Chloe Masters’s world changes in a heartbeat and all she did was touch a doorknob. James Nightshade has been on Chloe’s mind since the day she met him. Arrogant and frustrating, she thought she had put him behind her when she chose Michael Slade. When the secret she is seeking leads to questions about the death of Nightshade’s former girlfriend, she has no choice but to bring him into the investigation. A move she will come to regret. Danger awaits them around every corner as they search for answers. In the end a choice will need to be made, but is Chloe strong enough to make it?
MJ Fletcher was born in New Jersey and now lives by the beach with his very understanding wife and daughter. He has been writing since he first stapled pages together as a child and called them a book. He finally realized his ambitions when his comic book series Adam Zero The Last Man of Earth was published by Ronin Studios. His other comic book work includes Digital Webbing Presents and The Hero Initiative. His first novel The Doorknob Society released in 2012 was nominated for a Cybil award in the young adult category. He has continued writing the Doorknob Society Saga his rollicking steampunk adventure series as well as working on numerous other writing projects.
Usually when I read a book series, subsequent books aren't quite as good as the first. Well, I'm happy to say that's not the case with THE IMPOSSIBLE ENGINEERS. It happens to be EVEN BETTER than the Doorknob Society. We learn more about the characters, a lot more. They are now like old friends. I wasn't so sure about Chloe in the first book, now I want her for my best friend! Team Nightshade or Team Slade? I'm glad I picked the right team. Edgar is still my favorite. We are introduced to a few new characters in this installment. Faith, Jasper, Gavin and of course, Talia Grimm-Masters. The book just flows.. It's easy to read and a perfect continuation of book one. Action packed from the beginning right through to the end. Only, it's not an end. What society group is featured in the next book? Hmmm...I can't wait to read the next book.
MJ Fletcher has created an amazing series with fabulous characters and situations. Remember while you are reading, these are high schoolers. Just kids really. I found myself glued to the pages of the book. Couldn't put it down, I was too afraid I would miss something. I reread pages over and over to see if I missed clues about certain people.
I look forward to the rest of the books. I give this book 5 stars..and recommend you read The Doorknob Society and The Impossible Engineers.
The second in the Doorknob Society series, this book continues the battle between a power-wielding guild and revolutionary upstarts who want to overthrow the old order. Unfortunately, this book also continues with the horrendous misspellings and incorrect word usage that I mentioned in my review for the first book in the series. It continues to detract from enjoyment of the story. Additionally, the "who do I love," "should I/shouldn't I" aspect is more pronounced in this book and equally distracting.
Okayyy....um, where to start? How about OMG! LOVED this book! I truly went into this book expecting it to be okay/good. I know I loved the 1st book, The Doorknob Society, but figured that the 2nd would probably be "okay". Hello, can you say "wrong"? The Impossible Engineers was excellent. Perhaps, even better than the The Doorknob Society, and {as I said} I loved that one!!!
OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!! I love this book, I enjoyed the first one but this book blew me away. All I can say is read the book if I mention anything it will just be huge spoilers and I don't want to ruin anything for anyone. I just finished it and I honestly am thinking of rereading it right now to make sure i didn't miss anything the first time. Do yourself a favor and check it out now!
This is a fun series. Not usually into the 'magic' thing, but these were kind of interesting and a quick read. Feel a bit geared toward young adults, most of the main characters are teenagers, enjoyed it enough to read this second book and may read more later.
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In the second installment in the Doorknob Society Saga, we yet get to follow Chloe through another adventure, an intense and dynamic one. The author continues to develop the the world in which Chloe lives and it was amazingly done. My heart was wrenched with everything thing in this. It was like being on a roller coaster with different speeds.
So the story picks up a while after where it ended in the first book after the fight and now Chloe has officially joined the Doorknob Society but she is still a target and almost always in danger, sure nothing happened to her since Nightshade was always to there save the day. However, some recent incidents forced them to work together. And along with Chloe and Nightshade, there was also Edgar, Slade, Jess and together they formed what seems like a team and were on the hunt for the artifacts.
