Melanie KarsakCritiques
Auteur de Chasing the Star Garden
Critiques
Heart of a Valkyrie (The Vinland to Valhalla Saga… par Melanie Karsak
The first change is that the story has to be told in an alternative version of Victorian England in which women were allowed to own and operate businesses and, if you're going to have an alternative Victorian England, why not make it a Steampunk one and have Marley and Scrooge working as tinkers creating automata that start as fairground rides and, as the money becomes tight, evolves into the manufacture of automated weapons platforms.
The second change is that the events that have shaped Ebony Scrooge and led her to become a woman who has locked herself away from the world all relate to being a woman: the accidental death of her parents, the death of her daughter, the death of her sister in childbirth and the failure of her marriage, have all mauled Ebony and left her crippled by grief and anger. I found Ebony's traumas and her reaction to them far more engaging than Scrooge's mild regrets for loss of an early romance in favour of a career and his distress at how few people turned up at his funeral.
The third change is to how the three Spirits of Christmas manifest to Ebony. They serve the same purpose as the ones in 'A Christmas Carol' but these Sprits embrace both who Ebony is and the Steampunk creations that inhabit her imagination. I found the changes refreshing. They kept me engaged with the story and they told me more about Ebony.
'Hauntings and Humbug' kept the almost fairytale tone of 'A Christmas Carol' but still managed to deliver an emotional punch that was more powerful than the original story. I thought Melanie Karsak did a great job and depicting grief and what it does to us and seeding the hope that it can be something that we can prevent from tyranising us and stopping us from living a full life.
The town is very atmospheric, with beautiful vividly described landscapes, and this story covers a very original mix of themes. The format, shifting between each character’s every chapter also made it very dynamic.
I think a lot of the story was devoted to the romance aspect, which is a shame in my opinion.
Kate the mermaid is a character with such potential. She is a mythical creature, with her own unique mermaid lore partly inspired by Native American myths, she has lived through a lot of history, experiences the town being built up and thriving til this day, has experienced life with native Americans, with European colonists, and all of these themes are explored in just a few lines.
The main male character was quite flat, and his storyline being around his battle with a terminal illness, quite triggering and vivid. It’s a shame he wasn’t used to explore his childhood ties to chancellor, his family, possibly his ties with Kate, it would have been so fun for him to tell a story from his grandmothers childhood including Kate, unbeknownst to him.
I’ll have to agree with other reviews, there is a lot of repetition, the story moves on very quick and it could have greatly benefited from a slower build up and more backstory.
The historical aspects and belief systems engrossed me thoroughly. Note: I’m a huge fan of Boudica anyway! The writing was good, but there were a couple of ticks in voice. The notable ones for me were: The word “waspishly” is repeated a lot and it’s a mouthful. And the phrase “once more” stuck out. But these are really minor hiccups. It’s suitable for teen audiences beyond middle-grade level, so if you have young fantasy readers, grab this!
My rating comes in at 95/100, owed to the plot, characters, and romance. The slight lowering is because of the hiccups I mentioned, and I would have loved it to be an adult fantasy rather than YA. Still warrants a 5* though.
See full review here: https://susanstradiotto.com/book-review-queen-of-oak/
I will likely re-read this one, but for now, owed to lack of plot development beyond the daily lives of Boudica, et. al while the conflict brews off screen, I'm leaving at 3*.
This was a great novel. To label it a Zombie Novel would be underrating this exciting action filled novel. There are spirits, zombies, humans and celestial creatures. Layla is a strong main female character that really knows how to use any weapon. There’s even a budding romance in the midst of the chaos. The flow of this novel was so amazing; it was hard to put down. Imagine my dismay at the cliffhanger ending! This was a unique twist on a zombie novel that I enjoyed very much!
Still, a great tale. I'll be continuing on to the second book.
The story starts out with Lily Stargazer, female racing airship captain, being accosted after a race by a harlequin who gives her a mysterious kaleidoscope before jumping to his death. She follows the trail and discovers a hidden cult and dangerous antiquity hunters who would kill for the long-lost treasure she's after.
