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The Iron Seas #2
Heart of Steel
The Iron Duke introduced the gritty, alluring adventure of the Iron Seas. Now, Meljean Brook returns to the world where nanotech fuses with Victorian sensibilities—and steam.
As the mercenary captain of Lady Corsair, Yasmeen has learned to keep her heart as cold as steel, her only loyalty bound to her ship and her crew. So when a man who once tried to seize her airship returns from the dead, Yasmeen will be damned if she gives him another opportunity to take control.
Treasure hunter Archimedes Fox isn't interested in Lady Corsair—he wants her coldhearted captain and the valuable da Vinci sketch she stole from him. To reclaim it, Archimedes is determined to seduce the stubborn woman who once tossed him to a ravenous pack of zombies, but she's no easy conquest.
When da Vinci's sketch attracts a dangerous amount of attention, Yasmeen and Archimedes journey to Horde-occupied Morocco—and straight into their enemy's hands. But as they fight to save themselves and a city on the brink of rebellion, the greatest peril Yasmeen faces is from the man who seeks to melt her icy heart.
As the mercenary captain of Lady Corsair, Yasmeen has learned to keep her heart as cold as steel, her only loyalty bound to her ship and her crew. So when a man who once tried to seize her airship returns from the dead, Yasmeen will be damned if she gives him another opportunity to take control.
Treasure hunter Archimedes Fox isn't interested in Lady Corsair—he wants her coldhearted captain and the valuable da Vinci sketch she stole from him. To reclaim it, Archimedes is determined to seduce the stubborn woman who once tossed him to a ravenous pack of zombies, but she's no easy conquest.
When da Vinci's sketch attracts a dangerous amount of attention, Yasmeen and Archimedes journey to Horde-occupied Morocco—and straight into their enemy's hands. But as they fight to save themselves and a city on the brink of rebellion, the greatest peril Yasmeen faces is from the man who seeks to melt her icy heart.
236 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2011
108 people are currently reading
3516 people want to read
About the author
Meljean Brook
51 books2,574 followersBook info: I am the author of the Iron Seas steampunk romance series. I've written a guide to the world (including a map) on my website.
I also write a paranormal romance series, the Guardians. That series guide is also on my website, including a "The Story So Far" feature, which allows you to catch up on all of the books that previously released in the series if you start after the first installment.
Goodreads info: I am slowly, slowly adding to my shelves and reviews. It's unlikely that I will join many book discussions (especially of my own work) simply because I don't want to stifle reader conversation.
Bio: Meljean was raised in the middle of the woods, and hid under her blankets at night with fairy tales, comic books, and romances. She left the forest and went on a misguided tour through the world of accounting before focusing on her first loves, reading and writing–and she realized that monsters, superheroes, and happily-ever-afters are easily found between the covers, as well as under them, so she set out to make her own.
Meljean lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and daughter.
I also write a paranormal romance series, the Guardians. That series guide is also on my website, including a "The Story So Far" feature, which allows you to catch up on all of the books that previously released in the series if you start after the first installment.
Goodreads info: I am slowly, slowly adding to my shelves and reviews. It's unlikely that I will join many book discussions (especially of my own work) simply because I don't want to stifle reader conversation.
Bio: Meljean was raised in the middle of the woods, and hid under her blankets at night with fairy tales, comic books, and romances. She left the forest and went on a misguided tour through the world of accounting before focusing on her first loves, reading and writing–and she realized that monsters, superheroes, and happily-ever-afters are easily found between the covers, as well as under them, so she set out to make her own.
Meljean lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and daughter.
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January 9, 2025Another old review from the depths of the internet.
I've been reading and reviewing romance novels for more than six months now, and not every book I've read has worked for me. I’ve spent quite a lot of time thinking about the books I’ve read and my reactions to them, and I think I’ve finally worked out what was missing in some of the books I’ve read to date.
Their heroines weren’t freaking sky pirates.
That is basically the whole substance of my review of Heart of Steel. Seriously. The heroine is a sky pirate. There is nothing about that which is not awesome.
Pedantic readers may point out that Yasmeen (a.k.a. Captain Corsair, a.k.a. Lady Corsair – although that’s technically the name of the ship) isn’t actually a pirate per se but a mercenary skycaptain. But you know what, you say pirateato, I say pirateahto. Besides, she wears thighboots, lives on a ship, and fights with curvy edged weapons. Pirate.
Oh, as always, I should point out that this review will contain spoilers.
Anyway, Heart of Steel tells the story of Yasmeen (who is a sky pirate) and Archimedes Fox (who is not a sky pirate). Both of these characters appeared in the Iron Duke and, indeed, one threw the other off an airship into a city full of zombies (he apparently recovered). Archimedes catches up with Yasmeen in a place called (I think – I’m afraid I sometimes lose track of geography) Port Fallow, shoots her with an opium dart, and tells her that he needs her to give him the sketch by Leonardo da Vinci that she took from him at their last meeting, and also that he intends to fall in love with her.
From here Archimedes and Yasmeen embark on a thrilling tale of treasure hunting, revenge, and general swashbuckling as they romp around the ruined, zombie-haunted remains of Europe seeking the legendary clockwork army that was (allegedly) created in the last days of resistance against the Horde, in a last ditch effort to turn the tides of invasion. The ultimate aim of Archimedes' quest is to earn enough money to pay off his debt to the terrifying and powerful Temür Agha, while Yasmeen intends to use the whole event as a ploy to discover whether Temür Agha or his companion, a member of an elite order of bodyguards and assassins called the gan tsetseg, were responsible for the destruction of her ship and the deaths of her crew.
When I read The Iron Duke a few months ago, I was very impressed with the implied scope of Brook's world. There was a real sense of something larger and more complicated out there than we could see just from the few hints we saw in the first novel. Heart of Steel gives a greater insight into this world, particularly into the Horde, which is something of a bogeyman in the first volume – existing almost entirely off-camera and seen by virtually every character in the book as something to hate or fear. In Heart of Steel we see a lot more of Europe, as well as parts of Africa. Admittedly, a lot of what we see is zombie-infested wasteland, but it still creates a greater impression of these events taking place in a real world with a real history.
Incidentally, I do wonder to what extent the whole zombie plague was inspired not by the inherent awesomeness of zombies, but by the need for a convenient way to simplify worldbuilding. Creating secondary worlds is difficult at the best of times, and when you're trying to create something as ambitious as an entire alternative Europe with history diverging centuries before your setting's present day, being able to just write ZOMBIES HERE over large chunks of the map is probably the only way to make the whole thing workable.
Also zombies are awesome. Although not as awesome as sky pirates.
Anyway, I think what I particularly liked about the worldbuilding in Heart of Steel wasn't so much the places we saw (which were mostly ruins full of zombies) as the discussions people had about the world as they passed over it. Through the interactions between the various travellers on their trans-European voyage, Brook reveals many more details about her secondary world. There's the history of the French-Libere war, the way that ordinary Mongolians (and subjects of the wider Empire) reacted to the erection of the towers that control the emotions of the Horde's subject peoples, and the evidence not only of a plurality of political factions within the Horde (which seemed quite monolithic in The Iron Duke) but also of factionalisation within those factions, and of complex interactions between the Horde and what remains of the outside world.
Both the world and the central plot of Heart of Steel are also pleasingly non-white-centric. Archimedes is fairly unambiguously of northern European ancestry, but Yasmeen is explicitly described as ethnically unplaceable, and she originally hails from Constantinople which I think would have been under Ottoman rule before the Horde took over (although I'm not completely sure on this one because I confess that I'm not exactly certain at what time the invasions of the Horde in the world of the Iron Seas start to diverge from the actual Mongolian invasions in the real world). It is striking (both in how unusual it is, and in how depressing it is for it to be quite so unusual) that virtually all of the actual agents of the plot of Heart of Steel are non-European. The driving force of the narrative ultimately boils down to a disagreement between two Moroccans about how best to deal with a Mongolian who is himself planning a rebellion against other Mongolians. To put it another way, in Brook's world it isn't only white people who have goals and agendas that matter. Which isn't as common in popular fiction as one might like.
This is about the point where I realise that I've been talking about a romance novel for nearly a thousand words and haven't actually mentioned any, y'know, romance. There's something quite knowing about the way the whole thing is set up. Archimedes starts the novel explicitly declaring his intent to fall in love with Yasmeen, who declares her intent not to fall in love with him (although she's willing to, y'know, shag). Unlike The Iron Duke, I felt that the tone and presentation of the central love story dovetailed perfectly with the wider narrative. The story of Heart of Steel is a sort of physical and emotional picaresque, Yasmeen and Archimedes are both displaced people, and they come together on a fragmented journey around a fragmented Europe.
Yasmeen's emotional arc is somewhat longer and more in-depth than Archimedes'. While he starts the book determined to fall in love with the awesome ninja sky pirate and, by the end of the book, achieves his goal, Yasmeen begins in a much less enthusiastic, much less trusting place. I mean the book is even called Heart of Steel for Pete's sake, the clue is in the name. I think what's interesting about Yasmeen's arc is that she isn't a stereotypical ice queen. She's clearly a very passionate, very sensual, and even very emotional person – she has no difficulty acknowledging or expressing her feelings, and she clearly feels both loyalty and loss very deeply. It's just that she equates romantic love, within the society in which she lives (which – female pirate captains aside – often seems about as patriarchal and repressive as the actual nineteenth century) with weakness, and arguably with good reason. What makes her relationship with Archimedes special is that he is able to love her in a way that supports her position and her authority, rather than undermining them.
This is another situation in which I was struck by an element of the book being rarer than I would like. For all their playful banter and somewhat unusual courtship, it is always firmly accepted that – aboard ship and in public at least – Archimedes is strictly subordinate to Yasmeen. She's the Captain, he isn't, that's how it works. What struck me as unusual about this is that, to Archimedes at least, it isn't even that big a deal. There is no sense that he might find this emasculating, or that there is anything wrong with being in a relationship with a woman who might spend a lot of her time giving you orders. I think I can probably count on the fingers of one hand the romances I've read (and admittedly, I haven't read that many in total) in which the heroine is in an actual position of authority over the hero. And true, they don't spend much of the book on Yasmeen's actual ship (which is where her authority over Archimedes would be its most explicit) but he spends the entire book making certain that he never attempt to control, undercut, or overshadow her. Which is sort of remarkable.
Archimedes himself is pretty awesome. And again I note that Brook neatly ducks the more problematic elements of the Victorian gentleman adventurer archetype (a group of people who, in real life, spent a lot of time going to foreign countries, stealing things and causing trouble) by having him operate in regions occupied almost entirely by zombies. Waistcoats, pistols and implausible acts of swashbuckling all add up to a big win in the hero column. On a purely personal level, I was a little bit disappointed by his, umm, body type. The thing is, Archimedes is one of the first heroes I've read who might plausibly look a bit like me – he isn't an FBI agent or a six-foot-eight vampire king, he's basically a glorified tomb robber. In D&D terms, he'd be a rogue. But every time you get a physical description of the guy he's all broad shoulders and hard muscle. And obviously I'm basically the last person who should be complaining about normative beauty standards, but because Archimedes was, in many ways, far less hypermasculinised than many of the heroes I've read so far I was disappointed to find his actual body slotted so neatly into the template of the tall, broad-shouldered, square-jawed hero.
Archimedes' manly pecs aside, Heart of Steel is a fantastic steampunk romp. And seriously, genetically engineered sky pirate fights zombies, how can that not be awesome.
Everything I learned about life and love from reading Heart of Steel:
Just because you've thrown a man off an airship, that doesn't mean it's the end of your relationship. If you want a woman to fall for you, take her on a romantic tour of Europe's zombie-infested ruins. Pretending to be married always ends well. Everything is better with sky pirates.
I've been reading and reviewing romance novels for more than six months now, and not every book I've read has worked for me. I’ve spent quite a lot of time thinking about the books I’ve read and my reactions to them, and I think I’ve finally worked out what was missing in some of the books I’ve read to date.
Their heroines weren’t freaking sky pirates.
That is basically the whole substance of my review of Heart of Steel. Seriously. The heroine is a sky pirate. There is nothing about that which is not awesome.
Pedantic readers may point out that Yasmeen (a.k.a. Captain Corsair, a.k.a. Lady Corsair – although that’s technically the name of the ship) isn’t actually a pirate per se but a mercenary skycaptain. But you know what, you say pirateato, I say pirateahto. Besides, she wears thighboots, lives on a ship, and fights with curvy edged weapons. Pirate.
Oh, as always, I should point out that this review will contain spoilers.
Anyway, Heart of Steel tells the story of Yasmeen (who is a sky pirate) and Archimedes Fox (who is not a sky pirate). Both of these characters appeared in the Iron Duke and, indeed, one threw the other off an airship into a city full of zombies (he apparently recovered). Archimedes catches up with Yasmeen in a place called (I think – I’m afraid I sometimes lose track of geography) Port Fallow, shoots her with an opium dart, and tells her that he needs her to give him the sketch by Leonardo da Vinci that she took from him at their last meeting, and also that he intends to fall in love with her.
