Tarnished

The St. Croix Chronicles #1

by Karina Cooper

Author Karina Cooper enthralls with her stunning new series, The St. Croix Chronicles. Cooper, whose haunting Dark Mission novels set a new standard for paranormal romance, carries readers into the shadows of a very different Victorian London, where science skirts the line between magic and mechanics. A magnificent talent writing in the vein of such paranormal and urban fantasy superstars as J.R. Ward, Jeaniene Frost, Gail Carriger, and Meljean Brook, Cooper introduces readers to a truly remarkable heroine: Cherry St. Croix. Debutante by day and bounty hunter by night, Cherry makes a truly smashing debut in Tarnished, as she trawls the seedy underbelly of an alternate London in search of a killer…and finds herself at odds with the dangerous—and dangerously handsome—criminal kingpin, Micajah Hawke, ruler of the Midnight Menagerie.

Genres: Steampunk, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Paranormal, Historical

389 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 26, 2012

About the author

After writing happily ever afters for all of her friends in school, Karina Cooper eventually grew up (sort of), went to work in the real world (kind of), where she decided that making stuff up was way more fun (true!). She is the author of dark and sexy paranormal romance, steampunk urban fantasy, and writes across multiple genres with mad glee.

One part glamour, one part dork and all imagination, Karina is also a gamer, an airship captain’s wife, and a steampunk fashionista. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with a husband, a menagerie, a severe coffee habit, and a passel of adopted gamer geeks. Visit her at www.karinacooper.com, because she says so.

Reviews

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book had a lot of problems, though the biggest isn't really clear until the end.

First off, addicts aren't charming, fun, or engaging as protagonists. And that isn't fixed by letting your protagonist only act the addict when it is interesting or useful to the story. Addictions have serious consequences and in this story, it seemed like Cherry's addiction only really mattered when it was convenient to the author to manipulate Cherry into some situation she wanted her to be in.

Second, that's actually a symptom of a broader tendency by the author—many plot or story aspects only show up when the author needs them to put the character somewhere she wants that character to go. Cherry is a trained acrobat? That's useful to get her to the top of a building, but that only shows up as useful twice in the whole book. The rest of the book, Cherry is a bumbling idiot literally tripping over herself when the author wants her at a disadvantage for a bad-guy. It's embarrassingly incompetent story-craft.

Third, and this is the biggest problem (and related to the first two), Cooper manipulates circumstances to keep secrets she wants to reveal at a later time. The main bad guy is a sleazy jerk who knows Cherry in both her public and private identities. There are only two people he could possibly be (based on storycraft 101) and one of those Cooper goes out of her way to show as kind of sweet. And yet, there are moments during this book when Cherry really should have been able to see him well enough to identify him and yet (completely irrationally), she is unable to do so. At one time, she is pressed up against him with a jagged pipe pressed into the flesh of his throat, and yet the fog is somehow too dense for her to see him? He's exposed from his brow to his chin and she is literally inches away! Fog that dense isn't fog, it's soup. It certainly isn't fog that moments before allowed her to see she was in a narrow alley with bricks on either side.

Add in that Cooper pulls in the all-too-common trope of the character who cannot kill an obviously evil person when she has the chance and I lost all sympathy with Cherry, Cooper, and any future books Cooper may produce. Look, if you know somebody has killed others for kicks (because he admits as much, no less), then if you have the chance to end his depredations and you don't take it that makes you a coward and morally culpable yourself. And not just morally culpable for any future depredations he actually commits but morally culpable for all the depredations he could commit. In short, you are, at that point, committing a grossly evil act.

At the three quarters mark, I made a choice to finish the book just to see if Cooper would reveal who the bad guy was. I'm still not sure why I made it that far in the first place. By the end, I had come to regret that decision as Cooper doubles down on the stupid in every conceivable way.

A note about Steamy: There's a scene of intense and prolonged sexuality, though it is unclear (and denied) that actual sex took place. Yes, drugs were involved, but not in a condoning way. It was actually one of the more interesting parts of the book, and not for prurient reasons.

[Jessie Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

After going through several (5 or more) steampunk novels last month I took a bit of a breather, only to be broken when I couldn't resist the synopsis for Cherry's first exploits and I am glad I did. Fun, easy and with a new outlook on alchemy and steampunkey (not to mention London!), Tarnished is a fun, entertaining read. The beginning novel of a new series blending steampunk, mystery and the paranormal, Karina Cooper delivers up the goods in her first outing of the Chronicles: a strong but likeable protagonist in Cherry St. Croix, handsome Earls with which to dally, Society drama to keep the intrigue high and the exploits hidden, the alluring and dangerous Micajah Hawke, and multiple unique and creative applications of steampunkery. In short, there is a lot of story, adventure and romance to be had here, and Karina Cooper makes the ride quite imaginative and original throughout. And, as an added bonus, you can pre-order this deceptively simple novel for only $4.99 for Nook! How can you resist that? Fans of Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series or Tee Morris and Pip Ballantine's Ministry of Pecular Occurrences novels might look to find their next fix between the pages of Tarnished.

A blend of several genres, it is the steampunk that stands to the fore here. Largely, that is due to the author's original conception of a lower and upper London -- one divided in half, with the rich and elite literally raised above, on steel stilts higher than the fog of the industrial, steam-powered "London below" of the less fortunate. ("The city above the drift glimmered and danced; a glittering dowager festooned with diamonds. Below, she was pocked and diseased, her skirts hanging torn and stained around her roughened knees." ARC, p.47) I love when authors actual use steampunk to be creative, rather than as drapery for a scene or as a simple deux-ex-machina (coughTheSteampunkChroniclescough), and happily for me, this is one such author. I really like the idea of London raised on stilts -- it's like a steampunk Venice, with air canals and sky gondolas as part and parcel of the whole shebang. The accompanying gadgets and gizmos dreamed up to operate in this imagined version of London perfectly complement Cherry's role as a collector, and the story at large. This bifurcated London is very different, wholly unique but one that still provides a familiar backdrop. Other imagined aspects of London that Cooper has created, like the Midnight Menagerie, only add the atmosphere prevalent throughout the entire novel. This is a dark, sexy mystery set in the perfect locale.