I loved the plot. It was fast-moving and was just about the right pacing. There was the mysteries of the kaleidoscope to intrigue, and once that is resolved, the mystery of Lily's past that is slowly revealed through the book. I will admit that I found the romance a bit tacked on, and the love triangle between Lily, Sal, and Lord Byron (yes, that Lord Byron) less interesting than I think the author intended. I did appreciate that Lily was allowed to cuss, have sex, do drugs, and drink like a fish. She wasn't perfect and was actually pretty damn broken on the inside, and hid that brokenness through opium and alcohol. I like that she was a flawed character but that at the end, she realized her flaws and worked to overcome them.
I love retellings. So when I saw this steampunk retelling series. I was so excited and thought I was going to love it. I was wrong. It was ok. It was a quick read and had a lot of references to the original tale. It also was definitely steampunk, but still, I just didn't love it. Which really is sad cause I thought for sure I would.
I might continue the series. I guess I'll see if I find any interest later on. It's on Kindle Unlimited which is a huge plus, plus the books are short so makes for a pretty quick read. It had a romance added to it that I thought would make it even better, but really I could have gone without it. It didn't spark any of the happy feelings I get with a good romance story.
All in all, I am a little disappointed. I think that this could have gone a whole different way and been so much better. But to each their own. If nothing else, at least I gave it a shot.
How I choose my rating:
1* Hated it. I had to force myself to finish it.
2** Didn't like it. I didn't hate it but not sure why I finished it other than for some closure.
3*** I liked it. I had some issues with it, but as a whole it was good. I probably won't reread ever, but there is a chance I might finish the series. (If part of one) But if not it's not a huge loss.
4**** I really liked this book. Maybe not a work of genius, but highly entertaining. I might reread this, and I will finish the series. (If part of one) I would recommend to those I know hold interest in this book's content.
5***** I loved this book. I found little to no issues with it at all. I will be rereading this and probably more than once. I will finish the series and reread it multiple times. (If part of one) I will recommend this book to EVERYONE!!!!
Story (4/5): When Clemeny finds out a dark elf is trying to kill the Queen for a magical artifact, she ends up having to journey to the Summer Country to track the dark elf down. There she not only helps to save England but finds out the secrets of her past. I enjoyed this quite a bit. I loved that Clemeny finally learns about her past and thought the incorporation of various Arthurian elements was well done. My only complaint is that this huge climatic reveal happened so quickly and abruptly that it felt almost anti-climatic.
Characters (4/5): As mentioned above I loved that we finally get to find out Clemeny’s secrets, although they were huge secrets that were revealed in a somewhat anticlimactic way. I do wish that Loveheart had been in the story a bit more; he supposed to be the love of Clemeny’s life but he kind of pops in and out of the story. I felt like I didn’t know him as well as I would have liked to, we got to know Edwin way better and he was just kind of brushed to the side. Harper is also kind of off on the sidelines, which was a bit disappointing as well.
Setting (3/5): The setting was a bit confusing this time, Clemency does a lot of traveling between various places in England and they aren’t easy to distinguish. I was happy that she finally got to travel to the Summer Country but then disappointed that it was very well described and that we spent so little time there. The settings were fine but probably the weakest in this series so far.
Writing Style (3/5): I felt like this whole book was rushed and that maybe Karsak just got sick of writing about Clemeny. Everything feels a bit slapped together. The major elements of the story are wrapped up fine and I really loved the inclusion of the Arthurian elements. I also love that the Pellinors are back in the story (these characters are from Karsak’s “Golden Braids and Dragon Blades” novel). The action is still decently done and the pace is fast (too fast at some points). I have mixed feelings about this book; I loved some stuff about it but found other elements kind of disappointing.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a decent conclusion to this series but a weaker book in the series as well. I love some of the secrets that were revealed and really enjoyed where the story went but felt like everything was really rushed. There are some seriously big revelations that just feel like they weren’t given a lot of weight in the book and it made a lot of the story feel anti-climatic, when it should have been exciting. Of course read this if you are finishing up the Steampunk Red Riding Hood series.
Right now I am uncertain on whether or not I will continue reading Karsak’s books. I enjoy them but the writing quality is also really uneven. I wanted to check out both her Airship Racing Chronicles and her Chancellor Fairy Tales, but now I am not sure if I want to get involved in another series by her or not.
Story (4/5): Edwin asks Clemeny to journey out to the Fenlands of east England in order to help the Cabell family deal with a curse. Lord Cabell disturbed a part of the fens he shouldn’t have and now something is hunting the Cabell family. Lord Cabell’s sister wants the issue dealt with before their annual renown Halloween Ball. Edwin plans to journey out later to the Ball which his family will also be attending and hopes Clemeny will stay on to join him.