From here Archimedes and Yasmeen embark on a thrilling tale of treasure hunting, revenge, and general swashbuckling as they romp around the ruined, zombie-haunted remains of Europe seeking the legendary clockwork army that was (allegedly) created in the last days of resistance against the Horde, in a last ditch effort to turn the tides of invasion. The ultimate aim of Archimedes' quest is to earn enough money to pay off his debt to the terrifying and powerful Temür Agha, while Yasmeen intends to use the whole event as a ploy to discover whether Temür Agha or his companion, a member of an elite order of bodyguards and assassins called the gan tsetseg, were responsible for the destruction of her ship and the deaths of her crew.
When I read The Iron Duke a few months ago, I was very impressed with the implied scope of Brook's world. There was a real sense of something larger and more complicated out there than we could see just from the few hints we saw in the first novel. Heart of Steel gives a greater insight into this world, particularly into the Horde, which is something of a bogeyman in the first volume – existing almost entirely off-camera and seen by virtually every character in the book as something to hate or fear. In Heart of Steel we see a lot more of Europe, as well as parts of Africa. Admittedly, a lot of what we see is zombie-infested wasteland, but it still creates a greater impression of these events taking place in a real world with a real history.
Incidentally, I do wonder to what extent the whole zombie plague was inspired not by the inherent awesomeness of zombies, but by the need for a convenient way to simplify worldbuilding. Creating secondary worlds is difficult at the best of times, and when you're trying to create something as ambitious as an entire alternative Europe with history diverging centuries before your setting's present day, being able to just write ZOMBIES HERE over large chunks of the map is probably the only way to make the whole thing workable.
Also zombies are awesome. Although not as awesome as sky pirates.
Anyway, I think what I particularly liked about the worldbuilding in Heart of Steel wasn't so much the places we saw (which were mostly ruins full of zombies) as the discussions people had about the world as they passed over it. Through the interactions between the various travellers on their trans-European voyage, Brook reveals many more details about her secondary world. There's the history of the French-Libere war, the way that ordinary Mongolians (and subjects of the wider Empire) reacted to the erection of the towers that control the emotions of the Horde's subject peoples, and the evidence not only of a plurality of political factions within the Horde (which seemed quite monolithic in The Iron Duke) but also of factionalisation within those factions, and of complex interactions between the Horde and what remains of the outside world.
Both the world and the central plot of Heart of Steel are also pleasingly non-white-centric. Archimedes is fairly unambiguously of northern European ancestry, but Yasmeen is explicitly described as ethnically unplaceable, and she originally hails from Constantinople which I think would have been under Ottoman rule before the Horde took over (although I'm not completely sure on this one because I confess that I'm not exactly certain at what time the invasions of the Horde in the world of the Iron Seas start to diverge from the actual Mongolian invasions in the real world). It is striking (both in how unusual it is, and in how depressing it is for it to be quite so unusual) that virtually all of the actual agents of the plot of Heart of Steel are non-European. The driving force of the narrative ultimately boils down to a disagreement between two Moroccans about how best to deal with a Mongolian who is himself planning a rebellion against other Mongolians. To put it another way, in Brook's world it isn't only white people who have goals and agendas that matter. Which isn't as common in popular fiction as one might like.
This is about the point where I realise that I've been talking about a romance novel for nearly a thousand words and haven't actually mentioned any, y'know, romance. There's something quite knowing about the way the whole thing is set up. Archimedes starts the novel explicitly declaring his intent to fall in love with Yasmeen, who declares her intent not to fall in love with him (although she's willing to, y'know, shag). Unlike The Iron Duke, I felt that the tone and presentation of the central love story dovetailed perfectly with the wider narrative. The story of Heart of Steel is a sort of physical and emotional picaresque, Yasmeen and Archimedes are both displaced people, and they come together on a fragmented journey around a fragmented Europe.
Yasmeen's emotional arc is somewhat longer and more in-depth than Archimedes'. While he starts the book determined to fall in love with the awesome ninja sky pirate and, by the end of the book, achieves his goal, Yasmeen begins in a much less enthusiastic, much less trusting place. I mean the book is even called Heart of Steel for Pete's sake, the clue is in the name. I think what's interesting about Yasmeen's arc is that she isn't a stereotypical ice queen. She's clearly a very passionate, very sensual, and even very emotional person – she has no difficulty acknowledging or expressing her feelings, and she clearly feels both loyalty and loss very deeply. It's just that she equates romantic love, within the society in which she lives (which – female pirate captains aside – often seems about as patriarchal and repressive as the actual nineteenth century) with weakness, and arguably with good reason. What makes her relationship with Archimedes special is that he is able to love her in a way that supports her position and her authority, rather than undermining them.
This is another situation in which I was struck by an element of the book being rarer than I would like. For all their playful banter and somewhat unusual courtship, it is always firmly accepted that – aboard ship and in public at least – Archimedes is strictly subordinate to Yasmeen. She's the Captain, he isn't, that's how it works. What struck me as unusual about this is that, to Archimedes at least, it isn't even that big a deal. There is no sense that he might find this emasculating, or that there is anything wrong with being in a relationship with a woman who might spend a lot of her time giving you orders. I think I can probably count on the fingers of one hand the romances I've read (and admittedly, I haven't read that many in total) in which the heroine is in an actual position of authority over the hero. And true, they don't spend much of the book on Yasmeen's actual ship (which is where her authority over Archimedes would be its most explicit) but he spends the entire book making certain that he never attempt to control, undercut, or overshadow her. Which is sort of remarkable.
Archimedes himself is pretty awesome. And again I note that Brook neatly ducks the more problematic elements of the Victorian gentleman adventurer archetype (a group of people who, in real life, spent a lot of time going to foreign countries, stealing things and causing trouble) by having him operate in regions occupied almost entirely by zombies. Waistcoats, pistols and implausible acts of swashbuckling all add up to a big win in the hero column. On a purely personal level, I was a little bit disappointed by his, umm, body type. The thing is, Archimedes is one of the first heroes I've read who might plausibly look a bit like me – he isn't an FBI agent or a six-foot-eight vampire king, he's basically a glorified tomb robber. In D&D terms, he'd be a rogue. But every time you get a physical description of the guy he's all broad shoulders and hard muscle. And obviously I'm basically the last person who should be complaining about normative beauty standards, but because Archimedes was, in many ways, far less hypermasculinised than many of the heroes I've read so far I was disappointed to find his actual body slotted so neatly into the template of the tall, broad-shouldered, square-jawed hero.
Archimedes' manly pecs aside, Heart of Steel is a fantastic steampunk romp. And seriously, genetically engineered sky pirate fights zombies, how can that not be awesome.
Everything I learned about life and love from reading Heart of Steel:
Just because you've thrown a man off an airship, that doesn't mean it's the end of your relationship. If you want a woman to fall for you, take her on a romantic tour of Europe's zombie-infested ruins. Pretending to be married always ends well. Everything is better with sky pirates.
November 30, 2011
This seriously wins terrible cover of the year. I am so confused about this shirtless guy who looks like he'd be mopping in a fast food restaurant and he's holding a machete. So weird.
The BOOK however is really nice. Again, I love the lore of this steampunk world, it's the most interesting I've seen with the nanobot aspect and the Horde and the revisionist European history. This one had racy sexy scenes but it didn't seem to dominate as much as the last. I just loved the swashbuckley nature, and the romance was great, I'm a big fan!
Except of the cover haha.
The BOOK however is really nice. Again, I love the lore of this steampunk world, it's the most interesting I've seen with the nanobot aspect and the Horde and the revisionist European history. This one had racy sexy scenes but it didn't seem to dominate as much as the last. I just loved the swashbuckley nature, and the romance was great, I'm a big fan!
Except of the cover haha.
April 15, 2012
My tale begins when Heart of Steel was purchased and shipped to me by the glorious, RADIANT Elizabeth
I liked the Iron Duke - but there were some things holding it back from worshipping the ever-loving shit out of it.
Have you ever just known that if you were to meet a particular woman then you would immediately renounce men (or all other women) and devout yourself to them forever? Well, of course you do, you read my reviews - but I'm talking about someone other than me. That's how I felt about Captain Corsair. I loved her with a fiery passion that can never be doused.
But Brook is no stranger to making kick-ass characters because most people absolutely loved Mina from the first book. It's the male characters that have seen less enthusiasm. The Iron Duke himself was a big meh from me and it took me a while to warm to Archimedes Fox. Once I did, I rather adored him.
But I'm waiting for the day that Brook writes a character as insanely, bodaciously rockin' as Lady Corsair, and a male love interest that compares. I both long and fear for that day because I think the world might end and existence as we know it may, in fact, explode in a brilliant shiny light. I only hope I can read the book before I'm transported to a different state of consciousness.
The writing of this book sees a dramatic upturn. Brook has obviously been working on her craft. The story-telling has improved dramatically. This is Steampunk and glorious Steampunk at that. Brook's attention to historical detail and fantastic imagination help bring a vastly alternate world to light and I loved every minute of it.
The absolutely BEST thing about this book, without a doubt, is that it is no rapey! Yay!
I liked the Iron Duke - but there were some things holding it back from worshipping the ever-loving shit out of it.
Have you ever just known that if you were to meet a particular woman then you would immediately renounce men (or all other women) and devout yourself to them forever? Well, of course you do, you read my reviews - but I'm talking about someone other than me. That's how I felt about Captain Corsair. I loved her with a fiery passion that can never be doused.
But Brook is no stranger to making kick-ass characters because most people absolutely loved Mina from the first book. It's the male characters that have seen less enthusiasm. The Iron Duke himself was a big meh from me and it took me a while to warm to Archimedes Fox. Once I did, I rather adored him.
But I'm waiting for the day that Brook writes a character as insanely, bodaciously rockin' as Lady Corsair, and a male love interest that compares. I both long and fear for that day because I think the world might end and existence as we know it may, in fact, explode in a brilliant shiny light. I only hope I can read the book before I'm transported to a different state of consciousness.
The writing of this book sees a dramatic upturn. Brook has obviously been working on her craft. The story-telling has improved dramatically. This is Steampunk and glorious Steampunk at that. Brook's attention to historical detail and fantastic imagination help bring a vastly alternate world to light and I loved every minute of it.
The absolutely BEST thing about this book, without a doubt, is that it is no rapey! Yay!
October 29, 2011
I’m not going to comment on the plot of this book because to be honest, I didn’t understand a word of it. That’s probably more about me and how I read than it is about the writing, and I hope to reread it at some point and get more out of it. Even as confused as I was, I enjoyed it a lot.
In The Iron Duke, Yasmeen threw Archimedes Fox off her airship into a throng of zombies, so you know going into this story that they have some interesting history. Fox doesn’t seem to be one to hold a grudge however -- in fact he admires Yasmeen’s ruthlessness:
“‘Do you love me Archimedes?’
He couldn’t have mistaken the calculation in her eyes. If he loved her, she was already deciding how to use that emotion against him. God, what a woman... When he did fall in love with her, he’d fall painfully hard.”
In my review of The Iron Duke, I admitted to finding the eponymous hero just a trifle more ordinary than I had hoped for. Not an issue here: both Yasmeen and Archimedes are extraordinary characters. I expected to have some trouble feeling Yasmeen, for her ruthlessness, bloodthirstiness and fondness of addictive drugs, but Brooks does a fantastic job -- not reforming Yasmeen in any way, not whitewashing her, thank goodness, but making us see what drives her and how essential it’s been that she suppress her softer side.
And Archimedes, with his “silver tongue and balls of iron” is the perfect foil for Yasmeen’s heart of steel. He understands how she thinks -- a necessary skill for survival in her orbit -- and completely appreciates her just the way she is. He’s also a fascinating character in himself: the seemingly lighthearted adventurer/trickster who always lands on his feet, brave enough to take Yasmeen on and even enjoy being overpowered by her. (Including in bed.) The main issue in his relationship with Yasmeen is not that she’s tried to kill him -- and would do it again if warranted -- but that she’s so strong herself, he fears there’s nothing he can offer her:
“[Yasmeen speaking] ‘You want to protect me, but in truth, I’ll protect you. It was what I was made for. So let me do it.’
That was incredible. She was incredible. And yet... His jaw clenched, despair tugging at his heart.
How was he to do anything for her?”
Truly a difficult situation for a romance hero. As Fox later exclaims, having arrived just as Yasmeen has averted a bad situationn: “Goddamnit. Can’t I save you just once?”
But by the end of the book, the two have found their partnership balance, one that allows them to love each other without either having to give up who they are. It’s one of the most fabulous, unique romances I’ve ever read, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someday I reread this, get everything that confused me before, and it goes up to five stars.
