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The Unnaturalists #1
The Unnaturalists
In an alternate London where magical creatures are preserved in a museum, two teens find themselves caught in a web of intrigue, deception, and danger.
Vespa Nyx wants nothing more than to spend the rest of her life cataloging Unnatural creatures in her father’s museum, but as she gets older, the requirement to become a lady and find a husband is looming large. Syrus Reed’s Tinker family has always served and revered the Unnaturals from afar, but when his family is captured to be refinery slaves, he finds that his fate may be bound up with Vespa’s—and with the Unnaturals.
As the danger grows, Vespa and Syrus find themselves in a tightening web of deception and intrigue. At stake may be the fate of New London—and the world.
Vespa Nyx wants nothing more than to spend the rest of her life cataloging Unnatural creatures in her father’s museum, but as she gets older, the requirement to become a lady and find a husband is looming large. Syrus Reed’s Tinker family has always served and revered the Unnaturals from afar, but when his family is captured to be refinery slaves, he finds that his fate may be bound up with Vespa’s—and with the Unnaturals.
As the danger grows, Vespa and Syrus find themselves in a tightening web of deception and intrigue. At stake may be the fate of New London—and the world.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 14, 2012
40 people are currently reading
7323 people want to read
About the author
Tiffany Trent
32 books197 followersTiffany Trent is the award-winning creator and author of the young adult dark fantasy series, HALLOWMERE, and THE UNNATURALISTS and THE TINKER KING. With Stephanie Burgis, she co-edited the Locus Finalist for Best Anthology, THE UNDERWATER BALLROOM SOCIETY. Her short stories have been published in MAGIC AND THE MIRRORSTONE, CORSETS AND CLOCKWORK, SUBTERRANEAN, and WILFUL IMPROPRIETY. When not writing or reading, she can be found playing with bees.
Awards/Honors:
-Green Earth Book Award Honor 2013
-SCBWI Work-in-Progress Grant 2008
-New York Public Library Book of the Teen Age 2008
-Year's Best Horror Honorable Mention 2008
-BookSense (IndieBound) Children's Pick 2007
Awards/Honors:
-Green Earth Book Award Honor 2013
-SCBWI Work-in-Progress Grant 2008
-New York Public Library Book of the Teen Age 2008
-Year's Best Horror Honorable Mention 2008
-BookSense (IndieBound) Children's Pick 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 355 reviews
February 24, 2017
3.5 Stars to 4 Stars
RTC!
RTC!
August 17, 2012
I’ve never thought I’d use the words thoroughly confusing and totally engrossing to describe the same book, but it’s been a long time since I’ve come across anything as peculiar as The Unnaturalists. This is a hard book to categorize, a little bit of steampunk, a little bit of alternate history, a little bit of paranormal - actually, I’m not quite sure what this is but what I am sure of is that Tiffany Trent has done some of the most imaginative world building I’ve ever read.
The appeal for me, which could probably also be a huge turnoff for some, is that Trent doesn’t spend a lot of time on explanations or details, instead she dives right into the story, leaving me to figure out exactly what’s going on from the name drops and facts she provides. I’m immediately thrust into a world of Pedants, Architects, Tinkers, and Unnaturals, and though it takes me awhile to get my bearings, I had a lot of fun finding it, figuring out the point of the story. Some background knowledge of mythological creatures and Victorian era science goes a long way too (think steampunk unicorns for starters), but the plot’s fairly enjoyable even as I was finding my way. And although I think being somewhat lost and figuring out the plot is half the fun of this book, I’m gonna summarize the back story just in case, so spoiler alert.
Ok, so sometime during the turn of the last century Nikola Tesla (reverently referred to as Saint Tesla in the book) somehow opened up a gateway to the fairy world, and sucked a bunch of people through with his invention. A couple of hundred years later, the descendants have built up this city, New London, where they rely on a form of energy called myth to power their machines - except myth can only be gotten by killing the magical creatures native to the fairy world. Oh, and killing these creatures, the Unnaturals, causes this dead zone called the Creeping Waste that kills all life on it to expand. The story’s told through two different points of view, Vespa, who wants to be a Pedant, sort of a scholar of the Unnaturals, and Syrus, a Tinker, one of the outcasts who live outside the city and rely on the mercy of the Unnaturals rather than myth power. Obviously, collecting myth is destroying the world and the initial focus of the plot, but there’s way more to it beyond just that, there are a few really good twists with almost perfect foreshadowing.
The premise is the main reason why I think this book is so great, but Vespa and Syrus weren’t too bad either. Vespa’s trying to be the first female Pedant in a couple of hundreds of years, so watching her balance her goal with saving the city from the Waste was pretty cool for the most part, although at a few points her relationship with fellow Pedant Hal Lumin becomes a bit too angsty for my tastes, Vespa could’ve been a little stronger. Cyrus is caught up in most of the action, maybe a little too much compared to Vespa, but they both do their parts saving the world, I guess it balances out.
Probably my biggest complaint about this book is its length, although I don’t think The Unnaturalists really needs stuff like more detailed explanations of the backstory or a less rushed ending, I just feel like this book ended too quickly. Or maybe I was so immersed in this wacky mix of mythology and steampunk I didn’t notice how fast the pages flew by. But either way though, I definitely enjoyed this.
The appeal for me, which could probably also be a huge turnoff for some, is that Trent doesn’t spend a lot of time on explanations or details, instead she dives right into the story, leaving me to figure out exactly what’s going on from the name drops and facts she provides. I’m immediately thrust into a world of Pedants, Architects, Tinkers, and Unnaturals, and though it takes me awhile to get my bearings, I had a lot of fun finding it, figuring out the point of the story. Some background knowledge of mythological creatures and Victorian era science goes a long way too (think steampunk unicorns for starters), but the plot’s fairly enjoyable even as I was finding my way. And although I think being somewhat lost and figuring out the plot is half the fun of this book, I’m gonna summarize the back story just in case, so spoiler alert.
Ok, so sometime during the turn of the last century Nikola Tesla (reverently referred to as Saint Tesla in the book) somehow opened up a gateway to the fairy world, and sucked a bunch of people through with his invention. A couple of hundred years later, the descendants have built up this city, New London, where they rely on a form of energy called myth to power their machines - except myth can only be gotten by killing the magical creatures native to the fairy world. Oh, and killing these creatures, the Unnaturals, causes this dead zone called the Creeping Waste that kills all life on it to expand. The story’s told through two different points of view, Vespa, who wants to be a Pedant, sort of a scholar of the Unnaturals, and Syrus, a Tinker, one of the outcasts who live outside the city and rely on the mercy of the Unnaturals rather than myth power. Obviously, collecting myth is destroying the world and the initial focus of the plot, but there’s way more to it beyond just that, there are a few really good twists with almost perfect foreshadowing.
The premise is the main reason why I think this book is so great, but Vespa and Syrus weren’t too bad either. Vespa’s trying to be the first female Pedant in a couple of hundreds of years, so watching her balance her goal with saving the city from the Waste was pretty cool for the most part, although at a few points her relationship with fellow Pedant Hal Lumin becomes a bit too angsty for my tastes, Vespa could’ve been a little stronger. Cyrus is caught up in most of the action, maybe a little too much compared to Vespa, but they both do their parts saving the world, I guess it balances out.
Probably my biggest complaint about this book is its length, although I don’t think The Unnaturalists really needs stuff like more detailed explanations of the backstory or a less rushed ending, I just feel like this book ended too quickly. Or maybe I was so immersed in this wacky mix of mythology and steampunk I didn’t notice how fast the pages flew by. But either way though, I definitely enjoyed this.
January 26, 2016
2 1/2, but I feel generous, so we bump up. That said, I feel really conflicted about this book. I wanted to like it so much more than I actually did. There's a lot that is theoretically very good here, but I feel like the execution is off. Someone else used the word "muddled" to describe it, and I think that's spot-on. I feel like Trent did a whole heck of a lot, in terms of coming up with the alternate world she gives us here, but sometimes forgot that we readers don't live in her head and as such, the rules and realities of that world aren't as clear to us as they are to her as their creator. Which is a very convoluted way of saying things, perhaps, but there you go. I just felt very thrown into things and it was difficult to make sense of them at times. I also had a bit of an issue with a certain plot revelations, in that they were really, really obvious and the fact that Vespa didn't realize them made her seem really stupid.
And yet, for all that I'm sort of hoping that there are other books set in this world, because now that I finally sort of get the hang of it, I wouldn't mind more.
And yet, for all that I'm sort of hoping that there are other books set in this world, because now that I finally sort of get the hang of it, I wouldn't mind more.
December 21, 2020
I seem to get into book similar to this with to high of expectations and end up quite disappointed in them. Maybe I like the idea of them more then the book itself. Anyways, this was just ok, kind of fun in some part but wished Tiffany Trent had added a bit more. But it was entertaining for a while and I might read the next book in the series
November 22, 2014
I have mixed feelings about this one.
Interesting worldbuilding - a sort of a mix of alternate universe and alternative history, set in the future, feels steampunkish but is really quite considerably different in nature - but .... then there was the requisite mooning over a pretty young man, and the plot was kind of meandering around and only really got somewhere towards the end (or rather that's when I realised that there is a plot at all), and I never really properly warmed to Vespa, and ... eh.
I liked bits of it quite well, and then there were bits where I struggled to keep awake (my usual reading time is around between 7-10 pm, so it's not like I actually read in bed with the aim to fall asleep), so... yeah. Mixed feelings.
Interesting worldbuilding - a sort of a mix of alternate universe and alternative history, set in the future, feels steampunkish but is really quite considerably different in nature - but .... then there was the requisite mooning over a pretty young man, and the plot was kind of meandering around and only really got somewhere towards the end (or rather that's when I realised that there is a plot at all), and I never really properly warmed to Vespa, and ... eh.
I liked bits of it quite well, and then there were bits where I struggled to keep awake (my usual reading time is around between 7-10 pm, so it's not like I actually read in bed with the aim to fall asleep), so... yeah. Mixed feelings.
August 14, 2012
Imagine living in a world unlike any other. In this world, magic and those who know how to wield it are automatically evil and knowledge of science is essential to living. In New London, science is everything.
THE UNNATURALISTS is a truly refreshing read. Full of steampunk elements, this fantasy and science fiction novel set in an alternate historical London will capture your attention from the very first page. Everything in this world is powered by myth.While there's only a myth to describe how this power source of myth came about, it is a huge part of everyday life and is what allows some amazing steampunk inventions to exist. Myth can create everything, even unicorns to pull along the carriages for the richer families in New London. But as we learn what brought about myth, the plot will thicken and the story will spiral out of control.
Narrated in third person, THE UNNATURALISTS will switch between focusing on Vespa Nyx—the witch who dreams of being a scholarly Pedant that will forever seek knowledge of the unnaturals and Syrus Reed—the last Tinker who has a very truthful and wise view of the world despite being the tender age of thirteen. This continued narration from different perspectives is something that I truly enjoyed. Both characters were extremely different from each other, so we would often see the same characters or hear the same myths from two different perspectives. What Vespa may have grown up fearing is something that Syrus grew up worshipping. It was intriguing and added to the overall plot. Both characters were incredibly likable and I respected Vespa’s desire to be herself and do what she wanted instead of conforming to the convoluted whims of the Empress and the richer families of New London.
