opium addiction.It is a very rocky road and at least the first 1/3 of the book is Cherry struggle through her withdraws while strange circumstances and loss of large chunks of time plague Cherry. Hating the prison of the estate, Cherry starts to explore what she soon discovers is one of her family's homes. The more she uncovers the more foreboding her future becomes...This is quite a change up from our normal St Criox adventures. The character cast is at a minimum, but the dark fantasy side still shines through. We are given a lot more details into the technical side of alchemy, showing us the mystery behind the "magic".Tempered unveils shocking insights into Cherry's past and her future while Cherry delves deep into her own character attempting to correct her flaws. I think we are going to find a much stronger Cherry in the future.We get to know the illusive Mr. Oliver Ashmore, the secretive guardian...the secrets behind his past and his connection to Cherry.I found myself slowly drawn into this story and by the end I was glued to the pages wanting to discover more. Karina Cooper writes awesomely wounded and dark characters that she weaves into a magnificent story for us to enjoy.I received this ARC copy of Tempered from Carina Press in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication February 10, 2014.Written by: Karina CooperSeries: The St. Criox's ChroniclesSequence in Series: 4Publisher: Carina PressPublication Date: February 10, 2014Rating: 4.5 StarsGenre: Steampunk, scifi, fantasy