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Fiction. Romance. HTML:The New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Duke and Heart of Steel returns to the Iron Seas with a riveting new adventure of steampunk and passionate romance... A century after a devastating volcanic eruption forced Iceland's inhabitants to abandon its shores, the island became shrouded in secrecy. Five years ago, Annika unwittingly endangered that secret, but her sister Källa took the blame and was exiled. Now Annika serves on the airship Phatéon, flying from port to port in search of her sister and longing to return home. But that home is threatened when expedition leader David Kentewess comes aboard. Determined to solve the mystery of his own origin, David will stop at nothing to expose Annika's secrets. But when disaster strikes, leaving David and Annika stranded on a glacier and pursued by a madman, their very survival depends on keeping the heat rising between them�??and generating lots of steam...… (more)
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Annika was raised in a secret society of all women, when she accidentally exposed the tribe her sister took the blame and was banished. Annika has spent the last four years in the New World trying to find her sister; all that time she has been serving on the airship Phatéon. David is searching for secrets to his mother’s past and on his way to an expidition to study a volcanoe in Iceland; when he hears Annika’s accent he recognizes it as his mother’s accent as well. Now David wants to know Annika’s secrets. Of course when a madman sets the Phateon on a course of destruction David and Annika find themselves stranded and dependent on each other for survival.
Everything about this story is perfectly balanced. There is a wonderfully creative and intricate world; if you have read other Iron Seas novels you know the world these stories are set in absolutely rocks. You have zombies, nanoagents, steampunk body parts, and the Horde; along with an intricate history of humanity’s fall and struggle to rise again.
There is a very intriguing plot. You have Annika’s missing sister, a mysterious plot to use the volcanoes power for invention, and David’s search for his history as well as his scientific interest in volcanoes. It is a wonderful plot with many threads that come together to make a very engaging story.
Then there are the characters. All of them are interesting even the side characters. Of course it is Annika and David that steal the show. Annika is somewhat naive because of her upbrings but very brave and determined to find her sister. The way she pilots the lumbering Trolls and comes up with solutions during airship battles is admirable. She constantly underestimates her own bravery.
David is another awesome character. He is half machine and infected by nanoagents, he is used to being reviled and scorned for this. That gives him a great wounded male vibe. He respects Annika, is supportive, and is super smart and interesting because of his scientific research into volcanoes. Seriously you want to know more about David as soon as you meet him.
Together these two are explosive. They complement each other well and there is not insta-love; it takes time for them to develop a loving a trusting relationship and it is super engaging and fun to watch it develop. The chemistry between them is awesome and the romantic scenes are incredibly steamy and emotional. So...uh..yeah there is a good dash of romance in this book, but it is surrounded by an incredibly well done story and the romance itself is one of the most well done romances I have ever read.
There is also action galore and some spectacular battle scenes, I loved the balance of all of the different above elements. The story is incredibly well written and easy to read and increibly engaging...I could not put this book down.
Overall I really, really loved this book. It was a perfect combination of action, a complex world, an intriguing plot, wonderful characters, a heartpounding romance, and excellent writing. The other book with a similar tone to it (that I have read earlier this year and like almost as much) was Firelight by Kristen Callihan. If you liked Firelight you will love this book. If you love steampunk and you don’t mind some romance in the story you will love this book as well. I highly recommend it.
Not that
But I am not a fan of romance. The sex was interesting but not overpowering. I will note it was more graphic in this book and perhaps a bit more frequent but I did not count. But the fact remains that all the real action occurs in the final quarter of the book.
I will not gripe about it though. If romance is more to your taste then you will find the book very good indeed. If not, read The Iron Duke or Heart of Steel. I think you will find them more to your liking. And I will be looking for her next Iron Seas novel, she is a writer worth reading.
As much as I love Brook's world building, it's the characters that keep me riveted (:D). We have Annika, who doesn't see herself as particularly brave, but left home and works on the airship, Phateon, as she searches for her sister. She meets David, a volcanist. David lost his legs, a hand, and one eye to an accident and has metal prosthetics in place. He's had to deal with prejudice and pity most of his life, but hasn't let that stop him from doing what he finds fascinating. David is also searching for something. A secret Annika holds so dear ends up being exactly what David is looking for.
Of the three books so far in this series, Annika and David's relationship I found the sweetest. I really found their relationship darling. Annika has never had a relationship or anything sexual with a man before and David has only had a couple awful sexual experiences. I loved Annika's forwardness in their love scenes. She may be inexperienced, but she's not shy. And David finds someone who doesn't look at him with pity or disgust, but sees just how wonderful he is. The relationship was just beautifully done.
This one has no zombies, but is just as fun as The Iron Duke and Heart of Steel. I promise.
allthingsuf.com
I was both hopeful and trepidatious approaching RIVETED, the third book in the fantastic Iron Seas series. With an unknown hero and heroine, I was concerned that meeting these brand new characters would make or break my enjoyment of the
The main characters, Annika and David, are more familiar with this conservative, nano-fearing New World than England’s post-Horde society, and it is that political climate that shapes Annika’s “big secret” and origins. RIVETED explores many social issues regarding homosexuality in a way that aligned with my own beliefs, but I would guess that anyone with a more traditional or conservative bent may start feeling defensive. Overall, however, Brook weaves this important issue into her story with a nuance and sensitivity that should be accessible (and educational) for all readers. Regardless of personal beliefs, I felt Brook humanized the social conflict, even to the point of keeping it separate from the main villain who is “defeated” in the traditional sense. The acceptance of gay couples in this book ends on a happy note, and it’s clear that prejudices against them are overcome through community socialization and acceptance, not overthrowing a single, “evil” opposition.