This novel was extremely unpredictable. Right when I thought I had things figured out, Trent would throw another plot twist in my way. Plot twists are plentiful and though they are completely unexpected, they make the story flow quickly and elegantly, never tripping a reader up.
Because New London is so complex, it took me a few chapters to sort everything out in the beginning of the book. With Pedants and an evil Empress, unnatural creatures ranging from a sphinx to a sylphid, and a Creeping Waste that can destroy everything, New London is incredibly imaginative and initially slightly hard to grasp because the sheer awesomeness of it all is overwhelming. I would recommend checking out the beautiful cover and remembering that Big Ben was turned into a hulking Tower with a large chimney up top. It’ll help you slip easily into the world that Trent created if you use that as a focal point.
Completely imaginative and totally unexpected, THE UNNATURALISTS will appeal to any reader of fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, and steampunk. While there is the smallest glimmer of romance that plays an important role in the plot, this is not a book meant for romance lovers. This novel was an amazing start to (hopefully) a new series. While the ending thankfully was not a cliff-hanger, Trent still has me begging for more.
THE UNNATURALISTS is a truly refreshing read. Full of steampunk elements, this fantasy and science fiction novel set in an alternate historical London will capture your attention from the very first page. Everything in this world is powered by myth.While there's only a myth to describe how this power source of myth came about, it is a huge part of everyday life and is what allows some amazing steampunk inventions to exist. Myth can create everything, even unicorns to pull along the carriages for the richer families in New London. But as we learn what brought about myth, the plot will thicken and the story will spiral out of control.
Narrated in third person, THE UNNATURALISTS will switch between focusing on Vespa Nyx—the witch who dreams of being a scholarly Pedant that will forever seek knowledge of the unnaturals and Syrus Reed—the last Tinker who has a very truthful and wise view of the world despite being the tender age of thirteen. This continued narration from different perspectives is something that I truly enjoyed. Both characters were extremely different from each other, so we would often see the same characters or hear the same myths from two different perspectives. What Vespa may have grown up fearing is something that Syrus grew up worshipping. It was intriguing and added to the overall plot. Both characters were incredibly likable and I respected Vespa’s desire to be herself and do what she wanted instead of conforming to the convoluted whims of the Empress and the richer families of New London.
This novel was extremely unpredictable. Right when I thought I had things figured out, Trent would throw another plot twist in my way. Plot twists are plentiful and though they are completely unexpected, they make the story flow quickly and elegantly, never tripping a reader up.
Because New London is so complex, it took me a few chapters to sort everything out in the beginning of the book. With Pedants and an evil Empress, unnatural creatures ranging from a sphinx to a sylphid, and a Creeping Waste that can destroy everything, New London is incredibly imaginative and initially slightly hard to grasp because the sheer awesomeness of it all is overwhelming. I would recommend checking out the beautiful cover and remembering that Big Ben was turned into a hulking Tower with a large chimney up top. It’ll help you slip easily into the world that Trent created if you use that as a focal point.
Completely imaginative and totally unexpected, THE UNNATURALISTS will appeal to any reader of fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, and steampunk. While there is the smallest glimmer of romance that plays an important role in the plot, this is not a book meant for romance lovers. This novel was an amazing start to (hopefully) a new series. While the ending thankfully was not a cliff-hanger, Trent still has me begging for more.
August 2, 2012
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick and Dirty: Two teens fight to save the world from destruction.
Opening Sentence: The sphinx stared at me from her plinth.
The Review:
Vespa doesn’t want to conform to the usual role of a lady. Syrus has a power that has to be kept secret. Both want to change the current world they live in. Together their fates are cleverly intertwined. The story is told from both Vespa and Syrus’s points of views. For those looking for romance, The Unnaturalists is not where you find it. The Unnaturalists is a steampunk/dystopian/fantasy/mythology filled book that follows Vespa and Syrus in their mission to save the world.
This book has great world-building, and it’s not piled all at the beginning. Throughout the book snippets of details and such are exposed and builds on the setting. This world has a religion based on all of the old scientists like Darwin and Telsa and such. This little tidbit was a turn-off for me because of what I believe and because it was such a major part of the world, but for others it may be of no consequence.
Mythological creatures are a main factor in the story. Vespa and Syrus are trying to save them from captivity, but the actual animals aren’t explained fully, making some parts a bit confusing. But some of this could be because it is an ARC (it’s just tiny mishaps and whatnot — nothing big).
Trent’s writing was great, beautiful and deep descriptive words and an elegant prose that comes with the Victorian era. Action-packed and full to the brim with intrigue, this book was alright. The plot was great. The writing was nice. But the book had so many things going on, it overwhelmed me. It’s like Lia Habel’s Gone With Respiration Series in a way. There are so many character arcs that it gets overwhelming (not necessarily confusing). The ending was satisfying (no huge cliffhangers or big questions up in the air), but there are small strings that need to be answered, leading us to the next book in the series.
Notable Scene:
“Maybe the Beast ate him,” Syrus said. He wished it were so, despite what the sprites had said about the Law of their kind.
“We can only hope,” Bayne said, trying to hobble faster.
When they finally cleared the temple mouth, Bayne removed his arm from Syrus’s shoulders and draped himself inelegantly over a boulder.
Syrus waited for only a moment, looking back toward the dark entrance. He shifted from foot to foot before he finally opened his mouth.
Bayne held up his hand. “Take my sleeve.”
Syrus grasped his magic-stained lace cuff.
And then everything–heart, breath, blood, thought–was ripped apart.
FTC Advisory: Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of The Unnaturalists. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick and Dirty: Two teens fight to save the world from destruction.
Opening Sentence: The sphinx stared at me from her plinth.
The Review:
Vespa doesn’t want to conform to the usual role of a lady. Syrus has a power that has to be kept secret. Both want to change the current world they live in. Together their fates are cleverly intertwined. The story is told from both Vespa and Syrus’s points of views. For those looking for romance, The Unnaturalists is not where you find it. The Unnaturalists is a steampunk/dystopian/fantasy/mythology filled book that follows Vespa and Syrus in their mission to save the world.
This book has great world-building, and it’s not piled all at the beginning. Throughout the book snippets of details and such are exposed and builds on the setting. This world has a religion based on all of the old scientists like Darwin and Telsa and such. This little tidbit was a turn-off for me because of what I believe and because it was such a major part of the world, but for others it may be of no consequence.
Mythological creatures are a main factor in the story. Vespa and Syrus are trying to save them from captivity, but the actual animals aren’t explained fully, making some parts a bit confusing. But some of this could be because it is an ARC (it’s just tiny mishaps and whatnot — nothing big).
Trent’s writing was great, beautiful and deep descriptive words and an elegant prose that comes with the Victorian era. Action-packed and full to the brim with intrigue, this book was alright. The plot was great. The writing was nice. But the book had so many things going on, it overwhelmed me. It’s like Lia Habel’s Gone With Respiration Series in a way. There are so many character arcs that it gets overwhelming (not necessarily confusing). The ending was satisfying (no huge cliffhangers or big questions up in the air), but there are small strings that need to be answered, leading us to the next book in the series.
Notable Scene:
“Maybe the Beast ate him,” Syrus said. He wished it were so, despite what the sprites had said about the Law of their kind.
“We can only hope,” Bayne said, trying to hobble faster.
When they finally cleared the temple mouth, Bayne removed his arm from Syrus’s shoulders and draped himself inelegantly over a boulder.
Syrus waited for only a moment, looking back toward the dark entrance. He shifted from foot to foot before he finally opened his mouth.
Bayne held up his hand. “Take my sleeve.”
Syrus grasped his magic-stained lace cuff.
And then everything–heart, breath, blood, thought–was ripped apart.
FTC Advisory: Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of The Unnaturalists. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
March 18, 2023
4/5.
Yet again, I went into a book blindly. Didn’t even read the blurb, just picked it up as it was the book chosen between myself and my twin for March TBR Twins. I think all I knew about this before starting was that it was a steampunk-inspired novel.
What I wasn’t expecting, and what I found to be a pleasant surprise, was the abundance of magical creatures in this book. The Unnaturalists is a book centred around all kinds of mythical creatures – from Sphinxes to Manticores to dragons. I had no idea that that was going to be a major aspect of this book, but it was the reason I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Was this book the most cleanly written? No, not at all. There were many parts that didn’t read smoothly. There were even times where I suspected a plot hole was evident, or I wasn’t able to follow what was happening. There were quite a few moments that I wished there was a greater explanation or more world building.
In saying all that, though, I was hooked all the way through. There was something about this story that captivated me and encouraged me to keep on reading. I rather enjoyed the characters – especially Vespa and Bayne. They were probably my favourite, and I admit, I kind of appreciated the side romance in the story too. There was a lot of mystery surrounding Bayne and I like a mysterious man.
I also loved the idea of the setting. A New London, run on steam and what is known as mythwork, which is never entirely clarified as to what it is. It remains a sort of mystery, though there are heavy implications as to where it comes from and what it is. I definitely found this book creative and engaging with great storytelling moments. I loved the author’s knowledge of mythical creatures and her descriptions of them. I definitely found myself Googling at times to get mental images of what some of the creatures looked like.
It will be one that stays with me for a bit, and I will miss the characters until I get to book two. I enjoyed this more than I anticipated.
Yet again, I went into a book blindly. Didn’t even read the blurb, just picked it up as it was the book chosen between myself and my twin for March TBR Twins. I think all I knew about this before starting was that it was a steampunk-inspired novel.
What I wasn’t expecting, and what I found to be a pleasant surprise, was the abundance of magical creatures in this book. The Unnaturalists is a book centred around all kinds of mythical creatures – from Sphinxes to Manticores to dragons. I had no idea that that was going to be a major aspect of this book, but it was the reason I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Was this book the most cleanly written? No, not at all. There were many parts that didn’t read smoothly. There were even times where I suspected a plot hole was evident, or I wasn’t able to follow what was happening. There were quite a few moments that I wished there was a greater explanation or more world building.
In saying all that, though, I was hooked all the way through. There was something about this story that captivated me and encouraged me to keep on reading. I rather enjoyed the characters – especially Vespa and Bayne. They were probably my favourite, and I admit, I kind of appreciated the side romance in the story too. There was a lot of mystery surrounding Bayne and I like a mysterious man.
I also loved the idea of the setting. A New London, run on steam and what is known as mythwork, which is never entirely clarified as to what it is. It remains a sort of mystery, though there are heavy implications as to where it comes from and what it is. I definitely found this book creative and engaging with great storytelling moments. I loved the author’s knowledge of mythical creatures and her descriptions of them. I definitely found myself Googling at times to get mental images of what some of the creatures looked like.
It will be one that stays with me for a bit, and I will miss the characters until I get to book two. I enjoyed this more than I anticipated.
September 29, 2012
The Unnaturalists is a brilliant book in terms of creative world building, well paced plot, intriguing story line and beautiful mythical creatures set in an alternate Victorian era with a mixture of steampunk and fantasy. However even with such strong premise it didn't make it into my list of favorites due to reasons I'll discuss shortly.