The romance in this book was so so sweet but it wasn't offensive, so it does suit most ages. The characters were just as amazing and well-developed and I feel we got to know each one of them even more. We got to see more of Nightshade and Chloe together Squeee! and looking at their progress in the first book, here they have relatively made progress. Ah! They were so cute! but Slade really got on my nerve in this book, he was such a jerk in this book. However, I really think that the thing about this book is the story itself, it's unique and fresh and I feel that we need that along with the characters as well whom you can easily get attached to.
The ending of the book just put me through a shock, I like was "NO NO NO!!! This can't be" and then the book ended leaving me craving for more, it was such a cruel cliffhanger but then I know that the story can't just go on like this and I of course can't give anything away only that I truly enjoyed reading this book as I did with the first one, perhaps this one more. And I'm Team Nightshade btw!!!
Overall, this was a breathtaking story and a really good sequel. I enjoyed and devoured each page. It was action-packed in a mediocre way and with a few really sweet moments for your heart to ache. A wonderful storyline with an ending that wouldn't give you the chance to miss the next book. Highly recommend it
This review contains possible spoilers from book 1 – The Doorknob Society
The Impossible Engineers by M.J. Fletcher is the second book in the Doorknob Society and has eagerly left me wanting to read the next book in this series.
Chloe Masters is an official member of the Doorknob Society, knowing more about her powers and weaving her way through parallel dimensions with the touch of a doorknob; she is still as kick-butt, feisty and eager in this book as what she was in the first which I appreciated.
We see the team, consisting of Chloe, Jess, Slade and Nightshade on the hunt for a missing artifact known as the Chronicle page and trying to stay one step ahead of the First Kind; but there was danger, mystery and always someone after them at every turn, it was go go go from the onset which kept the story flowing well, I seemed to breeze through it.
The love interests – we know from book one that Chloe has chosen Michael Slade but I was really miffed at him in this book, James Nightshade is his ever witty self, I adored him and his sarcasm, the banter and obvious affections towards Chloe was really sweet.
We see each of the characters we met in The Doorknob Society developed further in this book and we meet a few more who aren’t as endearing (Jasper, Caleb, Talia & Faith). I think my favorite is still Edgar, I absolutely adore his humor and I was pleased to see things progressing between him and Val.
The fantasy world Mr. Fletcher has created is fresh, interesting and unique and filled with many surprises. I love the way each of the societies are explained with great detail and the setting quite vivid, the status at the beginning of each chapter also gives me a little giggle.
Mr. Fletcher has written the most engaging sequel in this gripping series, it is filled with action, mystery and heartache, the ending left me gaping so I am definitely eager to grab hold of The Mapmakers Union.
Often times I find that a sequel just doesn’t live up to the first book. Not so with IE. It’s probably my favorite installment in the series, contending with HVO Detective Inspectors (DS#4).
MJ Fletcher just continued to build his story plot momentum with the second book in the series with more characters, world building, romantic tension, and plot thickening.
My original two complaints, editing and swearing, are still present for this book but I found I was able to ignore them for the content.
I absolutely love the chemistry between Nightshade and Chloe as well as their depreciating banter. I still find Chloe too brassy in an obnoxious way, not in a tough and admirable way. I just wish she was bit more developed. I find her repeating herself a lot and the other characters, better developed.
Edgar is still lovable, Jess is fierce, Val is growing on me like she is the other characters and I both like and dislike Slade both personally and for Chloe. That the author can paint him as a good guy and still get me to root for her and Nightshade instead is impressive writing in spite of the AWFUL grammar and spelling.
I find that I really appreciate the Heroine having girlfriends, imperfect as they are, as opposed to the loner heroine is so many YA novels today. It’s one of my favorite developments that I’m enjoying. I like watching her learn how to have good relationships and blunder through it towards something she knows is better.
The ending completely hooked me for the next book and I immediately bought the third installment and began reading the same day. There are few times when I read straight through a series and this was one of them.
I loved Doorknob Society. Chloe, Slade, Edgar, Nightshade, Jessica and so many other characters are well developed and interesting. The storyline is very different and was immediately engaging and continued to be so throughout the entire story. Like other reviews I was a little thrown off by the volume of spelling mistakes. Another edit would be perfect to get rid of those issues such as passed should have been past in many places. In a remote sense I felt like it was a newer version of Harry Potter, yet still so different from it to be entirely new and leaving the reader reluctant to put the story down. The ending was a shocker (though the story set up well for it) and leaves the reader desperately wanting to know what happens next.
