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The Airship Racing Chronicles #1
Chasing the Star Garden
Chasing the Star Garden is a B.R.A.G. Medallion® recipient for excellence in writing.
Top 10 Finisher: Best Steampunk Novel of 2013, Preditors & Editors Reader's Poll
An opium-addicted beauty.
An infamous poet living in self-imposed exile.
An ancient treasure about to fall into the wrong hands.
London, 1823—It has been one of the worst days in Lily Stargazer's life. She just lost the London leg of the World Airship Grand Prix. To top it off, a harlequin fleeing from constables shoved a kaleidoscope down her pants, told her to fly to Venice, then threw himself from her airship tower. What’s a girl to do? For Lily, the answer is easy: drink absinthe and smoke opium.
Lily’s lover, Lord Byron, encourages her to make the trip to Venice. Lily soon finds herself at the heart of an ancient mystery which has her running from her past and chasing true love and the stars along the way.
*Adult novel. Due to depictions of drug use and steamy scenes, this novel is best suited for mature readers.
Top 10 Finisher: Best Steampunk Novel of 2013, Preditors & Editors Reader's Poll
An opium-addicted beauty.
An infamous poet living in self-imposed exile.
An ancient treasure about to fall into the wrong hands.
London, 1823—It has been one of the worst days in Lily Stargazer's life. She just lost the London leg of the World Airship Grand Prix. To top it off, a harlequin fleeing from constables shoved a kaleidoscope down her pants, told her to fly to Venice, then threw himself from her airship tower. What’s a girl to do? For Lily, the answer is easy: drink absinthe and smoke opium.
Lily’s lover, Lord Byron, encourages her to make the trip to Venice. Lily soon finds herself at the heart of an ancient mystery which has her running from her past and chasing true love and the stars along the way.
*Adult novel. Due to depictions of drug use and steamy scenes, this novel is best suited for mature readers.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 14, 2013
181 people are currently reading
3876 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Karsak
90 books1,704 followersNew York Times and USA Today best-selling historical fantasy author Melanie Karsak is the author of the Celtic Blood series, Steampunk Red Riding Hood, Steampunk Fairy Tales, the Road to Valhalla Series, and other works of fantasy and fiction. The author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
June 3, 2017
My mission to read novels outside of my usual "comfort zone" continues, this time with a steampunk-lite/romance/adventure flair. If I'm being completely honest, I actually can't remember how I stumbled across Chasing the Star Garden, but I definitely came away pleasantly surprised after finishing it. I just feel bad that it took me so LONG to actually finish it, which really is no fault of the novel or the author. Life just gets busy, and I can't always indulge in literary escapism.
But finish it I did, and while it wasn't a perfect read, I still rather enjoyed my first foray into a more romance themed steampunk tale. I've actually had a mild love affair with steampunk since a little computer game called Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura was released back in 2001. And while it took a very long time to actually catch, I'm rather excited to see steampunk becoming more of a mainstream genre. It must be noted, however, that the steampunk elements that are here are rather understated, and serve only as a backdrop to the adventure and character interaction.
And despite the fantastical trappings surrounding the tale, character interaction is certainly the main draw here, as our protagonist Lily Stargazer is an engaging, albeit flawed, POV character who orbits, or is orbited by, other interesting personalities. As an airship racer, she's definitely ahead of her time, becoming rather successful in a very male dominated sport. And she's certainly no shrinking violet, as she regularly frequents dens of ill repute, and is no stranger to the occasional scuffle. As our only POV character, it's up to Lily to carry the tale, and I feel she's written well enough that she manages that feat. Because while she is capable and brash, confident and social, she is also damaged and an addict, frequently under the influence of laudanum, opium, or both. And while I've never had any hefty addictions like those, I found I could still relate to her well enough. There were parts of her backstory that were slightly murky, but the rest is well defined and gives some insight into what motivates her. It's too easy these days to find main characters that are "too perfect", and fortunately Lily doesn't fall into that category.
As for the supporting cast, they are varied bunch, though only a few get any particularly significant page time. From fellow airship racers to mechanics and tinkers, from aristocrats to courtesans, from spies to assassins, Lily has no lack of interesting people to interact with. She even consorts with the great Lord Byron himself, though their relationship is rather...unique. But make no mistake, this is Lily's tale through and through.
Sadly, the antagonists of the story are a nebulous, faceless "they", so the peril and drama that our heroine finds herself in is somewhat subdued. In fact, because of her frequently inebriated/high state, a few of the encounters probably could have been avoided entirely (still, the book does drive home the dangers of being so disconnected from reality). In fact, on the villain side, we get more traction and menace from the villains from Lily's past (seen when she reminisces) than we ever do from the henchmen she faces on her adventure.
For me, the thing that really held this title back from true greatness is tone and a hard to pin down identity. It starts out as a bit of a smutty steampunk period-piece withan airship race, before becoming a mystery with myriad chase scenes, then finally settling into an "Indiana Jones" style adventure with a dose of romance, some quick history lessons, and very VERY subtle supernatural undertones. It felt a little disjointed, and I was never really sure what to expect next. The smut certainly doesn't last long, and is pretty tame. Especially since the last bit of smut I read was tentacle-themed nun erotica. As for the technology aspect, much of the cool stuff is relegated to only a few sentences, which was rather frustrating when Lily & co came across some rather amazing inventions that barely get elaborated on.
The airship scenes are handled effectively, though I wish there were more of them. For a series called The Airship Racing Chronicles, you'd think there'd be more, I don't know, airship races? Same with the action scenes, which have a lot of promise but never quite achieve the greatness they could have. In fact, most of the action moments come and go in just a few pages, which is a shame. As for the romance, it's really not my thing, but while I didn't really buy into the burgeoning love between Lily and her suitor, I didn't feel that the romance was particularly mishandled either. It's just not my thing, and really did nothing for me.
I do like the fact that Lily changes as a person, becoming more aware of who she is and what she wants, while seeing the negative impacts on her life and career that her addictions were causing. I always like it when a book character "learns" something, as it makes the story that much more satisfying for me. Especially since it seems organic here, and not something that the author shoehorned in to make a happy ending.
So...would I read the sequel Chasing the Green Fairy? Yes, I think I will at some point down the road. However, there are numerous other books clamoring for my attention, including one that I need to read for my local book club. So it'll likely be a while.
But finish it I did, and while it wasn't a perfect read, I still rather enjoyed my first foray into a more romance themed steampunk tale. I've actually had a mild love affair with steampunk since a little computer game called Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura was released back in 2001. And while it took a very long time to actually catch, I'm rather excited to see steampunk becoming more of a mainstream genre. It must be noted, however, that the steampunk elements that are here are rather understated, and serve only as a backdrop to the adventure and character interaction.
And despite the fantastical trappings surrounding the tale, character interaction is certainly the main draw here, as our protagonist Lily Stargazer is an engaging, albeit flawed, POV character who orbits, or is orbited by, other interesting personalities. As an airship racer, she's definitely ahead of her time, becoming rather successful in a very male dominated sport. And she's certainly no shrinking violet, as she regularly frequents dens of ill repute, and is no stranger to the occasional scuffle. As our only POV character, it's up to Lily to carry the tale, and I feel she's written well enough that she manages that feat. Because while she is capable and brash, confident and social, she is also damaged and an addict, frequently under the influence of laudanum, opium, or both. And while I've never had any hefty addictions like those, I found I could still relate to her well enough. There were parts of her backstory that were slightly murky, but the rest is well defined and gives some insight into what motivates her. It's too easy these days to find main characters that are "too perfect", and fortunately Lily doesn't fall into that category.
As for the supporting cast, they are varied bunch, though only a few get any particularly significant page time. From fellow airship racers to mechanics and tinkers, from aristocrats to courtesans, from spies to assassins, Lily has no lack of interesting people to interact with. She even consorts with the great Lord Byron himself, though their relationship is rather...unique. But make no mistake, this is Lily's tale through and through.
Sadly, the antagonists of the story are a nebulous, faceless "they", so the peril and drama that our heroine finds herself in is somewhat subdued. In fact, because of her frequently inebriated/high state, a few of the encounters probably could have been avoided entirely (still, the book does drive home the dangers of being so disconnected from reality). In fact, on the villain side, we get more traction and menace from the villains from Lily's past (seen when she reminisces) than we ever do from the henchmen she faces on her adventure.
For me, the thing that really held this title back from true greatness is tone and a hard to pin down identity. It starts out as a bit of a smutty steampunk period-piece withan airship race, before becoming a mystery with myriad chase scenes, then finally settling into an "Indiana Jones" style adventure with a dose of romance, some quick history lessons, and very VERY subtle supernatural undertones. It felt a little disjointed, and I was never really sure what to expect next. The smut certainly doesn't last long, and is pretty tame. Especially since the last bit of smut I read was tentacle-themed nun erotica. As for the technology aspect, much of the cool stuff is relegated to only a few sentences, which was rather frustrating when Lily & co came across some rather amazing inventions that barely get elaborated on.
The airship scenes are handled effectively, though I wish there were more of them. For a series called The Airship Racing Chronicles, you'd think there'd be more, I don't know, airship races? Same with the action scenes, which have a lot of promise but never quite achieve the greatness they could have. In fact, most of the action moments come and go in just a few pages, which is a shame. As for the romance, it's really not my thing, but while I didn't really buy into the burgeoning love between Lily and her suitor, I didn't feel that the romance was particularly mishandled either. It's just not my thing, and really did nothing for me.