We are introduced to a strange New London in this book that is full of mythical creatures known as Unnaturals, Pedants responsible for caging and studying these creatures, an Empress who rules over this city, Architects who are like male witches trying to save these creatures and Tinkers, more like gypsy mechanics who understand and speak the language of these Unnaturals and live outside the city. This city is powered by a substance called "myth" that is extracted from Unnaturals in large refineries where Tinkers are worked as slaves and which is guarded by the Empress' royal raven-headed guards and wights. However, there is a side effect of removing Unnaturals from their natural habitat in the form of a wasteland that consumes everything on its way and grows threatening every passing day as more and more Unnaturals are endangered.
Quite a setting huh?
So the story begins with Vespa, an aspiring Unnaturalist (scientists who work in the Museum that holds many of these magical creatures) being pushed into a force field that cages a Sphinx. She is pretty certain that the Sphinx would kill her but strangely it doesn't and she's rescued by a mysterious new guy who happens to be the *ding ding ding* love interest. She expects to be admonished by her father (who is the head of the Museum) but since he's on his way to an important task, he doesn't acknowledge her mistake and takes her along. She realizes that her father is hiding something from her and is shocked to find out what that is when they are stopped on their way from thugs and rescued by Tinkers.
The story switched between Vespa and a 13-year old tinker, Syrus who was a really smart and brave guy. Vespa on the other hand was a whiny, angsty, love-struck, unfocused protagonist whose monologue in present tense not only felt weird but was also boring and annoying. Syrus' story was in third person and far more interesting and engrossing than Vespa's. The story, in turn, mainly focused on stopping the destruction of their world, aggravated by the villains who brought in quite a few twists.
Let me first mention all the things that I really liked:
-Imaginative world building
-Vivid descriptions
-Underlying message of conserving nature
-Unexpected twists
-Story behind wights' creation
-Werehounds mystery
-Horrors of the refineries
Now all the things that I didn't like: (and 'cause I'm a nasty critic, the dislikes will be more detailed *cackles*)
-Vespa: She went on and on about how much she wanted to be the second female Unnaturalist in the history of New London and how much she despised being bogged down by lady-like chores that her Aunt insisted she excelled atwho could blame her though but there wasn't ever a time that I found her talking or caring about science. What she mostly did was complain and fret about her situation. She was so very predictable and her sulking over Pedant Lumin/Hal/Bayne was completely ridiculous. I was satisfied to see her suffer a little during the end but disappointingly it didn't last for as long as I'd have appreciated.
-Lack of explanation: Even though the author presented us with some basic history of how it all started, I stayed unsatisfied. A lot of the details were fuzzy and I still have a lot of unanswered questions. To begin with: How did those raven-headed guards come into being? Were they magical creatures too or some other horrendous experiment? How was the force field able to trap Unnaturals? Did I miss it or I don't remember? Did it have something to do with myth? Why were Tinkers the only people who understood the language of Unnaturals? What happened that labeled them as outcasts? Also, what exactly happened in the end?
-The ending: Everything was going on smoothly (if you ignore the parts where Vespa threw herself a pity party) until the last two chapters ended in a rush and ruined it for me. It went down too quickly and was quite open-ended. I don't even understand how Vespa . Also there was big talk of working on a machine to get back to old London but when time for its execution came, it was done rather hastily and then everything after it was wrapped up in a nice shiny package.
-Romance: Even if romance didn't play a major role in this story and was mostly (or completely?) one-sided, it irritated me because of Vespa. I'm being unnecessarily harsh and nit-picking but the whole deal with that love-potion and everything it followed seemed really stupid and useless to me. We were made to believe that Vespa was but all she did was make a trivial thing like a love-potion? Can you give me a good reason why?
Anyways, my 3 star rating is for the remarkable premise and the author's ingenuity. The unpredictability of the book was also a saving grace for me. It is a quick read but Vespa and other books made me abandon it for a week or longer. Not that I regret my decision, but my rating is also biased based on how quickly I devour a book. If I were to rate Vespa's and Syrus' pov's/stories individually, I'd give Vespa a 2 or 1.5 and Syrus a solid 3.5. So, overall, if you're looking for a mystical, peculiar yet a little perplexing read, go for it.
We are introduced to a strange New London in this book that is full of mythical creatures known as Unnaturals, Pedants responsible for caging and studying these creatures, an Empress who rules over this city, Architects who are like male witches trying to save these creatures and Tinkers, more like gypsy mechanics who understand and speak the language of these Unnaturals and live outside the city. This city is powered by a substance called "myth" that is extracted from Unnaturals in large refineries where Tinkers are worked as slaves and which is guarded by the Empress' royal raven-headed guards and wights. However, there is a side effect of removing Unnaturals from their natural habitat in the form of a wasteland that consumes everything on its way and grows threatening every passing day as more and more Unnaturals are endangered.
Quite a setting huh?
So the story begins with Vespa, an aspiring Unnaturalist (scientists who work in the Museum that holds many of these magical creatures) being pushed into a force field that cages a Sphinx. She is pretty certain that the Sphinx would kill her but strangely it doesn't and she's rescued by a mysterious new guy who happens to be the *ding ding ding* love interest. She expects to be admonished by her father (who is the head of the Museum) but since he's on his way to an important task, he doesn't acknowledge her mistake and takes her along. She realizes that her father is hiding something from her and is shocked to find out what that is when they are stopped on their way from thugs and rescued by Tinkers.
The story switched between Vespa and a 13-year old tinker, Syrus who was a really smart and brave guy. Vespa on the other hand was a whiny, angsty, love-struck, unfocused protagonist whose monologue in present tense not only felt weird but was also boring and annoying. Syrus' story was in third person and far more interesting and engrossing than Vespa's. The story, in turn, mainly focused on stopping the destruction of their world, aggravated by the villains who brought in quite a few twists.
Let me first mention all the things that I really liked:
-Imaginative world building
-Vivid descriptions
-Underlying message of conserving nature
-Unexpected twists
-Story behind wights' creation
-Werehounds mystery
-Horrors of the refineries
Now all the things that I didn't like: (and 'cause I'm a nasty critic, the dislikes will be more detailed *cackles*)
-Vespa: She went on and on about how much she wanted to be the second female Unnaturalist in the history of New London and how much she despised being bogged down by lady-like chores that her Aunt insisted she excelled at
-Lack of explanation: Even though the author presented us with some basic history of how it all started, I stayed unsatisfied. A lot of the details were fuzzy and I still have a lot of unanswered questions. To begin with: How did those raven-headed guards come into being? Were they magical creatures too or some other horrendous experiment? How was the force field able to trap Unnaturals? Did I miss it or I don't remember? Did it have something to do with myth? Why were Tinkers the only people who understood the language of Unnaturals? What happened that labeled them as outcasts? Also, what exactly happened in the end?
-The ending: Everything was going on smoothly (if you ignore the parts where Vespa threw herself a pity party) until the last two chapters ended in a rush and ruined it for me. It went down too quickly and was quite open-ended. I don't even understand how Vespa . Also there was big talk of working on a machine to get back to old London but when time for its execution came, it was done rather hastily and then everything after it was wrapped up in a nice shiny package.
-Romance: Even if romance didn't play a major role in this story and was mostly (or completely?) one-sided, it irritated me because of Vespa. I'm being unnecessarily harsh and nit-picking but the whole deal with that love-potion and everything it followed seemed really stupid and useless to me. We were made to believe that Vespa was but all she did was make a trivial thing like a love-potion? Can you give me a good reason why?
Anyways, my 3 star rating is for the remarkable premise and the author's ingenuity. The unpredictability of the book was also a saving grace for me. It is a quick read but Vespa and other books made me abandon it for a week or longer. Not that I regret my decision, but my rating is also biased based on how quickly I devour a book. If I were to rate Vespa's and Syrus' pov's/stories individually, I'd give Vespa a 2 or 1.5 and Syrus a solid 3.5. So, overall, if you're looking for a mystical, peculiar yet a little perplexing read, go for it.
August 25, 2012
I remember the first time I saw the cover for this novel, it blew me away! It’s one of those books you would buy just on the cover alone, but the summary was unlike anything I’ve heard of before…fantastical/mythical creatures displayed in museum. These unnatural creatures are very much alive, but are like stone statues because they’re under a shield force that keeps them stationary. Hmm, where to begin? The novel wasn’t what I thought it would be. The book was told from two perspectives, Syrus the Tinker and Vespa, with chapters alternating between the two. The word-building was very interesting, setting in an alternative steampunk London but there were too much information to process and at times the lack of information. I felt there were many little stories all going on at once in regards to the main plot problem and at times when the author is mentioning an unnatural creature/or background information it isn’t explained thoroughly leaving the reader mystified and lost.
Vespa Nyx our heroine wants to break the traditional mold of what society thinks a Victorian lady should be, and while in the end she accomplishes that she didn’t stand out in any way through the book. I never felt a connection with Vespa, she never did or said anything remarkable. Vespa is supposed to be the savior of the people and have insane magical power, but nothing showed for it. Then there’s the love interest Bayne, I do not see anything appealing in his characters. His interaction with Vespa were odd, because he was always distancing himself from her or giving her the cold shoulder…it was very limited interaction. Most of the time he was trying to convince himself that he shouldn’t like her; I honestly don’t even remember the reason why! Syrus the Tinker was the only interesting character, with much more emotion than the other two main characters. I was more engrossed when his POV chapters came up than Vespa. The rest of the secondary characters in the books were MEH- I didn’t care for them, and they weren’t that memorable.
Overall this was a good book…not great but good. There were a lot of flaws, but the concept is so original, I just wish it was executed better. Why am I giving this book 3 star and not 2? It still a decent book, and like I said I love the idea of unnatural creatures being displayed in the museum, and as you read on what happens to all those disappearing unnatural creatures. While the overall book didn’t blow me away like the cover, but I think other readers might enjoy it more than me. This isn’t a fast paced book; everything that happens is at a general/constant speed. So, if you’re expecting a climax in the story or explosive action scenes…then you might want to think twice before reading this book, its more on the slow side.
Vespa Nyx our heroine wants to break the traditional mold of what society thinks a Victorian lady should be, and while in the end she accomplishes that she didn’t stand out in any way through the book. I never felt a connection with Vespa, she never did or said anything remarkable. Vespa is supposed to be the savior of the people and have insane magical power, but nothing showed for it. Then there’s the love interest Bayne, I do not see anything appealing in his characters. His interaction with Vespa were odd, because he was always distancing himself from her or giving her the cold shoulder…it was very limited interaction. Most of the time he was trying to convince himself that he shouldn’t like her; I honestly don’t even remember the reason why! Syrus the Tinker was the only interesting character, with much more emotion than the other two main characters. I was more engrossed when his POV chapters came up than Vespa. The rest of the secondary characters in the books were MEH- I didn’t care for them, and they weren’t that memorable.
Overall this was a good book…not great but good. There were a lot of flaws, but the concept is so original, I just wish it was executed better. Why am I giving this book 3 star and not 2? It still a decent book, and like I said I love the idea of unnatural creatures being displayed in the museum, and as you read on what happens to all those disappearing unnatural creatures. While the overall book didn’t blow me away like the cover, but I think other readers might enjoy it more than me. This isn’t a fast paced book; everything that happens is at a general/constant speed. So, if you’re expecting a climax in the story or explosive action scenes…then you might want to think twice before reading this book, its more on the slow side.