Cherry St. Croix leads a double life, and it is a complicated one. Or two. Colored and judged by Society's perceptions of her "mad doctor" father and the beautiful-but-dead mother she hardly remembers, Cherry must eke out a living (and cash for her addiction) by collecing bounties. While bounty-hunting may not be the most believable means of income for a young lady of society, it naturally leads Cherry to the seedy (and literal) underbelly of London and the main plot of Tarnished. Cherry's involvement in the subsequent events and mysteries of the lower classes felt natural and evolved organically; though she is torn between her two lives (and the men in them! I foresee a major love-triangle forming over the horizon for book two!), she can operate easily within either. It's easy to distinguish Cherry-the-lady from her alter-ego, as well as it is easy to feel a rapport with the character. Though it took me a while to fully get there, this spirited and intelligent character makes a favorable, lasting impression as a protagonist. I do feel a bit of apprehension with the definite possibility of love-triangles forming for Cherry in further novels (Micajah Hawke, Cornelius Kerrigan Compton) and hope the author has the aplomb to pull it off without spoiling the characterization developed so far for all characters involved.

A new spin on a lot of UF/steampunk favorites and tropes help to make Tarnished one of the more fun steampunk escapades I've read. With the events of book one mostly resolved and the few open plotlinese clearly extended toward a book two, I am eagerly awaiting more Midnight Menagerie (Hawke! I want more Hawke, definitely), more freakish alchemy and fresh interpretations of old ideas from this inventive author. I can't wait for book two.

[Catherine Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tried something different - new author (for me), new series (for her), with steampunk-ish grace notes. The blurbs for Karina Cooper’s new series, The St. Croix Chronicles, intrigued me. Here is a murder mystery in an alternative historical London with science fiction, horror and romance elements that push it into the Urban Fantasy - Steampunk realm. Sounds like a perfect summer read!

Cooper’s TARNISHED has a lot going for it. I liked the set-up; I liked a lot of the writing. I really liked author’s vision of an alternative Victorian London. Cherry St. Croix, the heroine / sleuth, is engaging, with lots of grit and determination. My enjoyment held on, even when certain underpinnings of the story structure began to quiver. Cooper’s writing kept me turning the pages, anyway. I had hopes that the author’s skill would win through.

By the final third of the novel, though, those flagged structural twinges, for me, became real problems. First up is the voice. I like first person storytelling. But, in this case, the storyteller, Cherry, is an opium-addicted main character and her self-absorption (with the seeming-constant need for a fix) bogs down the pace. The climax is told through a drug-induced haze, caused by one of her adversaries. (I’m not exactly sure what was real and what, in the next installment, might prove to be an erroneous conclusion.)

Frankly, Cherry became tiresome and lost credibility with me. I had to wonder how she had survived five years as a “collector” (a bounty hunter, of sorts). What competence she may have had in the backstory wasn't very apparent during the story. I might have worked through this, though, along with the hazy climax, but for my main problem with this book -- there seemed to be no resolution by the time I got to the last page: no growth of character, no conclusions or advancement to most of the pressing questions posed by the plot. No hook to make me want to come back and find out.

It's as if the author called it quits in mid-chapter. The story drifts to a stop. There was no payoff.

Not the best way to begin a series.

[Kara-karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5
Tarnished is a delicious appetiser which left me hungry for more. It introduces you to dark, gritty and very visual steampunk London where Cherry St. Croix leads a double life.

During days she is up above the black smog of London among the strange cluster of mansions for rich and privileged, bridges and air gondolas, designed by her father and lifted above the city to escape the contaminated air. During days she is Cherry St.Croix, an unconventional daughter of a mad scientist, forced to behave according to high society standards otherwise her guardian will stop her allowance and her scientific experiments.

At nights, Cherry is a different person. Ms. Black is a collector (as in bounty hunter) in the blackest areas of London, fitted into a black garb with armoured corset, respirator and night vision goggles, she hunts the streets for thieves and those unfortunate indebted to Chinese mafia of Karakash Veil and their dangerous and seductive representative Micajah Hawke. She is a flawed heroine who is driven by her opium addiction acquired as a child, when she grew up as an acrobat in a street circus before her guardian found her.

Cherry and her gritty harsh world undeniably reminded me of the series I adore - Downside Ghosts by Stacia Kane. She is trapped in a vicious circle of nightmares and addiction just like Chess is trapped. She might not be poor but she is surrounded by secrets. Her guardian has one, deliciously sinful Hawke has several, and even her powerful aristocratic admirer, Lord Compton hides something.

Cherry manages to stay under a radar of London crime lords until few prostitutes approach her asking to find and stop a mad killer who is butchering their friends. She starts the investigation and in the process finds unexpected links to her past, a powerful magical solution which weakens the link between body and soul, so the body can be possessed, and the most dangerous of all, - she gets indebted to Karakash Veil...

I won't give anything else away, but this an exciting, exhilarating read, with an albeit abrupt ending, and I highly recommend it not only to the fans of steampunk, but to anyone who loves Stacia Kane. I, for one, am determined to find Ms. Cooper's backlist and start reading it.

[Amanda The Book Slayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. My biggest problem was the beginning seemed to be wordy and droned on. I understand that she needed to introduce the world but I became bogged down with it. At about the middle of the book the storyline picked up and I was hooked.

I love Micajah and can only hope things work out with him.

I have my suspicion of who the other collector is but will keep it to myself for now.

All I need now is to get my hands on the next book.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tarnished Shines With Gritty Steampunk Fashion
She straddles two worlds, belonging to none. Daughter of an accused madman, Cherry St. Croix was orphaned at a young age, forced by circumstance and a keen instinct for survival into the life of a thief, a circus performer, and an opium addict. At the tender age of nine, she picked her first pocket. By fifteen, she had been pulled out of that life and thrust into another, just as ill-fitting.

Found by her guardian and set adrift in polite society, she awaits the inheritance that is her due as she exists above the drift but on the fringes of London's proper noble class, far above the smog-choked, deadly streets below. To subsidize her meager monthly allowance, one grossly insufficient to feed a habit that allows her to sleep...such a pretty, pretty lie...Cherry dons trousers and blackens her hair, grabs her goggles and respirator, and as the haunting, hunting arms of night embrace her, she slips below the drift and stalks the streets. She is a collector.