I do like the fact that Lily changes as a person, becoming more aware of who she is and what she wants, while seeing the negative impacts on her life and career that her addictions were causing. I always like it when a book character "learns" something, as it makes the story that much more satisfying for me. Especially since it seems organic here, and not something that the author shoehorned in to make a happy ending.
So...would I read the sequel Chasing the Green Fairy? Yes, I think I will at some point down the road. However, there are numerous other books clamoring for my attention, including one that I need to read for my local book club. So it'll likely be a while.
June 18, 2014
The steampunk adventure books that I have enjoyed in the past seem to fall into certain categories. There are the ones with fantastic world building and characters that I was emotionally invested in (like The Iron Duke and The Greyfriar), and the ones that are quirky and just plain fun (Soulless and The Friday Society), and then there’s the special ones that are all of those things (The Emperor's Edge series).
This book falls in zero of those categories.
The potential of this story kinda pisses me off. There’s a mystery, adventure, and romance! And the heroine - what a heroine! She’s a reckless world-famous airship racer with a drug problem; she has a dark past but isn’t overly angsty about it. I was totally on board with this and thinking that this is just the kind of flawed heroine I want to read about, who has tons of room for interesting character growth who I can have fun with along the way.
I don’t really know how else to describe how I felt about this except to say that it felt like this book was just “going through the motions.” It threw all kinds of things at me that seemed like cool ideas, but the execution of it fell completely flat. I never became emotionally invested in any of the characters, I wasn’t intrigued by the mystery, and the romance felt like it was thrown in just so that it would be there. This book bored me and I don’t like to be bored SO I didn’t like this book. A big ole pass for me on the sequel.
This book falls in zero of those categories.
The potential of this story kinda pisses me off. There’s a mystery, adventure, and romance! And the heroine - what a heroine! She’s a reckless world-famous airship racer with a drug problem; she has a dark past but isn’t overly angsty about it. I was totally on board with this and thinking that this is just the kind of flawed heroine I want to read about, who has tons of room for interesting character growth who I can have fun with along the way.
I don’t really know how else to describe how I felt about this except to say that it felt like this book was just “going through the motions.” It threw all kinds of things at me that seemed like cool ideas, but the execution of it fell completely flat. I never became emotionally invested in any of the characters, I wasn’t intrigued by the mystery, and the romance felt like it was thrown in just so that it would be there. This book bored me and I don’t like to be bored SO I didn’t like this book. A big ole pass for me on the sequel.
March 18, 2014
Listed under science fiction/steampunk and romance is this wonderful adventure/mystery/romance.
It is about Lily. Lily is a beauty. The book starts out as she is racing the British airship with her crew. She is full of adventure, lovers, opium addicted, and she has a calling. To be the best at airship racing. But in the meantime, she finds herself after a race with a man dressed up as a harlequin fleeing from constables who shoves a kaleidoscope down her pants and tells her to fly to Venice, then throws himself from her airship tower to his death. This is just the start of the long and crazy journey for Lily Stargazer.
Once she has this treasure, her and her lovers take turns helping her find out what it is and what it will lead her too. What she finds out will lead her on a wild adventure that you would never dream of with all of the excitement you could want and all of the romance you could want too.
Lily, the famous airship racer with the famous lover and now, being sought after by bad men for her famous treasure. Take a ride with her as she helps someone else figure out their past while escaping hers.
This book takes place in the early 1800's. There is a lot of drug use. But there is a point to it as I see it. It does not make Lily a bad person.
As she gets ready to make her amazing trip to Venice, and start her wild adventure, she has to find out what is in her heart - who her true love is. And this adventure helps her do that and you would not believe how.
I loved the excitement of this book. I loved the pace and the writing in general. I was not fond of the title but it is revealed why it is called what it is later in the book and then it is an ahhh... moment. At least it was for me. I really enjoyed this book. I am not much of an adventure reader although I read all genres so for me, this was breathtaking and so wonderful to read. I highly recommend it.
It is about Lily. Lily is a beauty. The book starts out as she is racing the British airship with her crew. She is full of adventure, lovers, opium addicted, and she has a calling. To be the best at airship racing. But in the meantime, she finds herself after a race with a man dressed up as a harlequin fleeing from constables who shoves a kaleidoscope down her pants and tells her to fly to Venice, then throws himself from her airship tower to his death. This is just the start of the long and crazy journey for Lily Stargazer.
Once she has this treasure, her and her lovers take turns helping her find out what it is and what it will lead her too. What she finds out will lead her on a wild adventure that you would never dream of with all of the excitement you could want and all of the romance you could want too.
Lily, the famous airship racer with the famous lover and now, being sought after by bad men for her famous treasure. Take a ride with her as she helps someone else figure out their past while escaping hers.
This book takes place in the early 1800's. There is a lot of drug use. But there is a point to it as I see it. It does not make Lily a bad person.
As she gets ready to make her amazing trip to Venice, and start her wild adventure, she has to find out what is in her heart - who her true love is. And this adventure helps her do that and you would not believe how.
I loved the excitement of this book. I loved the pace and the writing in general. I was not fond of the title but it is revealed why it is called what it is later in the book and then it is an ahhh... moment. At least it was for me. I really enjoyed this book. I am not much of an adventure reader although I read all genres so for me, this was breathtaking and so wonderful to read. I highly recommend it.
February 13, 2014
Hah! Lily is such a mess, my dear reader! She drinks too much absinthe, smokes way too much opium and doesn't know what to do with her love life. At the same time she is refreshing as hell, and I can't help but have a weakness for flawed heroines like her (Cherry from Karina Cooper's steampunk series comes to mind, and I'm not even mentioning Chess from Downside Ghosts series by Stacia Kane).
Her love life is also spicy. She's got freaking Lord Byron himself as her friend and caring lover (slightly rough BDSM relationship) and an older Italian tinkerer Sal who genuinely loves her and ends up going on adventure with our heroine in this book. I personally rooted for Byron, but it was a tough competition, peeps.
Lily is an airship captain, a very talented and reckless one, full of adventurous spirit and favoured by the skies. When she comes second in a London race, a clown from cheering crowd shoves a strange kaleidoscope in her hands, urges her to go to Venice, and then plunges to his death.
Intrigued, spooked and mostly inebriated, Lily shares the tale with Lord Byron, who suggests to her to go to Venice and supplies her with funds to do so. Lily's instincts are not wrong though because once in Venice, she finds out about her family ties to a mysterious ancient cult and is charged with a mission to save their relic from greedy hands of English collectors who will try their damnedest to find and destroy our heroine in the meantime.
Expect spirited adventure, gadgetry and lots of trouble. Innovative and enjoyable read, and very much recommended to all lovers of steampunk fantasy.
Her love life is also spicy. She's got freaking Lord Byron himself as her friend and caring lover (slightly rough BDSM relationship) and an older Italian tinkerer Sal who genuinely loves her and ends up going on adventure with our heroine in this book. I personally rooted for Byron, but it was a tough competition, peeps.
Lily is an airship captain, a very talented and reckless one, full of adventurous spirit and favoured by the skies. When she comes second in a London race, a clown from cheering crowd shoves a strange kaleidoscope in her hands, urges her to go to Venice, and then plunges to his death.
Intrigued, spooked and mostly inebriated, Lily shares the tale with Lord Byron, who suggests to her to go to Venice and supplies her with funds to do so. Lily's instincts are not wrong though because once in Venice, she finds out about her family ties to a mysterious ancient cult and is charged with a mission to save their relic from greedy hands of English collectors who will try their damnedest to find and destroy our heroine in the meantime.
Expect spirited adventure, gadgetry and lots of trouble. Innovative and enjoyable read, and very much recommended to all lovers of steampunk fantasy.
February 10, 2014
The first in the Airship Racing Chronicles, Chasing the Star Garden, is a steampunk fantasy featuring an opium eating heroine and an ancient treasure linked to the Greek Gods. Mini review: A thrilling adventure that is imaginative, and enthralling.
We meet Lily Stargazer and her airship team as they fly over London in an epic race against other airships during the last leg of the 1823 Airship Grand Prix. Sadly, they take second place, but on the platform a strange man fleeing the police runs up to her and shoves of all things a kaleidoscope down her pants and whispers, “fly to Venice” and then propels himself over the side of the platform to meet his untimely death. Now people are looking for the kaleidoscope and Lily is about to begin an epic adventure. Along the way, she will face her fears, and discover something about her past. My friends hold on because it is quite the ride.
Lily Stargazer is unique and unlikely heroine. She has moxy and is one heck of a pilot but the girl has some serious issues. To dull the pain of nightmares she has turned to a popular drugs of this time period; opium and absinthe. It has a hold on her and at one point I found myself concerned about her bathing habits of all things. Karsak did an amazing job with her as a character. I was on the fence about Lily in the beginning as the author exposed the weaker side of our heroine. But, then she peeled back Lily’s layers, revealing her kick-ass side, her spirit and her fierce loyalty. You cannot help but like Lily, and I became her champion. Lily sees tremendous growth throughout the novel, and it added an incredible depth to an already splendid tale. Lord Byron (yes thee Lord Byron ) is Lily’s sponsor for the airship races and her lover which was all quite interesting. There is also a tinkerer named Sal who lily enjoys romps with. Sal is handsome, soft-spoken and intelligent. I came to adore this tall dark and handsome Greek. Secondary characters and those from Lily’s past added depth, humor and even horror to the tale.