The Impossible Engineers is book 2 of this series and even better than the first. These books are very difficult to put down. One of the best series I have read in a very long time. The writer takes the reader to these amazing places and through some amazing adventures. Most people are not who they say they are - good or bad. The end of the story is a very emotional ending - and not at all where I thought the book would lead. There are still misspellings in this book and another edit would make this great. There is very little that is predictable in this set of stories and I can't wait to read book 3. Need a break from the real world? These are a great way to do it. This story is so good that even with some misspellings it is still definitely 5 out of 5 stars.
I received copies of these books in exchange for an honest review.
I find myself stuck on this one. Part of me really wants to love The Impossible Engineers. The concept is fresh and unique, and the book is packed full of action. Through the first half, I just couldn’t put it down.
Nightshade and Chloe have such a wonderful chemistry. They fight each other on everything; keep each other on their toes and they are both incredibly loyal to their friends. It makes them relatable and likable, and I couldn’t get enough of them when they were working together.
At about the halfway mark, my thoughts on the book changed. For a second book in a series, I found that although the characters seemed well developed, the lead (Chloe) was not. For the most part, she is feisty, and she doesn’t let people walk all over her. However, when an emotional confrontation hit she just gave in. She did this a few times in the book, and it seemed so out of character for her that it was hard to look at her the same by the end and unfortunately the connection I felt with her was lost.
I do not want to give anything away, but I will mention that the ending left me frustrated. But this could be a good thing because it may entice me and others to pick up the next book in the series.
The Impossible Engineers was an entertaining read, and I did enjoy it. It just could have been so much more.
I love James. Chloe had no clue during this entire story about his feelings for her. She's young and without a maternal role model. It's so obvious to the reader what is going on with Nightshade when he interacts with her. The ending was SO great and sad.
Slade is such a disappointment. I thought he would be a strong, intelligent man. His fear of his father and deep rooted desire for his father to be proud of him is distasteful. All he cared about was the artifact.
I like Edgar, Val and Jess. I like Edgar fighting for Val and acknowledging their feelings for each other. Val grabbing him & kissing was a long time coming. We shall see about Gavin. Faith will get her comeuppance.
I would like to know what is driving Chloe's mother. Is she just a whackadoodle or is there something else going on? I will eventually read book 3, I just need a break from this series for now. I still wish the use of powers by the different members/groups was better explained. It's like a color blob for me as I'm reading.
I would recommend this series thus far.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Yeah, so its official. I love this series! The Impossible Engineers was even better than the first book and that's saying something because I really liked The Doorknob Society!
Just like the first book, this one is full of non-stop action. Chloe and her friends are constantly finding themselves in dangerous situations. I had a hard time setting this book down, because I was dying to know what would happen next.
Throughout most of this book Chloe’s trying to figure out her feelings for Nightshade. I’m Team Nightshade, so of course I was rooting for him and Chloe to be together instead of her and Slade. Speaking of Slade, I’m not real happy with his character right now because he does something really stupid in this book. I’m not going to say what he does, but it wasn’t cool!
I don’t want to say much else about this book because I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say that overall I thought it was an excellent read and I would highly recommend it!
I have to admit I loved the first book and I had high hopes for the second. It took all my expectations and ran them through a wall. I loved it! The familiar characters are here, Edgar being a huge favorite of mine. The friends I came to like from first book all return with a new addition. The relationships between the characters is one of the things I enjoy the most. I am just as interested to see what happens with Edgar and Val as I am anyone else. Questions get answered and the unthinkable happens. The book had me jumping between pure joy and tears in mere moments. I could not put it down and didn't want too. I hope the next one can be just as high powered and exciting, this book left me breathless!
Loved this one. I'm almost ready to gush about this book, but I'll reign it in a little. I was so hooked that I didn't want to quit reading. I sacrificed sleep just so I could go ahead and finish it to see what happened. This book just took everything that I loved about the first book and completely ran with it. I have to say that I think it was actually better than the first, which doesn't happen very often for me. Usually the second book is always a letdown for me, but not this one. I love Chloe's feisty attitude and her relationships with all of the characters are wonderful. And that chemistry with Nightshade was definitely still there. I'm not going to recap what happened because I don't want to spoil anything. This is just a book and a series that NEEDS to be read.