Cherry suffers no fools and refuses to be cheated, so when a job falls through and the owner of the note of her collection denies the bounty she's owed, Cherry confronts him. Macajah Hawke, the elegant and imperious ringmaster of below's most affluent den of salacious inequity, The Midnight Menagerie, terrifies her with an odd, biting fear that grips her low in her stomach, but to allow him to brush her off as if she were a child would bring her career to a stuttering stop. Unfortunately, Hawke is unmoved and largely unimpressed, cloaked as he is in a seductive veneer that rattles and frustrates her.

Maybe that's why, when one of the Menagerie's ladies calls to her as she's leaving Hawke's playground of decadent corruption, she agrees to take on the new case, flagrantly opposing Hawke's dominion over his own people. But it's not just childish obstinacy, nor solely the hunger for the opium that she craves that drives her decision. Cherry has seen the papers, knows a monster hunts working girls below the drift, slicing them open and leaving grisly carnage in his wake.

She hadn't known that the monster had hunted Hawke's sweets. That girls from the Menagerie had been slaughtered. And now one of them has braved their master to beg for her help in finding and stopping him. Cherry couldn't turn her away. She was a collector, after all, and collecting things...people...even monsters, is what she does.

It's a pity that Cherry, for all her experience with a life less ordinary, forgot that when you start hunting monsters, they have a tendency to hunt you in return.

"People are dying, Mr. Hawke."
His shoulders moved, a powerful roll of indifference. "People have that tendency."

Though my experience with steampunk is passing at best, what I've read has appealed. Until Cooper, anyway, because this series debut did a lot more than appeal. Setting the story elements aside for the moment, Cooper's writing is brilliant. Evocative and compelling, descriptive to the point of artistry, Cooper uses words to paint gritty and glaring pictures that expose the corrosive cracks in life both above the drift, where Society reigns, and below, where other, far more in-your-face but no less dangerous dregs of humanity roam.

The narrative seemed an effortless capture of the pulse of both, with the deftest of touches highlighting even more of the similarities between the two than the differences. A cut above may be bloodless, but no less painful than the cuts below. And at least a cut below, widened by sharpened steel instead of waspish tongues, bleeds clean and is honest in its intent. A lesson with which Cherry is well familiar.

At the center of this magically groggy world that Cooper built is the young Cherry, as much a contradiction as the two worlds in which she operates. Part leather-clad warrior woman, intelligent and cunning and phsyically self-possessed, part innocent young miss, part victim and criminal both, she reflects all facets of both worlds in which she lives. Her age, only twenty, is both a boon and a bane in this debut, because while she has the unflagging courage and irrepressible spirit of youth, she is also stubborn, more spoiled than she realizes, and often petulant about it and anything else that doesn't directly go her way.

On one hand she is an experienced collector, someone who has been dragging bounties around for five years, protecting herself in London's seediest streets. On the other, she's a virginal miss without any real experience in a man's world, one of little patience and oblivious to the benefits and necessities of subtle behavior. I found the battle between the two parts of her to be just as compelling...if not more so...than the main plotline of the book.

In fact, I had some problems with the book's plot, which meandered a little to much for me, especially in the middle. Cooper seemed so intent on building her world and fleshing it out, as well as focusing on creating and embellishing the framework for the two faces of Cherry, that the serious threads of external plot conflict often fell to the wayside.

When the storyline started to focus too long on Cherry's role in Society above the drift, including frequent and robust descriptions of hair, clothing, rooms, characters, and the like, I felt my attention waning. For all that the pictures were well painted and the life she led was just as valid as the one below, just as vital to grasping the whole of her character...well...I got a little bored with it. Below the drift was just more interesting to me.

Maybe because Hawke was below the drift. Micajah Hawke. He definitely held my interest. He is just as dual-natured as Cherry herself, but he's in a class all his own. Mysterious, seductive, urbane on one hand, and masculine, hard-working, intensely focused on the other. Unlike Cherry, who often suffers from the perils of her youth, Hawke is in all ways adult. World-wise, jaded, and very, very uncompromising. He is darkness personified, a darkness that both revels in and reviles that which seeks its shadowy embrace.

The relationship, such as it is, between Hawke and Cherry reminded me of the early books in Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, because Micajah Hawke could be Jericho Z. Barrons' equally inscrutable but slightly less immortal brother. And at every single one of Hawke's tight-jawed, "Miss Black" utterances, I heard "Miss Lane" echoing in Barron's deep voice.

Less fortunately, Cherry reminded me of Mac in more ways than one. That's not quite a good thing, because I spent most of the Fever series in various stages of annoyance with Mac's immaturity, even as I loved her fighting nature, and that's exactly the vibe Cherry was throwing off in her own story (though, admittedly, to a much less annoying extent). If, however, Cherry and Hawke have nearly as incendiary a relationship as Moning's characters, well...I'll suck it up just as I did before, because that's one phenomenally bumpy and hellaciously fun ride.

Even with this being a series debut, with my expectations set to accept a certain number of unanswered questions, there were a few too many plot threads left unresolved or characters unexplained for me to be completely satisfied with the story itself. Because of that, my biggest issue with this book is that as a whole, it read more like a prelude or prologue to a series than it did a fully satisfying book that stands on its own merits. While one or two plot threads may have been tied up at the end, many more linger, and those that were tied up weren't really the most intriguing of the lot.

It was, however, exquisitely clever in its conception and beautiful in its construction. The characters are vibrant, complex, and complicated. The world they live in is deceptive and dangerous. For me, this debut just had a little too much focus on the series setup at the expense of story elements for the individual book. If the series progresses with a larger emphasis on story now that a majority of the setup is laid, The St. Croix Chronicles may very well be my next personal reading addiction and Cooper my newest must-read author.

Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Avon Books publisher HarperCollins Publishers. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.

[Fatima · Rating 4 out of 5]

My name is Cherry St. Croix. I am a collector, one of the many who are employed to acquire, kill or investigate for bounties. My rules are simple: I don’t collect children, and I don’t murder for coin. Truth be told, I’ve never killed for any reason.

This book is one of the many reasons as to why I love Steampunk ! A perfect mix of Mystery , Gothic , horror , thrill , subtle humor , romance and obviously .. Steampunk , Tarnished takes the readers on a wild ride through the streets of Victorian London .