Chasing the Star Garden was a captivating tale from the complex characters to the breathtaking world-building. Karsak’s writing has a flow and ease to it that allows the reader to slip into the worlds she creates. She made the steampunk elements of the tale spring to life as we flew from London to Venice. She threads mythology into the mysterious adventure of the kaleidoscope and cleverly wove our heroine’s past into the details. The blurb on the back of the book says, “Dan Brown meets Mary Shelley” and I think that is an apt description. As the author peels back Lily’s layers we see flashbacks to Lily’s childhood and every time Lily went back I was both horrified and captivated. These were done seamlessly and only strengthened my feelings for Lily. There is a romance that is intertwined with the tale that felt genuine. The tale has dark moments from the dark opium dens to passions which the author realistically portrayed from the character’s experience to the den’s themselves. The ending wrapped things up nicely, and I look forward to the next adventure.
Copy received from publisher in exchange for unbiased review that originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
We meet Lily Stargazer and her airship team as they fly over London in an epic race against other airships during the last leg of the 1823 Airship Grand Prix. Sadly, they take second place, but on the platform a strange man fleeing the police runs up to her and shoves of all things a kaleidoscope down her pants and whispers, “fly to Venice” and then propels himself over the side of the platform to meet his untimely death. Now people are looking for the kaleidoscope and Lily is about to begin an epic adventure. Along the way, she will face her fears, and discover something about her past. My friends hold on because it is quite the ride.
Lily Stargazer is unique and unlikely heroine. She has moxy and is one heck of a pilot but the girl has some serious issues. To dull the pain of nightmares she has turned to a popular drugs of this time period; opium and absinthe. It has a hold on her and at one point I found myself concerned about her bathing habits of all things. Karsak did an amazing job with her as a character. I was on the fence about Lily in the beginning as the author exposed the weaker side of our heroine. But, then she peeled back Lily’s layers, revealing her kick-ass side, her spirit and her fierce loyalty. You cannot help but like Lily, and I became her champion. Lily sees tremendous growth throughout the novel, and it added an incredible depth to an already splendid tale. Lord Byron (yes thee Lord Byron ) is Lily’s sponsor for the airship races and her lover which was all quite interesting. There is also a tinkerer named Sal who lily enjoys romps with. Sal is handsome, soft-spoken and intelligent. I came to adore this tall dark and handsome Greek. Secondary characters and those from Lily’s past added depth, humor and even horror to the tale.
Chasing the Star Garden was a captivating tale from the complex characters to the breathtaking world-building. Karsak’s writing has a flow and ease to it that allows the reader to slip into the worlds she creates. She made the steampunk elements of the tale spring to life as we flew from London to Venice. She threads mythology into the mysterious adventure of the kaleidoscope and cleverly wove our heroine’s past into the details. The blurb on the back of the book says, “Dan Brown meets Mary Shelley” and I think that is an apt description. As the author peels back Lily’s layers we see flashbacks to Lily’s childhood and every time Lily went back I was both horrified and captivated. These were done seamlessly and only strengthened my feelings for Lily. There is a romance that is intertwined with the tale that felt genuine. The tale has dark moments from the dark opium dens to passions which the author realistically portrayed from the character’s experience to the den’s themselves. The ending wrapped things up nicely, and I look forward to the next adventure.
Copy received from publisher in exchange for unbiased review that originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
July 5, 2020
A steampunk tale with an opium-eating airship racer female lead who gets embroiled in an ancient Greek mystery while banging both Lord Byron and a handsome tinker?
Sign me up!
Unfortunately, this story turned out to be composed of awkwardly placed flashbacks with the imminent threat of rape in EVERY SINGLE ONE, moments that were supposed to be sexy but were instead awkward and cringe-y, and an unbearably unlikable heroine.
Also, what was that lame-ass ending?
Sign me up!
Unfortunately, this story turned out to be composed of awkwardly placed flashbacks with the imminent threat of rape in EVERY SINGLE ONE, moments that were supposed to be sexy but were instead awkward and cringe-y, and an unbearably unlikable heroine.
Also, what was that lame-ass ending?
December 4, 2013
Happy release day!
Did you read the synopsis up there? Good, because it sums up this book to a tee. There’s nothing more I can add without potentially giving away too much. Buckle your seat belts and prepare for the ride of your life. Chasing the Star Garden begins with drama, action and mystery that gripped me and never let go.
I had the privilege of beta reading this book for Melanie and I’ve been holding in my thoughts for quite some time now. Too long, in fact. It’s not been an easy task. Now, when I’m given the opportunity to shout my thoughts from the rooftop, mere words don’t seem adequate to explain how truly brilliant this story is. An angel should be sent down from Heaven to pimp this book, not having a simple blogger like myself write about it. Yeah, that’s really how I feel.
The story is so incredibly captivating and vivid. Melanie’s debut novel, The Harvesting, took my breath away and I wondered how she would be able to top it. Don’t get me wrong, I expected Chasing the Star Garden to be remarkable, but never did I imagine it would be even more imaginative and mind blowing. I read this book prior to the cover reveal and when I was finally blessed with a peek at the cover I was amazed by how perfectly it portrayed what I saw in my own imagination. Nothing like that has ever happened to me before.
Lily Stargazer is the main character of all main characters. While readers may not necessarily relate to her in some ways – drinking absinthe and smoking opium, for one – she is so incredibly engaging and real that it’s impossible not to adore her. She’s broken, but brave. She’s determined, and ready to take on the world.. and she literally does.
Chasing the Star Garden has a bit of everything for everyone; action, mystery, romance, sex, drugs and of course, airships! If this story was turned into a movie I would gladly pay twice the normal admission and camp out overnight to get tickets. Everyone should own a copy of Chasing the Star Garden, unless you’re one of those folks that doesn’t like to be thoroughly entertained.
Did you read the synopsis up there? Good, because it sums up this book to a tee. There’s nothing more I can add without potentially giving away too much. Buckle your seat belts and prepare for the ride of your life. Chasing the Star Garden begins with drama, action and mystery that gripped me and never let go.
I had the privilege of beta reading this book for Melanie and I’ve been holding in my thoughts for quite some time now. Too long, in fact. It’s not been an easy task. Now, when I’m given the opportunity to shout my thoughts from the rooftop, mere words don’t seem adequate to explain how truly brilliant this story is. An angel should be sent down from Heaven to pimp this book, not having a simple blogger like myself write about it. Yeah, that’s really how I feel.
The story is so incredibly captivating and vivid. Melanie’s debut novel, The Harvesting, took my breath away and I wondered how she would be able to top it. Don’t get me wrong, I expected Chasing the Star Garden to be remarkable, but never did I imagine it would be even more imaginative and mind blowing. I read this book prior to the cover reveal and when I was finally blessed with a peek at the cover I was amazed by how perfectly it portrayed what I saw in my own imagination. Nothing like that has ever happened to me before.
Lily Stargazer is the main character of all main characters. While readers may not necessarily relate to her in some ways – drinking absinthe and smoking opium, for one – she is so incredibly engaging and real that it’s impossible not to adore her. She’s broken, but brave. She’s determined, and ready to take on the world.. and she literally does.
Chasing the Star Garden has a bit of everything for everyone; action, mystery, romance, sex, drugs and of course, airships! If this story was turned into a movie I would gladly pay twice the normal admission and camp out overnight to get tickets. Everyone should own a copy of Chasing the Star Garden, unless you’re one of those folks that doesn’t like to be thoroughly entertained.
March 24, 2014
Rating 4.5 / 5 stars
Chasing the Star Garden surprised me. It is not what I expected - not that I really knew what to expect!
Characters: 4 / 5
Melanie creates interesting and unusual characters. The story starts off with Lily and her crew racing in the Airship Grand Prix. After the race a man dressed as a harlequin delivers Lily a message, and then commits suicide by jumping off the side of the ship - What a way to start a story.
Lily - Lily is an unusual heroine. I like her and absolutely love her name 'Lily Stargazer'. She doesn't pretend to be anything she is not. She is a bit loose and carefree but mostly in control - when she isn't high on opium. Her character is very interesting and she has a sad childhood history. I enjoy her journey in the book and the way it all came together throughout the story.
Lord Byron - I liked him from the beginning - a high profile Lord from Britain. He is one of Lily's lovers and 'sponsors' her trip to Venice. Byron is one of those characters that surprises you and makes your heart swell.
Sal - What an interesting and likable character. He is Lily's other lover. The more you see of him, the more you love him. Sal's love for Lily is beautiful and he is a man filled with tender moments.
Plot, Pace, Writing style: 4.5/5
I enjoyed the clues Melanie drops throughout the book. The plot is interesting and unique. At parts the pace was a bit slow, but on the whole it kept a moderate pace. It felt like an exciting treasure hunt. I loved how the title of the book tied in to the story - it really was such a beautiful 'A-ha' moment. I would say it was a good read for most of it, but the last 5 chapters really made it for me. The story really does tie up with a bang!
Cover talk: 5/5 I really loved this cover, it is beautiful and intriguing.
Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed this steampunk fantasy read and cannot wait to see where Melanie takes it in the next book 'Chasing the Green Fairy.'
Chasing the Star Garden surprised me. It is not what I expected - not that I really knew what to expect!
Characters: 4 / 5
Melanie creates interesting and unusual characters. The story starts off with Lily and her crew racing in the Airship Grand Prix. After the race a man dressed as a harlequin delivers Lily a message, and then commits suicide by jumping off the side of the ship - What a way to start a story.
