Review: What is Finley Jayne?
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 3, 2011
In case you're wondering, Kady Cross' "The Strange Case of Finley Jayne" is apparently a prequel to the forthcoming novel "The Girl in the Steel Corset." But this little steampunk novella stands pretty well on its own -- it has a sensible butt-kicking heroine, a dash of classic horror, and some decent writing (albeit with some anachronisms).Only a few hours after being fired from her job (for punching a governess), Finley Jayne is offered a new position: companion to Lady Morton's teenage daughter Phoebe. The job seems too good to be true -- she gets a beautiful room, Phoebe's old clothes, and even is brought to balls and parties under the pretense of being a distant relation.However, she is uneasy about Phoebe's older fiancee, Lord Vincent. Not only is Lord Vincent creepy and twice her age, but he is also still obsessed with his dead wife, Cassandra... who looked exactly like Phoebe. Finley sets out to find out what devious plans he may have for Phoebe, and her greatest ally may be her secret, superhuman dark side.There is honestly not enough steampunk in the world, and "The Strange Case of Finley Jayne" is a decent example of the genre -- we've got clockwork automatons, steam carriages, robotic horses and a bit of "Frankensteinian" mad science. There are still some unanswered questions (Finley's dark side and superhuman strength), but presumably the full-length novel will explain that.Cross' prose is fairly good -- it's not exceptional, but it's solid enough, albeit with some comments that sound a little too modern (Finley refers to Lord Vincent's plans as "icky"). And while the first couple chapters feel a little fluffy, the story tightens up and becomes much darker with the introduction of Lord Vincent, although the subplot about Phoebe's boyfriend seemed extraneous.And Finley is a very, very likable heroine -- she's strong, self-reliant, sensible and intelligent. She also has a Hyde side (see, I can reference 19th-century horror too!), which allows her incredible strength and almost gleeful aggression that she has to keep bottled up. And I can't help but hope that we'll see more of Lady Morton, a clever noblewoman who recognizes a good bodyguard for her daughter when she sees one."The Strange Case of Finley Jayne" is a solid introduction to the world of Kady Cross' Victorian steampunk/urban-fantasy series, and leaves me anticipating whatever comes next for Finley Jayne.