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Cue Music : Twisted and Broken - Abney Park

Set in the 1888's , Tarnished is the story of Cherry St. Croix -daughter of a mad scientist - who lives a dual life . During the day , she is a proper Victorian miss , dressed up in gowns and being taught the ways to snatch herself a good husband . But at night , Cherry disguises herself as Miss Black , a bounty hunter or Collector as they are usually called wandering the streets of London looking for criminals and vagrants , and delivering them to the concerned parties for a certain amount of money ... Why she needs the money you ask ? You see , Cherry has two addictions . One : Her love for science and scientific tools and two : her love for Opium . Cherry lost her parents in a fire while she was just a little girl . Bought up on the streets and forced to live a life under a ringmaster who keeps his performers ( mostly kids ) pumped up with opium , Cherry has had a difficult time kicking the habit . Now she just uses it to keep her nightmares at bay , meaning , she takes them every night. Therefore the job of a bounty hunter !

Just like how Cherry lives a dual life , she has two interesting dudes keeping her company , or more , taking a keen interest in her . First its the son of the Marchioness , Lord Compton . A respected name amongst the high rankers . A mysterious figure himself , Lord Compton finds Cherry different from the odd assortment of women in the society . Personally I dont like him that much . The man may have class , but puhlease ! He isn't just that yummy . I think Cherry is better off without him .

And secondly and oh my god yummily .. we have The guy who runs the Midnight Menagerie , Micajah Hawke a.k.a Cage !


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Ummmmm hello hotness !

Micajah Cage , like Lord Compton is quite a mysterious figure too . But I gotta tell you . The lord ain't got nothing on Cage , son ! Dark , brooding and always in control , Hawke is the man behind the Pleasure Garden Of London ! I think Cherry describes him the best when she says that if The Menagerie is the pleasure garden then Hawke is the tempting snake of sin ! I couldn't agreeeeee more !

Getting back on track here , the story deals with Cherry trying to find a creep who is murdering the 'sweets' ( prostitutes ) and taking a piece of their body ( could be an organ or something ) with him as trophy of job well done . What a moron ! And to make matters worse someone is stalking Cherry too ! What or who is this creep ? Is it the same person or two different people ? Well , you'll have to find that out for yourself .

Things I loved about this book :

- Cherry ! She absolutely rocks ! Move over hero's , there is a new butt kicker in town who wears a sexy corset while she's doing it ! I loved the fact that Cherry isn't in no sense a perfect female lead . Her addiction to Opium , the fact that she despises the 'fake' society she lives in , her need to do good by those who care for her shows that she isn't perfect . But that's not stopping here for doing goodness !

- The World building in this book took my breath away . Victorian London is divided into 2 ! There is London proper . Imagine the city on stilts ! Yup , London proper is almost in the sky , to be travelled on Ferry ships or Gondolas ! Its the resident ground for the rich and famous . You wont find the middle , working class community there . And then we have London below the drift . This is that part of the city that is mostly populated by the working class and Pollution . Yup , you read that right . The city is in a constant state of fog . Industrial smoke and sludge from factories and turned a once beautiful city into a breeding grounds for diseases !

- Mystery galore ! Loved the unique combination of Jack the Ripper and Frankenstein ! Enough said !

If Steampunk and romance is your cup of tea , then this book is for you my friend !

Bravo Karina Cooper , Bravo !


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[Jess the Romanceaholic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.

Expected Release Date: June 26, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon
Author’s Website: http://www.karinacooper.com
My Source for This Book: Edelweiss
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 1, St. Croix Chronicles
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy

I stayed up until past three in the morning, even knowing I had to get up at seven, in order to finish this book, because I couldn’t stand the thought of putting it down. With intricate plotlines and multifaceted characters combined with lots of action, magic, sex, mystery, drama and danger, this is a series to get excited about.

The only thing really holding me back from a higher final rating is the fact that there were so many plot lines left unfinished at the end. Perhaps I’m spoiled because I tend to only pick up Urban Fantasy after there are three or four books already published, and so I’ve never really had to wait for hanging threads to be picked back up, but I found myself disappointed when I reached the last page.

A very solid 4/5 Stars, and I will be reading the sequel when it comes out.

[Carolyn F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars out of 5

This book started out super slow and it was hard for me to get into it. Then it turned around for a short time and I started enjoying it finally. Then it ended up full of Cherry being in these drugged states at the mercy of people she doesn't know whether to trust over and over again while she's still thinking she's some kind of bad ass. The bad guy who is really, really bad turns around and helps her. I hope she remembers what he has done in this first book because it sounds like the author is leaning toward this being a deeper relationship, whatever that means. The ending I found awful when I learned what all these terrible events had been done for. I don't know why Cherry kept calling out a familiar name because it didn't have any effect on anybody. I don't think I'll be reading the rest of the series.

[Nicola O. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm at a loss to review this without giving away huge, huge chunks of plot.

Tarnished sits well over the line in the Urban Fantasy section; there's no Happily Ever After to make it a candidate for Romance-- but there's no lack of sexy possibilities. I really liked it... my only issue is that it's a bit grisly in places; Cooper definitely brings some classic horror elements to this story. That's a preference of mine, not a problem with the story.

Moody, evocative, creative, surprising -- I loved it. Satisfying book resolution with a multitude of intriguing threads to pull us into future books in the series.

[Katie(babs) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the read to a point and am interested in reading the next book but there were many things that didn't add up for me, mainly regarding the heroine's motives and how she got away with the things she did.

This has Steampunk elements but isn't s Steampunk in the technical sense. This is a generous 3 star grade.

A more throughout review coming.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Rating* 3.0
*Genre* Steampunk

*Review*

Tarnished, by Karina Cooper, is the first book in The St. Croix Chronicles. It is also the first book I have read from this author that was unknown to me until I found this on Edelweiss.

Tarnished is a steampunk/mystery/suspense novel that features 20 year old Cherry St. Croix. Cherry is the daughter of a genius, yet society believed him to truly be a madman especially since he died, along with his wife, in a fire of unknown determination. Cherry lives two separate but just as interesting lives.