Lily - Lily is an unusual heroine. I like her and absolutely love her name 'Lily Stargazer'. She doesn't pretend to be anything she is not. She is a bit loose and carefree but mostly in control - when she isn't high on opium. Her character is very interesting and she has a sad childhood history. I enjoy her journey in the book and the way it all came together throughout the story.
Lord Byron - I liked him from the beginning - a high profile Lord from Britain. He is one of Lily's lovers and 'sponsors' her trip to Venice. Byron is one of those characters that surprises you and makes your heart swell.
Sal - What an interesting and likable character. He is Lily's other lover. The more you see of him, the more you love him. Sal's love for Lily is beautiful and he is a man filled with tender moments.
Plot, Pace, Writing style: 4.5/5
I enjoyed the clues Melanie drops throughout the book. The plot is interesting and unique. At parts the pace was a bit slow, but on the whole it kept a moderate pace. It felt like an exciting treasure hunt. I loved how the title of the book tied in to the story - it really was such a beautiful 'A-ha' moment. I would say it was a good read for most of it, but the last 5 chapters really made it for me. The story really does tie up with a bang!
Cover talk: 5/5 I really loved this cover, it is beautiful and intriguing.
Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed this steampunk fantasy read and cannot wait to see where Melanie takes it in the next book 'Chasing the Green Fairy.'
September 9, 2018
This is probably more of a 2.5 but I decided to round down because I just wasn't really feeling it. There's a decent enough 'follow the clues and find the ancient artifact' plot but it's squeezed in between our heroine worrying about whether she should be with Lord Byron or this other dude she likes, awkward sex scenes for me to skim, and flashbacks that almost all include either attempted sexual assault or outright rape. There's nothing necessarily wrong with any of those things but I try to avoid romantic drama and rape in the books I read so it definitely made the whole thing a lot less enjoyable for me. I'm hoping this author's Harvesting series is a bit better than this because I actually ended up buying the whole thing when it was on sale for 99c the other day.
July 11, 2015
Wonderful adventure!
April 7, 2023
I liked this book.
I have read the author's previous work and she likes a touch of fantasy, so at times visions etc, in this book this is touched on through her drug taking.
During a dosed up time, she has hallucinations and dreamlike events, which could be foresight or warnings.
The author also in previous work has the heroine have several love interests through the course of her life or lovers or even husbands so if you are a One Hero to One heroine reader this might not suit you.
At the start she is intimate with Lord Byron, this is during a drug induced state so the description becomes vague.
They have a casual hookup style relationship, he is with many women as he travels.
They are both damaged characters so it suits them to be this way.
The heroine ends up travelling with Sal, her friend, occasional lover and their relationship becomes more.
There is a brief separation due to a misunderstanding but they end on a HFN happy together.
I have read the author's previous work and she likes a touch of fantasy, so at times visions etc, in this book this is touched on through her drug taking.
During a dosed up time, she has hallucinations and dreamlike events, which could be foresight or warnings.
The author also in previous work has the heroine have several love interests through the course of her life or lovers or even husbands so if you are a One Hero to One heroine reader this might not suit you.
At the start she is intimate with Lord Byron, this is during a drug induced state so the description becomes vague.
They have a casual hookup style relationship, he is with many women as he travels.
They are both damaged characters so it suits them to be this way.
The heroine ends up travelling with Sal, her friend, occasional lover and their relationship becomes more.
There is a brief separation due to a misunderstanding but they end on a HFN happy together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2018
A beautifully written story set in Karsak's steampunk fairytale universe - fast paced and action packed. I love how the character develops though I'm surprised she hasn't managed to catch some funky disease yet.
November 17, 2021
3.5 rtc
I really like Sal! So sweet
I really like Sal! So sweet
December 4, 2013
Lily Stargazer is an unforgettable anti-heroine. She was an orphan with a troubled past that has made her tough and talented, but has left her drowning in drug addiction and debauchery to ease her pain. But when a silent Harlequin stuffs an object down her pants and leaps to his death, it sets in motion an adventure that will make Lily face the ghosts of her past in order to see the love that has been waiting at her fingertips.
Her story takes us on a tour of Europe and the Mediterranean by way of airship. There are sky pirates and fortune hunters who join the ghosts of her past in pursuit of her. An interesting band of characters surround her, from a tinkerer to a temple "prostitute" to a warrior poet.
I actually "read" this book entirely by audio in my car on a long trip - there and back again (it's not a short read). But I was so immersed in the world the author built that it was a good thing that I was following another car the whole time, or I might have missed an exit and gotten lost... The author's use of setting and costumes build a world that the reader can see, hear, and touch. As a reader of clean fiction, I'd have to rate this book "R" for drug use and sexual situations. But, this is a very good story with a great character arc. It's inspiring, charming, and keeps you thinking about the characters long after you've set it aside. This book is easily a stand alone with a TREMENDOUS and complete feel in the end, although the author promises more!
Interesting side note
...I googled "Chasing the Star Garden" and "Youtube" and was treated with this:
She Walks in Beauty by Lord Byron
...what's awesome, is that Lord Byron is a character in the book ~ and his description here could easily fit Lily Stargazer. :)
Her story takes us on a tour of Europe and the Mediterranean by way of airship. There are sky pirates and fortune hunters who join the ghosts of her past in pursuit of her. An interesting band of characters surround her, from a tinkerer to a temple "prostitute" to a warrior poet.
I actually "read" this book entirely by audio in my car on a long trip - there and back again (it's not a short read). But I was so immersed in the world the author built that it was a good thing that I was following another car the whole time, or I might have missed an exit and gotten lost... The author's use of setting and costumes build a world that the reader can see, hear, and touch. As a reader of clean fiction, I'd have to rate this book "R" for drug use and sexual situations. But, this is a very good story with a great character arc. It's inspiring, charming, and keeps you thinking about the characters long after you've set it aside. This book is easily a stand alone with a TREMENDOUS and complete feel in the end, although the author promises more!
Interesting side note
...I googled "Chasing the Star Garden" and "Youtube" and was treated with this:
She Walks in Beauty by Lord Byron
...what's awesome, is that Lord Byron is a character in the book ~ and his description here could easily fit Lily Stargazer. :)
February 26, 2014
I’ll tell you what… Chasing the Star Garden is a thrilling ride!! The best way for me to describe it is that it is a mix between the movies National Treasure and Indiana Jones, but in this particular story we travel by hot air-balloon ships.
The story is told from Lily’s POV and she is a character that I really enjoyed reading about!! She has lived through a lot of hard times but appears to be doing ok for herself. On this journey we discover how deep her hurt goes and come to realise how strong she is because of it. She has her little habits and a few fellas on the side, but once she is determined to do something, she is focused until the end.
I enjoyed the world building of this story; learning the cities and customs, how to look for the things you needed in the markets and taverns. The thrill of unravelling the particular quest that Lily finds herself wrapped up in was exhilarating as well. She is on an expedition to find an ancient artefact before it falls into the wrong hands. She takes her crew along for the ride, with the support of her two favourite men, and soon is thrust into danger while unravelling the mystery.
This is the second book of Melanie Karsak’s and again I was left speechless as to how good it was. She has built an amazing and complex world and wove a beautiful story into it. I was constantly flipping the pages as I was caught up in the excitement on the story, wanting to know more as soon as possible. The characters were great to read about and easy to connect to. If you are looking for an electrifying read, with an ancient/steampunk feel, with a few saucy scenes thrown in, this is the one for you!! You will not regret it!!
I received a copy of this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review.
The story is told from Lily’s POV and she is a character that I really enjoyed reading about!! She has lived through a lot of hard times but appears to be doing ok for herself. On this journey we discover how deep her hurt goes and come to realise how strong she is because of it. She has her little habits and a few fellas on the side, but once she is determined to do something, she is focused until the end.
I enjoyed the world building of this story; learning the cities and customs, how to look for the things you needed in the markets and taverns. The thrill of unravelling the particular quest that Lily finds herself wrapped up in was exhilarating as well. She is on an expedition to find an ancient artefact before it falls into the wrong hands. She takes her crew along for the ride, with the support of her two favourite men, and soon is thrust into danger while unravelling the mystery.
This is the second book of Melanie Karsak’s and again I was left speechless as to how good it was. She has built an amazing and complex world and wove a beautiful story into it. I was constantly flipping the pages as I was caught up in the excitement on the story, wanting to know more as soon as possible. The characters were great to read about and easy to connect to. If you are looking for an electrifying read, with an ancient/steampunk feel, with a few saucy scenes thrown in, this is the one for you!! You will not regret it!!
I received a copy of this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review.
December 5, 2013
If it’s at all possible to believe, I wouldn’t change a single thing about this book (except maybe that there was MORE). It’s so rare to find a book that fits my mood exactly, but this book was my idea of perfection, and I can’t wait for the series to continue!
Lily Stargazer is not your typical protagonist. She is an opium eater, absinthe drinker, tomboy airship pilot, all within a historical London steampunk setting. Her childhood is revealed slowly throughout the book, one piece of the puzzle at a time, allowing the reader to learn and care about Lily. I sympathized with her at every step of the way. The secondary characters were no less fascinating, from the “madame” Celeste, to the mechanical tinker Sal. I loved Lily’s airship crew so much that I was disappointed they weren’t in more scenes! Maybe in the next book?