May 24, 2013
I was really sick after I finished this book, like confined to the bed for five days sick, and for some odd reason, in the delirium brought on by multiple Tylenol 3s, I could not stop thinking about this book. Deconstructing it in my head, analyzing the plot twists and the narrative elements. It almost drove me crazy.
So it was inevitable that I would write a review of this. The cover and the promise of steampunk pretty much guaranteed that I would give this one a try. The novel however was a disappointment. It had the potential but never fully met it. The setting of the novel is interesting. A contemporary London is torn up from its usual haunting grounds in merry olde England and finds itself, rather like Dorothy in Wizard of Oz, in an alternate universe. And just like they did in America and elsewhere, they start killing the natives. Only they don’t just kill the natives, they preserve them in museums for the entertainment of all the elites who can afford to go and be entertained. There are firm hierarchies present and social division plays a big role in this society. There are also a gypsy like people who live in abandoned train tracks and who undergo Culling which is a nice and magical term for genocide.
There is a fourteen year old boy, Syrus, who has some magical abilities and there is a fascinating creature, some kind of mythical beast, who holds the fate of their world in her. The synopsis is misleading in that it implies that Syrus and Vespa are the two main characters. And while this is true to a certain degree, it is certainly not the whole truth. There is a very useless, yet strangely intriguing (to Vespa, not me), love interest present. Vespa is one of those protagonists who make you question where she has ever read a book. She is supposedly a witch. Supposedly. The most fascinating and memorable character in this novel is Syrus. The love interest whose name I can’t remember is, if you recall, useless. He does not do anything even though he is full of hot air about doing everything. Even in situations of extreme urgency, he is waiting for Syrus to make an appearance before taking any action. And Vespa, like any good stupid heroine, waits to be rescued by others.
There are so many similarities to Twilight in this one. Apart from the Sparkly. Oh and Edward does not actually marry another girl. The ending is kind of ridiculous with no logic, no backstory, no world building to substantiate the surface claims. The romance is even more lackluster. The main character is not a favourite, she doesn’t even make the top thousand. And I didn’t enjoy this book. At all. I will not be reading the second one.
So it was inevitable that I would write a review of this. The cover and the promise of steampunk pretty much guaranteed that I would give this one a try. The novel however was a disappointment. It had the potential but never fully met it. The setting of the novel is interesting. A contemporary London is torn up from its usual haunting grounds in merry olde England and finds itself, rather like Dorothy in Wizard of Oz, in an alternate universe. And just like they did in America and elsewhere, they start killing the natives. Only they don’t just kill the natives, they preserve them in museums for the entertainment of all the elites who can afford to go and be entertained. There are firm hierarchies present and social division plays a big role in this society. There are also a gypsy like people who live in abandoned train tracks and who undergo Culling which is a nice and magical term for genocide.
There is a fourteen year old boy, Syrus, who has some magical abilities and there is a fascinating creature, some kind of mythical beast, who holds the fate of their world in her. The synopsis is misleading in that it implies that Syrus and Vespa are the two main characters. And while this is true to a certain degree, it is certainly not the whole truth. There is a very useless, yet strangely intriguing (to Vespa, not me), love interest present. Vespa is one of those protagonists who make you question where she has ever read a book. She is supposedly a witch. Supposedly. The most fascinating and memorable character in this novel is Syrus. The love interest whose name I can’t remember is, if you recall, useless. He does not do anything even though he is full of hot air about doing everything. Even in situations of extreme urgency, he is waiting for Syrus to make an appearance before taking any action. And Vespa, like any good stupid heroine, waits to be rescued by others.
There are so many similarities to Twilight in this one. Apart from the Sparkly. Oh and Edward does not actually marry another girl. The ending is kind of ridiculous with no logic, no backstory, no world building to substantiate the surface claims. The romance is even more lackluster. The main character is not a favourite, she doesn’t even make the top thousand. And I didn’t enjoy this book. At all. I will not be reading the second one.
August 13, 2012
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
The worldbuilding in THE UNNATURALISTS is top notch. Fantastical creatures, mysterious magic, deadly consequences for those who misuse it, and an origin story that is so good it deserves it’s own book. An entire society sprang up after Tesla–yes the Tesla–broke through to another world and took half of London with him. There is no way back, so New London has progressed from this point in several alternate ways from ours. The Victorian era never ended, and Steampunk/magic progressed. Science and Logic are the religion of the day with references to St. Darwin and St. Bacon. All these little details unfold beautifully and naturally throughout the book without ever resorting to dreaded info dumps.
Of the two protagonists in THE UNNATURALISTS, I only ended up connecting with Vespa, the curious and ambitious daughter of The Museum of Unnatural History curator. She had a contagious excitement about the creatures she studied and a reckless streak that got her into just enough trouble to be interesting without being foolhardy. Syrus fell a bit flat for me. He was written in 3rd person and is much younger. His life as an outcast Tinker just didn’t grab me even as numerous tragedies befell him.
There is a small romance in THE UNNATURALISTS, though not between Vespa and Syrus. It didn’t quite come together for me as I never fully bought into Vespa’s attraction for this guy. She fell pretty quickly and repeatedly threw herself at him. I would have preferred it if Vespa had kept her hormones in check and let the potential relationship simmer. I didn’t end up feeling her anxiety when various obstacles sprang up between them.
Splitting chapters between two protagonists slowed things down as ultimately only one had a compelling story. The romance also failed to entice. The real saving grace is the worldbuilding. The amazing New London and even more amazing history in THE UNNATURALISTS make it a good read for Steampunk fans. No word on a sequel, but the ending certainly leaves room for a potential series.
Sexual Content:
Kissing
The worldbuilding in THE UNNATURALISTS is top notch. Fantastical creatures, mysterious magic, deadly consequences for those who misuse it, and an origin story that is so good it deserves it’s own book. An entire society sprang up after Tesla–yes the Tesla–broke through to another world and took half of London with him. There is no way back, so New London has progressed from this point in several alternate ways from ours. The Victorian era never ended, and Steampunk/magic progressed. Science and Logic are the religion of the day with references to St. Darwin and St. Bacon. All these little details unfold beautifully and naturally throughout the book without ever resorting to dreaded info dumps.
Of the two protagonists in THE UNNATURALISTS, I only ended up connecting with Vespa, the curious and ambitious daughter of The Museum of Unnatural History curator. She had a contagious excitement about the creatures she studied and a reckless streak that got her into just enough trouble to be interesting without being foolhardy. Syrus fell a bit flat for me. He was written in 3rd person and is much younger. His life as an outcast Tinker just didn’t grab me even as numerous tragedies befell him.
There is a small romance in THE UNNATURALISTS, though not between Vespa and Syrus. It didn’t quite come together for me as I never fully bought into Vespa’s attraction for this guy. She fell pretty quickly and repeatedly threw herself at him. I would have preferred it if Vespa had kept her hormones in check and let the potential relationship simmer. I didn’t end up feeling her anxiety when various obstacles sprang up between them.
Splitting chapters between two protagonists slowed things down as ultimately only one had a compelling story. The romance also failed to entice. The real saving grace is the worldbuilding. The amazing New London and even more amazing history in THE UNNATURALISTS make it a good read for Steampunk fans. No word on a sequel, but the ending certainly leaves room for a potential series.
Sexual Content:
Kissing
July 17, 2025
The Unnaturalists
By Tiffany Trent
Simon & Schuster BFYR
August 14, 2012
The story flows between Vespa Nyx, an unnaturalist in the Museum of Unnatural History and Syrus Reed, a Tinker from Tinkerville. Both are coming of age in a world where anything magic is considered evil and science is the new religion. They both must work together along with sympathizers to their cause in order to save the world from destruction. The novel begins right before the main character, Vespa’s self discovery.
The Unnaturalists is an action packed young adult science fiction/fantasy that fits well into the steampunk realm because it is set in a Victorian era alternate universe where steam power is used to run the city via “myth,” a substance created in refineries throughout New London. There is a hint of romance in the novel with love interests between Vespa and Pedant Lumin and Mistress Virulen and Pedant Lumin.
There are no historical characters so to speak but the author does use actual scientists of the Victorian era that the people of New London worship as saints in their Church of Science, which fits well into the theme of magic versus science that runs throughout the novel. Another element that runs throughout the story is that peace should be sought above all else to solve one’s problems. There is an ecological undercurrent to the novel to stop using nature as a means to power man-made machines.
There are no holes in this novel and is beautifully written. Tiffany Trent’s novel is action packed throughout and each chapter has a nice bit of action holding the reader’s attention to the next chapter. There are however, nice bits of comic relief via the Sylphid, Piskel’s, crazy actions and Syrus Reed and Pedant Lumin’s comments to each other from time to time during or after a sticky situation has occurred.
The author uses first person style of writing when the action is centered around the main character, Vespa. Tiffany Trent uses adjectives that make one feel as if they are right there with the characters experiencing the action first hand. The novel’s pace and length were just right bringing closure to the main conflict of the story while setting up the anticipation for a second novel.
A very enjoyable read.
By Tiffany Trent
Simon & Schuster BFYR
August 14, 2012
The story flows between Vespa Nyx, an unnaturalist in the Museum of Unnatural History and Syrus Reed, a Tinker from Tinkerville. Both are coming of age in a world where anything magic is considered evil and science is the new religion. They both must work together along with sympathizers to their cause in order to save the world from destruction. The novel begins right before the main character, Vespa’s self discovery.
The Unnaturalists is an action packed young adult science fiction/fantasy that fits well into the steampunk realm because it is set in a Victorian era alternate universe where steam power is used to run the city via “myth,” a substance created in refineries throughout New London. There is a hint of romance in the novel with love interests between Vespa and Pedant Lumin and Mistress Virulen and Pedant Lumin.
There are no historical characters so to speak but the author does use actual scientists of the Victorian era that the people of New London worship as saints in their Church of Science, which fits well into the theme of magic versus science that runs throughout the novel. Another element that runs throughout the story is that peace should be sought above all else to solve one’s problems. There is an ecological undercurrent to the novel to stop using nature as a means to power man-made machines.
There are no holes in this novel and is beautifully written. Tiffany Trent’s novel is action packed throughout and each chapter has a nice bit of action holding the reader’s attention to the next chapter. There are however, nice bits of comic relief via the Sylphid, Piskel’s, crazy actions and Syrus Reed and Pedant Lumin’s comments to each other from time to time during or after a sticky situation has occurred.
The author uses first person style of writing when the action is centered around the main character, Vespa. Tiffany Trent uses adjectives that make one feel as if they are right there with the characters experiencing the action first hand. The novel’s pace and length were just right bringing closure to the main conflict of the story while setting up the anticipation for a second novel.
A very enjoyable read.
May 1, 2016
2.5
SPOILER
A volte sono troppo delusa per essere sarcastica. Nah, macché, il sarcasmo è sempre la via!!
È sempre peggio quando è un libro così a deluderti. Perché a volte sai che un libro ti deluderà e in quelle volte non ci rimani male, te lo aspetti dopotutto, ma quando la delusione arriva come un pugno nello stomaco non puoi fare altro che rimanerci davvero male e ridurti a insultare suddetto libro con estremo piacere.