By day, she knows that within a year she will inherit all her families’ wealth and will no longer be under the guidance and tutelage of her dependent who is an absentee guardian. She is expected to go to parties and meet London’s elite and eligible bachelors and act like a lady. Yet, she also knows that she doesn’t want anything to do with that craziness of marriage or settling down and just wants to be left alone to her own devices. Once she does meet a certain interesting man, she is treated rudely by his uptight family who doesn’t want to see the two matched up.

By night, Cherry becomes “Miss Black” the collector who dyes her hair black and dresses like a man. She is employed by the Menagerie to acquire, kill, or investigate four bounties. Her rules are simple: She doesn't collect children, and she doesn't murder anyone for coin.

Miss Black is a bit darker character than her counterpart Cherry St. Croix. She was once part of a circus and was training into the art of being a master pick pocket. Miss Black is addicted to opium and does the bidding of those like the Midnight Menagerie and it enigmatic ringleader Micajah Hawke. The Midnight Menagerie has ties to a Chinese crime organization called the Karakash Veil.

The Menagerie is part of London seedy section called the drift, where anything goes. This is where the steampunk factor comes into play. Cooper separates London into the above and below. The above is for the rich, while the below is where the downtrodden live.

Tarnished tips its cap towards the legendary Jack the Ripper and the fact that he roamed London’s streets killing prostitutes and was never caught. It also gives a shout out of sorts to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein when a psychotic doctor truly believes that he can use electricity and dead bodies to raise someone from the beyond.

Cherry is an interesting yet flawed character in the fact that she just can’t catch a break no matter what world she tries to live in. She gets caught up in situations where she is clueless in finding a way out from under the quagmire. When she is approached by her friend Zylphia to find out who is killing the girls of the Menagerie, she stumbles into a situation where she is nearly killed.

In waiting for the next installment of this series, I'm hoping that Ms. Cooper avoids the pitfalls that other writers have found themselves in called the dreaded and hated 3 way love triangle. Yes, Cherry does have choices between two totally different men in Micajah Hawke and Cornelius Kerrigan Compton. I find myself not leaning toward either man since they both seem to have their own deep dark secrets and their own agendas.

In the end, I found Tarnished to have enough steamy aspects for those whose tastes generally lie in the PNR genre. I’m hoping for more information on her father’s background as well as how he and his wife Josephine actually died. I’m hoping for much more of Mr Hawke and his seedy underground.

ARC recvd via Edelweiss on 04/06/2012. Book releases June 26, 2012.

[Shellie (Layers of Thought) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original review posted at Layers of Thought.

It’s a page-turning, action-packed steampunk murder mystery with even steamier romantic elements. It has a feisty lead character so it’s a perfect read for the fans of Gail Carriger – only it’s a bit darker.

About: Petite and feisty redheaded Cherry St. Croix is a bit tarnished. Orphaned at an early age, she is from an upper class family and lives comfortably with a variety of servants in her estate home - albeit as a ward to a never-present male benefactor, since women from this alternative Victorian period cannot own and are considered property. Darker still is that she is addicted to laudanum or opium depending on which is closer at hand; and she is a collector – a hired bounty woman who tracks down the wanted.

As she travels the polluted and sooty underworld of this different sort of London, she is asked to “collect’ a “ripper” who is killing local “sweets” (the most beautiful and desirable prostitutes) and taking their body parts for goodness knows what. It’s in the process of finding this insidious killer that she discovers darker things about her past; and sidesteps two romantic entanglements.

Thoughts: I really liked Cherry, the intelligent, tainted and strong main character who denies the existence of magic and only believes in science. It was also appealing that she is adamant about not wanting to get married, contrary to proper behavior for the time.

Although I really dislike comparing newer novels to wildly popular ones, I would say that this historical-ish novel felt quite similar to Gail Carriger’s Soulless, which I really enjoyed - although Tarnished is darker, less humorous, and has a more realistic setting than Carriger’s books. But like Soulless it includes science and gadgets, along with Victorian fashion and propriety, so it’s a genre-blender mystery story like Soulless.

My only niggle was that I had a slight problem getting into the author’s writing style at first. But I found it became easier after several chapters. And once I did I was completely hooked. I also want to mention that this first book is a cliff hanger, but what better way of starting off a series since it definitely created a desire to read the next in the series, even if I now have to wait.

Highly recommended for those interested in steampunk, historical romance, urban fantasy, murder mysteries, and especially for those who like strong female leads. It’s a 3.5 star read for me. I can’t wait for the second in the series.

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tarnished has taken a bit of history and transformed in a very good alt-his.

But for all the intriguing world (and my love of London), Tarnished failed to grip me. Do not take me wrong, it's a book worth reading. Unfortunately I could not warm to the heroine and the plot had many, many cliché (plus, to be honest, a surprsing ending, albeit completely unfinished).

Cherri St Croix came out as a mystery and not in any good way. I understand that the upper/lower level London represented class. This separation is fascinating in a city, in a character you think of a split personality disorder. Moreover, Cherri simply is not up to her task. You do really wonder how she can possibly be a collector (bounty hunter). She comes out as a loser in every single fight, she is pretty dumb, runs into unknown situation without a logical thought and is arrogant to boot. (And an opium addict too).
The upper side Cherri is even worse. I know women in Victorian London were probably restrained by society. But the power her governess has on her is difficult to accept. She is drawn as a "scientist", but you never see her logic (except in her refuse to believe magic). Oh, she sprouts a couple of "scientific speeches", but has no scientific, logical mind. Nor does she experiment or such.
The sexuality is a WTF moment. In this she can't play both sides. She is either a Victorian miss or not.

I loved a few broken heroines (think of Lilith Saintcrow's), but there's broken and broken, when you read defeated. Drug-addicts are such to me. I can't be sympathetic. (It's the reason why I stay clear of Ms Kane's Downside Ghost series.)

The cliché.
-Victorian London. Jack the Ripper, Opium addict. Shall I really add anything else? (I could add the Chinese triad...) Yes, they are woven in a new story, but I felt a heavy hand in all of those together (plus some other).

The villain. Let's say that there's a big surprise, but also a clearly spelled arrow on a minor character. It doesn't imply much, but it's an other thread left hanging (there's plenty of those).