There was a lot I liked about this story. This was a well done mystery and it unravels a bit more of Clemeny’s past, as she has to deal with some rather unconventional “monsters” in the fens.
Characters (4/5): Clemency continues to grow as a character and I loved some of the things she learns about her past in this book. Edwin is absent most of the book and ends up being somewhat disappointing in the end. However, Harper is back in the story and I really enjoy her a lot. We also get to meet some new interesting characters that I enjoyed. In general characterization is fairly well done in this book; sometimes it’s a bit inconsistent but generally I enjoy it.
Setting (4/5): I loved the creepy setting in the foggy fens of England. The settings are very creepy and very well described, they really come alive for the reader. The majority of the story takes place in this creepy manner and in the land around it and I enjoyed it a lot.
Writing Style (4/5): As with previous books in this series this book moves at a good pace, has a good mystery, and some decent action. I enjoy Clemeny’s search for information her past and liked the setting for this book. I also enjoyed the inclusion of more druidic mythology. Unfortunately, also like previous books this still feels just a bit unfinished or unpolished. Sometimes the plot is a bit inconsistent or things just don’t quite seem right. I know I complain about this everytime, I really feel like Karsak’s books are soooo close to being absolutely amazing, that the little bit of polish they are missing bothers me. I can never quite put my finger on exactly why these feel a bit unpolished....
My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this and like that the larger story of Cemeny’s past makes some good progress here. There is a lot of action, werewolves, and some druidic magic here. This is a fast and easy read that is entertaining and generally well done. I would recommend it to those who enjoy quick, fun steampunk reads with a good mystery and a lot of action.
Story (4/5): Clemeny is finally getting a bit of peace and she’s enjoying her outings with Edwin Hunter (her boss and love interest). However, things get a bit crazy when Clemeny finds out Alodie (the werewolf involved in the first book) may be collaborating with demons to bring another were into power to confront Lionheart. Now what was supposed to be a peaceful trip to the museum ends up in an all out battle. This is a fun and quick-paced story that builds on a lot of things that happened in the first couple books of the series. I love that Hunter’s demon-hunting skills also come into play. This is a fun contained story but also pushes along the main storyline.
Characters (4/5): Clemeny is growing on me, she is finally finding some balance and peace...sort of. There was a lot less of her worrying about her appearance and hunting lustfully after men...and a lot more of her just enjoying the people in her life. Hunter is a good balance for her, however I am curious to see where things go with Lionheart as well since he is a fascinating character. Even more intriguing are the additional parts of Clemeny’s history that are revealed and the fact that she may not be quite as human as she thought.
Setting (4/5): This book takes place in a Victorian Steampunk London and I continue to love this setting and enjoy how seamlessly the steampunk elements are woven into historical London. It’s a fun setting and well described.
Writing Style (4/5): I feel like as of the third book in this series Karsak has hit a good writing stride. Some of the earlier books felt a bit unfocused but in this book you get a very well done, contained mystery, as well as progress in the broader story. I thought it was very well done. Karsak does an awesome job at keeping the pace fast and writes amazing action scenes as well. Obviously I keep reading her books, so I must enjoy her writing style!
My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a very well done continuation to the Steampunk Red Riding Hood series. I enjoyed the pace of the story, the mystery, the characters, the action and how well things tied back to earlier books in the series. This was a fun read and I plan on continuing with the series. I would recommend this series to anyone who is looking for a steampunk series full of quick, fun, fast-paced reads.
Story (5/5): Clemeny is put onto a special case involving her childhood that has her trying to solve the mystery of disappearing children in the area she grew up in. This was a fun and fast-paced mystery with a lot of action and some fae elements. I really loved how everything came together here.
Characters (5/5): We learn a lot about Clemeny’s past and get to watch her grow a lot too. I loved getting to spend more time with her grandmere and meeting some of the other characters from her past. Additionally, there were a lot more scenes between Clemeny and Hunter which were really well done. We also get to spend time with Queen Victoria and I enjoyed her character as well. I still wish Clemeny spent less time lusting after men and getting down on herself about her looks, but she is growing some in each book so this is getting better.
Setting (4/5): I continue to really love this setting of an alternate steampunk London. I loved that we spent most of our time in London in this volume of the series.