In The Iron Duke, Yasmeen threw Archimedes Fox off her airship into a throng of zombies, so you know going into this story that they have some interesting history. Fox doesn’t seem to be one to hold a grudge however -- in fact he admires Yasmeen’s ruthlessness:
“‘Do you love me Archimedes?’
He couldn’t have mistaken the calculation in her eyes. If he loved her, she was already deciding how to use that emotion against him. God, what a woman... When he did fall in love with her, he’d fall painfully hard.”
In my review of The Iron Duke, I admitted to finding the eponymous hero just a trifle more ordinary than I had hoped for. Not an issue here: both Yasmeen and Archimedes are extraordinary characters. I expected to have some trouble feeling Yasmeen, for her ruthlessness, bloodthirstiness and fondness of addictive drugs, but Brooks does a fantastic job -- not reforming Yasmeen in any way, not whitewashing her, thank goodness, but making us see what drives her and how essential it’s been that she suppress her softer side.
And Archimedes, with his “silver tongue and balls of iron” is the perfect foil for Yasmeen’s heart of steel. He understands how she thinks -- a necessary skill for survival in her orbit -- and completely appreciates her just the way she is. He’s also a fascinating character in himself: the seemingly lighthearted adventurer/trickster who always lands on his feet, brave enough to take Yasmeen on and even enjoy being overpowered by her. (Including in bed.) The main issue in his relationship with Yasmeen is not that she’s tried to kill him -- and would do it again if warranted -- but that she’s so strong herself, he fears there’s nothing he can offer her:
“[Yasmeen speaking] ‘You want to protect me, but in truth, I’ll protect you. It was what I was made for. So let me do it.’
That was incredible. She was incredible. And yet... His jaw clenched, despair tugging at his heart.
How was he to do anything for her?”
Truly a difficult situation for a romance hero. As Fox later exclaims, having arrived just as Yasmeen has averted a bad situationn: “Goddamnit. Can’t I save you just once?”
But by the end of the book, the two have found their partnership balance, one that allows them to love each other without either having to give up who they are. It’s one of the most fabulous, unique romances I’ve ever read, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someday I reread this, get everything that confused me before, and it goes up to five stars.
July 1, 2023
“And what will you do if I fall in love with you, instead?”
He grinned. “Then God help us both.”
I was expecting Heart of Steel to be exactly like The Iron Duke. Typical romance blah-blah-blah and they lived happily ever after. The end.
The plot
Yasmeen, mercenary captain extraordinaire, has no regrets after pushing treasure hunter Archimedes Fox to a ravenous pack of zombies after his failed attempt to take control of her ship, the Lady Corsair. She also got her hands on an extremely valuable item Archimedes had found before his tragic death, a sketch of a flying machine drawn by the great inventor Leonardo da Vinci. Lady Luck seems to be on Yasmeen’s side.
The truth is that Archimedes is not dead, but very much alive. He is on a mission to recover his sketch and the perfect retribution seems to be conquering Yasmeen’s heart. Little does he know that Yasmeen is not your typical damsel in distress and winning her heart of steel won’t be an easy task.
My thoughts
Take your average alpha male character. His personality to be exact. Then change his body from male to female. The result would be Yasmeen.
“If you even suggest to my crew that you’ve threatened your way aboard my lady, I’ll rip out your spine.”
He could see she meant it. God. “That’s unbearably arousing.”
Yep, they’re a match made in heaven.
Another surprise was the lack of sex.
Chill, of course they have sex. I was thinking that they’d go for it since twenty percent. And before that we’d get too many pages of lustful thoughts and mindless flirting. Wrong. I was in seventy six percent when something happened. Seventy. Six. Percent.
Amazing! And it wasn’t boring. Far from it. The romance built up naturally and by the end their feelings felt genuine. That’s a rare thing to find in romance novels.
A short conclusion
Heart of Steel was a wonderful surprise. I started it in order to clear out my sequels shelf and ended up reading a very good book. It hit exactly when I was starting to lose faith in Romance novels. If you are in the mood for a great adventure full of action, strong characters, witty dialogues and don’t mind waiting a while before the romance picks up then Heart of Steel if the book for you.
Favorite quote
And he had more fears now to replace it: fear for her life, fear that when this expedition was over and her vengeance satisfied, he’d never see her again. And though he knew her heart was steel, though he looked forward to the longing of an unrequited love, he also knew the fear that she’d never feel the same in return.
October 5, 2021
3 Stars for Heart of Steel: The Iron Seas, Book 2 (audiobook) by Meljean Brook read by Faye Adele.
I like the characters but something about the story just isn’t connecting with me. The narration is good but I think I’m hold off on the next book for now.
I like the characters but something about the story just isn’t connecting with me. The narration is good but I think I’m hold off on the next book for now.
November 3, 2011
This book didn't have as much of an impact on me as The Iron Duke, but it was still a very welcome kick in the pants that got me off my string of mediocre reading. There wasn't as much sexytimes as I've come to expect in romance novels nowadays, but the chemistry, tension, and character building more than captured my interest in a fulfilling way during the time any other H/h in any other book would be getting down and dirty.
The adventure plot in this story was really fun. I had a great time tagging along as Archimedes and Yasmeen evaded assassins, fought zombies, searched for treasure, hunted murderers in pursuit of vengeance, and sparked a city's rebellion. The action really kept my interest, and, other than the HEA (which is a given, after all), I never would have guessed the ending/resolution for the action/adventure. It was perfect for me, and let's just say that "HEA" is definitely not a misnomer here.
Going into this book, I was inclined not to like Yasmeen, who seemed so harsh and unforgiving in "The Iron Duke." Boy, was I wrong! Yasmeen is AWESOME. I loved her strength, her confidence, her cunning, her awareness, her self-sufficiency, EVERYTHING. She was a great character, and it was wonderful to see her softening towards Archimedes.
Archimedes is the guy that all you sexy beta lovers have been looking for all this time. He's strong and daring, but he's in tune with his feelings and emotions. He's waiting to fall in love with the right woman, and, yes, ladies and gents, Yasmeen is that woman. He's not afraid to let her know it, and it's very interesting and revealing to watch the progression of her reactions to his openness and candor. He is more than content to sit back and let his captain steer the ship, so to speak, while he supports and protects her in his own way. He's not a weakling by any measure, but he is aware of Yasmeen's strengths and ability to outfight him, which doesn't intimidate him, but rather attracts him all the more. That in itself shows a quiet confidence that was very hard to resist.
Both of these characters have quite complex backgrounds that we learn about as the story unfolds. I felt like I was getting to know them better as they got to know each other, and that also helped to pull me into the story. Their histories were revealed nugget by nugget, and the pacing was just right not to feel like an info dump, but enough to sate my curiosity.
In terms of the series, I don't think this would work as a standalone. I really think you need to read "The Iron Duke" first in order to get the full impact of what the history is with the Horde and how the nanoagents work. The author does mention some background elements in "Heart of Steel," but it wasn't enough to grasp the complexities and rather felt like a "refresher" from the first book, not a complete understanding.
I am really curious to know whom Meljean Brook will write about in the next installment for The Iron Seas series. There's a hint that there might be a match between Scarsdale and Zenobia (Archimedes's sis), but I'm not sure how realistic that would be, given that we've already learned that Scarsdale is gay. Who knows, maybe he's bi? I have no idea - all I know is I can't wait for the next one!
The adventure plot in this story was really fun. I had a great time tagging along as Archimedes and Yasmeen evaded assassins, fought zombies, searched for treasure, hunted murderers in pursuit of vengeance, and sparked a city's rebellion. The action really kept my interest, and, other than the HEA (which is a given, after all), I never would have guessed the ending/resolution for the action/adventure. It was perfect for me, and let's just say that "HEA" is definitely not a misnomer here.
Going into this book, I was inclined not to like Yasmeen, who seemed so harsh and unforgiving in "The Iron Duke." Boy, was I wrong! Yasmeen is AWESOME. I loved her strength, her confidence, her cunning, her awareness, her self-sufficiency, EVERYTHING. She was a great character, and it was wonderful to see her softening towards Archimedes.
Archimedes is the guy that all you sexy beta lovers have been looking for all this time. He's strong and daring, but he's in tune with his feelings and emotions. He's waiting to fall in love with the right woman, and, yes, ladies and gents, Yasmeen is that woman. He's not afraid to let her know it, and it's very interesting and revealing to watch the progression of her reactions to his openness and candor. He is more than content to sit back and let his captain steer the ship, so to speak, while he supports and protects her in his own way. He's not a weakling by any measure, but he is aware of Yasmeen's strengths and ability to outfight him, which doesn't intimidate him, but rather attracts him all the more. That in itself shows a quiet confidence that was very hard to resist.
Both of these characters have quite complex backgrounds that we learn about as the story unfolds. I felt like I was getting to know them better as they got to know each other, and that also helped to pull me into the story. Their histories were revealed nugget by nugget, and the pacing was just right not to feel like an info dump, but enough to sate my curiosity.
In terms of the series, I don't think this would work as a standalone. I really think you need to read "The Iron Duke" first in order to get the full impact of what the history is with the Horde and how the nanoagents work. The author does mention some background elements in "Heart of Steel," but it wasn't enough to grasp the complexities and rather felt like a "refresher" from the first book, not a complete understanding.
I am really curious to know whom Meljean Brook will write about in the next installment for The Iron Seas series. There's a hint that there might be a match between Scarsdale and Zenobia (Archimedes's sis), but I'm not sure how realistic that would be, given that we've already learned that Scarsdale is gay. Who knows, maybe he's bi? I have no idea - all I know is I can't wait for the next one!
June 1, 2014
Not rapey! Hurray!
Real men aren't afraid of strong women. Or of colorful waistcoats.
Real men aren't afraid of strong women. Or of colorful waistcoats.
February 9, 2012
First, let me say that I really loved the first book in this series, The Iron Duke, so I've been looking forward to reading this one for quite some time.
Alas, my love affair with Iron Seas is officially over. This was just...not good.
It started off all right, but as the novel wore on, the charm of the first book wore off. In the beginning everyone is out for vengeance!, or trying to start a rebellion!, or trying to avoid assassins!...'n stuff. At the end? Nothing happened. Talk about anti-climactic! It. Sucked. Ass. Even the bad guys turned out to be not very scary. I mean, the bodyguard to Whats-His-Name was supposed to be a super-duper bad ass, right? For the majority of the book, everyone is trying to stay out of her sights to avoid some kind of a horrible death. But even she turned out to be a big softy!
You wanna know the worst part? She had mechanical hands that shot out like grappling hooks.
Naturally, this meant I had the theme song from Inspector Gadget running in head for a week afterward. Go, Gadget! Go!
So. The plot was vague. The back stories for the characters were vague. The world building was vague. I kept hanging on in the high hopes that everything would somehow come together at the end, but it just didn't happen.
P.S.
If you're hoping that the juicy romance will make up for what the plot lacks...think again. Weirdest. Couple. Ever.
Alas, my love affair with Iron Seas is officially over. This was just...not good.
It started off all right, but as the novel wore on, the charm of the first book wore off. In the beginning everyone is out for vengeance!, or trying to start a rebellion!, or trying to avoid assassins!...'n stuff. At the end? Nothing happened. Talk about anti-climactic! It. Sucked. Ass. Even the bad guys turned out to be not very scary. I mean, the bodyguard to Whats-His-Name was supposed to be a super-duper bad ass, right? For the majority of the book, everyone is trying to stay out of her sights to avoid some kind of a horrible death. But even she turned out to be a big softy!
You wanna know the worst part? She had mechanical hands that shot out like grappling hooks.
Naturally, this meant I had the theme song from Inspector Gadget running in head for a week afterward. Go, Gadget! Go!
So. The plot was vague. The back stories for the characters were vague. The world building was vague. I kept hanging on in the high hopes that everything would somehow come together at the end, but it just didn't happen.
P.S.
If you're hoping that the juicy romance will make up for what the plot lacks...think again. Weirdest. Couple. Ever.
March 1, 2015
"Goddammit. Can't I save you just once?"Yasmeen Corsair doesn't need a man to save her, she can save herself. She is the most badass airship captain ever - EVER!
And let's not forget Archimedes Fox -- adventurer, adrenaline junkie, former weapons smuggler, and one of the most charming bastards I've read about in a long time.
I loved these two characters. The story, for the most part, was great also, with enough action to keep me satisfied This world, as always, was absolutely fascinating (I love the concept of the Horde and the nanoagents. So fricken creative.)
There were some things I didn't like though:
--the last 20% was anti-climactic. Like, A LOT. It was actually really lame.
--the sexual tension was really good, but the actual sex scenes were crap.
--the phrase "heart of steel" was used too much. TOO MUCH! Dude, come on. Dats cheesy.
--As much as I liked Yasmeen, I gotta say:
Overall, though, I liked this. This is the same rating I gave to The Iron Duke (3.5 stars), but I actually liked this one much better. (I re-read Iron Duke recently and it wasn't nearly as awesome as I remembered it being. It was great jumping into this cool world again, but the romance in that book made me throw up in my mouth a little. Still, I wouldn't read this book without reading book 1 first.)