The ending. There's no ending. Yes, the book ends, but there's no resolution. Not a big deal, it wouldn't be the first time. And I can't really say it's irritating as a cliff-hanger. But honestly I do not like bait. And this is it.
I prefer to read the sequel on the strength of the story, not out of curiosity as the author is writing part I, part II rather than book one, two, etc.

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
One of my favorite approaches to worldbuilding is when an author takes an existing city like London and transforms it into something completely new. In TARNISHED, London has finally been consumed by its famous fog and pollution causing filthy and unhealthy living conditions for a great portion of Londoners. The upperclass have built communities a few miles above the fog where the air is clean (they even use gondolas to travel around on top of the fog). I had The Jetsons on the mind reading this as they also live in the sky and get around on spaceships but we never see the ground. The lower class is subject to living in the miserable polluted fog on the ground. While the story is mainly steampunk there was an element of horror including allusions to Frankenstein and Jack the Ripper

Even though her childhood is far darker, Cherry could be an example of what Annie from the musical Annie could have become; unwilling to give up her ‘street urchin’ ways even though she’s been adopted and has all the money she could want. Cherry works as a collector or bounty hunter to support her opium addiction and socially unacceptable interest in science. The opium addiction plays into the plot but we don’t get much of an explanation for the scientific research she is doing. It felt unnecessary. Her drug problem was reason enough to justify her need to work as a collector.

The murder suspect list is quite long, unfortunately they weren’t all very interesting. Lordship Cornelius Kerrigan Compton was bland and underdeveloped. He and Cherry had very few interactions, so I’m not sure why she was attracted to him beyond his title. There was definitely more complexity in Hawke; the owner of the Menagerie (brothel) and his relationship with Cherry. Their story looks like it has room to evolve into something interesting as I saw a lot of chemistry in their scenes. I hope his Lordship is gone for good or he gets more three dimensional if he does come back. Plenty of intriguing unanswered questions and a strong protagonist have hooked me enough to read the next book in The St. Croix Chronicles series when it is published in 2013.

Sexual content: multiple references to sex

[Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/06/...

I’m a huge fan of Karina Cooper’s, so when news came that she would be starting a brand new Victorian London/steampunk/paranormal series, I was so there! Cherry St. Croix is the daughter of a genius, considered by many to be a madman, and stands to soon inherit the estate and holdings left to her by her late father. Not quite part of the peerage, yet still considered within polite society, Cherry is no lady, and I mean that in the best possible way. By day, Cherry does what polite society ladies do (sorta), entertaining visitors, spending time with her friend and caretaker Franny (while exasperating her at every possible turn), and reluctantly attending society balls. By night, Cherry ventures beneath the drift, where the Midnight Menagerie dwells and the toxic fog gathers, to work as a collector, capturing bounties for the enigmatic Micajeh Hawke. When news that a brutal killer is targeting the “sweets” that work the streets, women that Cherry considers friends, reaches her, she knows that she must find this man and put him out of commission, even if the cost proves higher than she ever imagined.

Just like with her Dark Mission novels, Ms. Cooper has created an imaginative, rich environment for her characters to play in, but this time it’s in an alternate Victorian London. Fully realized are the teeming streets, bustling humanity, and grit of London below, and I was happy to follow Cherry along on her escapades. Cherry is easy to like, and her weaknesses only enhance her character, making her someone to identify with and root for. Tarnished definitely spent some time setting the stage for books to come, and steampunk fans will love it. With nods to Jack the Ripper and Frankenstein, Tarnished takes you on a rollicking ride with characters you’ll want to see more of. Add in a dash of romance, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for steampunk adventure. Can’t wait for more books in this series!

[Karissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of steampunk novels so I was really excited to start this series. This ended up being just an okay investigative steampunk romance novel. I had some trouble engaging with the characters and the plot, but the world-building was intriguing.

On the surface this book had a number of things I love about steampunk series; the Victorian setting, interesting devices and a heroine that’s torn between the underworld and a glittering high society. Unfortunately all of this just kind of fell flat for me. I had trouble engaging with and enjoying Cherry as a character and didn’t find any of the surrounding characters to be all that intriguing either (in fact a week after reading this book I would be hard pressed to tell you any of the side characters’ names).

The plot mainly involved Cherry tracking down a man who was eviscerating prostitutes (very Jack the Ripper). There is a love triangle between Cherry, a society man, and a man who rules part of the London below. The chemistry between the characters was just so so.

I did enjoy the idea of a London below and some of the world-building around this; that was my favorite part of this book.

Overall an okay investigative steampunk novel but not great. At the end of the book I wasn’t dying to read anymore about this world or characters. There are much better steampunks series out there.

[She-Wolf Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. I liked it a lot. From the unique setting of a London above and a London below, to a heroine that is complex and problematic, Tarnished has some very unique qualities that set it apart and make me interested in what happens next to its main protagonist, Cherry St. Croix.

The world Cooper created here is fantastic. This is a steampunk Victorian London where the city is divided in two – London above and London below. Due to industrial development, the polluting fog created by factories became a nuisance to London’s wealthy. The answer? Build a London above the fog, or the drift, so that those with money could live above it all. A city built on stilts and flying machines that travel in between is the London in the world of Tarnished. And there is definitely a difference between the two – above is wealth and privilege; below is poverty, thick pollution and crime. This world is so richly imagined that it wasn’t hard to picture it as I was reading.

Read the rest of this 3.5 star review at She-Wolf Reads

[BrokenMnemonic · Rating 4 out of 5]

On balance, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I liked the world-building within the novel in particular, with the division between upper and lower classes being even more visible than usual thanks to the homes of the rich literally being elevated above London on giant mechanical legs.

I struggled with Cherry St. Croix as a protagonist in some ways, because I wasn't certain if I was supposed to believe that her belief in her abilities was based on actual experience and development or a misplaced sense of confidence, but I think that this, combined with the choppy pace of the narrative in places, were probably deliberately written to echo the odd cycles of behaviour that go with what appears to be a pretty advanced drug addiction.

The frustration felt by some of the other characters at Cherry's determination to thrust her way into things she isn't ready for felt tangibly real, and yet I found her determined insistence in continuing to do so rather entertaining - I hope that she remains equally determined to keep pushing in future novels.