- World-building inesistente. A pagina 250 ancora alcuni dettagli mi sfuggivano, perché l'autrice non si era disturbata troppo a spiegarli. Ora non ti chiedo di dirmi come curano gli attacchi di diarrea ma cavolo almeno non buttarmi lì elementi steampunk senza un contesto! E invece nulla. Alla fine ancora di questo mondo avevo capito davvero poco.
- La nostra eroina a pagina 70 decide di buttare nel cesso tutto ciò in cui crede perché un tizio che conosce da tre secondi le dice la "verità". Senza parole.
- Il fantomatico tipo, chiaramente nasconde qualcosa, un segreto segretissimo, che avrete scoperto già a pagina 100. Perché ovviamente lui è il barone-di-non-mi-ricordo-che che una cretina vuole sposare. E la cretina ovviamente conosce il segreto della nostra Vespa (dai, nome magnifico). Perché ragazzi, shhhh, Vespa è ovviamente una ragazza davvero davvero speciale, quella che dovrà -gasp, era imprevedibile- salvare il mondo.
Lati positivi:
- La parte finale è buona. Davvero. Ma non si può salvare un libro nell'ultimo terzo, non del tutto.
Se riuscite a sopravvivere ai cliché e al non-world-building, potrebbe piacervi.
SPOILER
A volte sono troppo delusa per essere sarcastica. Nah, macché, il sarcasmo è sempre la via!!
È sempre peggio quando è un libro così a deluderti. Perché a volte sai che un libro ti deluderà e in quelle volte non ci rimani male, te lo aspetti dopotutto, ma quando la delusione arriva come un pugno nello stomaco non puoi fare altro che rimanerci davvero male e ridurti a insultare suddetto libro con estremo piacere.
- World-building inesistente. A pagina 250 ancora alcuni dettagli mi sfuggivano, perché l'autrice non si era disturbata troppo a spiegarli. Ora non ti chiedo di dirmi come curano gli attacchi di diarrea ma cavolo almeno non buttarmi lì elementi steampunk senza un contesto! E invece nulla. Alla fine ancora di questo mondo avevo capito davvero poco.
- La nostra eroina a pagina 70 decide di buttare nel cesso tutto ciò in cui crede perché un tizio che conosce da tre secondi le dice la "verità". Senza parole.
- Il fantomatico tipo, chiaramente nasconde qualcosa, un segreto segretissimo, che avrete scoperto già a pagina 100. Perché ovviamente lui è il barone-di-non-mi-ricordo-che che una cretina vuole sposare. E la cretina ovviamente conosce il segreto della nostra Vespa (dai, nome magnifico). Perché ragazzi, shhhh, Vespa è ovviamente una ragazza davvero davvero speciale, quella che dovrà -gasp, era imprevedibile- salvare il mondo.
Lati positivi:
- La parte finale è buona. Davvero. Ma non si può salvare un libro nell'ultimo terzo, non del tutto.
Se riuscite a sopravvivere ai cliché e al non-world-building, potrebbe piacervi.
October 2, 2012
Other people reviewing this book have used the word "muddled," which really works for me too. The book alternates chapters in third person concentrating on Cyrus with first person present-tense chapters from Vespa's POV. Cyrus is often in mortal danger as he tries to rescue his kidnapped people, while Vespa is concerned with smaller, pettier things. The cover leads you to expect steampunk with its science fiction bent--as does the characters' intriguing religion of Science and Rationality, with saints like Darwin and Tesla--but it's actually far more fantasy, with the "technology" being powered by fantastic and mythical creatures and several characters working magic. The worldbuilding is intriguing too, but unfortunately the characters and their travails aren't. Vespa is rather bratty and shallow, and her romantic attachment to a guy takes up a lot of her time and thinking. Sometimes things are so obvious that she seems somewhat stupid for being so oblivious. Lumin/Bayne remains a cypher, which means the reader doesn't really understand what Vespa sees in him. Also, their romantic attachment is in the "she hates him at first, particularly since he all but pulls her pigtails, so of course it's love" vein, which always annoys me. The depiction of the Tinkers unsettled me, with me wondering at times if I were the only one who found it somewhat offensive.
October 17, 2012
I did not like this book. Everything felt... flat. The characters were two-dimensional and there were no characteristics or things noticed that weren't relevant to the predictable plot. So many emotionally traumatic things happen and are brushed over when the author could have fairly easily turned it into a compelling story of people dealing with unimaginable losses. That's a good summary of my feelings for this book - it's too unemotional. I generally feel that it shouldn't have been categorized as Young Adult but that's the section of the store I discovered it in. The vocabulary (and the number of people dying nonsensically) fall into YA but that's about it. The complexity of the story would be better suited to an intermediate or middle grades reader.
For a better take on "unnaturals" I'd suggest Foundling, The Monstrumologist, or City of Bones.
For a better take on "unnaturals" I'd suggest Foundling, The Monstrumologist, or City of Bones.
January 6, 2018
A mixed bag, really, but overall enjoyable. There were some questionable worldbuilding choices and stereotypes abound, but it was also a unique take on the genre. The moments of horror were really the standouts for me, superbly chilling.
February 13, 2019
I gobbled it up in just a few days. It's a very fluent and captivating read. You jump right into the story without introductions and as you go on you step-by-step figure out how this world works.. The worldbuilding is interesting and different.
July 23, 2017
This is fun but suffers from vapid steampunk syndrome. I liked parts and the world was fun but not enough to stick around for book two.
September 27, 2020
This was weird but in a good way! I really enjoyed it.
RTC
RTC
September 17, 2012
Vespa Nyx is joking around with a stuffy patron when the paralytic field suspending a sphinx in New London’s Museum of Unnatural History is suddenly disabled. She later claims to her father, the head of the museum, that she was pushed from behind. This time the field was much stronger than the one she took down at Miss Marmalade’s Seminary for Young Ladies of Quality that led to her expulsion a year earlier. Working for her father at the Museum ever since, Vespa prefers the life of a Scientist. She secretly desires to be the first female Pedant in several generations rather than to become a wife and mother as is expected of her. When she is aided by the unfamiliar Pedant Lumin, she is shocked to discover her father dislikes him even more than she does.
Not wanting to leave Vespa alone after her incident, she goes with her father and his creepy assistant, Charles Waddingly. Nicknamed The Wad by Vespa, she feels hurt that her father has replaced her. When she awakens during the carriage ride and doesn’t remember the trip, her father brushes off her concerns. Soon the carriage is stopped by a small gang of highwaymen who demand all of their valuables and ask for the strongbox. Vespa steps forward, trying to put on a brave face, and tells them that they will be sorry if they take it. A voice calls out saying that she is right and a small clan of Tinkers emerges from the other side of the road. The highwaymen scurry off and the Tinkers come forward. Stating that they know what is in the trunk and that they can have all the Waste if they really want it, the Tinkers demand payment for their rescue. When a Tinker, Syrus, spies the jade frog that Vespa carries in her purse to remind her of her mother, he takes it and leaves the money behind. Vespa vows to get her frog back and to find out what exactly is in the chest.
When some unnaturals escape in the laboratory, The Wad stays behind while Vespa goes off in search of a containment unit. Struggling to get it to a lift, Vespa runs into Pedant Lumin. He offers to take the unit upstairs while Vespa goes off to get her father. Vespa is told by the receptionist that her father is not to be disturbed. She forces her way into his office and stumbles upon several Pedants and museum directors in protective gear with the strongbox open. It is full of the Waste from the forest and Vespa slowly backs her way out to keep from contaminating anything else.
Vespa makes her way back to the laboratory and finds Pedant Lumin with only one sylphid, who he has trained, where there should have been a roomful; of them. Confused, Vespa studies Lumin and her thoughts turn to whether or not he is going to kiss her and if that is what she wants. What she doesn’t expect is for him to reveal that he is an Architect of Athena (a warlock) and that he believes Vespa is a witch!
Elsewhere, the Empress’ guards come to the abandoned rail yard to Cull Tinkers to work in the refinery. Syrus is the only member of the reed clan to escape. He goes to visit the Manticore deep in the forest. He laments that he wishes the Manticor4e could do something to protect the Tinkers who protect her. She says that she always thought there was nothing she could do but realizes that she was mistaken. The Manticore tells Syrus to bring her the witch and they will be able to free his family.
Is Vespa Nyx a witch and what does this mean for her future? Just who is pedant Lumin and is he truly a warlock? What secret does Charles Waddingly hide? Why is Vespa’s father experimenting with the Waste? Will Syrus be able to help the Manticore and save the forest and the clan families? And will Vespa be able to rise about it all when the situation calls for it?
A book with tons of action and adventure set in a steam punk, fantasy realm with a splash of romance, readers will be clamoring for more of Vespa Nyx. Ms. Trent is currently working on book two.
Not wanting to leave Vespa alone after her incident, she goes with her father and his creepy assistant, Charles Waddingly. Nicknamed The Wad by Vespa, she feels hurt that her father has replaced her. When she awakens during the carriage ride and doesn’t remember the trip, her father brushes off her concerns. Soon the carriage is stopped by a small gang of highwaymen who demand all of their valuables and ask for the strongbox. Vespa steps forward, trying to put on a brave face, and tells them that they will be sorry if they take it. A voice calls out saying that she is right and a small clan of Tinkers emerges from the other side of the road. The highwaymen scurry off and the Tinkers come forward. Stating that they know what is in the trunk and that they can have all the Waste if they really want it, the Tinkers demand payment for their rescue. When a Tinker, Syrus, spies the jade frog that Vespa carries in her purse to remind her of her mother, he takes it and leaves the money behind. Vespa vows to get her frog back and to find out what exactly is in the chest.
When some unnaturals escape in the laboratory, The Wad stays behind while Vespa goes off in search of a containment unit. Struggling to get it to a lift, Vespa runs into Pedant Lumin. He offers to take the unit upstairs while Vespa goes off to get her father. Vespa is told by the receptionist that her father is not to be disturbed. She forces her way into his office and stumbles upon several Pedants and museum directors in protective gear with the strongbox open. It is full of the Waste from the forest and Vespa slowly backs her way out to keep from contaminating anything else.
Vespa makes her way back to the laboratory and finds Pedant Lumin with only one sylphid, who he has trained, where there should have been a roomful; of them. Confused, Vespa studies Lumin and her thoughts turn to whether or not he is going to kiss her and if that is what she wants. What she doesn’t expect is for him to reveal that he is an Architect of Athena (a warlock) and that he believes Vespa is a witch!
Elsewhere, the Empress’ guards come to the abandoned rail yard to Cull Tinkers to work in the refinery. Syrus is the only member of the reed clan to escape. He goes to visit the Manticore deep in the forest. He laments that he wishes the Manticor4e could do something to protect the Tinkers who protect her. She says that she always thought there was nothing she could do but realizes that she was mistaken. The Manticore tells Syrus to bring her the witch and they will be able to free his family.
Is Vespa Nyx a witch and what does this mean for her future? Just who is pedant Lumin and is he truly a warlock? What secret does Charles Waddingly hide? Why is Vespa’s father experimenting with the Waste? Will Syrus be able to help the Manticore and save the forest and the clan families? And will Vespa be able to rise about it all when the situation calls for it?