Melanie has a crisp, clean writing style, that easily draws a reader in. She paints a vivid scene without poetic metaphors or unnecessary flourishes. And somewhere between the mystery and intrigue, Melanie did a lot of research! I was constantly drawn to delve into history to learn about the fact behind the fiction (I may or may not have learned more from this book than in my high school history class). The story is so complex, with a steady trail of clues leading us on. It’s impossible not to follow!
I highly recommend this book for fans of ANY genre. Historical fiction? Check. Mystery? Check. Action/Adventure? Yup. Even Romance! There is mature content so I won’t recommend it to younger readers, but other than that, your excuses are invalid. Go read it.
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Lily Stargazer is not your typical protagonist. She is an opium eater, absinthe drinker, tomboy airship pilot, all within a historical London steampunk setting. Her childhood is revealed slowly throughout the book, one piece of the puzzle at a time, allowing the reader to learn and care about Lily. I sympathized with her at every step of the way. The secondary characters were no less fascinating, from the “madame” Celeste, to the mechanical tinker Sal. I loved Lily’s airship crew so much that I was disappointed they weren’t in more scenes! Maybe in the next book?
Melanie has a crisp, clean writing style, that easily draws a reader in. She paints a vivid scene without poetic metaphors or unnecessary flourishes. And somewhere between the mystery and intrigue, Melanie did a lot of research! I was constantly drawn to delve into history to learn about the fact behind the fiction (I may or may not have learned more from this book than in my high school history class). The story is so complex, with a steady trail of clues leading us on. It’s impossible not to follow!
I highly recommend this book for fans of ANY genre. Historical fiction? Check. Mystery? Check. Action/Adventure? Yup. Even Romance! There is mature content so I won’t recommend it to younger readers, but other than that, your excuses are invalid. Go read it.
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
August 4, 2014
Review also posted at Ja čitam, a ti?
This was one of those books I kept seeing around and every time the cover really blew me away. So you can only imagine my happiness when this book appeared free on Amazon. I grabbed it right away and jumped into this world.
I cannot say that at the start this book seemed like something that at the end I'd enjoy much. It started off with a heroine who wasn't someone to be admired. Even though she was an admirable airship racer still she lived a life with many sins. Not to mention when Lord Byron jumped into this story (Yes, that Lord Byron) I didn't know what to expect. But slowly I got to meet Lily better and hear her story which then made me feel for her and understand her behavior and action. She wasn't one of the ladies you read about in Romantic poetry, those that are only muses, but Lily is rather new age woman. She is capable and really good at what she is doing. Just that makes her different and really accessible character.
As this story went on I found myself more and more intrigued by it. It was so amazing how suddenly astrology mixed in all this, together with old Greek legends and myths. It all made a really nice whole which didn't lack explanations. It seemed real in my eyes. There is also that dose of romance which was different but still love was built up and not there out of sudden.
Only thing that I had problems with here were those "adult parts" at the start. It did fit the characters but somehow it felt off for me.
This was one of those books I kept seeing around and every time the cover really blew me away. So you can only imagine my happiness when this book appeared free on Amazon. I grabbed it right away and jumped into this world.
I cannot say that at the start this book seemed like something that at the end I'd enjoy much. It started off with a heroine who wasn't someone to be admired. Even though she was an admirable airship racer still she lived a life with many sins. Not to mention when Lord Byron jumped into this story (Yes, that Lord Byron) I didn't know what to expect. But slowly I got to meet Lily better and hear her story which then made me feel for her and understand her behavior and action. She wasn't one of the ladies you read about in Romantic poetry, those that are only muses, but Lily is rather new age woman. She is capable and really good at what she is doing. Just that makes her different and really accessible character.
As this story went on I found myself more and more intrigued by it. It was so amazing how suddenly astrology mixed in all this, together with old Greek legends and myths. It all made a really nice whole which didn't lack explanations. It seemed real in my eyes. There is also that dose of romance which was different but still love was built up and not there out of sudden.
Only thing that I had problems with here were those "adult parts" at the start. It did fit the characters but somehow it felt off for me.
April 25, 2016
Our book club chose this book based on the back-cover description, and I've never felt so disappointed.
I understand that the story takes places in some kind of alternate, fantastical, steam-punky present/future, but even science-fiction has worlds crafted based on logic. One example springs to mind (of many, many instances where I said "What?!") was when a ship emerges from the Mediterranean (A SALTWATER BODY) and apparently it is made of COPPER. You know, the same copper that will turn green and then into powder if exposed to salt water. What a terrible thing to build a sea vessel out of. NO.
Anyway, the whole book was pretty much like that. Its portrayal of sex was highly questionable, as was its portrayal of drug abuse. I have no desire whatsoever to read any follow-up books in the series. The end.
I understand that the story takes places in some kind of alternate, fantastical, steam-punky present/future, but even science-fiction has worlds crafted based on logic. One example springs to mind (of many, many instances where I said "What?!") was when a ship emerges from the Mediterranean (A SALTWATER BODY) and apparently it is made of COPPER. You know, the same copper that will turn green and then into powder if exposed to salt water. What a terrible thing to build a sea vessel out of. NO.
Anyway, the whole book was pretty much like that. Its portrayal of sex was highly questionable, as was its portrayal of drug abuse. I have no desire whatsoever to read any follow-up books in the series. The end.
August 18, 2018
I liked this book more than I expected. In many ways it reminded me of Gail Carriger's Prudence series with the mix of steam punk and an ancient type mystery. I also quite liked that the main character was quite flawed and not perfect at everything. It made her come across as quite real and even though she didn't always make great decisions, I quite enjoyed reading her story.
There were lots of quirky characters in this story which was fun and the story itself flowed keeping my interest all the way through. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
There were lots of quirky characters in this story which was fun and the story itself flowed keeping my interest all the way through. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
June 22, 2017
Adventure, romance and Greek myth. What more can one ask for.
Absolute Fantastic read.
Absolute Fantastic read.
September 20, 2019
I enjoyed it! Some of the parts were a little too graphic for my taste (considering I mostly read this at work and at the gym - so in public), but there weren't very many of those parts. I will probably check out the next one in the series.
December 9, 2013
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Chasing the Star Garden is an amazing book that will keep you thinking about it for months to come! I honestly wasn't sure what to expect with this book - I haven't read a ton of steampunk and an opium-addicted heroine could work well or it could be a disaster for me (I have a hard time with unlikable main characters). But that gorgeous cover kept calling to me - I mean, I want to frame it on my wall, it's so gorgeous. So, I decided to give it a try and I am SO glad I did.
The book follows Lily, an airship racer who spends her time living on the edge and running from her past. When a mysterious man slips her a kaleidoscope, tells her to fly to Venice and plunges off a tower to his death, she reluctantly finds herself on an adventure to rescue a statue of a Greek goddess. But she's not the only one after the statue, and the trip is anything but smooth.
The negatives:
The beginning?
Honestly, the only negative I can come up with for this book was that I was a little hesitant about it for a chapter or two starting at about the second chapter. The very beginning of the book is really exciting and starts out with a bang, but then I got a little nervous when it looked like the book might center a bit too much on Lily's somewhat kinky sex life and her opium addiction. However, my fears were allayed relatively quickly, when I found that the book went far deeper than just relaying Lily's antics - these gritty scenes were necessary at the beginning of the book so that we could establish where Lily is at in her life, learn about why and watch her overcome her demons.
What I LOVED:
The romance.
I don't even really want to reveal who the main romance in this book is with because there is some question about it - there is a little bit of a love triangle (but not a major one, so don't avoid it for that reason if you're not a fan of love triangles). But, I absolutely loved seeing Lily move from a purely physical relationship toward real love. The romance in this book was sweet and touching and sometimes steamy. It moved at the perfect pace. Even better, the love story was central to the story, but didn't overtake the plot.
Mythology.
Karsak wove Greek mythology into this book into a really unique way. It was definitely a part of the story, but didn't overwhelm the general plot. Also, it wasn't really clear whether the mythology was being treated as purely myth or as reality - at least not until you get a good portion of the way through the book - and I loved guessing! Toward the end of the book, the mythology becomes more meaningful to Lily, and I felt myself loving it even more!
Steampunk.
Like I said, I haven't read a ton of steampunk, but I LOVED the steampunk elements to this book. The hot air ballooning, the interesting clothing and the unique devices that the tinkers came up with all added a great ambiance to the story and added a really fun flair. Now I want to read more!
The handling of addiction and abuse.
This book handles some pretty serious issues. Lily suffers from an opium addiction that profoundly affects her daily life and keeps her from truly connecting to the world. Like I said, I was a bit concerned at first that the book was going to glorify her drug use, but that's not the case at all. Lily uses drugs to escape her past - a past that is filled with abandonment and abuse. We see Lily's past unfold throughout the book. As I learned more and more, I was completely drawn in and invested in Lily. I understood how she got to this place of addiction and I so wanted her to overcome it! Really, it is Lily's backstory that makes this book so compelling and that makes it a not-to-be-missed read.
I highly recommend Chasing the Star Garden to just about anyone 18+ - anyone who enjoys steampunk, fantasy or just really riveting characters! While this book gave us a nice conclusion, I'm happy to see that it is just the first in a series - I will definitely be keeping my eye out for the next book! 5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***
Chasing the Star Garden is an amazing book that will keep you thinking about it for months to come! I honestly wasn't sure what to expect with this book - I haven't read a ton of steampunk and an opium-addicted heroine could work well or it could be a disaster for me (I have a hard time with unlikable main characters). But that gorgeous cover kept calling to me - I mean, I want to frame it on my wall, it's so gorgeous. So, I decided to give it a try and I am SO glad I did.