Writing Style (5/5): I think this was the best book in this series yet. The story was a lot more cohesive than previous stories and we get a lot more solid character development. I loved the folklore around the dark fae, Krampus. Karsak does an amazing job with action scenes and I really loved the characters she has in here too!
My Summary (5/5): Overall I enjoyed this book a ton. This was the perfect holiday season read for me; it’s a feel good story with a lot of action, fun steampunk elements, some interesting fae mythology, and some romance. I would definitely recommend this series if you enjoy action packed steampunk reads with some mythology and romance thrown in. I can’t wait to continue the series!
Story (4/5): The airship Fenrir is plaguing the skies, robbing merchant ships and Queen Victoria wants it stopped. The task is given to Clemeny who has a new partner, Agent Harper. Agent Harper is much more used to paperwork but has special intellectual qualities that may help Clemeny on her mission. When Clemeny finds out that Fenrir is run by Viking werewolves things really get interesting.
Characters (4/5): Celmeny is a fun, yet flawed, character and I generally enjoy her antics. I didn’t enjoy all the time she spent dwelling about how ugly her scar made her look or all her inner thoughts about needing a man to sate her feelings of lust. Aside from that though, she is reckless and fun and trying to be a better person. I also liked that we are starting to get a bit more depth to Clemeny’s past.
Agent Harper was a fun addition, she is more of a bookish type but ends up being very resourceful and I hope she is in future stories. You see very little of Agent Hunter or Lionheart in this story. However, you do meet some fun new types of creatures...I enjoyed the parts with a certain kelpie and hope he is in future stories. Lily Stargazer also features in the end of the story (no, I haven’t read Lily’s series quite yet).
Setting (3/5): I liked the setting but am a bit confused sometimes at how everything ties together. Here we meet kelpies and there is also discussion about Druids. Sometimes it feels like Karsak is just throwing everything into these books whether it be from literature, Norse mythology, fae folklore or even Arthurian legend. It leaves my head spinning a bit and every time I feel like I get a grip on the world it shifts. This is one of those series where I have learned to just go with it and enjoy it, don’t think too much about how it all fits together or else I will be frustrated. However, it would be nice to know that somehow these books are planned out and they will actually fit together at some point.
Writing Style (4/5): This is well written and easy to read. This is just one of those fun and light reads. I do feel like everything here could be a bit more polished and has so much potential. The world is almost there but is a bit too variable. The characters are fun but a bit too scattered and could use more history. The story is a lot of fun but sometimes tied up too conveniently. Karsak does a great job with action scenes and her dialogue is snappy and fun.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a fun read and I enjoyed it. These are great, light steampunk reads with a lot of action, they are quick to read and entertaining. I think this series could be amazing if the world is developed a bit more consistently and the characters are given more depth. Sometimes it feels like there’s not a lot of rhyme or reason to the world or the characters that flit around it. I do plan on continuing the series because I enjoy the books. However, everytime I read a book in this series I think “wow, this is almost amazing but not quite”.
Story (4/5): This is a very cute winter holiday story. Scarlette is staying at her Uncle’s while her father travels, her Uncle resides in the village of Twickenham. Scarlette likes to stay busy and has taken to helping the pair of older sisters that runs the local toy store. They task her with figuring out how to make a toy piano player and Scarlette is up to the challenge. Meanwhile her uncle is hosting the Rude Mechanicals for the holidays, including a rather handsome young inventor who is drawn to Scarlette for both her tinkering talent and kind nature. When Scarlette starts tinkering with clockwork gnomes and strange goblin men get involved she finds that there is more than romance in the air, there may be magic as well.
I enjoyed this story a lot. It’s a cute and magical holiday read, that is fun and romantic. It leaves you feeling happy and light-hearted. This book is a precursor to other books in this series and describes the formation of the Red Cape Society (which is featured both in books in the Steampunk Fairy Tale series and in the Steampunk Red Riding Hood series).
Characters (4/5): Scarlette is a woman of privilege who goes out of her way to make sure everyone in Twickenham village is taken care of. I loved her kind and inquisitive nature, she was easy to engage with and fun to read about. Pretty much all of the characters in here were like that. They were all well developed, kind, and creative types.
Setting (4/5): Twickenham village is a magical winter setting that I really enjoyed getting to know. The description here is magical and makes it easy to picture the town and its simple winter beauty.