A book with tons of action and adventure set in a steam punk, fantasy realm with a splash of romance, readers will be clamoring for more of Vespa Nyx. Ms. Trent is currently working on book two.
November 22, 2012
This is going to be a difficult book to review. I found this book wonderfully strange, endearing, but it was also a pain in the real ass at the same time. First with the negatives:
This novel is written in dual perspectives: Vespa in first-person present tense and Syrus in third-person past. As I was reading the novel, I really didn't see a good reason for the author to shift the writing style the way she did and as a result, it made reading the book a lot more jarring and challenging at times. I wish she had stuck to one or the other because half the time even when the plots crossed over, the author didn't do a good enough job to make me care when those moments were happening because it was confusing. I found myself rereading parts to ensure that I knew what was going on.
Second of all, Vespa's character was really out of sorts. Although she's a girl genius, she's REALLY boy crazy. However, she's so boy crazy and yet you learn only one boy has kissed her! It seems a bit odd how inconsistent her character felt throughout the novel, and while she had her very endearing moments, I wish the author had focused less on her inane boy crazy ways because it really dampers all the unique and fun aspects of her character.
That being said, I can't say I despised her character. She's an archivist, a scientist, and a witch. Three things I absolutely adore. Vespa has her moments of sassiness and strength and when those moments happen she's perfect. Syrus was also a wonderful character, though he reminded me of a male version of Kaylee from Firefly, which is not at all a bad thing. I found his plotline a lot harder to follow at times because it often felt like there wasn't much happening, but once he and Vespa meet you see his character and plot transform for the better (once I understood what the author was doing of course!).
As much as the writing style bugged me, the writing itself was quite lovely and I think Trent has so great ideas for her characters and their transformations, I supposed I just wished for a bit more consistency. I also really didn't care for the romance in this novel, as Vespa's crushes were both equally tools. I did love the steampunk setting and her interpretation of London, and I thought it was strikingly different compared to other London-based steampunk novels. I adored the grittiness in the setting and I think the idea of the unnaturals is really fascinating.
While I didn't absolutely adore this like I thought I would, I did enjoy it and I am very curious about the next book in the series if it continues to be more about Vespa and Syrus. With the way it ended I feel like I still have more questions to ask! This is not an easy read, but if you can get based the narrative structure and boy crazy Vespa, there's some good here.
This novel is written in dual perspectives: Vespa in first-person present tense and Syrus in third-person past. As I was reading the novel, I really didn't see a good reason for the author to shift the writing style the way she did and as a result, it made reading the book a lot more jarring and challenging at times. I wish she had stuck to one or the other because half the time even when the plots crossed over, the author didn't do a good enough job to make me care when those moments were happening because it was confusing. I found myself rereading parts to ensure that I knew what was going on.
Second of all, Vespa's character was really out of sorts. Although she's a girl genius, she's REALLY boy crazy. However, she's so boy crazy and yet you learn only one boy has kissed her! It seems a bit odd how inconsistent her character felt throughout the novel, and while she had her very endearing moments, I wish the author had focused less on her inane boy crazy ways because it really dampers all the unique and fun aspects of her character.
That being said, I can't say I despised her character. She's an archivist, a scientist, and a witch. Three things I absolutely adore. Vespa has her moments of sassiness and strength and when those moments happen she's perfect. Syrus was also a wonderful character, though he reminded me of a male version of Kaylee from Firefly, which is not at all a bad thing. I found his plotline a lot harder to follow at times because it often felt like there wasn't much happening, but once he and Vespa meet you see his character and plot transform for the better (once I understood what the author was doing of course!).
As much as the writing style bugged me, the writing itself was quite lovely and I think Trent has so great ideas for her characters and their transformations, I supposed I just wished for a bit more consistency. I also really didn't care for the romance in this novel, as Vespa's crushes were both equally tools. I did love the steampunk setting and her interpretation of London, and I thought it was strikingly different compared to other London-based steampunk novels. I adored the grittiness in the setting and I think the idea of the unnaturals is really fascinating.
While I didn't absolutely adore this like I thought I would, I did enjoy it and I am very curious about the next book in the series if it continues to be more about Vespa and Syrus. With the way it ended I feel like I still have more questions to ask! This is not an easy read, but if you can get based the narrative structure and boy crazy Vespa, there's some good here.
August 28, 2016
Check out this review and more at.... The Best Books Ever
This is my second time around with this story. I am a big re-reader, especially when the next book in a series is coming out and I need the refresher. But mostly, just because I like to! Sometimes I like a book more, sometimes not so much, but this time I enjoyed it even more.
This is definitely a Steampunk story, which I love. I have read several books that claim to be Steampunk, but aren't.... not really. That is always disappointing because I adore it! With The Unnaturalists, the source of all of the gadgetry is completely different from anything I have read before. It is such a great concept, and heartbreaking. The Unnatural creatures are fantastical, and I loved reading about them and closing my eyes to picture them and what they could look like on the big screen. The answer? Very stinkin cool!
The book is fast-paced, with lots of action. The plot is interesting, and mysterious. The characters are well written and relate-able. The villain is a true villain in every sense. The magic is strange and interesting.
Vespa, one of the main characters in the story, works with her father at the Unnatural Museum in New London. She loves her job, and despises the fact that she is coming to an age where she needs to start becoming a lady. She fights it every step of the way, and I admire her for it. She is smart and spunky, sarcastic and fierce. She doesn't take anything lying down, and I admire that from her.
Syrus, the other MC in this dual POV, is a Tinker. His people live in a train yard, and live by and for Nature and the Unnaturals. He is one of a kind, even to his own people, and has the ability to understand the Unnaturals. He is just a kid, but he is kind and caring, tenacious, definitely a smarty pants at times, and determined.
Finally, we have Pedant Lumin, who is part of a society called The Architects. He is a mage, and he is secretly fighting against the mistreatment of the Unnaturals. There is a romance between him and Vespa, but it definitely doesn't start out that way. She goes from loathing him to begrudgingly accepting she needs his help, to friendship and to love. A nice progression, and one that I enjoyed very much.
I don't want to give away any of the plot, because that is the fun part! Figuring out what is going on, and living it alongside Vespa, Syrus and Lumin.... But I will say that there is a tiny sylph named Piskel and he is one of the best characters in the story. I love him, and wish that he were real so he could live in my coat pocket, eat jam cake, and make me fall over laughing. All in all, this is just a brilliant story, and I am very much looking forward to book 2, The Tinker King, which is sitting on my shelf waiting for me! Read it! You know you wanna.....
This is my second time around with this story. I am a big re-reader, especially when the next book in a series is coming out and I need the refresher. But mostly, just because I like to! Sometimes I like a book more, sometimes not so much, but this time I enjoyed it even more.
This is definitely a Steampunk story, which I love. I have read several books that claim to be Steampunk, but aren't.... not really. That is always disappointing because I adore it! With The Unnaturalists, the source of all of the gadgetry is completely different from anything I have read before. It is such a great concept, and heartbreaking. The Unnatural creatures are fantastical, and I loved reading about them and closing my eyes to picture them and what they could look like on the big screen. The answer? Very stinkin cool!
The book is fast-paced, with lots of action. The plot is interesting, and mysterious. The characters are well written and relate-able. The villain is a true villain in every sense. The magic is strange and interesting.
Vespa, one of the main characters in the story, works with her father at the Unnatural Museum in New London. She loves her job, and despises the fact that she is coming to an age where she needs to start becoming a lady. She fights it every step of the way, and I admire her for it. She is smart and spunky, sarcastic and fierce. She doesn't take anything lying down, and I admire that from her.
Syrus, the other MC in this dual POV, is a Tinker. His people live in a train yard, and live by and for Nature and the Unnaturals. He is one of a kind, even to his own people, and has the ability to understand the Unnaturals. He is just a kid, but he is kind and caring, tenacious, definitely a smarty pants at times, and determined.
Finally, we have Pedant Lumin, who is part of a society called The Architects. He is a mage, and he is secretly fighting against the mistreatment of the Unnaturals. There is a romance between him and Vespa, but it definitely doesn't start out that way. She goes from loathing him to begrudgingly accepting she needs his help, to friendship and to love. A nice progression, and one that I enjoyed very much.
I don't want to give away any of the plot, because that is the fun part! Figuring out what is going on, and living it alongside Vespa, Syrus and Lumin.... But I will say that there is a tiny sylph named Piskel and he is one of the best characters in the story. I love him, and wish that he were real so he could live in my coat pocket, eat jam cake, and make me fall over laughing. All in all, this is just a brilliant story, and I am very much looking forward to book 2, The Tinker King, which is sitting on my shelf waiting for me! Read it! You know you wanna.....
August 31, 2012
Originally posted on www.yareads.com, Reviewed by Nichole
In an alternate London where magical creatures are preserved in a museum, two teens find themselves caught in a web of intrigue, deception, and danger.
Vespa Nyx wants nothing more than to spend the rest of her life cataloging Unnatural creatures in her father’s museum, but as she gets older, the requirement to become a lady and find a husband is looming large. Syrus Reed’s Tinker family has always served and revered the Unnaturals from afar, but when his family is captured to be refinery slaves, he finds that his fate may be bound up with Vespa’s—and with the Unnaturals.
As the danger grows, Vespa and Syrus find themselves in a tightening web of deception and intrigue. At stake may be the fate of New London—and the world.
The Unnaturalists is one of those books that starts out really strong, and you begin to think that it’s going to be the next big thing. As soon as I read page one, I was hooked. I had never read a steampunk book before, and I didn’t really know what to expect. All I knew was that steampunk was a wayyy different genre than I was used to.
I would say that The Unnaturalists stayed really good for about 3-4 chapters. After that, it started to sink downhill. I remember being really upset, because I expected so much out of this book. I wanted it to be brilliant. What I got was tolerable.
I never really connected with the main characters, Vespa and Syrus, which was a major problem. When I settle down to read a book, I need to connect and have a solid relationship with the main characters, if not all of the characters. This never happened at all. I had such a bad connection with the characters that, a month down the road, I barely even remember the book. I just know that The Unnaturalists and I did not get along.
Tiffany Trent had a brilliant concept when she came up with The Unnaturalists, but it didn’t quite work for me. This makes me nervous to read more books in the steampunk genre. Maybe that specific genre just is not for me? Or is it this specific book? That is a question that I am going to have to look into.
Overall, I would not recommend this book. I ended up finding it slightly boring and very forgettable.
Pages: 305
Publication Date: August 14, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR
Rating: : 1.5
Teaser Quote: “Syrus waited for only a moment, looking back toward the dark entrance. He shifted from foot to foot before he finally opened his mouth.
Bayne held up his hand. “Take my sleeve.”
Syrus grasped his magic-stained lace cuff.
And then everything–heart, breath, blood, thought–was ripped apart.
In an alternate London where magical creatures are preserved in a museum, two teens find themselves caught in a web of intrigue, deception, and danger.
Vespa Nyx wants nothing more than to spend the rest of her life cataloging Unnatural creatures in her father’s museum, but as she gets older, the requirement to become a lady and find a husband is looming large. Syrus Reed’s Tinker family has always served and revered the Unnaturals from afar, but when his family is captured to be refinery slaves, he finds that his fate may be bound up with Vespa’s—and with the Unnaturals.