I am officially hooked! The second installment of the Doorknob Society was better that the first (in my opinion). This book gets 4.5 stars from me.
Chloe and her friends battle the forces trying to tear their society apart. There is a lot of action in this book and some, not much, romance. But the romance that there was at the end was so good. She finally got it right!
The ending left me wanting more. I can't wait to read the third book. I'm trying to see if it's possible to read it at this moment, if I can squeeze it in between my review commitments.
I liked the first book, though it reminded me of Harry Potter. However after I got over that connection I realized what a cool story this is. The second book is even better and definitely action packed. Even though the characters spend most of their time fighting for their lives, they are still teenagers after all and are also dealing with relationships. I'm looking forward to reading more about this group of friends and more about the other Societies. The bad thing about it is that my Kindle version has some spelling errors, that just drives me nuts.
I like this series so much. I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading it in preparation for the fifth book. Mr. Fletcher still needs an editor with a red pen to hack through his books before going to publish (at least the e-version), but even the grammar fanatic in me can overlook the constant confusion of then & than and passed & past to enjoy the development of the characters and the more complex character relationships.
MJ Fletcher pens "The Impossible Engineers" just as captivating, if not better, as the first book "The Doorknob Society". We continue on with the story of Chloe and I enjoyed learning more about the characters which are being developed more and more. There were a few twists and turns that I wasn't expecting, but that just makes it a much better story line. Highly recommended for all magickal, mystery suspense fans.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author which was provided for an honest review.
The story continues with more information being provided for the reader, but just as many questions need to be answered. Chloe learns more about herself and her friends, as they continue to find themselves in conflict with the First Kind. The characters are realistic in their behaviors, and come across as regular teenagers most of the time. They do prove themselves to be more than regular teenagers when their special powers are required. Can't wait to read the next one to find out how the story continues.
I would buy ALL these in paperback IF HE'D GET AN EDITOR!!!! This series is a "steampunk Harry Potter". But the poor editing/total lack of editing damn near kills it all! I want to pass these along to my sons, but do not want to subject them to the errors. I want to get them INTO reading, not frustrate the crap out of them. As an adult, I can look past the errors, but when I spend more time highlighting errors than reading, it makes it hard to stay in the book. Seriously, get an editor!!! I would recommend this series to everyone within my world IF they get edited!
This one was better than the first- but I am a little annoyed at Choloe's behavior and always acting brassy. Didn't expect to lose Nightshade either, perhaps he will come back working for the other side- who knows, but I do feel for her and the loss she has experienced in her life- her mother, Slade's behavior- her dad being gone so much- this girl seems to have lost a lot of support. So glad to still have Val and Jess, I sure hope she remembers Faith before she gets hurt again. Started reading the next one in the series-
I was hoping that the grammatical errors would have disappeared from the 2nd book in the series but they didn't. It also took me a long time to read this one because I was pretty bored. I thought there was some interesting (although not surprising) character development but it just wasn't enough to make me want to pick up the book any time I had a spare reading moment. I am interested to find out what happens but I'm not sure I can read the other books!
I haven't written review ms for each series, but I have been reading them one after another since I've started. Fun fantasy book that is predictable to some extent, but then the author throws in a loop or two. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy fiction. Not perfect because there were a few grammatical errors, but hey, I'll put that one on the editor!
I love when I find a second book that is good if not better then the first. Yes there was things that I didn't like about it. Such as the fact that she lets Slade bean bass so many times but let me tell you the end will make everything worth it. I made me sad. Once again I wanted to hit, scream, hug, and just join in. Already got the next one started.
This book is 60% story line which is a good one and 40% teenage angst that no one cares about. Maybe a 14 year old. It was more entertaining than other 2 stars I've given in the past. I finished it, otherwise it would have been 1 star. Might have to find the spoilers for the next book just to know what happens in the series.
I just didn't think this series could get any better but seriously awesome book! My husband had to tell me to put it down at 4am!! Little swearing in it. And I hated the ending but am hoping there is a twist...but really loved the ending! That kiss...aww
I'm really enjoying this series. The story line is intriguing, the characters are pretty well fleshed out, and the writing gets better and better with each book. I do however wish someone would hire an editor (or a better editor). The typos really make it look amateurish.