Writing Style (4/5): This is well written and easy to read. I enjoyed how both the story of “The Elves and the Shoemaker” and the poem of “The Goblin Market” were incorporated into this steampunk setting. I enjoyed this story a lot and thought it was all in all well done.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a really well done story and a fun addition to the Steampunk Fairy Tales world. It is a sweet story and has a very wintery magical feel to it. I would recommend this story if you are looking for a heartwarming and magical story to read during the holiday season, especially if you enjoy steampunk worlds.
Story (4/5): Rapunzel is the last Pendragon descendant and has been isolated in a cave to keep her safe from Mordred’s descendents. Her only companions are Gothel, a fae witch who is like a mother to Rapunzel, and three tiny dragons. When Agent Ewan Goodwin accidentally stumbles into her cave both of their lives are changed forever.
Characters (4/5): I enjoyed these characters, they were well done if not as unique as some of the characters in the previous books of this series. Rapunzel is very sheltered and naive but also fierce and protective when she needs to be. Ewan is besotted with her pretty much from the beginning. The surrounding characters are well done and there are some cameos by characters from Karsak’s other books.
Setting (4/5): This book takes place in a few different settings. Some of the book is in Rapunzel’s cave, some is in London and then most of it is out at a country estate. The settings were fine but not the main driver behind the story.
Writing Style (4/5): This book is well written and easy to read. It was a fun steampunk read with a ton of Arthurian references which I enjoyed. I do wish Karsak would create a master list somewhere of what order all her books should be read in. In the last Steampunk Fairy Tales book there were some characters who popped in from her Airship book series (which I have not read). In this book I feel like we're seeing characters from the Steampunk Red Riding Hood series, which I stopped reading because of all the cameos in the first book from her Steampunk Fairy Tales series. I came back to the Steampunk Fairy Tales series to read that but now I feel like I am getting spoilers for the Steampunk Red Riding Hood series.
Annette Marie also weaves multiple series very tightly together but she gives a very clear reading order list on Goodreads, Amazon, and her website. I would love to see the same thing from Karsak.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I liked this, it was a fun steampunk read with a lot of entertaining Arthurian references. I am just getting a bit frustrated with not knowing what order these books fall in compared to the other series that are also set in this world. Aside from that I continue to enjoy this series and Karsak’s writing style. This whole series has been very fun, full of action, and leaves you feeling happy.
Story (4/5): This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Isabelle and her tinker father are on the way to a wedding to deliver some of their inventions when their airship ends up shipwrecked on a strange island. What Isabelle finds in the abandoned manor there is an amazing house full of automatons that seem too lifelike to be real machines. While her father goes for help, Isabelle stays to unravel the mystery.
This is an excellent Beauty and the Beast retelling and has a lot of steampunk elements throughout. The story is very predictable and there weren’t any surprising twists here, however I wanted a fun steampunk story with some adventure and mystery and that’s exactly what I got with this story. There is kind of a neat mystery involving old druidic runes that ties into the story.
Characters (4/5): I enjoyed Isabelle and her creativity and inventfullness. The “beast” is well done too and does a good job at being beastly while still being a sympathetic character. Additionally, Isabelle’s father is well done. The romance between Isabelle and Beast is sweet and gentle and was fun to read about.
Setting (4/5): I enjoyed the setting of this mysterious island and thought Karsak did a good job converting the traditional Beast’s manor into a steampunk wonder. I especially love the mechanical garden!
Writing/Drawing Style (4/5): This was well written, engaging and an easy and quick read. I wanted a simple and sweet steampunk romance and that is exactly what I got. I was impressed with how many elements from the original Beauty and the Beast story (as well as from other adaptations like Disney) were pulled into this story and how seamlessly this was merged with the steampunk world created in the rest of the series.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this. It was both an excellent Beauty and the Beast retelling and a fun steampunk story. It’s an easy and quick, if predictable, read. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next book in the series “Golden Braids and Dragon Blades”.
Ce site utilise des cookies pour fournir nos services, optimiser les performances, pour les analyses, et (si vous n'êtes pas connecté) pour les publicités. En utilisant Librarything, vous reconnaissez avoir lu et compris nos conditions générales d'utilisation et de services. Votre utilisation du site et de ses services vaut acceptation de ces conditions et termes.