First Line: There are a limited number of excuses for a young, intelligent woman of seventeen to be traversing the fog-shrouded streets of London at midnight. A matter of protecting one's life or preventing another's death are two obvious ones.
The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason is an engaging steampunk mystery. I liked the contrast between the two main characters: Mina is bookish, brainy, and keenly observant while Evaline is more action-oriented and adventurous; she also has inherited her family's supernatural vampire-hunting abilities. The fact that they don't particularly like each other makes it even more fun. The mystery itself is intriguing. Mina and Evaline (along with a cute Scotland yard detective named Ambrose Grayling) are investigating the deaths of three young society girls. In the process they stumble upon a secret society revolving around Sekhmet, the Egyptian Goddess of Death, and two mysterious young men with secrets of their own. I admit I'm a fan of steampunk and I liked the steampunk aspects in this novel, too, from steam cycles, to flying firefly lanterns, to the clockwork scarabs that are found beside each one of the dead girls. Want a fun and inventive steampunk novel? Gleason's YA novel won't disappoint.
Happy Reading!
Similar read: Parasol Protectorate Series
I am intrigued by the contrast between these two lead characters, and their fictional famous ancestry. Sounds like a fun read!
ReplyDeleteIt was the characters that made me pick up the book in the first place...and it didn't disappoint.
DeleteI haven't read much steampunk but love the sound of this one. Sounds fun with Miss Holmes and Miss Stoker! I've added it to my GoodReads list.
ReplyDeleteLet me know how you like it.
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