The book follows Lily, an airship racer who spends her time living on the edge and running from her past. When a mysterious man slips her a kaleidoscope, tells her to fly to Venice and plunges off a tower to his death, she reluctantly finds herself on an adventure to rescue a statue of a Greek goddess. But she's not the only one after the statue, and the trip is anything but smooth.
The negatives:
The beginning?
Honestly, the only negative I can come up with for this book was that I was a little hesitant about it for a chapter or two starting at about the second chapter. The very beginning of the book is really exciting and starts out with a bang, but then I got a little nervous when it looked like the book might center a bit too much on Lily's somewhat kinky sex life and her opium addiction. However, my fears were allayed relatively quickly, when I found that the book went far deeper than just relaying Lily's antics - these gritty scenes were necessary at the beginning of the book so that we could establish where Lily is at in her life, learn about why and watch her overcome her demons.
What I LOVED:
The romance.
I don't even really want to reveal who the main romance in this book is with because there is some question about it - there is a little bit of a love triangle (but not a major one, so don't avoid it for that reason if you're not a fan of love triangles). But, I absolutely loved seeing Lily move from a purely physical relationship toward real love. The romance in this book was sweet and touching and sometimes steamy. It moved at the perfect pace. Even better, the love story was central to the story, but didn't overtake the plot.
Mythology.
Karsak wove Greek mythology into this book into a really unique way. It was definitely a part of the story, but didn't overwhelm the general plot. Also, it wasn't really clear whether the mythology was being treated as purely myth or as reality - at least not until you get a good portion of the way through the book - and I loved guessing! Toward the end of the book, the mythology becomes more meaningful to Lily, and I felt myself loving it even more!
Steampunk.
Like I said, I haven't read a ton of steampunk, but I LOVED the steampunk elements to this book. The hot air ballooning, the interesting clothing and the unique devices that the tinkers came up with all added a great ambiance to the story and added a really fun flair. Now I want to read more!
The handling of addiction and abuse.
This book handles some pretty serious issues. Lily suffers from an opium addiction that profoundly affects her daily life and keeps her from truly connecting to the world. Like I said, I was a bit concerned at first that the book was going to glorify her drug use, but that's not the case at all. Lily uses drugs to escape her past - a past that is filled with abandonment and abuse. We see Lily's past unfold throughout the book. As I learned more and more, I was completely drawn in and invested in Lily. I understood how she got to this place of addiction and I so wanted her to overcome it! Really, it is Lily's backstory that makes this book so compelling and that makes it a not-to-be-missed read.
I highly recommend Chasing the Star Garden to just about anyone 18+ - anyone who enjoys steampunk, fantasy or just really riveting characters! While this book gave us a nice conclusion, I'm happy to see that it is just the first in a series - I will definitely be keeping my eye out for the next book! 5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***
March 11, 2016
What to say about this book...this book that was so very disappointing!? It seemed to have it all: mystery, airships, adventure, foreign locales, a heroine with a past who does not get whiny about it, romance, and POTENTIAL. Goodness but this book practicall screamed potential.
In reality this is the book equivalent of walking into a room really needing something but then completely blanking on why you went in there so you end doing or getting a dozen other things that are unnecessary instead.
" 'Go to Venice, ' he whispered as he stuffed something down the front of my pants."
What we were supposed to get:
A book about an edgy airship racer who was drug into a world of adventure by two warring secret societies and a centuries old statue complete with the mythos. Along for the ride was suppose to be a plucky crew of literary misfits that somehow help her to grow threw her own painful memories and embrace a future that she had long given up on. And this all is suppose to take place in the fast paced steam punk world of airship racing with a sort of Victorian Europe feel to it.
What we ended up getting:
"I woke the next morning feeling like an elephant was thundering around in my head."
BLAH. I constantly found myself wondering what time it was. This story was bland. It did not deliver on the promise of potential. The secret societies were bland. There really was not much of a chase going on except for the occassional. Weird steampunk creation popping out of nowhere. The pretty much strolled from objective to objective with only one actual confrontation in the entire book!
To make matters worse there was zero, and I do mean ZERO, reason for the protagonist to go swooping off to another country and search for a statue. Supposedly the only reason she was in the running to begin with is because some ancient ancestor of hers had a statue fetish.
"Upon his banishment he secreted away the sculpture. The oracle at Delphi foretold that when the time came to protect her, only a true lover,a Temenos, would be able to recover the Apbrodite."
Right. The true lover being the opium addict with a string of lovers because she does not trust men? And the "protection" being not letting a secrete society of museum creators put the statue in the museum? Huh.
And to help Lily Stargazer along the way we have the aged tinker who is also one of her lovers, and a courtesan who moonlights as a priestest of the ancient Aphrodite cult. Lord Byron also pops in and out as the financeer and lover to Lily and to get high. Oh...yeah...our main girl has a real bad addiction problem and everything is always...
"...head humming..."
"...mind melting..."
"...vision hazey..."
"...grab the vile..."
"...drops from the vile..."
"...hands shaking..."
Sigh.
The more I read of this book, the more I felt like it was going through the motions. I just could not get emotionally invested in the book. There was no real pizzaz. While the flashbacks to Lily's past were intriguing (and quite frankly the only reason I kept reading,) there was just nothing else to add depth to any of the characters. They were all flat, pod people with no real interest. Their was no world building. The airship racing was randomly thrown in. The secret societies were not secret.
Overall this is a book that was not even interesting enough to be annoying. If you want an easy uninvested and very predictable read that is easy to put down and go to bed, well than this is it. But if you are someone who enjoys more meat to the world and complex characters coupled with fun or beautiful prose...well I would pass on this one.
So disappointing...and with such a great cover as well.
In reality this is the book equivalent of walking into a room really needing something but then completely blanking on why you went in there so you end doing or getting a dozen other things that are unnecessary instead.
" 'Go to Venice, ' he whispered as he stuffed something down the front of my pants."
What we were supposed to get:
A book about an edgy airship racer who was drug into a world of adventure by two warring secret societies and a centuries old statue complete with the mythos. Along for the ride was suppose to be a plucky crew of literary misfits that somehow help her to grow threw her own painful memories and embrace a future that she had long given up on. And this all is suppose to take place in the fast paced steam punk world of airship racing with a sort of Victorian Europe feel to it.
What we ended up getting:
"I woke the next morning feeling like an elephant was thundering around in my head."
BLAH. I constantly found myself wondering what time it was. This story was bland. It did not deliver on the promise of potential. The secret societies were bland. There really was not much of a chase going on except for the occassional. Weird steampunk creation popping out of nowhere. The pretty much strolled from objective to objective with only one actual confrontation in the entire book!
To make matters worse there was zero, and I do mean ZERO, reason for the protagonist to go swooping off to another country and search for a statue. Supposedly the only reason she was in the running to begin with is because some ancient ancestor of hers had a statue fetish.
"Upon his banishment he secreted away the sculpture. The oracle at Delphi foretold that when the time came to protect her, only a true lover,a Temenos, would be able to recover the Apbrodite."
Right. The true lover being the opium addict with a string of lovers because she does not trust men? And the "protection" being not letting a secrete society of museum creators put the statue in the museum? Huh.
And to help Lily Stargazer along the way we have the aged tinker who is also one of her lovers, and a courtesan who moonlights as a priestest of the ancient Aphrodite cult. Lord Byron also pops in and out as the financeer and lover to Lily and to get high. Oh...yeah...our main girl has a real bad addiction problem and everything is always...
"...head humming..."
"...mind melting..."
"...vision hazey..."
"...grab the vile..."
"...drops from the vile..."
"...hands shaking..."
Sigh.
The more I read of this book, the more I felt like it was going through the motions. I just could not get emotionally invested in the book. There was no real pizzaz. While the flashbacks to Lily's past were intriguing (and quite frankly the only reason I kept reading,) there was just nothing else to add depth to any of the characters. They were all flat, pod people with no real interest. Their was no world building. The airship racing was randomly thrown in. The secret societies were not secret.
Overall this is a book that was not even interesting enough to be annoying. If you want an easy uninvested and very predictable read that is easy to put down and go to bed, well than this is it. But if you are someone who enjoys more meat to the world and complex characters coupled with fun or beautiful prose...well I would pass on this one.
So disappointing...and with such a great cover as well.
May 9, 2014
Review first published on SFFWorld.com.
Chasing the Star Garden, book one of The Airship Racing Chronicles, by Melanie Karsak is a steampunk fantasy about Lily Stargazer, a drug addict and airship pilot extraordinaire.
The book begins in the middle of a race. Lily and her crew are sailing through the sky above London, hot on the heels of her racing nemesis, an obviously better pilot than she because he wins and she doesn’t. Lily does come in second place, which isn’t half bad, but before she can claim her trophy, a man dressed in harlequin assaults her by shoving a long, clothed cylinder down the front of her pants – then promptly plunges to his death.
Thus begins the strange and adventurous tale that will lead Lily across Europe to Venice, where she finds out that she has a connection with a god and that god needs her – now. She must find the statue of Venus before art hunters take the last earthly avatar of Venus and move her away from those who would worship her properly. Along with her casual lover, a Venus devotee, and an obedient crew, Lily heads for Greece to find Venus before anyone else does. Along the way, she must cross war-filled seas, challenge her physical fear of water, and finally allow a happiness to enter her life that she has pushed away since the day Lily’s mother left her.