[Visionary Druid · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first foray with Karina Cooper. Bittenbybooks brought her to my attention, and I seen the first book of her steampunk book was for 99 cents on kindle. So I decided to take a chance and read it.

This series is the third steampunk I read. I've read Delilah Dawsons and Meljean Brooks. And I like how eacy steampunk book is not the same. That each author has their own unique twist in the world.

Same with Karina. The world is so different from the other. The heroine leads a sort of double-life, with one having to be secret from another. And she's beyond perfect, the addiction she has stresses that.

Usually a heroine with an active addiction leaves me... ehh..But Cherry's reasons, or rather, how it started, allowed me not to focus so much on it. And what she uses it for.

But I'm curious about some characters.... Micajah Hawk. He seems so scrumptious.

[Britt Marczak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy whoa.

I had a difficult time getting into this book, but once I got past that stumbling block and really settled into the book, I could only hold on and go for the ride with Cherry.

And boy, was it a ride. The entire cast of characters is AMAZING and so very rich. I, for one, swoon for the sweet tooth, the other big bad collector. (What does that say about me? Moving on...)

I also swoon for Hawke. And the earl. And Teddy. OH FINE. I love them all, for different reasons.

The world is absolutely lovely - okay, it's absolutely horrible and miserable, but lovely for it. Karina's worldbuilding and description is thoroughly well done.

I was on the edge of my bed through the last half of the novel, and I am anticipating the second book in this series on tip toes.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, I wanted to like this a whole lot more than I did. The setting and rich descriptiveness of a steampunk London both below and above 'the drift' didn't make up for characters that felt shallow to me.

While we get quite a bit of background on Cherry herself the rest of the people who surround her were curiously underdeveloped. There isn't much romance to keep things humming and the nature of the relationships she does have with the men in her life were disappointing, well with one exception, but darnit was that almost predictable and uninspiring since I never got to know him well enough to feel something.

Good plot and setting will bring me back for the second book, Gilded, but I hope for 'more'.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the next book in this series, which I did read first. Deciding to go back and read the series through the beginning, I purchased this book. I just couldn't get into it. The first 1/2 moved very slowly and did actually pick up mid stream but now judging it by book #2 I'm giving Tarnished 3 stars. I'm definitely glad I read it because I got the back ground I didn't realize I was missing.

[Lorena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a little torn on this one. On the one hand, the prose is beyond purple. On the other hand, I think that may be an intentional homage to the gothic novels that clearly influenced this author. It was moderately entertaining, in any case, and I'll read the next in the series when it comes out.

[Angela]

9 June 2015: $3.49 on Kindle

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit macabre, a bit sexy. Looking forward to the second book (mostly because I HAVE to know if my guesses are right).

[J.L. Dobias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tarnished: The St. Croix Chronicles by Karina Cooper

I'm not one to twitter a lot but I got this suggestion from twitter and it looked like an interesting submission into the Steam-punk genre although as we see from the authors own self proclamation it is more Dark and Sexy Paranormal Romance and Historical Urban Fantasy. I was recently reading someone's blog in relation to Steam-punk being more Fantasy than Science Fiction because of the whole taking place in the past and being anachronistic in nature. And I would agree to an extent meaning that don't much like that they said that it was Fantasy Fiction, which just sort of ground me as being redundant since fiction is synonymous with fantasy and a number of other words relating to something that is not real.

Tarnished is definitely a book written for entertainment, but not for the faint of heart. This means both that it is both Dark and Sexy. So be prepared to get the blood pumping. What I enjoyed about this is the Dark because it extends evenly across the good and the bad. The main character Cherry St. Croix has a dark past. She's the daughter of a mad scientist whose parents died in a fire when she was a little girl. Though she stood to inherit she was shuttled off to an orphanage and then ends up working at a circus before her relatives catch up to her. By then she has been introduced to a number of seedy practices one of which is a Opium habit. Even now she uses it to get rid of her constant nightmares. But she's on a stipend until she reaches 21 so she finds herself doing the dirty work of a Collector to augment her fixed income so she can afford her habit.

Though Cherry doesn't sound like the best of characters she will surprise the reader as Karina Cooper makes her both believable and endearing in her struggles through the first half of the novel. There are many dark events ahead of Cherry and she will dig herself deeper into the darkness before she will see light. Rather than romance this book has some steamy sex but the context is rather dark so the bulk of the novel should be considered dark fantasy at best. It's quite well written with some well drawn and flawed characters with of course Cherry being the most Anachronistic thing in the the story; since her entire character defies the conventions of those times.

Still: this is a great story with a strong female protagonist who has quite a few demons under her belt for someone so young. A woman of the world who is still quite naive and will take a few knocks before she's willing to admit that. What is disappointing and what I would agree with others about is that the last portion of the book did not do Ms St. Croix any credit to her abilities. I could possibly chalk this one up to her heavy use of opium. Maybe in the next installment she will get smart and clean herself up.

I'm looking forward to the next installment as she continues her hunt for bounty as a collector.

Great Steam-Punk that's a bit on the darker side than even some of the other steam-punk I've read. Good for SFF fans who look toward the fantasy part.

J.L. Dobias

[Brittany Wouters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started off relatively typical(ish) for Victorian steampunk, and then we hit The Sex Scene and I went, "huh?"
Like, that came out of NOWHERE!! Holy dooley...who needs consent when an evil spirit's trying to possess your body, huh?
-twitch-
I also need to keep track of all the guys in her life:

1. Teddy, bff, could potentially like like her, discusses science and good stuff, would make a good beard if they wanted to give the whole marriage thing a go
2. The Earl...who appears, creates sparks, and then...leaves London with his brother...? Is there something going on with his brother then????? Questions need answering!!!
3. Mr who-needs-consent: interesting...I still don't know why the answer to a powder infecting your body requires orgasms to help relieve it, but there we go, what do I know about evil powders...
4. The sweet-tooth; playing cat and mouse games with her in the shadows, betraying her and then rescuing her...and leaving flowers, because nothing says slightly sinister romance like leaving flowers in weird places!