As the danger grows, Vespa and Syrus find themselves in a tightening web of deception and intrigue. At stake may be the fate of New London—and the world.
The Unnaturalists is one of those books that starts out really strong, and you begin to think that it’s going to be the next big thing. As soon as I read page one, I was hooked. I had never read a steampunk book before, and I didn’t really know what to expect. All I knew was that steampunk was a wayyy different genre than I was used to.
I would say that The Unnaturalists stayed really good for about 3-4 chapters. After that, it started to sink downhill. I remember being really upset, because I expected so much out of this book. I wanted it to be brilliant. What I got was tolerable.
I never really connected with the main characters, Vespa and Syrus, which was a major problem. When I settle down to read a book, I need to connect and have a solid relationship with the main characters, if not all of the characters. This never happened at all. I had such a bad connection with the characters that, a month down the road, I barely even remember the book. I just know that The Unnaturalists and I did not get along.
Tiffany Trent had a brilliant concept when she came up with The Unnaturalists, but it didn’t quite work for me. This makes me nervous to read more books in the steampunk genre. Maybe that specific genre just is not for me? Or is it this specific book? That is a question that I am going to have to look into.
Overall, I would not recommend this book. I ended up finding it slightly boring and very forgettable.
Pages: 305
Publication Date: August 14, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR
Rating: : 1.5
Teaser Quote: “Syrus waited for only a moment, looking back toward the dark entrance. He shifted from foot to foot before he finally opened his mouth.
Bayne held up his hand. “Take my sleeve.”
Syrus grasped his magic-stained lace cuff.
And then everything–heart, breath, blood, thought–was ripped apart.
December 15, 2018
Several hundred years ago, a piece of London suddenly found itself transplanted into a world surrounded by magical creatures. Naturally, the people of New London decided to harvest the creatures and their magic. Exotic creatures would show up on banquet tables for the elite, the feathers and pelts as costumes for masquerades, and the very essence of those creatures ground into a power and consumed as a drug. And with the decrease of the magical animals, the Waste has crept ever closer to the city, devouring everything in its path. Vespa, a young lady, has suddenly found herself in the center of the struggle between the magical creatures and the villainous forces seeking to eradicate them. She is a witch with newly burgeoning power, and people need her to retrieve the Heart of all Matter from the Manticore. While others have decided that a witch is a useful thing to have in society.
I picked up the hard cover which has a picture of a girl wearing goggles, which usually suggests steampunk (especially with the Victorian London setting behind her). However the book was definitely not steampunk. This was a Victorian set paranormal fantasy, with no steam technology. For the record, I still love fantasy and I love Victorian London setting and this did deliver both. Unfortunately though, the fantasy took a backseat to the Victorian manners and society. Vespa is too meek of a character for my tastes. I don’t need her to be leather clad and shooting first, but she really was too constrained by the Victorian society and always abiding by what was expected of her rather than standing up for her own convictions. She always went along with whatever everyone else asked of her (which felt wrong for her being such a liberated, smart girl. Seriously, you’d think she would balk more about being under Lucy’s thumb). Another problem I had with it was that the book is told in first person present tense when the chapter centers around Vespa, and third person past tense when it centers on Syrus, and awkwardly flip-flopped between the two. I itched to tell the author to just pick a tense and go with it. Third problem is that Bayne flip-flops on personality. At times he seemed all powerful and other times he caved like paper to what he felt was expected of his position (like house-arrest imposed by his family). I really wished I could see into his head. I did really love Piskel. And I loved the awkwardness of Syrus’s situation. And I really did love the banter between all of the lead characters. There were a lot of cute scenes and the imagination put into the uses of magical creatures was impressive.
I picked up the hard cover which has a picture of a girl wearing goggles, which usually suggests steampunk (especially with the Victorian London setting behind her). However the book was definitely not steampunk. This was a Victorian set paranormal fantasy, with no steam technology. For the record, I still love fantasy and I love Victorian London setting and this did deliver both. Unfortunately though, the fantasy took a backseat to the Victorian manners and society. Vespa is too meek of a character for my tastes. I don’t need her to be leather clad and shooting first, but she really was too constrained by the Victorian society and always abiding by what was expected of her rather than standing up for her own convictions. She always went along with whatever everyone else asked of her (which felt wrong for her being such a liberated, smart girl. Seriously, you’d think she would balk more about being under Lucy’s thumb). Another problem I had with it was that the book is told in first person present tense when the chapter centers around Vespa, and third person past tense when it centers on Syrus, and awkwardly flip-flopped between the two. I itched to tell the author to just pick a tense and go with it. Third problem is that Bayne flip-flops on personality. At times he seemed all powerful and other times he caved like paper to what he felt was expected of his position (like house-arrest imposed by his family). I really wished I could see into his head. I did really love Piskel. And I loved the awkwardness of Syrus’s situation. And I really did love the banter between all of the lead characters. There were a lot of cute scenes and the imagination put into the uses of magical creatures was impressive.
September 17, 2012
This story had so many things going for it, but the characterizations and plotting were terrible. Vespa Nyx is an Unnaturalist and seeks to investigate magical animals with her father who is the director of the museum that houses these creatures. Magic is a taboo subject and supposedly magic-work is frowned upon. Yet the Empress of this town, New London, has mysterious refineries that produce myth which powers all sorts of magical-type things. It seemed really backward to me that magical creatures were outlawed, but the Royal Guard were men with human bodies and raven heads.
I decided to put aside any nitpicking until further in the story because I was excited to meet what could have been really interesting characters. Syrus is a Tinker, which are a group of people that commune more with magical elements than is approved by the cityfolk, comparable to gypsies as popularized in other stories. I thought he'd be my brave ragamuffin that would save the day and generally be awesome, but nope. That was about as good as it got because the other characters only infuriated me later. Whether it was a comically juvenile bad guy or selfish rich girl (who by the way, if you've blackmailed a witch, why would you blackmail her into putting a spell on a guy for a good marriage? Are this girl's aims really so small? Why not just go for the whole enchilada? Ugh!) Vespa was a brat that I thought would become more mature as the story progressed, but no such luck. One part . The love interest felt so forced and later the story tries to focus too much on them when, hello, you have a major cataclysmic event on the horizon! In fact Bayne, the guy we're all supposed to just swoon for acts like he has all the answers one second, then is absolutely useless at others. I guess if I could just get any of these characters to just focus in any meaningful way I would have been a much happier reader.
I'm going to stop there because there were so many things I didn't like about this story and what's so damn aggravating is that the potential was there. I loved the writing itself with the descriptions of magical creatures and a steampunkish New London, I was there ready to have myself a good time, but it just never materialized.
I decided to put aside any nitpicking until further in the story because I was excited to meet what could have been really interesting characters. Syrus is a Tinker, which are a group of people that commune more with magical elements than is approved by the cityfolk, comparable to gypsies as popularized in other stories. I thought he'd be my brave ragamuffin that would save the day and generally be awesome, but nope. That was about as good as it got because the other characters only infuriated me later. Whether it was a comically juvenile bad guy or selfish rich girl (who by the way, if you've blackmailed a witch, why would you blackmail her into putting a spell on a guy for a good marriage? Are this girl's aims really so small? Why not just go for the whole enchilada? Ugh!) Vespa was a brat that I thought would become more mature as the story progressed, but no such luck. One part . The love interest felt so forced and later the story tries to focus too much on them when, hello, you have a major cataclysmic event on the horizon! In fact Bayne, the guy we're all supposed to just swoon for acts like he has all the answers one second, then is absolutely useless at others. I guess if I could just get any of these characters to just focus in any meaningful way I would have been a much happier reader.
I'm going to stop there because there were so many things I didn't like about this story and what's so damn aggravating is that the potential was there. I loved the writing itself with the descriptions of magical creatures and a steampunkish New London, I was there ready to have myself a good time, but it just never materialized.
August 8, 2014
I'm utterly in love with the world in this book. Trent has combined the zeal of the Victorian naturalists with the mythology of the ages to create something fresh and utterly absorbing. I love how religion is turned on its head in an approximation of Victorian London, interrupted in its scientific development. Instead of an industrial revolution - the misplaced part of London, now New London, - has followed it's own logic and is powered by the scientific application of materials found and refined in the dimension it was removed too. But myth - the raw material - comes at a horrific price...
This is the age old story of Science versus magic told in a completely new way. While mention of Old London is strictly prohibited, New London values and social mores have changed little in 600 years. It's hard for a young lady to pursue academia rather than prepare for a good marriage. Vespa Nyx has always loved the museum where her father works. She is fascinated by the study if 'unnaturals' - strange, mythological creatures that exist side by side with New London and its Church of Science and Logic. But these creatures are not the dumb, lesser beings that Vespa imagines...
Syrus is a tinker lad - part of an ancient culture of people who live close to the land and possess the talent to communicate and live in harmony with unnaturals. But an impetuous act sets a doom on Syrus' people, and Syrus himself pays a terrible price.
And in the forest, the last manticore nurses an old grudge and protects the land from the creeping Waste that threatens to destroy everything. Balance needs to be restored but for that the tinkers, the scientists, the nobility and the Manticore all need a witch - and the last witch was executed hundreds of years before ...
This was utterly mesmerizing and a complete page turner. The plot when boiled down was fairly easy to predict but the journey to get there was so worth it. Vespa is loveable - a little awkward, clumsy, bright and funny, and overall possessed of a true scientific mind which does not seek to distort fact or evidence no matter how it changes one's world view. I did think that she might have worked out the riddle of the toad a lot faster - that didn't fit with her character.
Syrus is a likeable young rogue in training, a few years younger than Vespa but worldly in ways she is not and fiercely loyal to his clan.
Ultimately this book did have plot holes but it was easy to overlook them when caught up in the adventure. A must read for fantasy and steam punk fans of all stripes.
This is the age old story of Science versus magic told in a completely new way. While mention of Old London is strictly prohibited, New London values and social mores have changed little in 600 years. It's hard for a young lady to pursue academia rather than prepare for a good marriage. Vespa Nyx has always loved the museum where her father works. She is fascinated by the study if 'unnaturals' - strange, mythological creatures that exist side by side with New London and its Church of Science and Logic. But these creatures are not the dumb, lesser beings that Vespa imagines...
Syrus is a tinker lad - part of an ancient culture of people who live close to the land and possess the talent to communicate and live in harmony with unnaturals. But an impetuous act sets a doom on Syrus' people, and Syrus himself pays a terrible price.
And in the forest, the last manticore nurses an old grudge and protects the land from the creeping Waste that threatens to destroy everything. Balance needs to be restored but for that the tinkers, the scientists, the nobility and the Manticore all need a witch - and the last witch was executed hundreds of years before ...
This was utterly mesmerizing and a complete page turner. The plot when boiled down was fairly easy to predict but the journey to get there was so worth it. Vespa is loveable - a little awkward, clumsy, bright and funny, and overall possessed of a true scientific mind which does not seek to distort fact or evidence no matter how it changes one's world view. I did think that she might have worked out the riddle of the toad a lot faster - that didn't fit with her character.