An adult tale with steamy sexual scenes, I really wanted to like Chasing the Star Garden. Ms. Karsak writes well and has given us a courageous, but flawed, heroine who is capable and comfortable with her skills as a airship pilot. The author also builds a steam-punk world filled with alluring devices with several chase scenes that should have pumped my heart. Regardless, the story fell flat for me.
I’m not entirely sure why, but I think there were several points that tripped my disbelief sensors. The first was the harlequin shoving something long and hard down Lily’s pants. Lily takes the assault all in stride, and even hides the fact from the officials around her that the man gave her something. The author failed to convince me that someone, even someone as sexually focused as Lily, would do that. Why would she trust a complete stranger that then kills himself? On the same token, I couldn’t buy Lily’s motivation for taking her airship on a journey across Europe based solely on that stranger’s suggestion.
In addition, though Chasing the Star Garden was an interesting read and had some wonderful airship maneuvers, I never felt a connection to the main character. Lily’s life begins with the strict attentions of a couple of horrendous male guardians. She’s psychologically scarred and becomes an opium addict because of them, but somehow Lily ends up with well-intentioned men around her during this story. Though her love affair with Lord Byron, also a benefactor, might be construed as damaging, he does not demand much from Lily. He seems more of a easy crutch for the author to give Lily what she needs when she needs it.
And then we have the older, endlessly accommodating Sal, willing to do anything for his younger lover. He seems more of a father figure than a lover, and when they finally hook up, I couldn’t help but think that Lily was using him to fill her needs of a loving patriarch. Another point that grated my nerves was that everyone was beautiful and sexually hip. That’s fine and all, but that is not something I look for in my fiction.
Despite all this, Chasing the Star Garden was a quick and entertaining read. If you like your lofty steampunk sexy and adventurous, you may want to give this story a try.
Chasing the Star Garden, book one of The Airship Racing Chronicles, by Melanie Karsak is a steampunk fantasy about Lily Stargazer, a drug addict and airship pilot extraordinaire.
The book begins in the middle of a race. Lily and her crew are sailing through the sky above London, hot on the heels of her racing nemesis, an obviously better pilot than she because he wins and she doesn’t. Lily does come in second place, which isn’t half bad, but before she can claim her trophy, a man dressed in harlequin assaults her by shoving a long, clothed cylinder down the front of her pants – then promptly plunges to his death.
Thus begins the strange and adventurous tale that will lead Lily across Europe to Venice, where she finds out that she has a connection with a god and that god needs her – now. She must find the statue of Venus before art hunters take the last earthly avatar of Venus and move her away from those who would worship her properly. Along with her casual lover, a Venus devotee, and an obedient crew, Lily heads for Greece to find Venus before anyone else does. Along the way, she must cross war-filled seas, challenge her physical fear of water, and finally allow a happiness to enter her life that she has pushed away since the day Lily’s mother left her.
An adult tale with steamy sexual scenes, I really wanted to like Chasing the Star Garden. Ms. Karsak writes well and has given us a courageous, but flawed, heroine who is capable and comfortable with her skills as a airship pilot. The author also builds a steam-punk world filled with alluring devices with several chase scenes that should have pumped my heart. Regardless, the story fell flat for me.
I’m not entirely sure why, but I think there were several points that tripped my disbelief sensors. The first was the harlequin shoving something long and hard down Lily’s pants. Lily takes the assault all in stride, and even hides the fact from the officials around her that the man gave her something. The author failed to convince me that someone, even someone as sexually focused as Lily, would do that. Why would she trust a complete stranger that then kills himself? On the same token, I couldn’t buy Lily’s motivation for taking her airship on a journey across Europe based solely on that stranger’s suggestion.
In addition, though Chasing the Star Garden was an interesting read and had some wonderful airship maneuvers, I never felt a connection to the main character. Lily’s life begins with the strict attentions of a couple of horrendous male guardians. She’s psychologically scarred and becomes an opium addict because of them, but somehow Lily ends up with well-intentioned men around her during this story. Though her love affair with Lord Byron, also a benefactor, might be construed as damaging, he does not demand much from Lily. He seems more of a easy crutch for the author to give Lily what she needs when she needs it.
And then we have the older, endlessly accommodating Sal, willing to do anything for his younger lover. He seems more of a father figure than a lover, and when they finally hook up, I couldn’t help but think that Lily was using him to fill her needs of a loving patriarch. Another point that grated my nerves was that everyone was beautiful and sexually hip. That’s fine and all, but that is not something I look for in my fiction.
Despite all this, Chasing the Star Garden was a quick and entertaining read. If you like your lofty steampunk sexy and adventurous, you may want to give this story a try.
July 13, 2015
This story feels like a love story at it's core. A love of ones self and finding that the past does not define who they are now. Then, when they accept themselves they find love with another. Beautiful story and meaning mixed with a surrounding I love, clockworks, airships, adventure and fighting.
***FULL REVIEW****
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.
Lily comes in second in the airship race, but losses to the American's, again. She's disappointed. But then a harlequin races through the crowd to her. An assassin? But he grabs her and tells her to go to Venice and puts something down the front of her pants before jumping off the tower they stand on next to the airships, to his death. His body lay below with three points, the same shape that's in the symbol on her stargazer sail.
This story starts right off! The event of the race ends with a leap of faith.
There's drinking, drugs, swearing, and hot steamy moments. Lily has her debts and her loves of drinking, drugs, and hot steamy moments. Oh does she love the men. Since she uses her prize money to pay her debts, one of her lovers, Lord Byron, talks her into going to Venice. He gives her the money to make the trip reasoning she was specifically given the kaleidoscope for a reason.
This is another marvelous selection of voice to go with the story for Melanie Karsak. Libby is perfect for the characters and world. Libby is talented in accents. She has a British accent that fits the characters and thickens when need be for other characters. She even does Italian, Scottish, French and more accents. The way she speaks for each character is as she is the character. She differentiates many with tone, accent, and feeling in their voices. Outstanding job. Libby has intensified the character development through voice.
I love listening to the flight of the airship. Lily and her small crew is talented and the descriptions are of the visuals not the technical of how it's done. But the use of the air and storms is wonderful.
Do be prepared for fowl language, opium dens, and steamy sensual moments with Lily Stargazer. Melanie has taken us into a dark side of the world where drugs numb the senses and where woman are viewed as things. Melanie brings Lily through a dark past to a present that she can live with. But it's a journey that Lily has to make to come to grips with her past and be who she is. She has her friends around her to help. There's her crew for a time but most of all it's Sal, the Italian tinker, that helps her. She also finds a new friend in Celeste who helps guide them to find the statue her family is tied to.
Lily's past comes back, front and center for her. A past that she's long forgotten when she was abandoned at the orphanage. Then, a past that she keeps locked away with opium surfaces and is what draws her to help find the Aphrodite statue that is so treasured by it's strong following.
Yes, Aphrodite. Which also connects Venus and the sensual feeling of the book as a whole. This is an interesting blend of clockworks and steampunk elements with the height of love and steam. This all intersects with Lily and her life.
This story feels like a love story at it's core. A love of ones self and finding that the past does not define who they are now. Then, when they accept themselves they find love with another. Beautiful story and meaning mixed with a surrounding I love, clockworks, airships, adventure and fighting.
***FULL REVIEW****
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.
Lily comes in second in the airship race, but losses to the American's, again. She's disappointed. But then a harlequin races through the crowd to her. An assassin? But he grabs her and tells her to go to Venice and puts something down the front of her pants before jumping off the tower they stand on next to the airships, to his death. His body lay below with three points, the same shape that's in the symbol on her stargazer sail.
This story starts right off! The event of the race ends with a leap of faith.
There's drinking, drugs, swearing, and hot steamy moments. Lily has her debts and her loves of drinking, drugs, and hot steamy moments. Oh does she love the men. Since she uses her prize money to pay her debts, one of her lovers, Lord Byron, talks her into going to Venice. He gives her the money to make the trip reasoning she was specifically given the kaleidoscope for a reason.
This is another marvelous selection of voice to go with the story for Melanie Karsak. Libby is perfect for the characters and world. Libby is talented in accents. She has a British accent that fits the characters and thickens when need be for other characters. She even does Italian, Scottish, French and more accents. The way she speaks for each character is as she is the character. She differentiates many with tone, accent, and feeling in their voices. Outstanding job. Libby has intensified the character development through voice.
I love listening to the flight of the airship. Lily and her small crew is talented and the descriptions are of the visuals not the technical of how it's done. But the use of the air and storms is wonderful.
Do be prepared for fowl language, opium dens, and steamy sensual moments with Lily Stargazer. Melanie has taken us into a dark side of the world where drugs numb the senses and where woman are viewed as things. Melanie brings Lily through a dark past to a present that she can live with. But it's a journey that Lily has to make to come to grips with her past and be who she is. She has her friends around her to help. There's her crew for a time but most of all it's Sal, the Italian tinker, that helps her. She also finds a new friend in Celeste who helps guide them to find the statue her family is tied to.
Lily's past comes back, front and center for her. A past that she's long forgotten when she was abandoned at the orphanage. Then, a past that she keeps locked away with opium surfaces and is what draws her to help find the Aphrodite statue that is so treasured by it's strong following.
Yes, Aphrodite. Which also connects Venus and the sensual feeling of the book as a whole. This is an interesting blend of clockworks and steampunk elements with the height of love and steam. This all intersects with Lily and her life.