....man, that's a lot of men. There are at least women in this book, interesting women, all different (and bless her household, all of them- except her chaperone, I don't like Fanny).
I'm intrigued, I'll admit; it's an unusual premise for a series, and apart from Really Randomly Explicit Sex Scenes, it made a certain amount of sense. I'm looking forward to the next book!
She's got a debt to pay off, a shadow guy to find, an Earl to track down (or at least find out why he left London, coz that's weird), a brother owner to avoid, and a best friend to appease. All while hopefully taking less laudanum...? Coz that's problematic, especially for her health.

[jammaster_mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not your typical steampunk story....and I like it!

In this version of Victorian London the coal fog was so bad that those who could afford to raised their houses, even entire neighborhoods, up on stilts to where the air was clean. There is a very distinct separation between the "have's" and the "have not's". Cherry St. Croix has a foot in both worlds. She spent the formative years of her childhood in an orphanage and then as a pick pocket/circus performer. All that changed when the guardian of her parents estate found her and brought her to London about the drift. She is now biding her time until she is old enough to inherit the fortune left to her. She also works, on occasion, below the drift as a collector. She finds people and leaves them with those searching for them for a fee. This augments her allowance and allows her to keep up her less conventional skills.

This book does not follow the regular formula and I very much enjoyed that. There isn't black and white here but instead various shades of grey. Cherry is a drug addict through very interesting circumstances. I found it hard to like her and hard to dislike her at the same time. Her addiction dictates her life in a way that she is not fully aware of and the reason behind her dependence is very much woven into the fabric of the story. Cherry walks a very fine line between two worlds and she does not fit fully into either one. I am very interested to see where her adventures take her and to get the answers to some questions left open at the end of the book. I have some ideas as to who the sweet tooth is......I can't wait to see if I am correct.

[Dangerous Romance Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

My name is Cherry St. Croix. Society would claim that I am a well-heeled miss with an unfortunate familial reputation. They've no idea of the truth of it. In my secret world, I hunt down vagrants, thieves . . . and now, a murderer. For a monster stalks London's streets, leaving a trail of mystery and murder below the fog.

Eager for coin to fuel my infatuations, I must decide where my attentions will turn: to my daylight world, where my scientific mind sets me apart from respectable Society, or to the compelling domain of London below. Each has a man who has claimed my time as his—for good or for ill. Though as the corpses pile, and the treacherous waters of Society gossip churn, I am learning that each also has its dangers. One choice will see me cast from polite company . . . the other might just see me dead.

The world that Cooper has created is a fascinating, fun, and has an interesting if unbelievable twist on Victorian London.

Our Heroine, Cherry St. Croix, is the daughter of a scientific madman. Orphaned at a young age, she was forced to live in lower London, filled with crime; poverty, and black smog so thick, folks must wear goggles to see in it. Above, the wealthy have ratcheted up all the beautiful homes, businesses and museums, and they travel around in the clean air by way of steamship. I kept waiting for someone to fall off a front porch and drop 1000 feet below or something but it never happened.

When Cherry's parents died tragically when she was a child, she became a child of the streets; a theif, a circus performer, and unfortunately an opium addiction was forced upon her at a young age so the Fagin like leader of the gang of children could keep them in line. She was practically feral when she was rescued by her Guardian and she has been raised ever since by the staff at the beautiful home she lives in, and she tries to live up to their ideals. Her guardian is another mystery we have yet to solve as he is never around and she wouldn't recognize him if she saw him on the streets, despite the years that have gone by of her living in his home under his protection.

Now she is expected to live “above”, to have with manners and dignity, and to try to get society to forget that her father was a brilliant but crazed man, who invented many of the things the wealthy live by now, but who was not accepted socially. However, Cherry’s guardian, despite never being around, is accepted enough to get her invited to the high society balls that she attends with her best friend Teddy, an aristocrat's son. Teddy seems to find her scientific mind and beautiful face a fascinating puzzle, but doesn't appear to be in love with her, he is more of a brotherly type. Her staff desperately hope she will make a good match, if not with Teddy, then hopefully with one of his friends as he squires her around town. However there are some very large obstacles looming in the way.

Cherry is a girl with a lot of secrets. She has a terrible past, most of which she must keep secret or she won’t be accepted in polite society, of which even in a steampunk alternate reality of London, she still must abide by the strictures of Victorian society or risk being made a pariah. She has her secret opium addiction, forced on her as a child by the Fagen like man who ran the kids gang, as a way of keeping the children compliant. Having escaped this environment, the addiction is still with her however, forcing her to take risks that no woman from polite society would normally take. In order to fund her habit, she is forced to create an alternate persona.

By day, she is a respectable member of society, living in above London, wearing beautiful gowns and attending wealthy people’s society events, by night she is dressed like a man, wearing goggles so she can see in lower London’s smog and working as a bounty hunter. No one from either world can ever learn her secret or else her worlds will collide.

In the above life, there is a handsome Earl’s son who is starting to woe her, in the below world, there is Cage, a handsome dark secret of a man himself, who works for the largest gang in Below London, a Chinese Tong type gang that runs the prostitutes who work in Covent Garden and the Circus of which Cage is the Manager. Cage, on the surface, could seem like a monster given his lifestyle, but he is not a one dimensional character.

A murderer is killing prostitutes and her friends at the Garden, the soiled doves, have hired her to find the killer. In attempting to do this, Cherry is forced to take risks she has never taken before with both her identities, and winds up finding out things about her own past that shock and horrify her. The story has a lot of twists and turns. A stolen bounty, murdered informants, that lead her back to the man she wants to avoid at all costs. She knows Cage is dangerous but on this case, Cherry has gotten in over her head and needs his help.

I really enjoyed this book. It had so many loose ends it left me feeling a little frustrated so I had to read it again! Of course, I won’t be satisfied until the next book comes out but still…..Cherry has strange relationships with all the men in her life. Her best friend is a man of society who loves to talk science with her in the above world, but who may have secrets of his own. The other aristocrat who is interested in her, the Earl’s son seems to have mysterious motives, and Cage is a complete cypher…saving her over and over and yet keeping his distance emotionally. Oh and she might have a serial killer with a crush on her. It’s a fascinating, fun, steampunk of a ride. Hop on one of the Zepher’s and find out all about Cherry’s world. It is a place of Victorian society rules, scientific discoveries, urban fantasy magic, and clockworks galore. Cage is delicious. Also the book gets extra points for its "Saved by sex" scene alone.