Syrus is a likeable young rogue in training, a few years younger than Vespa but worldly in ways she is not and fiercely loyal to his clan.
Ultimately this book did have plot holes but it was easy to overlook them when caught up in the adventure. A must read for fantasy and steam punk fans of all stripes.
September 17, 2020
2019
3 or 3.5 stars
I'm honestly torn by what I want to rate this book because, on one hand, the story is completely engrossing, but on the other hand, I don't know the last time I've been so confused by what was going on in a story. The author definitely put together a very interesting world but there was so much going on that I had trouble keeping track. I think we were in the past, but it also felt very futuristic. And so much paranormal. There was a witch, the Architects (who also have magic), Tinkers, Elementals (I'm not sure if they are the same as the Tinkers, to be honest), and Unnaturals.
Vespa: she's our leading lady and the witch. I never quite warmed to her. Although I didn't really have any ill will towards her, either. I'd just say that I felt kind of meh when it came to her. She spent a lot of time mooning over a guy. Plus, she got blackmailed by a rich lady into helping the rich lady marry said guy she was mooning over. In general, she was also more concerned with herself than she was with helping other people. The tinker boy Syrus asked for her help and she was only willing to help him with her moony boy asked her to think about it (although, to be fair, Syrus had stolen her toad). But even after she had set up the love spell between moony boy and the rich lady, she never figured out how to reverse it, which forced him into marriage with rich lady.
Syrus wasn't too bad. He was a little mixed up at first, but he did try to do things from the goodness of his heart. He wanted to help the manticore. He wanted to help his fellow tinkers. He didn't understand why Vespa wasn't willing to help people, when she had been given the gift of magic, so she had more abilities to help people with. Even after all the Vespa/Syrus conflict, he still did his best to help her whenever the need arose.
Bayne wasn't a bad character either, but he was a little bland. Considering he also had all these powers, he rarely used them. He also had a drive to help people, though, so he did endear himself to me more than Vespa ever did. Even though Vespa never removed the love spell she put on him which forced him into a marriage he didn't want, he still tried to help her as much as he could (which, if you ask me, makes him a much better person. For example, a forced marriage is much more serious than a little toy toad that Syrus took from Vespa but she wasn't willing to help him after he stole it. However, even after she didn't lift the spell, Bayne was still willing to help her).
3 or 3.5 stars
I'm honestly torn by what I want to rate this book because, on one hand, the story is completely engrossing, but on the other hand, I don't know the last time I've been so confused by what was going on in a story. The author definitely put together a very interesting world but there was so much going on that I had trouble keeping track. I think we were in the past, but it also felt very futuristic. And so much paranormal. There was a witch, the Architects (who also have magic), Tinkers, Elementals (I'm not sure if they are the same as the Tinkers, to be honest), and Unnaturals.
Vespa: she's our leading lady and the witch. I never quite warmed to her. Although I didn't really have any ill will towards her, either. I'd just say that I felt kind of meh when it came to her. She spent a lot of time mooning over a guy. Plus, she got blackmailed by a rich lady into helping the rich lady marry said guy she was mooning over. In general, she was also more concerned with herself than she was with helping other people. The tinker boy Syrus asked for her help and she was only willing to help him with her moony boy asked her to think about it (although, to be fair, Syrus had stolen her toad). But even after she had set up the love spell between moony boy and the rich lady, she never figured out how to reverse it, which forced him into marriage with rich lady.
Syrus wasn't too bad. He was a little mixed up at first, but he did try to do things from the goodness of his heart. He wanted to help the manticore. He wanted to help his fellow tinkers. He didn't understand why Vespa wasn't willing to help people, when she had been given the gift of magic, so she had more abilities to help people with. Even after all the Vespa/Syrus conflict, he still did his best to help her whenever the need arose.
Bayne wasn't a bad character either, but he was a little bland. Considering he also had all these powers, he rarely used them. He also had a drive to help people, though, so he did endear himself to me more than Vespa ever did. Even though Vespa never removed the love spell she put on him which forced him into a marriage he didn't want, he still tried to help her as much as he could (which, if you ask me, makes him a much better person. For example, a forced marriage is much more serious than a little toy toad that Syrus took from Vespa but she wasn't willing to help him after he stole it. However, even after she didn't lift the spell, Bayne was still willing to help her).
April 23, 2013
Jamie Poorman
APA Citation: Trent, T. (2012). The Unnaturalists. New York, NY: Simon and Shuster.
Genre: Science-fiction (steampunk)
Format: Hardcover, 305 pages.
Awards: Green Earth Book Award
Selection Process: Booklist review, School Library Journal Review
Vespa Nyx is a witch. In the scientific world of New London where individuals like Darwin and Tesla are revered, worshiped even, this is a very dangerous trait. Vespa’s father is the curator of the Museum of Unnatural History where mythological creatures, the Elementals, are displayed - some stuffed and mounted, some still living but frozen behind powerful force fields. Vespa wants nothing more than to spend her life working in the museum, cataloguing the creatures. She herself has no knowledge of her magical powers until a strange chain of events thrust her simultaneously into the world of Tinkers (the lower class peasants who live on the outskirts of the city) and the upper class world of the nobles who rule New London when she is hired as companion to the Lady Lucy Virulen.
Magic is outlawed in the city- every one who could practice the old arts was exterminated many generations previously. Deep at the heart of New London, however, mythical creatures are being rounded up and fed to the machines that power the city and the luxuries of it’s upper class. Vespa is befriended by Bayne, heir to a powerful family title but working undercover as an apprentice at the museum, and Syrus, a Tinker whose family has been stolen and taken to work in the refinery. Together this unlikely trio must race to save New London and its people from the many evil forces that threaten to destroy it.
The world created in this novel is fascinating. The descriptions are very detailed and build a vivid image of an alternate London in the mind of the reader. Sometimes, though, descriptions are not provided until much later after a character or location are introduced to the story, leaving the reader to fill in the gaps and wonder if he missed something. Many of the mythical creatures are mentioned by species but never described or developed very well. The characters, however, are well-developed, multi-dimensional individuals. The relationships among them are quite complicated on many levels. There are aspects of the relationships between the individual characters themselves, as well as social class distinctions.
Recommended.
APA Citation: Trent, T. (2012). The Unnaturalists. New York, NY: Simon and Shuster.
Genre: Science-fiction (steampunk)
Format: Hardcover, 305 pages.
Awards: Green Earth Book Award
Selection Process: Booklist review, School Library Journal Review
Vespa Nyx is a witch. In the scientific world of New London where individuals like Darwin and Tesla are revered, worshiped even, this is a very dangerous trait. Vespa’s father is the curator of the Museum of Unnatural History where mythological creatures, the Elementals, are displayed - some stuffed and mounted, some still living but frozen behind powerful force fields. Vespa wants nothing more than to spend her life working in the museum, cataloguing the creatures. She herself has no knowledge of her magical powers until a strange chain of events thrust her simultaneously into the world of Tinkers (the lower class peasants who live on the outskirts of the city) and the upper class world of the nobles who rule New London when she is hired as companion to the Lady Lucy Virulen.
Magic is outlawed in the city- every one who could practice the old arts was exterminated many generations previously. Deep at the heart of New London, however, mythical creatures are being rounded up and fed to the machines that power the city and the luxuries of it’s upper class. Vespa is befriended by Bayne, heir to a powerful family title but working undercover as an apprentice at the museum, and Syrus, a Tinker whose family has been stolen and taken to work in the refinery. Together this unlikely trio must race to save New London and its people from the many evil forces that threaten to destroy it.
The world created in this novel is fascinating. The descriptions are very detailed and build a vivid image of an alternate London in the mind of the reader. Sometimes, though, descriptions are not provided until much later after a character or location are introduced to the story, leaving the reader to fill in the gaps and wonder if he missed something. Many of the mythical creatures are mentioned by species but never described or developed very well. The characters, however, are well-developed, multi-dimensional individuals. The relationships among them are quite complicated on many levels. There are aspects of the relationships between the individual characters themselves, as well as social class distinctions.
Recommended.
August 31, 2012
Read my reviews here and on the Akamai Reader!
The Unnaturalists is a steampunk novel contains so much more then magical creatures. With the Unnaturals there are wielders of magic, like a witch and Architects as they’re called. They added an extra dose of excitement to the story. There was also one particularly violent scene. It took me by surprise because I didn’t expect to find it it in a young adult book, but maybe I’m being over-sensitive.
I liked Vespa for the most part. She had an eagerness about her that was very refreshing. My problem with her was her unshaking confidence in people that became rather naive truth be told. For a scientific mind, you would think she’d look at the cold hard facts and discern what was in front of her rather then what was in her heart. Instead she was swayed by emotion rather then by logic.
Syrus was resourceful and resilient. He had a way about him that never ceased to give up in despite the odds. I really liked him. He’d fight and fight, no matter what. He was pretty good at it too!
I also really liked Pedant Lumin. He always managed to keep his cool and be in the right place at the right time. Lumin was all at once the dashing hero and the resourceful sidekick. The intriguing mix of roles kept me interested and I was entranced by his character the most.
One of the things I enjoyed most was their religion. Trent made science itself a religion. Scientists became patron saints. Darwin and Newton became patron saints. It was also a goddess based religion. I have to admit I’m pretty partial to goddess based religions.
Basically, the Unnaturals are being used for a hideous purpose and it’s up to the three to stop it. I was interested enough in the plot to keep reading. It was fresh enough for me to be intrigued even if it’s been recycled in one form or another. I feel like Vespa could have stood to become more fully developed to have let the story become fuller. Although the book fell on more of the supporting cast to pull it through as far as likability, it’s still a strong one. As far as likability goes, that could be a matter of preference.
The Unnaturalists is a steampunk novel contains so much more then magical creatures. With the Unnaturals there are wielders of magic, like a witch and Architects as they’re called. They added an extra dose of excitement to the story. There was also one particularly violent scene. It took me by surprise because I didn’t expect to find it it in a young adult book, but maybe I’m being over-sensitive.
I liked Vespa for the most part. She had an eagerness about her that was very refreshing. My problem with her was her unshaking confidence in people that became rather naive truth be told. For a scientific mind, you would think she’d look at the cold hard facts and discern what was in front of her rather then what was in her heart. Instead she was swayed by emotion rather then by logic.
Syrus was resourceful and resilient. He had a way about him that never ceased to give up in despite the odds. I really liked him. He’d fight and fight, no matter what. He was pretty good at it too!
I also really liked Pedant Lumin. He always managed to keep his cool and be in the right place at the right time. Lumin was all at once the dashing hero and the resourceful sidekick. The intriguing mix of roles kept me interested and I was entranced by his character the most.
One of the things I enjoyed most was their religion. Trent made science itself a religion. Scientists became patron saints. Darwin and Newton became patron saints. It was also a goddess based religion. I have to admit I’m pretty partial to goddess based religions.
Basically, the Unnaturals are being used for a hideous purpose and it’s up to the three to stop it. I was interested enough in the plot to keep reading. It was fresh enough for me to be intrigued even if it’s been recycled in one form or another. I feel like Vespa could have stood to become more fully developed to have let the story become fuller. Although the book fell on more of the supporting cast to pull it through as far as likability, it’s still a strong one. As far as likability goes, that could be a matter of preference.
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