Though the romance in RIVETED won’t unseat THE IRON DUKE as my favorite of the series, it has taken the second place crown away from HEART OF STEEL. Annika is winsome and refreshing, managing to be innocent but earthy, unspoiled without ever seeming stupid. As she always feels like an outsider, it was very believable to watch her unique and rare feeling of connection with David grow into a healthy sexual interest. And David is worth the curiosity; he is a gentle, damaged hero that soaks up Annika’s happiness and kindness like a sponge. David is the first augmented main character that hasn’t had the benefit of The Blacksmith’s mechanical flesh, and his perception of his prosthetics was one of the interesting parts of his character. Losing a limb is a traumatic event, and rather than waving a magic wand to make everything better, Brook explores David’s complicated feelings about loss and his current abilities. Annika and David both come to the relationship with little or no sexual experience, and the way they grow comfortable and confident with one another was both sweet and sexy.
As a romance, RIVETED is refreshing and well written, touching on complicated themes with sensitivity and realism. As a steampunk world, this story is five stars across the board. I can’t get enough of exploring The Iron Seas, every glimpse of this alternate history leaves me fascinated and hungry for more.
Sexual Content: Sex scenes.
Wonderful installment in the Iron Seas series. I adored the romance between Annika and David who really shone in this book. The pace is slightly slower than previous books, but it really focuses on the the romance which is a joy to witness as it develops. Both David
I also loved how it explores another aspect of the world-building, which in this case is the icy landscape of Iceland and mechanical trolls and levianthanlike whales. I love how the themes of sexuality, race and disability is covered and how that affects the characters and the world-building. But this is definitely how you write Steampunk, because Meljean Brook injects so much depth and detail into her world that it feels so real and vibrant.
Definitely one of the best books I read this year!
While I can't deny I love the men in Brooks' novels, I absolutely adore her heroines. Annika was no exception. She's strong and resilient, but has a soft core that makes
I kind of just want to review the book like this:
LOVE.
does that work?
Quick & Dirty: A secret island of women, one woman searching for her sister, and one man determined to fulfill his promise to his mother.
Opening Sentence: “Before Annika had begun her journey, her mother assured her that the people in the New World weren’t
The Review:
Annika accidentally set a fire, and almost exposed her village to men. Her sister Kalla took the blame and left the village. Annika left later and has been searching for her sister for four years. David comes to her rescue while she is in a foreign port. When he asks her to dinner, she freaks out and refuses his offer not knowing at the time that he has booked passage on the Phateon too. David thinks she is a passenger too, he only learns later that she is crew member.
He is trying to discover the secret of her origins, because her speech reminds him of his mother. She also wears runes similar to the ones his mother gave him when she was dying. She had asked David to bury them in the mountain by her village. But even in death she doesn’t reveal the secrets of her people. Annika is shocked to find out that David’s mother is related to her family. She promises to pass on the information, but only her sisters’ can reveal their secrets to him.
So he promises to help her find Kalla, while waiting on a response from the mysterious women of Hannasvik. On the journey they are attacked by a submersible whale, and captured by the pirates. When taken to the camp of their leader, they find Kalla and a madman bent on discovering something.
I did go and read the first two books before getting to this one. I have to say I really enjoyed The Iron Duke, but wasn’t as impressed with Heart of Steel, so I didn’t really know what to expect when starting this one. I really enjoyed this book, and other than the worldbuilding this is a series where you don’t necessarily have to read all the books. Normally steampunk just isn’t my thing, there are exceptions –this series being one of them. Annika was bold, fearless and a tad odd, everything I love in a female lead. Together Annika and David were scorching hot!
I really love the alternative history, so it’s familiar but different. The steampunk is the mechanical ships, and nanobots (which is something new that I have seen with my limited exposure to steampunk). The mixtures of prejudices and freethinking really set the series apart. For instances, the way some think of the Horde and the nanobots, or even the way they view women who have relationships with women, but on the other hand the majority of the people seem to think it’s completely normal and nothing is wrong with that. If steampunk is your thing, I think you will love this series!
Notable Scene:
“She’d often fancied dangers that weren’t there and daydreamed when she have been wary.”
“He’d almost given up hope of ever knowing his mother’s origins.”
“I want to feel as if my guts are riveted together, to feel as if I would do anything just for a kiss, or a touch, or to see them.”
“Lorenzo had woken the witch.”
“And the rest of the world melted away.”
FTC Advisory: Berkley/Penguin provided me with a copy of Riveted. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
This book works fine on it's own, we do not see the
Annika is a mysterious woman who does not talk about her past. She hails from Iceland, the land of trolls and witches...or what is really going on? Annika was hard to get to know, but that was the idea, as she kept her secrets close. We knew them, but she would not let anyone else know. So it was not easy at times to get to know her, and therefore like her.
The hero, David is from the new world, and would by some not be called pretty exactly as he has legs of iron, fake eye and scars. But such a nice and sweet guy. Love him.
There is adventure as bad things are coming. David are off to explore volcanoes, Annika has secrets to guard. Friendship is growing, passion is slowly emerging. And when it finally does come around, then it's hot and fast.
Conclusion:
I did feel a bit sad that there was no Mina or Rhys, but I can live with that. And I do hope that there will be more from this fascinating world.
Cover:
Love it! Though I'd want more color on her clothes as she loves and wears that.