April 5, 2015
3.5-stars
Yasmeen was a kick-ass heroine with a heart of steel.
Fox was a witty beta hero with his charming grin. He was such an incurable romantic that it was interesting to see how he melt Yasmeen’s heart:/ I think the author did a good job making these two characters a perfect match. +1
'Weird' steamy scenes
Awesome fighting scenes against zombies +1
The villains?
-1
The ending?
The last few chapters were anti-climatic. -1
Yasmeen was a kick-ass heroine with a heart of steel.
Fox was a witty beta hero with his charming grin. He was such an incurable romantic that it was interesting to see how he melt Yasmeen’s heart:/ I think the author did a good job making these two characters a perfect match. +1
'Weird' steamy scenes
Awesome fighting scenes against zombies +1
The villains?
-1
The ending?
The last few chapters were anti-climatic. -1
September 8, 2017
Iron Seas is a series with an amazing world building, profound and various characters and lots of action. The best of steampunk mixed with the best of adventure romance. This sequel doesn't disappoint.
August 10, 2011
This was like...the sweetest romance to ever feature a bloodthirsty pirate captain and her cabin boy. LOVE.
November 14, 2011
Fun to read!
As I picked up this book, I was giddy with anticipation. Would it be as good as The Iron Duke? Would it be better? And my answer is…I loved this book more than The Iron Duke.
Reading this book made me happy. I had a goofy grin on my face. I didn’t really think much of Archimedes Fox in the last book. Didn’t think he would survive being tossed out to the zombies. Archimedes Fox is full of surprises. He is an adventurer, wily, a scoundrel, and get this – a romantic.
Yes, a romantic. Archimedes Fox is a man who wants to fall head over heels in love. He is a male lead character that defers to his woman. Almost unheard of in these types of books, but it works.
The object of his affections is the illustrious Yasmeen, who is truly in a class of her own. She is strong, kickass, and practical. Yasmeen shoots first and asks questions later.
The dialogue is cleverly written. The adversarial relationship is fun; Archimedes and Yasmeen try to outwit each other at first. This is quite a different kind of romance. Yasmeen is tough and ruthless. Archimedes is soft and completely in her thrall. As opportunities present themselves, Archimedes continues to hold out waiting for Yasmeen to fall for him. The sexual tension builds so slowly, and deliciously…
The world building is breathtaking. This is a complex, layered world complete with an alternate history, zombies, nanobots, and the like. The steampunk elements form parts of the story. They are masterfully detailed and do not overpower the reader, enhancing the reading experience. I was reminded of those old Saturday morning matinee swashbuckling movies.
The secondary characters are colorful. I’d love to learn more about their backgrounds.
This is a book that I could read again and again. Well done, Ms. Brook! More please!
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
As I picked up this book, I was giddy with anticipation. Would it be as good as The Iron Duke? Would it be better? And my answer is…I loved this book more than The Iron Duke.
Reading this book made me happy. I had a goofy grin on my face. I didn’t really think much of Archimedes Fox in the last book. Didn’t think he would survive being tossed out to the zombies. Archimedes Fox is full of surprises. He is an adventurer, wily, a scoundrel, and get this – a romantic.
Yes, a romantic. Archimedes Fox is a man who wants to fall head over heels in love. He is a male lead character that defers to his woman. Almost unheard of in these types of books, but it works.
The object of his affections is the illustrious Yasmeen, who is truly in a class of her own. She is strong, kickass, and practical. Yasmeen shoots first and asks questions later.
The dialogue is cleverly written. The adversarial relationship is fun; Archimedes and Yasmeen try to outwit each other at first. This is quite a different kind of romance. Yasmeen is tough and ruthless. Archimedes is soft and completely in her thrall. As opportunities present themselves, Archimedes continues to hold out waiting for Yasmeen to fall for him. The sexual tension builds so slowly, and deliciously…
The world building is breathtaking. This is a complex, layered world complete with an alternate history, zombies, nanobots, and the like. The steampunk elements form parts of the story. They are masterfully detailed and do not overpower the reader, enhancing the reading experience. I was reminded of those old Saturday morning matinee swashbuckling movies.
The secondary characters are colorful. I’d love to learn more about their backgrounds.
This is a book that I could read again and again. Well done, Ms. Brook! More please!
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
October 21, 2011
I don't always read steampunk, but when I do I read Meljean. If you liked the Iron Duke you will love this story.
January 16, 2012
*2.5 Stars*
I’m sad to say that this is probably my least favorite Meljean Brook novel to date. The writing style I love was still there, but I never became engaged by the story. I think everything would have been different if I had enjoyed the characters more. I didn’t like Yasmeen much and I didn’t feel I knew Archimedes well enough to truly care.
I liked Yasmeen’s character in The Iron Duke but I wasn’t completely sold on her as a main character. It’s easier for me to enjoy certain personality types when I’m only viewing them from a distance, not stuck following them around. Unfortunately, I didn’t grow to love her as I had hoped, and actually spent the bulk of the book trying to figure out what Archimedes saw in her.
I understood his determination to fall for her in the beginning. That had more to do with his fear of losing control of his emotions (like he did when the Horde signal dampened his moods) and less to do with Yasmeen herself. Actually, what I disliked about her was what made her ideal for Archimedes’s goal. He went in planning on getting his heart broken and relished the opportunity to feel in all its agony. It was only when he actually fell for her that he became interested in convincing her to fall as well. Before that, it was all word games and grand ideas.
Yasmeen was a hard character to like. Brook is particularly skilled at writing strong, but likable, women, so I was eager to delve into her character and see what made her tick. Based on The Iron Duke, I had a few predetermined views of her character. She tended more toward the hard, cold end of “strong” and she had a worrying tendency to view the world and its occupants in terms of power games and manipulation. Points for me for being dead on. ;) The power games were my major complaint about her and the relationship between her and Archimedes as a whole. I wasn’t thrilled with her in general—and her constant use of opium (Archimedes did it too) didn’t endear her to me—but that was my main sticking point.
Everything in Yasmeen’s life revolved around power. The power she possessed and the power that she was convinced everyone wanted to wrest from her. Every past bad relationship had to do with men not being about to deal with her and her role as captain, and every roadblock she faced in the present had to do with the same. I was irritated to find that the plot validated her belief that everything was about her. It was exhausting and irritating to have everything circle back around to this. I wanted to watch a relationship develop without the power games. Archimedes was perfectly content to let her steer and didn’t want her role, but even after they had fallen for each other, the power games still impacted them. After she was hurt and unconscious, he had to take control of the ship and her men. After she woke up he was honestly concerned about her being angry and was willing (but uneager) to let her humiliate him in front of her crew so she could gain her power back. WTF? No thanks. I’ll pass on a relationship like that.
In terms of Archimedes…I just didn’t know him that well. I heard about his past and I knew what motivated him to experience emotions to their fullest, but I never got a handle on the core him. I was told these things but never had any particular resonance with them. I had the same trouble with Yasmeen, though. At one point she’s telling a story that has to do with her race’s origins and she starts to cry because she’s so touched by thinking of the tale. But why? I felt nothing from her for it. It’s like I spent the whole book just slightly out of sync with the events. I watched them from a distance and remained cold. I think if you enjoyed Yasmeen more than I did, then your chances of enjoying this book just shot through the roof.
I had some trouble adjusting to the Steampunk technology in the first book (my fault—my brain doesn’t interpret machines well) but it was smooth sailing in this one. The technology and terms were much easier to understand and it was great to see the world and the aftereffects delved into more. I really liked that the author had the characters drift away from familiar territory and delve into new and exciting areas. I’m not sure who the next book will feature or where it will take us in the post-Horde recovery, but I hope I’m able to click with them a little better. I think that would have made all the difference in this book.
Favorite Quote:
*Review originally posted on Fiction Vixen*
I’m sad to say that this is probably my least favorite Meljean Brook novel to date. The writing style I love was still there, but I never became engaged by the story. I think everything would have been different if I had enjoyed the characters more. I didn’t like Yasmeen much and I didn’t feel I knew Archimedes well enough to truly care.
I liked Yasmeen’s character in The Iron Duke but I wasn’t completely sold on her as a main character. It’s easier for me to enjoy certain personality types when I’m only viewing them from a distance, not stuck following them around. Unfortunately, I didn’t grow to love her as I had hoped, and actually spent the bulk of the book trying to figure out what Archimedes saw in her.
I understood his determination to fall for her in the beginning. That had more to do with his fear of losing control of his emotions (like he did when the Horde signal dampened his moods) and less to do with Yasmeen herself. Actually, what I disliked about her was what made her ideal for Archimedes’s goal. He went in planning on getting his heart broken and relished the opportunity to feel in all its agony. It was only when he actually fell for her that he became interested in convincing her to fall as well. Before that, it was all word games and grand ideas.
Yasmeen was a hard character to like. Brook is particularly skilled at writing strong, but likable, women, so I was eager to delve into her character and see what made her tick. Based on The Iron Duke, I had a few predetermined views of her character. She tended more toward the hard, cold end of “strong” and she had a worrying tendency to view the world and its occupants in terms of power games and manipulation. Points for me for being dead on. ;) The power games were my major complaint about her and the relationship between her and Archimedes as a whole. I wasn’t thrilled with her in general—and her constant use of opium (Archimedes did it too) didn’t endear her to me—but that was my main sticking point.
Everything in Yasmeen’s life revolved around power. The power she possessed and the power that she was convinced everyone wanted to wrest from her. Every past bad relationship had to do with men not being about to deal with her and her role as captain, and every roadblock she faced in the present had to do with the same. I was irritated to find that the plot validated her belief that everything was about her. It was exhausting and irritating to have everything circle back around to this. I wanted to watch a relationship develop without the power games. Archimedes was perfectly content to let her steer and didn’t want her role, but even after they had fallen for each other, the power games still impacted them. After she was hurt and unconscious, he had to take control of the ship and her men. After she woke up he was honestly concerned about her being angry and was willing (but uneager) to let her humiliate him in front of her crew so she could gain her power back. WTF? No thanks. I’ll pass on a relationship like that.
In terms of Archimedes…I just didn’t know him that well. I heard about his past and I knew what motivated him to experience emotions to their fullest, but I never got a handle on the core him. I was told these things but never had any particular resonance with them. I had the same trouble with Yasmeen, though. At one point she’s telling a story that has to do with her race’s origins and she starts to cry because she’s so touched by thinking of the tale. But why? I felt nothing from her for it. It’s like I spent the whole book just slightly out of sync with the events. I watched them from a distance and remained cold. I think if you enjoyed Yasmeen more than I did, then your chances of enjoying this book just shot through the roof.
I had some trouble adjusting to the Steampunk technology in the first book (my fault—my brain doesn’t interpret machines well) but it was smooth sailing in this one. The technology and terms were much easier to understand and it was great to see the world and the aftereffects delved into more. I really liked that the author had the characters drift away from familiar territory and delve into new and exciting areas. I’m not sure who the next book will feature or where it will take us in the post-Horde recovery, but I hope I’m able to click with them a little better. I think that would have made all the difference in this book.
Favorite Quote:
”Stop letting yourself fall for me, Archimedes. Anything that makes you worry for someone else’s ass over your own does you no favors, and I like you too well to see you die.”
He couldn’t have stopped now if he tried. “I’d die to protect you.”
“Idiot.”
*Review originally posted on Fiction Vixen*
to-read-maybe-maybe-not
September 7, 20207th Sep 2020 - DNF at 43%. I have no idea why the hell I'm struggling to engage with this one since I loved book 4 and was very much entertained by book 1. May try to read again at a later date.
November 11, 2011
Original thoughts: Mmmm. I loved Yasmeen in The Iron Duke, but I didn't much care for Archimedes. I was fairly excited about the book nevertheless, because I loved the Iron Duke so much.
But now, with this horrible cover my doubts have returned. Seriously, except for the sword, there's nothing good to say about this cover. And I know I'm not supposed to judge a book by it's cover and all that jazz, and I won't, but it does influence my excitement.
***
Ha. I was so wrong. This book was delicious. Both Archimedes and Yasmeen more than lived up to their reputations, and they were awesome. I loved Yasmeen in all previous installments. She's got issues yes, but she mostly consists of awesome heroine material. Strong, independent, loyal to friends, a little selfish and a great adventuress. And most of all, she smokes cigarillos. I'm so glad that Yasmeen didn't get an testosterone heavy hero like the Iron Duke (not because Mina is a beta heroine, but because Mina is more patient, and thus the hero of the book didn't end up dead prematurely).
Archimedes was even crazier than Yasmeen, more reckless and daring, but I ended up loving him quite a bit. He was perfect for Yasmeen, willing to be the one havingher back instead of leading the way, and able to simply be herself. And more, adore that Yasmeen with everything in him. It was lovely to see a beta hero done well.