This story feels like a love story at it's core. A love of ones self and finding that the past does not define who they are now. Then, when they accept themselves they find love with another. Beautiful story and meaning mixed with a surrounding I love, clockworks, airships, adventure and fighting.
August 26, 2015
ABR's original Chasing the Star Garden audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
What if you were the best at what you do and and not use to coming in second place. Ever. Well, it is 1823, and that is how Champion Starship Racer Lily Stargazer has had the worst day of her life. She has never lost a race, never. Now some crazy man comes to her out of no where and shoves an item down the front of her pants. Tells her to find the secret. What object? The he jumps to his death. Not saying anything, Lily continues through the group of well wishers, congratulating her on her second place win. Wish they will go away as they feel like they are driving knives into her.
Lily returning to a place of business to get her opium fix. As she sits there she reaches down into her trousers to retrieve the item. She takes it out and unwraps it. Looking at it she wonder why anyone would give her a kaleidoscope. Looking thru it seeing all the beautiful colors. But, why would that man tell her to search for the secret. In come Lord Byron, a good friend and non-romantic sex partner. She tells him about the morning she had and the item. This is where the adventure begins after Lord Byron convinces her to go to Italy as directed by this man and he will assist her with the financing of the trip.
Lord Byron along with many other very strong characters assist Lily thru this adventure that never stops. From the time she received the item until the very end of the book. Melanie Karsak has the most amazing eye to bringing to life the words of this adventure. I am partial to this growing trend of Steampunk Fantasies and this book is now on my list of this author to follow. Lily a young girl from the orphanage that finds her way into a home but, never fitting in until she meets her inventor friend Sal. Melanie has made her an exceptional pivoting character that can turn to any direction in the book to handle the situations as they arrive. I did a bit of a problem with the drug addiction problem that Lily has. Most readers may. However, the time period of 1823, this was a common stance of the day. Not legal but, all the same there.
I loved and enjoyed the characters that she added in to support Lily. Her crew on the airship. Lord Byron and Sal who were not only her friends but, her lovers. How she does not see till the end the one true love in one of them.
This book is not meant for young and for the ones offended by the drugs and sexual situations I don’t recommend this book. If you are not bother by this then dive in with both hands. This story is a page turner for sure. With Libby Clearfield narrating, she has brought this book to life with the gift of many voices in her astounding performance. You know who is speaking. She did equally well with both male and female voices. I look forward to listening to other books she has performed.
I love the cover of the book. it gives you a clear visualization of the ship, the steampunk era, the great and towering European town. This cover is certainly one to drawn you in as a reader and listener of this book. I look forward to the future books to this Airship Racing Chronicles series.
Audiobook provided for review by the author.
What if you were the best at what you do and and not use to coming in second place. Ever. Well, it is 1823, and that is how Champion Starship Racer Lily Stargazer has had the worst day of her life. She has never lost a race, never. Now some crazy man comes to her out of no where and shoves an item down the front of her pants. Tells her to find the secret. What object? The he jumps to his death. Not saying anything, Lily continues through the group of well wishers, congratulating her on her second place win. Wish they will go away as they feel like they are driving knives into her.
Lily returning to a place of business to get her opium fix. As she sits there she reaches down into her trousers to retrieve the item. She takes it out and unwraps it. Looking at it she wonder why anyone would give her a kaleidoscope. Looking thru it seeing all the beautiful colors. But, why would that man tell her to search for the secret. In come Lord Byron, a good friend and non-romantic sex partner. She tells him about the morning she had and the item. This is where the adventure begins after Lord Byron convinces her to go to Italy as directed by this man and he will assist her with the financing of the trip.
Lord Byron along with many other very strong characters assist Lily thru this adventure that never stops. From the time she received the item until the very end of the book. Melanie Karsak has the most amazing eye to bringing to life the words of this adventure. I am partial to this growing trend of Steampunk Fantasies and this book is now on my list of this author to follow. Lily a young girl from the orphanage that finds her way into a home but, never fitting in until she meets her inventor friend Sal. Melanie has made her an exceptional pivoting character that can turn to any direction in the book to handle the situations as they arrive. I did a bit of a problem with the drug addiction problem that Lily has. Most readers may. However, the time period of 1823, this was a common stance of the day. Not legal but, all the same there.
I loved and enjoyed the characters that she added in to support Lily. Her crew on the airship. Lord Byron and Sal who were not only her friends but, her lovers. How she does not see till the end the one true love in one of them.
This book is not meant for young and for the ones offended by the drugs and sexual situations I don’t recommend this book. If you are not bother by this then dive in with both hands. This story is a page turner for sure. With Libby Clearfield narrating, she has brought this book to life with the gift of many voices in her astounding performance. You know who is speaking. She did equally well with both male and female voices. I look forward to listening to other books she has performed.
I love the cover of the book. it gives you a clear visualization of the ship, the steampunk era, the great and towering European town. This cover is certainly one to drawn you in as a reader and listener of this book. I look forward to the future books to this Airship Racing Chronicles series.
Audiobook provided for review by the author.
September 3, 2014
С огромно удоволствие започнах да чета първата книга от поредицата „The Airship Racing Chronicles“ на Melanie Karsak. Първата книга въвежда в невероятния стиймпънк свят, който е не само изпълнен с летящи парни кораби и балони, но и една не малка част от най-красивите места в Италия и Гърция. Сюжетът започва в сърцето на Лондон, но много динамично и бързо започва едно неочаквано пътешествие във Венеция и Гърция. Още по-голяма бе изненадата, че в книгата се появява и образа на романтичния герой лорд Байрон, който по интересен начин е представен.
Не липсват и множеството романтични сцени, които не само допълват книгата, но и допринасят за приятното изживяване по време на четене. Много съм доволен от детайлите по изграждането на света – не е наблегнато много подробно, така че да изморява, но достатъчно подредено е описан света. Най-приятната изненада за мен бе и включването на митове от Древна Гърция, както и пътуването до няколко от митичните места на тази прекрасна страна. Няма да издавам кои точно острови се посещават, но те със сигурност за достатъчно известни за запознатите с гръцката култура.
Препоръчвам книгата на всеки, който иска нещо свежо, ново и най-вече различно от масовите поредици за тийнейджъри.
Не липсват и множеството романтични сцени, които не само допълват книгата, но и допринасят за приятното изживяване по време на четене. Много съм доволен от детайлите по изграждането на света – не е наблегнато много подробно, така че да изморява, но достатъчно подредено е описан света. Най-приятната изненада за мен бе и включването на митове от Древна Гърция, както и пътуването до няколко от митичните места на тази прекрасна страна. Няма да издавам кои точно острови се посещават, но те със сигурност за достатъчно известни за запознатите с гръцката култура.
Препоръчвам книгата на всеки, който иска нещо свежо, ново и най-вече различно от масовите поредици за тийнейджъри.
January 2, 2014
Chasing the Star Garden is the first book in Melanie Karsak’s steampunk series, The Airship Racing Chronicles. I highly recommend this book for mature readers 18 and older, who love’s adventure & amazing characters in the books they read. I knew the minute I saw the beautiful cover, I had to read Chasing the Star Garden. I am so glad I did, this book is amazing. The inside of Chasing the Star Garden, is just as beautiful as the outside. Chasing the Star Garden is so fun to read; it has it all mystery, thrills, adventure & romance all sprinkled in history & mythology. Melanie Karsak paints a beautiful picture with her writing; the story really comes to life. I loved getting to know all the great characters while they were on their adventure. Sometimes in books flashbacks can get confusing, well not in this book, Melanie does a great job with the flow of her story. The main character Lily Stargazer is amazing, I love her. Lily has so much to over come; it is so great to see her growth through out the story. I am really excited to see what adventures Lily and her crew has in store for the future. Happy Reading
May 19, 2014
I love fantasy, steampunk, history, and adventure, and this book delivered!
Lily is our antihero, an opium addict who's running from her past, racing airships with a lover in every port, where every opium den knows her name. When she's forced into a mysterious situation involving a relic of Aphrodite (FANGIRL FLAIL), she goes on a quest to find the relic and deliver it to safety. ADVENTURE, PEOPLE. Ancient temples, hidden texts, puzzles and just flat out cleverness abound. This is my Indiana Jones fantasy lol.
I really enjoyed this book so much, and read it in two sittings, which is something that as a writer and mom of three I rarely get a chance to do.
My only wish was that we were enveloped in the world more thoroughly. I didn't feel that I completely knew or was her, but I wanted to so badly. I didn't quite feel her love for Sal or Byron, or her shift of feelings. I'm super excited for the next book though, because as I understand it, these wants have been met in that book.
Great start to what looks to be a brilliant series!
Lily is our antihero, an opium addict who's running from her past, racing airships with a lover in every port, where every opium den knows her name. When she's forced into a mysterious situation involving a relic of Aphrodite (FANGIRL FLAIL), she goes on a quest to find the relic and deliver it to safety. ADVENTURE, PEOPLE. Ancient temples, hidden texts, puzzles and just flat out cleverness abound. This is my Indiana Jones fantasy lol.
I really enjoyed this book so much, and read it in two sittings, which is something that as a writer and mom of three I rarely get a chance to do.
My only wish was that we were enveloped in the world more thoroughly. I didn't feel that I completely knew or was her, but I wanted to so badly. I didn't quite feel her love for Sal or Byron, or her shift of feelings. I'm super excited for the next book though, because as I understand it, these wants have been met in that book.
Great start to what looks to be a brilliant series!
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