I also loved how his stint with the Horde Tower has made him wanting to feel everything and live life to the fullest. Those are things I really like in a man.
It didn't rock my boat as much as the Iron Duke though. There was simply less of an emotional layer. Between all the crazy things Yasmeen and Archimedes end up being involved in, the emotions were kinda stowed away. Not that you don't see them falling in love, but that just didn't seem to have as much of an emotional impact.
I think that's because once they decide to team up, it's pretty obvious they'll never be apart again, and there just weren't as much relationship conflicts.
I did love the whole kiss thing though. Big kudos for that.
And as always, I could write a whole other review filled with praize about the world Meljean built. Because OH MY GOD, was this awesome again. More history, filled with wars and rebellions and sympathetic Horde people and myths (Khojen's path was beautiful) and awesome horses of metal. I want to revisit this world again and again. It's just soooooo coooooooool. And detailed. And awesome.
Anyway, this series is greatly recommended, short-stories included, and even though the Iron Duke is still my favorite, this one was really, really great as well. (And completely different from the first book, so people who didn't like that one, will probably like this one way more).
Recommended.
But now, with this horrible cover my doubts have returned. Seriously, except for the sword, there's nothing good to say about this cover. And I know I'm not supposed to judge a book by it's cover and all that jazz, and I won't, but it does influence my excitement.
***
Ha. I was so wrong. This book was delicious. Both Archimedes and Yasmeen more than lived up to their reputations, and they were awesome. I loved Yasmeen in all previous installments. She's got issues yes, but she mostly consists of awesome heroine material. Strong, independent, loyal to friends, a little selfish and a great adventuress. And most of all, she smokes cigarillos. I'm so glad that Yasmeen didn't get an testosterone heavy hero like the Iron Duke (not because Mina is a beta heroine, but because Mina is more patient, and thus the hero of the book didn't end up dead prematurely).
Archimedes was even crazier than Yasmeen, more reckless and daring, but I ended up loving him quite a bit. He was perfect for Yasmeen, willing to be the one havingher back instead of leading the way, and able to simply be herself. And more, adore that Yasmeen with everything in him. It was lovely to see a beta hero done well.
I also loved how his stint with the Horde Tower has made him wanting to feel everything and live life to the fullest. Those are things I really like in a man.
It didn't rock my boat as much as the Iron Duke though. There was simply less of an emotional layer. Between all the crazy things Yasmeen and Archimedes end up being involved in, the emotions were kinda stowed away. Not that you don't see them falling in love, but that just didn't seem to have as much of an emotional impact.
I think that's because once they decide to team up, it's pretty obvious they'll never be apart again, and there just weren't as much relationship conflicts.
I did love the whole kiss thing though. Big kudos for that.
And as always, I could write a whole other review filled with praize about the world Meljean built. Because OH MY GOD, was this awesome again. More history, filled with wars and rebellions and sympathetic Horde people and myths (Khojen's path was beautiful) and awesome horses of metal. I want to revisit this world again and again. It's just soooooo coooooooool. And detailed. And awesome.
Anyway, this series is greatly recommended, short-stories included, and even though the Iron Duke is still my favorite, this one was really, really great as well. (And completely different from the first book, so people who didn't like that one, will probably like this one way more).
Recommended.
January 8, 2012
I am very seriously considering upgrading this one to five stars. Heart of Steel was recommended by a friend whose taste is very similar to my own, so I looked past the heinous cover (thanks to my ereader) and aversion to steampunk and gave it a try. And, holy moly, am I glad I did. Heart of Steel is seriously badass.
-Yasmeen is a fantastic lead character. She's tough and smart and capable. I loved her as the captain of an airship, and her loyalty to her crew.
-Archimedes Fox is delightful. He's funny and a clotheshorse and awkwardly in touch with is feelings. Brilliant character.
-Holy hell! The world is phenomenal. I've had a hard time with steampunk in the past because I've been driven to distraction by the detailed description of gadgets, etc, but did not have this problem in Heart of Steel. The world is very complex (I had to look at Brooks' website to get my head around it), but not overwhelming. There's so much richness, it seems that this series could go on for a long time without it feeling stale.
-Hello, diverse characters!
-Witty dialogue. I love me some snappy dialogue that feels real.
-The gender dynamics are fascinating and very well-handled.
-At its core, the is an action-adventure novel and, gosh, it's been a long time since I've read one that I've gotten this sucked into. The pacing is fantastic.
Recommended, especially for folks who have tried steampunk and not had it work for them (but read up on the series on the author's website.
An aside:
But, seriously, Berkley, what the hell is up with the cover of this book? This is such a better novel than the way the publisher chose to package it! I read this on my Kindle. In the days before ereaders, there is no way I'd pick this book up, regardless of the enthusiastic recommendation I received. It's nonsensical and badly designed and tell you nothing about the story. Check out the fabulous cover for the German edition:
Now, that, I would pick up in a heartbeat, even if it hadn't been recommended to me. Thank goodness for ereaders and friends who make good book recommendations...
[Book #6 read in 2012]
-Yasmeen is a fantastic lead character. She's tough and smart and capable. I loved her as the captain of an airship, and her loyalty to her crew.
-Archimedes Fox is delightful. He's funny and a clotheshorse and awkwardly in touch with is feelings. Brilliant character.
-Holy hell! The world is phenomenal. I've had a hard time with steampunk in the past because I've been driven to distraction by the detailed description of gadgets, etc, but did not have this problem in Heart of Steel. The world is very complex (I had to look at Brooks' website to get my head around it), but not overwhelming. There's so much richness, it seems that this series could go on for a long time without it feeling stale.
-Hello, diverse characters!
-Witty dialogue. I love me some snappy dialogue that feels real.
-The gender dynamics are fascinating and very well-handled.
-At its core, the is an action-adventure novel and, gosh, it's been a long time since I've read one that I've gotten this sucked into. The pacing is fantastic.
Recommended, especially for folks who have tried steampunk and not had it work for them (but read up on the series on the author's website.
An aside:
But, seriously, Berkley, what the hell is up with the cover of this book? This is such a better novel than the way the publisher chose to package it! I read this on my Kindle. In the days before ereaders, there is no way I'd pick this book up, regardless of the enthusiastic recommendation I received. It's nonsensical and badly designed and tell you nothing about the story. Check out the fabulous cover for the German edition:
Now, that, I would pick up in a heartbeat, even if it hadn't been recommended to me. Thank goodness for ereaders and friends who make good book recommendations...
[Book #6 read in 2012]
April 5, 2018
4 Aeronautical Steampunk Romance Stars
I enjoyed this story, though not quite as much as The Iron Duke (*winks at Rhys and Mina*). Even though the characters were somewhat difficult for me to relate to, I found them both charming and compelling enough to set aside two other books in hopes that Archemides Fox would win the heart of Lady Yasmeen Corsair.
Perhaps reading the audio version of Heart of Steel kept me more interested than I would've been otherwise. The narrator has a gorgeous set of pipes, and I found myself hanging on through some rather boring war histories (it's me, not you, Meljean) just to hear her lilting, slightly raspy voice. I might have to break down and use a credit for the audiobook version of The Iron Duke. Hearing Rhys and Nina's love scenes read by Faye Adele would probably end me.
So yea. Bring on Riveted. Apparently, steampunk romance is where it's at for me. And Meljean Brooks writes a mean steampunk romance.
I enjoyed this story, though not quite as much as The Iron Duke (*winks at Rhys and Mina*). Even though the characters were somewhat difficult for me to relate to, I found them both charming and compelling enough to set aside two other books in hopes that Archemides Fox would win the heart of Lady Yasmeen Corsair.
Perhaps reading the audio version of Heart of Steel kept me more interested than I would've been otherwise. The narrator has a gorgeous set of pipes, and I found myself hanging on through some rather boring war histories (it's me, not you, Meljean) just to hear her lilting, slightly raspy voice. I might have to break down and use a credit for the audiobook version of The Iron Duke. Hearing Rhys and Nina's love scenes read by Faye Adele would probably end me.
So yea. Bring on Riveted. Apparently, steampunk romance is where it's at for me. And Meljean Brooks writes a mean steampunk romance.
October 31, 2011
Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook is book two in her fabulous Iron Seas series. Last year, The Iron Duke ended up being my favorite book of the year. Heart of Steel is very different from The Iron Duke. The world is the same but the roles are reversed, plus the Steampunk elements are not so obvious. Here, the heroine is the alpha while the hero is a perfect example of what a beta should be. Whereas The Iron Duke was heavier on the sexual aspect regarding the main characters, in Heart of Steel it’s very restrained. It brings to mind those Victorian values where sex wasn’t mentioned and kept behind closed doors. Captain Yasmeen Corsair and Archimedes Fox are perfect examples of this. They embrace these values of the time, especially in the way Fox courts Yasmeen and how she keeps him at arms’ length.
While Heart of Steel has this subtle underlying sexual push and pull between Yasmeen and Fox that should please readers, the action that occurs and world building is first and foremost. Heart of Steel reminds me of an Indiana Jones movie (with a dash of the Da Vinci Code). I expected Yasmeen to don a fedora and carry a whip at one point. This is quite the rousing adventure tale where zombies are put to good use.
Fox was first introduced in The Iron Duke. Fox is an adventurer and an author of bizarre and fantastical tales. His and Yasmeen’s first introduction doesn’t go well, so much so that she throws him overboard her ship into zombie infested lands. Zombies have taken over certain parts of the world thanks to the evil Horde that imprisoned Europe and other countries through mind control and other devious means for hundreds of years. Fox survives but doesn’t want revenge against Yasmeen. He wants her respect and most importantly her love because he plans to fall in love with her. Fox, as you can see is a strange sort of fellow.
Yasmeen loves her life as the captain of her airship, Lady Corsair. She feels some guilt by what she did to Fox, although we find out she dropped him overboard in a specific spot where he could escape being eaten by zombies if he’s smart enough. But then again, she hasn’t seen or heard from him, so she assumes he’s dead. She’s in for a big surprise because Fox is alive. He drugs her with the intent to get back a Da Vinci sketch she has of his. He also tells her his plans to fall into love with her. Yasmeen is humored by Fox and she tries to cajole him into becoming partners and sell the sketch. Fox isn’t falling for that and leaves her. Unfortunately someone sets fire to her beloved ship and it goes down and Yasmeen is lost. Fox thinks Yasmeen is dead, but just like him, she rises from her watery grave, so to speak, and the game is on between them.
Yasmeen and Fox do join forces because she wants to find out who marked her for death and try to find the Da Vinci (Or I think that’s what happens because at one point I grew confused on what exactly these two are looking for) she thinks was the cause of her being attacked. As Yasmeen and Fox travel through distant lands, they not only have to stay away from zombies, but dangerous mercenaries who would be happy if they were both out of the picture. Plus Fox will do whatever he can to make Yasmeen fall in love with him because he refuses to allow her certain liberties with his body, even kissing.
Let me get this out of the way first and say at times Heart of Steel at times was confusing. My biggest issue was trying to figure out what Fox and Yasmeen were searching for and why it was so important to them to find it. What I do know is that this enables them to get to know one another and be in close quarters together, which leads to some interesting situations between the two (The scene where Yasmeen bathes Fox is “steamy”). Yasmeen and Fox are complete opposites. If you’re a fan of this trope, you’ll love Heart of Steel. Yasmeen is a salt of the earth type of person. Fox is a fop who enjoys nice clothes and comfort. He gives this up for Yasmeen who he’s so enamored with. As I read, I kept asking myself, why does Fox have such a bad crush on her? Is it because Fox is a dreamer and he sees Yasmeen as larger than life? I found his admiration and this idea that he must fall in love with her not layered enough. He has this immaturity and a false sense when it comes to his true feelings for Yasmeen. Eventually this does evolve in a believable way thanks to Yasmeen who knows Fox needs to man up and take the time to reflect more on why he wants her before they can have any sort of long lasting relationship. Yasmeen is more than willing to have sex with Fox, but he puts the brakes on that because he wants her heart to be involved and not just relief sex can give a person.
The romance here is more of an afterthought even with Fox’s mindset regarding Yasmeen. I was hoping for more love scenes between the two. Some may be disappointed in this aspect, but by not having Fox and Yasmeen constantly lusting for one another and acting on these desires every which way, it allows us to see the incredible world Meljean has created.
This world building and intricate dialogue is where Heart of Steel excels. The romance not so much, but Fox and Yasmeen make it work between them, especially with their banter. And how can I not enjoy a character like Yasmeen, who tells Fox she’ll bare her ass for his lips later when he says he wants to kiss her?
Heart of Steel raises the bar for me, just like The Iron Duke did. It all comes down to the writing. When I read a Meljean Brook novel, I can’t help but compare other books and shake my head because the majority of what I’ve read is nowhere near the level of excellence of a Meljean Brook book.
While Heart of Steel has this subtle underlying sexual push and pull between Yasmeen and Fox that should please readers, the action that occurs and world building is first and foremost. Heart of Steel reminds me of an Indiana Jones movie (with a dash of the Da Vinci Code). I expected Yasmeen to don a fedora and carry a whip at one point. This is quite the rousing adventure tale where zombies are put to good use.
Fox was first introduced in The Iron Duke. Fox is an adventurer and an author of bizarre and fantastical tales. His and Yasmeen’s first introduction doesn’t go well, so much so that she throws him overboard her ship into zombie infested lands. Zombies have taken over certain parts of the world thanks to the evil Horde that imprisoned Europe and other countries through mind control and other devious means for hundreds of years. Fox survives but doesn’t want revenge against Yasmeen. He wants her respect and most importantly her love because he plans to fall in love with her. Fox, as you can see is a strange sort of fellow.
Yasmeen loves her life as the captain of her airship, Lady Corsair. She feels some guilt by what she did to Fox, although we find out she dropped him overboard in a specific spot where he could escape being eaten by zombies if he’s smart enough. But then again, she hasn’t seen or heard from him, so she assumes he’s dead. She’s in for a big surprise because Fox is alive. He drugs her with the intent to get back a Da Vinci sketch she has of his. He also tells her his plans to fall into love with her. Yasmeen is humored by Fox and she tries to cajole him into becoming partners and sell the sketch. Fox isn’t falling for that and leaves her. Unfortunately someone sets fire to her beloved ship and it goes down and Yasmeen is lost. Fox thinks Yasmeen is dead, but just like him, she rises from her watery grave, so to speak, and the game is on between them.
Yasmeen and Fox do join forces because she wants to find out who marked her for death and try to find the Da Vinci (Or I think that’s what happens because at one point I grew confused on what exactly these two are looking for) she thinks was the cause of her being attacked. As Yasmeen and Fox travel through distant lands, they not only have to stay away from zombies, but dangerous mercenaries who would be happy if they were both out of the picture. Plus Fox will do whatever he can to make Yasmeen fall in love with him because he refuses to allow her certain liberties with his body, even kissing.
Let me get this out of the way first and say at times Heart of Steel at times was confusing. My biggest issue was trying to figure out what Fox and Yasmeen were searching for and why it was so important to them to find it. What I do know is that this enables them to get to know one another and be in close quarters together, which leads to some interesting situations between the two (The scene where Yasmeen bathes Fox is “steamy”). Yasmeen and Fox are complete opposites. If you’re a fan of this trope, you’ll love Heart of Steel. Yasmeen is a salt of the earth type of person. Fox is a fop who enjoys nice clothes and comfort. He gives this up for Yasmeen who he’s so enamored with. As I read, I kept asking myself, why does Fox have such a bad crush on her? Is it because Fox is a dreamer and he sees Yasmeen as larger than life? I found his admiration and this idea that he must fall in love with her not layered enough. He has this immaturity and a false sense when it comes to his true feelings for Yasmeen. Eventually this does evolve in a believable way thanks to Yasmeen who knows Fox needs to man up and take the time to reflect more on why he wants her before they can have any sort of long lasting relationship. Yasmeen is more than willing to have sex with Fox, but he puts the brakes on that because he wants her heart to be involved and not just relief sex can give a person.
The romance here is more of an afterthought even with Fox’s mindset regarding Yasmeen. I was hoping for more love scenes between the two. Some may be disappointed in this aspect, but by not having Fox and Yasmeen constantly lusting for one another and acting on these desires every which way, it allows us to see the incredible world Meljean has created.
This world building and intricate dialogue is where Heart of Steel excels. The romance not so much, but Fox and Yasmeen make it work between them, especially with their banter. And how can I not enjoy a character like Yasmeen, who tells Fox she’ll bare her ass for his lips later when he says he wants to kiss her?
Heart of Steel raises the bar for me, just like The Iron Duke did. It all comes down to the writing. When I read a Meljean Brook novel, I can’t help but compare other books and shake my head because the majority of what I’ve read is nowhere near the level of excellence of a Meljean Brook book.
March 13, 2022
Best of a very good series. I die thinking about Archimedes. He’s cinnamon roll, charming, and so, so in love with Jasmin. Ugh. So good.
November 8, 2011
Heart of Steel is the story of Yasmeen, who is the captain of the Lady Corsair, and Archimedes Fox, adventurer. They had met up in The Iron Duke story and their adventure continues in this book.
Archimedes is so cute! He is so smitten with Yasmeen and he believes she will break his heart which he hopes to fully embrace. It's really unknown why besides the fact that he takes life head on and seems to want to have every experience. We get to know a lot about Yasmeen although maybe not all the answers you would want. I still really enjoyed how she was with Archimedes.
There is a lot ~ A LOT ~ of history in this book. I really shouldn't complain since that was one of my complaints in the prior books but for me, it was too much at times even though it is really interesting. For people that are truly into steampunk, you will really enjoy it!
Favorite lines:
"Lady Lynx also does some very stupid things."
"Goddammit. Can't I save you just once?"
"Use me," he said. "For as long as you like."
Archimedes is so cute! He is so smitten with Yasmeen and he believes she will break his heart which he hopes to fully embrace. It's really unknown why besides the fact that he takes life head on and seems to want to have every experience. We get to know a lot about Yasmeen although maybe not all the answers you would want. I still really enjoyed how she was with Archimedes.
There is a lot ~ A LOT ~ of history in this book. I really shouldn't complain since that was one of my complaints in the prior books but for me, it was too much at times even though it is really interesting. For people that are truly into steampunk, you will really enjoy it!
Favorite lines:
"Lady Lynx also does some very stupid things."
"Goddammit. Can't I save you just once?"
"Use me," he said. "For as long as you like."
November 10, 2011
"'You fear more, you dare more - and now you love more."
Heart of Steal, the second book in Meljean Brook's Iron Seas steampunk series, is the continuation of the Yasmeen - Archimedes Fox story that the reader was first introduced to in The Iron Duke. At the end of The Iron Duke, Yasmeen, aka Captain Corsair, pushed Archimedes off the Lady Corsair airship into a canal in zombie-infested Venice. The reader wasn't sure if Archimedes lived or died. Before Archimedes took the plunge into the Venetian canal, he had brought aboard a very sought after sketch. A sketch drawn by none other than Leonardo da Vinci.
Heart of Steel begins with Yasmeen trying to pay her respects and do right by Archimedes' sister, Zenobia. While searching for Zenobia in her house, Yasmeen notices something amiss - the woman who claims to be Zenobia can't possibly be her. Once the real Zenobia is found, she confirms that she hasn't heard from Archimedes in months and presumes he is dead. After Yasmeen gets to the bottom of the mystery, she leaves with the da Vinci sketch.
"Perhaps drugging the woman he intended to fall in love with wasn't the accepted method of kindling a passionate romance, yet Archimedes considered it the most sensible way to proceed."
One night, while out on the town, Yasmeen is walking back to the Lady Corsair when she feels a dart filled with opium in her leg. Sure enough, Archimedes Fox is behind the dart, and the story begins in ernest. Archimedes has to get possession of the da Vinci sketch to pay off a long ago debt. Once Yasmeen awakens, she tells Archimedes that she does have the sketch. She also happens to have a reproduction of the sketch that is almost identical to the original. While the sketch is in reaching distance to Archimedes, he drugs her Yasmeen again, stuffs her in what amounts to a closet and leaves with the sketch. Unbeknownst to Yasmeen or Archimedes, a thief has already boarded the Lady Corsair. When Yasmeen fully awakens for her opium dream, the Lady Corsair is burning, and only one crew member is left alive.
This is where the adventure begins. Yasmeen is hell bent on finding those that destroyed the Lady Corsair and exacting revenge. Archimedes is hell bent on falling in love with Yasmeen, and on finding the da Vinci sketch so he can repay his past debts. The rest of this rambling adventure takes the reader on airships, through backstabbing characters, through mystery and some violence.
"'Thank God,' he said. 'Because I'm not ready for you to break my heart.'
'But if you fall in love with me, I will.'"
Yasmeen definitely has a way with words. She calls things like she seems them, although she often times take careful consideration before she speaks. I love some of the quips between her and the silver-tongued Archimedes Fox.
"He couldn't have stopped now if he tried. 'I'd die to protect you.'
'Idiot.'"
Archimedes is more of a beta-type character, fully willing to support Yasmeen in whatever she desires. He accepts her, no matter what. Archimedes states his intentions to Yasmeen clearly. He is mesmerized by her. He wants to fall in love with her, and assumes that she will break his heart. He does not mind getting his heart broken - he just want to feel as much as he can. There is a backstory to Archimedes' desire to feel everything to its greatest effect, but I won't spoil that here.
Yasmeen is a take charge, alpha-type leading lady. She has only let a few men into her life, both of whom she had to kill and/or make and example out of. She has had to work very hard as an airship captain and demands respect from all. Yasmeen refuses to be made a fool. She advances on Archimedes several times, only to be rebuffed - Archimedes is taking things slow, which amuses Yasmeen in the beginning and frustrated her to no end later on. Meljean Brook is good at writing sex scenes. Period.
"'And I was bred to kill. You want to protect me, but in truth, I'll protect you. It was what I was made for. So let me do it."
As the story progresses, Yasmeen and Archimedes spend almost all their time together. There is a wonderful scene where these two wash and dry each other. The scene is loaded with sexual tension, yet Meljean Brook takes her time with these two characters. By the time something actually happens between these two, it is a relief. There are some, um, interesting and well-written sex scenes in this book, but they are not as aggressive as the scenes in The Iron Duke between Rhys and Mina. However, the way Yasmeen takes to waking up in the morning to "stretch her legs" is pretty explicit. I think the slow sexual build up definitely mirrored the way Yasmeen and Archimedes came together in this book. Yasmeen didn't think any man would ever be a true match for her until Archimedes changed her mind.
At the end, there is a chase scene, betrayal and an intense fight where one of our heros is almost killed. (Come on - you know neither Yasmeen or Archimedes will die in this story). By the end, Yasmeen and Archimedes are truly dedicated to one another, and there is a nicely packaged ending with a big, red bow on top.
"She had not even said that she loved him yet, not in as many words. But now she declared, so very simply, that his death would be like her own."
For Iron Duke fans - Rhys and Mina are not specifically in this story, although they are mentioned a few times. I hope that we see Rhys and Mina again, somewhere down the line. They could play a larger role in Scarsdale's story, whenever it is written.
It is my opinion that this book is not quite as good as The Iron Duke. There is a lot more backstory and world building in this book, and it becomes tedious at times. In The Iron Duke, we get our first glimpse of the Iron Seas world. We learn about the Horde, nanoagents, balcksmiths, zombies, megaladons, kraken and airships. I was fascinated by the nanoagents in The Iron Seas and how they were used to control people.
In Heart of Steel, we are introduced to the political upheaval and the history of the wars that have been fought over many years. We learn of where Yasmeen's origins lie, and some other background information about her. Although interesting, there is so much information it, at times, becomes confusing. I found myself skimming paragraphs when the words starting swimming together for me.
I really did enjoy Yasmeen and Archimedes together. Meljean Brook did a nice job writing these two as perfect for one another. I enjoyed how the characters gradually came together, and I just can't say enough about the steampunk vibe in this book.
I can't wait until book three comes out. Maybe we'll have more Scarsdale next time?
Heart of Steal, the second book in Meljean Brook's Iron Seas steampunk series, is the continuation of the Yasmeen - Archimedes Fox story that the reader was first introduced to in The Iron Duke. At the end of The Iron Duke, Yasmeen, aka Captain Corsair, pushed Archimedes off the Lady Corsair airship into a canal in zombie-infested Venice. The reader wasn't sure if Archimedes lived or died. Before Archimedes took the plunge into the Venetian canal, he had brought aboard a very sought after sketch. A sketch drawn by none other than Leonardo da Vinci.
Heart of Steel begins with Yasmeen trying to pay her respects and do right by Archimedes' sister, Zenobia. While searching for Zenobia in her house, Yasmeen notices something amiss - the woman who claims to be Zenobia can't possibly be her. Once the real Zenobia is found, she confirms that she hasn't heard from Archimedes in months and presumes he is dead. After Yasmeen gets to the bottom of the mystery, she leaves with the da Vinci sketch.
"Perhaps drugging the woman he intended to fall in love with wasn't the accepted method of kindling a passionate romance, yet Archimedes considered it the most sensible way to proceed."
One night, while out on the town, Yasmeen is walking back to the Lady Corsair when she feels a dart filled with opium in her leg. Sure enough, Archimedes Fox is behind the dart, and the story begins in ernest. Archimedes has to get possession of the da Vinci sketch to pay off a long ago debt. Once Yasmeen awakens, she tells Archimedes that she does have the sketch. She also happens to have a reproduction of the sketch that is almost identical to the original. While the sketch is in reaching distance to Archimedes, he drugs her Yasmeen again, stuffs her in what amounts to a closet and leaves with the sketch. Unbeknownst to Yasmeen or Archimedes, a thief has already boarded the Lady Corsair. When Yasmeen fully awakens for her opium dream, the Lady Corsair is burning, and only one crew member is left alive.
This is where the adventure begins. Yasmeen is hell bent on finding those that destroyed the Lady Corsair and exacting revenge. Archimedes is hell bent on falling in love with Yasmeen, and on finding the da Vinci sketch so he can repay his past debts. The rest of this rambling adventure takes the reader on airships, through backstabbing characters, through mystery and some violence.
"'Thank God,' he said. 'Because I'm not ready for you to break my heart.'
'But if you fall in love with me, I will.'"
Yasmeen definitely has a way with words. She calls things like she seems them, although she often times take careful consideration before she speaks. I love some of the quips between her and the silver-tongued Archimedes Fox.
"He couldn't have stopped now if he tried. 'I'd die to protect you.'
'Idiot.'"
Archimedes is more of a beta-type character, fully willing to support Yasmeen in whatever she desires. He accepts her, no matter what. Archimedes states his intentions to Yasmeen clearly. He is mesmerized by her. He wants to fall in love with her, and assumes that she will break his heart. He does not mind getting his heart broken - he just want to feel as much as he can. There is a backstory to Archimedes' desire to feel everything to its greatest effect, but I won't spoil that here.
Yasmeen is a take charge, alpha-type leading lady. She has only let a few men into her life, both of whom she had to kill and/or make and example out of. She has had to work very hard as an airship captain and demands respect from all. Yasmeen refuses to be made a fool. She advances on Archimedes several times, only to be rebuffed - Archimedes is taking things slow, which amuses Yasmeen in the beginning and frustrated her to no end later on. Meljean Brook is good at writing sex scenes. Period.
"'And I was bred to kill. You want to protect me, but in truth, I'll protect you. It was what I was made for. So let me do it."
As the story progresses, Yasmeen and Archimedes spend almost all their time together. There is a wonderful scene where these two wash and dry each other. The scene is loaded with sexual tension, yet Meljean Brook takes her time with these two characters. By the time something actually happens between these two, it is a relief. There are some, um, interesting and well-written sex scenes in this book, but they are not as aggressive as the scenes in The Iron Duke between Rhys and Mina. However, the way Yasmeen takes to waking up in the morning to "stretch her legs" is pretty explicit. I think the slow sexual build up definitely mirrored the way Yasmeen and Archimedes came together in this book. Yasmeen didn't think any man would ever be a true match for her until Archimedes changed her mind.
At the end, there is a chase scene, betrayal and an intense fight where one of our heros is almost killed. (Come on - you know neither Yasmeen or Archimedes will die in this story). By the end, Yasmeen and Archimedes are truly dedicated to one another, and there is a nicely packaged ending with a big, red bow on top.
"She had not even said that she loved him yet, not in as many words. But now she declared, so very simply, that his death would be like her own."
For Iron Duke fans - Rhys and Mina are not specifically in this story, although they are mentioned a few times. I hope that we see Rhys and Mina again, somewhere down the line. They could play a larger role in Scarsdale's story, whenever it is written.
It is my opinion that this book is not quite as good as The Iron Duke. There is a lot more backstory and world building in this book, and it becomes tedious at times. In The Iron Duke, we get our first glimpse of the Iron Seas world. We learn about the Horde, nanoagents, balcksmiths, zombies, megaladons, kraken and airships. I was fascinated by the nanoagents in The Iron Seas and how they were used to control people.
In Heart of Steel, we are introduced to the political upheaval and the history of the wars that have been fought over many years. We learn of where Yasmeen's origins lie, and some other background information about her. Although interesting, there is so much information it, at times, becomes confusing. I found myself skimming paragraphs when the words starting swimming together for me.
I really did enjoy Yasmeen and Archimedes together. Meljean Brook did a nice job writing these two as perfect for one another. I enjoyed how the characters gradually came together, and I just can't say enough about the steampunk vibe in this book.
I can't wait until book three comes out. Maybe we'll have more Scarsdale next time?
November 3, 2011
Originally posted at http://www.smexybooks.com/2011/11/rev...
Favorite Quote: “Give her a heart of steel.”
“A heart of steel? But…why?”
“Because there is no other way to survive.”
When Captain Yasmeen tossed Archimedes Fox over the side of her ship in The Iron Duke for having the sheer gall of trying to commandeer it, she tosses him in a canal which shows Fox that she wasn’t trying to kill him per say, just give him a little wake up call. She also relieved him of a certain valuable sketch that he desperately needs back. Fox decides that the adventure and the Captain are too much to resist and once again barges back into Yasmeen’s life. Yasmeen agrees to help him recover the sketch, for a small fee, but laughs at his declaration of courting her. When an old friend of Fox’s approaches him for help, Yasmeen and Fox find themselves part of a rebellion in the middle of Horde territory.
Heart Of Steel is an exciting and stimulating read. Fast paced with plenty of humor and gripping action that grabs you at page one. While you don’t lose any of the swash buckling high seas, er, sky adventures nor Ms. Brook’s superb world building whose depth and heart makes this series; Heart Of Steel isn’t as emotionally dark as the first in the series- The Iron Duke. Which is perfect because these characters would never have survived that sort of story line. It’s not often you can find a couple who complement each other as well as these two do. Yasmeen and Archimedes are a fantastic couple whose chemistry and dynamics are off the charts. Their steamy sexual games last well towards the end end and provide us with plenty of entertainment. The best part? They become friends. I love when a couple can freely express passion and sexual desire but still laugh and joke together at the end of the day.
Yasmeen has spent her life making sure that no one disrespects her or questions her right to captain her ship-the Lady Corsair. She is hard but fair. Serious yet able to find the joy in life from smoking her cigarillos to bar fighting. She’ll never give her heart, for she learned the hard way that when you give your heart away, someone always takes it and crushes it. When Fox declares his intentions to fall in love with her, she is startled and confused. While she doesn’t mind sharing her bed with him, she doesn’t understand his need to fall in love.
Archimedes Fox is a risk taker. An adventure seeker who lives to experience all life can offer him. He comes off shallow in The Iron Duke but in here you learn the reasons for his vivacious life style. When he was sick, he received a blood transfusion from someone infected with nanobots to save his life. He then fell under the Hordes control and lost his emotions. When he regains them, Fox vowed that would never happen again so he embraces every experience; good or bad, and feels lucky for the experience. When he tells Yasmeen he is going to love her, he sees it first as another “experience” to try. Even the thought of her breaking his heart doesn’t faze him as it will just be another strong emotion to embrace. By the end though, he realizes that real love is far more dangerous then he expected.
“Ah, “ she said watching his face. Her sneer mocked him. “It is easy to fall in love with a woman who is always making you feel more of a big powerful man. You ought not have picked me, after all.
“That isn’t it.” He didn’t question his abilities. “It is simply difficult to know I offer nothing at all to the woman I’m falling in love with.”
As they sail the skies, searching for a lost lost artifact and fighting off zombies & pirates; each of them comes away with a valuable lesson. Yasmeen learns that love is not a restrictive bond but rather a freeing experience that can uplift and strengthen you. Fox begins to understand that the greatest adventure of all can be had when you let yourself go and accept who and what you are.
“Because I cannot believe I almost lost you today, because it still hurts, and I only have to close my eyes to see that door shattering.”
“Then don’t close your eyes.”
“How can I not? Without that pain, how could I have ever known?”
Wonderfully complex secondary characters engage and uplift this unbelievably realistic alternative world. Throughout the story, we are treated to Yasmeen and Fox’s backgrounds and also some explanation of the political minefield that has engulfed Europe since the defeat of the Horde. The ending comes at you in a blaze of heroic glory; leaving you happily satisfied but ready for book 3.
Heart Of Steel is anther fantastic addition to Ms. Brooks delightful romantic steampunk series. I recommend this to any reader who enjoys strong protagonists, devilish dialog, delish romances, and engaging adventure.
Overall Rating: B+
Favorite Quote: “Give her a heart of steel.”
“A heart of steel? But…why?”
“Because there is no other way to survive.”
When Captain Yasmeen tossed Archimedes Fox over the side of her ship in The Iron Duke for having the sheer gall of trying to commandeer it, she tosses him in a canal which shows Fox that she wasn’t trying to kill him per say, just give him a little wake up call. She also relieved him of a certain valuable sketch that he desperately needs back. Fox decides that the adventure and the Captain are too much to resist and once again barges back into Yasmeen’s life. Yasmeen agrees to help him recover the sketch, for a small fee, but laughs at his declaration of courting her. When an old friend of Fox’s approaches him for help, Yasmeen and Fox find themselves part of a rebellion in the middle of Horde territory.
Heart Of Steel is an exciting and stimulating read. Fast paced with plenty of humor and gripping action that grabs you at page one. While you don’t lose any of the swash buckling high seas, er, sky adventures nor Ms. Brook’s superb world building whose depth and heart makes this series; Heart Of Steel isn’t as emotionally dark as the first in the series- The Iron Duke. Which is perfect because these characters would never have survived that sort of story line. It’s not often you can find a couple who complement each other as well as these two do. Yasmeen and Archimedes are a fantastic couple whose chemistry and dynamics are off the charts. Their steamy sexual games last well towards the end end and provide us with plenty of entertainment. The best part? They become friends. I love when a couple can freely express passion and sexual desire but still laugh and joke together at the end of the day.
Yasmeen has spent her life making sure that no one disrespects her or questions her right to captain her ship-the Lady Corsair. She is hard but fair. Serious yet able to find the joy in life from smoking her cigarillos to bar fighting. She’ll never give her heart, for she learned the hard way that when you give your heart away, someone always takes it and crushes it. When Fox declares his intentions to fall in love with her, she is startled and confused. While she doesn’t mind sharing her bed with him, she doesn’t understand his need to fall in love.
Archimedes Fox is a risk taker. An adventure seeker who lives to experience all life can offer him. He comes off shallow in The Iron Duke but in here you learn the reasons for his vivacious life style. When he was sick, he received a blood transfusion from someone infected with nanobots to save his life. He then fell under the Hordes control and lost his emotions. When he regains them, Fox vowed that would never happen again so he embraces every experience; good or bad, and feels lucky for the experience. When he tells Yasmeen he is going to love her, he sees it first as another “experience” to try. Even the thought of her breaking his heart doesn’t faze him as it will just be another strong emotion to embrace. By the end though, he realizes that real love is far more dangerous then he expected.
“Ah, “ she said watching his face. Her sneer mocked him. “It is easy to fall in love with a woman who is always making you feel more of a big powerful man. You ought not have picked me, after all.
“That isn’t it.” He didn’t question his abilities. “It is simply difficult to know I offer nothing at all to the woman I’m falling in love with.”
As they sail the skies, searching for a lost lost artifact and fighting off zombies & pirates; each of them comes away with a valuable lesson. Yasmeen learns that love is not a restrictive bond but rather a freeing experience that can uplift and strengthen you. Fox begins to understand that the greatest adventure of all can be had when you let yourself go and accept who and what you are.
“Because I cannot believe I almost lost you today, because it still hurts, and I only have to close my eyes to see that door shattering.”
“Then don’t close your eyes.”
“How can I not? Without that pain, how could I have ever known?”
Wonderfully complex secondary characters engage and uplift this unbelievably realistic alternative world. Throughout the story, we are treated to Yasmeen and Fox’s backgrounds and also some explanation of the political minefield that has engulfed Europe since the defeat of the Horde. The ending comes at you in a blaze of heroic glory; leaving you happily satisfied but ready for book 3.
Heart Of Steel is anther fantastic addition to Ms. Brooks delightful romantic steampunk series. I recommend this to any reader who enjoys strong protagonists, devilish dialog, delish romances, and engaging adventure.
Overall Rating: B+
November 2, 2011
Posted at http://yummymenandkickasschicks.com/?.... Lots of good quotes in this one!
All romance books tell the story of how a couple meet and fall in love. Some couples are odd. Some couple are good. Some couples are creepy. And some couples are so perfectly matched they make you swoon each and every time they appear on the page together. Yasmeen and Archimedes are one such couple.
We meet both Yasmeen and Archimedes in The Iron Duke, the first book in Meljean Brook’s Iron Seas series. I liked them both immediately. Yasmeen is the Captain of the Lady Corsair airship and a no-nonsense woman. Yet she is fair in her dealings and with her crew. But don’t cross her as she is not afraid to gut you and hang you from the side of her ship *gulp* For some reason, Archimedes finds this to be very attractive. He loves how snarky Yasmeen is and wants her to be his. He is a charmer with a slight addiction to waistcoats, is very smooth and very cunning. He is also a bit of a celebrity thanks to his sister’s writing of his adventures as a treasure hunter. Both Yasmeen and Archimedes are likable, endearing characters and I was very excited to find out that book two, Heart of Steel, was to be their story.
This is a Steampunk book but it is Steampunk done exceptionally well. I’ll say it: I have trouble reading some Steampunk titles. When the gadgets and doohickies take over the story, I’m gone. But in Meljean’s world, even though there are a lot of steampunk-ish details, they don’t overpower the story. The characters are the focus.
I mentioned world. Anyone who writes Steampunk needs to have an incredible imagination – especially if the author wants her world to be different from the many other steampunk worlds out there right now. Meljean’s is amazing. The background stories for Archimedes and Yasmeen are incredible. You have no question when you are finished reading this book what events and people were responsible for making them who they are as adults. And the airships and the Horde machines and the towers and the mechanical limbs and, heck, even the zombies are described in a way that you can see them clearly. They simply provide the perfect backdrop for this series and for this book.
Meljean writes wonderful supporting characters in this book. Characters from the previous book are mentioned but you don’t see any. Instead you are introduced to some new supporting characters that play very well with Yasmeen and Archimedes. And the story flowed very well in Heart of Steel. Funny moments followed by heart thumping action moments followed by tender moment and over again. A great read from beginning to end.
Heart of Steel’s story is great. Full of action, adventure and charming humor. I am not even going to try to explain the story to you – there is just too much that goes on. Besides, I want you all to be surprised by the many turns of events like I was. But I will tell you that the ‘prologue’ done in letters between Archimedes and his sister Zenobia was so much fun to read. I found it was a really great way to start the book.
I feel as though you could read Heart of Steel on its own, but you receive a much more detailed look at the world and learn why the characters are in the situation that they are in in first book. I believe your reading experience would be more fulfilling if you read the series in order. Besides, The Iron Duke is a very good book so you wouldn’t be wasting your time if you read it first.
Overall, I was extremely happy with this book. For me it’s all about the characters. I just loved Yasmeen and I loved Archimedes and I adored them together. Book three, Riveted, will be released sometime in 2012. That one should prove interesting since it’s the story of how David and Annika meet and fall in love – two characters we have yet to meet. Maybe they’ll be passengers on Yasmeen’s Airship or maybe they will be running to the Iron Duke for assistance. Until we have a blurb, we don’t know and we can only guess. And it’s fun to guess – even though the possibilities we come up with are probably ridiculous. *g*
Heart of Steel is going on my keeper shelf. If you are a fan of Steampunk books, you must give this series a try. Even if it’s not your favorite genre but you like paranormal romance books, you should try it. The characters will draw you in and make you fall in love with them as you watch them fall in love with each other.
All romance books tell the story of how a couple meet and fall in love. Some couples are odd. Some couple are good. Some couples are creepy. And some couples are so perfectly matched they make you swoon each and every time they appear on the page together. Yasmeen and Archimedes are one such couple.
We meet both Yasmeen and Archimedes in The Iron Duke, the first book in Meljean Brook’s Iron Seas series. I liked them both immediately. Yasmeen is the Captain of the Lady Corsair airship and a no-nonsense woman. Yet she is fair in her dealings and with her crew. But don’t cross her as she is not afraid to gut you and hang you from the side of her ship *gulp* For some reason, Archimedes finds this to be very attractive. He loves how snarky Yasmeen is and wants her to be his. He is a charmer with a slight addiction to waistcoats, is very smooth and very cunning. He is also a bit of a celebrity thanks to his sister’s writing of his adventures as a treasure hunter. Both Yasmeen and Archimedes are likable, endearing characters and I was very excited to find out that book two, Heart of Steel, was to be their story.
This is a Steampunk book but it is Steampunk done exceptionally well. I’ll say it: I have trouble reading some Steampunk titles. When the gadgets and doohickies take over the story, I’m gone. But in Meljean’s world, even though there are a lot of steampunk-ish details, they don’t overpower the story. The characters are the focus.
I mentioned world. Anyone who writes Steampunk needs to have an incredible imagination – especially if the author wants her world to be different from the many other steampunk worlds out there right now. Meljean’s is amazing. The background stories for Archimedes and Yasmeen are incredible. You have no question when you are finished reading this book what events and people were responsible for making them who they are as adults. And the airships and the Horde machines and the towers and the mechanical limbs and, heck, even the zombies are described in a way that you can see them clearly. They simply provide the perfect backdrop for this series and for this book.
Meljean writes wonderful supporting characters in this book. Characters from the previous book are mentioned but you don’t see any. Instead you are introduced to some new supporting characters that play very well with Yasmeen and Archimedes. And the story flowed very well in Heart of Steel. Funny moments followed by heart thumping action moments followed by tender moment and over again. A great read from beginning to end.
Heart of Steel’s story is great. Full of action, adventure and charming humor. I am not even going to try to explain the story to you – there is just too much that goes on. Besides, I want you all to be surprised by the many turns of events like I was. But I will tell you that the ‘prologue’ done in letters between Archimedes and his sister Zenobia was so much fun to read. I found it was a really great way to start the book.
I feel as though you could read Heart of Steel on its own, but you receive a much more detailed look at the world and learn why the characters are in the situation that they are in in first book. I believe your reading experience would be more fulfilling if you read the series in order. Besides, The Iron Duke is a very good book so you wouldn’t be wasting your time if you read it first.
Overall, I was extremely happy with this book. For me it’s all about the characters. I just loved Yasmeen and I loved Archimedes and I adored them together. Book three, Riveted, will be released sometime in 2012. That one should prove interesting since it’s the story of how David and Annika meet and fall in love – two characters we have yet to meet. Maybe they’ll be passengers on Yasmeen’s Airship or maybe they will be running to the Iron Duke for assistance. Until we have a blurb, we don’t know and we can only guess. And it’s fun to guess – even though the possibilities we come up with are probably ridiculous. *g*
Heart of Steel is going on my keeper shelf. If you are a fan of Steampunk books, you must give this series a try. Even if it’s not your favorite genre but you like paranormal romance books, you should try it. The characters will draw you in and make you fall in love with them as you watch them fall in love with each other.
January 18, 2023
”I have a collection of fine waistcoats and a handsome face.” He stepped back to let her take in the full effect of both, and her smile spread to the edge of a laugh. Perfect. “You’ve already proven susceptible to them, and refrained from killing me at least twice: when you discovered who my father was after I first boarded your airship, and again when you threw me from it. I’m certain that means we’re destined to be together.”
Yasmeen is the mercenary captain of Lady Corsair. She is lethal, and keeps her heart as cold as steel, because for her that is the only way to survive. She has been betrayed too many times in the past to trust any man again. Her only loyalty is to her ship and her crew. And the last time she saw Archimedes Fox, he tried to seize her airship, so she threw him overboard into a canal surrounded by zombies.
Archimedes Fox is a treasure hunter, one whose adventures are famous, and from the first moment he met Yasmeen he was captivated. But she stole the valuable da Vince sketch from him before she threw him overboard, and now he’s back to reclaim what is his, and that includes the coldhearted captain.
But Archimedes is not the only one after the sketch, and after the sketch is stolen again, Yasmeen and Archimedes will have to work together to get it back, and to get revenge against those who tried to harm them.
Last year was my first foray into steampunk, and I freaking LOVED it. The nerd in me loves the fascinating world of this genre, with smart gadgets and airships and pirates and nanoagents and steel bodyparts. It just blows my mind! I absolutely loved the first book in this series, The Iron Duke, and Heart of Steel was just as amazing!! The Horde are the villians in this world, who hid nanoagents in tea and sugar, which allowed them to infect people, and control them. And not only did they deliberately create a zombie infection, they also experimented by combining the essence of an animal with that of a human. The worldbuilding in this series is amazing and so very interesting.
“I never only have a blade—but the only weapon I bring to a conversation is a knife. A gun means the talking is over.”
I always love a kick-ass heroine, and Yasmeen was wonderful. I loved how feisty and strong-willed she was. She doesn’t let anyone walk over her, and has no problem winning a fight.
Perhaps drugging the woman he intended to fall in love with wasn’t the accepted method of kindling a passionate romance, yet Archimedes considered it the most sensible way to proceed. If Captain Corsair had killed him immediately, their relationship would have been just as tumultuous as he could have hoped, but much too short.
I fell in love with Archimedes in the first book. I just adore this utterly charming and flirty adventurer. And in this book he did not disappoint. The way he pursued Yasmeen, never relenting, never settling for less than what he wanted, which was everything from her. I especially loved the fact that he appreciated how strong-willed she was.
His gaze roamed her face, fell to her lips. “When I kiss you, I don’t know if I’ll stop.”
She didn’t want him to. Her heart pounded as his mouth moved across her cheek, hovered over her lips.
“Now, I breathe your breath, and it’s sweeter than any kiss I’ve ever had.” His thumb dragged over her bottom lip. “When I’m finally inside you . . .”
The romance in this book was fantastic. It was a slow-burn because of Yasmeen’s reluctance in caring for anyone, and Archimedes who didn’t want to settle for just sex, and I loved it. They way Archimedes fought for Yasmeen and how he set about convincing her that they were perfect for each other...*happy sigh*
I really enjoyed the plot of the story, the adventure of the m/c where they traveled to Morocco, the Horde region, and how they had to fight for survival.
This was another brilliant book from this author and this series. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
“You’re an idiot to love me,” she whispered.
“Am I?” He didn’t sound convinced.
“Yes.” She drew in his scent, so strong and warm. “But, still—it is a fine thing, to be loved.”
January 24, 2012
4 stars
Heart of Steel is a slower paced story compared to The Iron Duke, but is just as vividly written. The plot includes treasure hunting, fleeing from infectious zombies, intrigue, and a romance that takes it time for the hero find his way into the heroines' "heart of steel."
Archimedes Fox is the perfect beta hero for Yasmeen, captain of the Lady Corsiar. She does not need a man to complete her. The men she has loved in the past did not respect her boundaries, instead they would try to dominate her in front of her crew. Archimedes accepts her as she is. He respects her decision-making and authority as a captain.
If you're looking for the sexual tension Mina and Rys shared you won't find it in this one. Archimedes declares he will fall in love with her. (It sounded frivolous to me but his reason is explained a little later in the story.) During their travel, Yasmeen gets to know him in the face of danger and by his actions toward her. The romance is slow to kindle. Archimedes starts feeling the emotional pull before she does.
The world-building is as lush as the first book. We learn some Horde history; learn their origin and how diverse they are culturally. (I think they would compare well to Romans as far as assimilation.) There's more story-telling in regards to the spread of the zombie infection, which was a form of biological warfare.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. I wish it would have had some megaladons or giant octupus attacks, but I can't have it all so I'll have to appreciate the zombies stronger presence. I appreciated how Meljean Brook gave her characters the time to develop an emotional, intellectual, and physical relationship. I look forward to the next Iron Seas book.
Heart of Steel is a slower paced story compared to The Iron Duke, but is just as vividly written. The plot includes treasure hunting, fleeing from infectious zombies, intrigue, and a romance that takes it time for the hero find his way into the heroines' "heart of steel."
Archimedes Fox is the perfect beta hero for Yasmeen, captain of the Lady Corsiar. She does not need a man to complete her. The men she has loved in the past did not respect her boundaries, instead they would try to dominate her in front of her crew. Archimedes accepts her as she is. He respects her decision-making and authority as a captain.
If you're looking for the sexual tension Mina and Rys shared you won't find it in this one. Archimedes declares he will fall in love with her. (It sounded frivolous to me but his reason is explained a little later in the story.) During their travel, Yasmeen gets to know him in the face of danger and by his actions toward her. The romance is slow to kindle. Archimedes starts feeling the emotional pull before she does.
The world-building is as lush as the first book. We learn some Horde history; learn their origin and how diverse they are culturally. (I think they would compare well to Romans as far as assimilation.) There's more story-telling in regards to the spread of the zombie infection, which was a form of biological warfare.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. I wish it would have had some megaladons or giant octupus attacks, but I can't have it all so I'll have to appreciate the zombies stronger presence. I appreciated how Meljean Brook gave her characters the time to develop an emotional, intellectual, and physical relationship. I look forward to the next Iron Seas book.
November 7, 2011
Wow! I really enjoyed this one a lot! I loved the action and adventure! I also REALLY loved Archimedes and Yasmeen! Their banter and the sexual/romantic tension was GREAT! The only thing i had a hard time with was all the history...whether it was of the Horde or Da Vinci or someone/something else...any and ALL OF IT!...it was too in depth and involved that i found my self crossing my eyes during those parts of the books. Other than that it really was a wonderful addition to this fun and unique series! :)
April 1, 2015
I loved it, and yet, it always seemed an arms length away, if that makes sense. I didn't feel immersed in the story, as I was often a bit flummoxed by the world and history and dense writing. I read The Iron Duke, but I almost felt like I had skipped a book. But, the great characters, and some really beautiful passages about love and longing, made this a four star for me.
1/6/13: listening to the audio, and it is AWESOME!
1/6/13: listening to the audio, and it is AWESOME!
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