Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Steampunk Red Riding Hood series. There are six books (more novella length stories) in this series and the series is complete. I borrowed this through Kindle Unlimited to read.

Story (4/5): I enjoyed this story; it’s fast-paced and full of action. Clemency is fun, tough and obviously has some issues. She is plunged into a mystery involving missing scholars and werewolves right away. I did feel like I kind of got dropped in the middle of a world I knew nothing about with very little explanation, which I imagine may be because I haven’t read the Steampunk Fairy Tales first (which were written before this series and are also part of this world). I plan going back to read those books before I read any more of this series. There is a lot of action here, a lot of mystery, and some fun paranormal races and characters.

Characters (4/5): Clemey and her partner in the Red Cape Society (Quinn) are fun and easy to engage with. Clem definitely has some rough edges; she is wickedly dismissive of other women and is constantly being told she needs a man (which she kind of agrees with). While this doesn’t make her the most endearing character, she is still fun. I love the way she cares for those that are close to her and enjoy her toughness and resourcefulness. Quinn helped to dull some of Clem’s rough edges and they worked well together. I am curious to see how things progress now that Clem is forced to work with Lionheart instead. There are a ton of interesting side characters in here too, I feel like they were probably introduced in previous steampunk fairy tales. They all seem to have complex histories that I was missing out on and are part of what makes me want to go back and read some of the earlier books written in this world.

Setting (4/5): I enjoyed the setting a lot. It’s kind of your typical steampunk paranormal London setting (I know, I read too many of these types of books if this setting is typical to me!). The setting was really well thought out and had lots of good detail on how this alternate steampunk London works and operates. It was very well done and very well described.

Writing/Drawing Style (4/5): Karsak’s writing style flowed well and moved quickly. If anything it was a bit stark for me and could have used some more description. However, the style mirrors Clem’s style well and I found myself really liking the fast-paced story structure and no nonsense writing style. This book is very short (barely clearing 100 pages) but it packed a lot of story into that space and I found myself really enjoying it.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I liked this, it’s a fun and fast-paced read set in an intricate world that is well designed. The characters aren’t necessarily likable but they are interesting and entertaining and definitely have room to grow. I would recommend reading the Steampunk Fairy Tales before starting this series because I really felt like I was plopped into a full world without much intro here, also I feel like there are a lot of references to characters that probably featured in those books. I plan on going back to read the Steampunk Fairy Tales before I read anymore of this series. I would recommend to those who enjoy fast-paced steampunk paranormal reads with a heroine that is tough but not all that sympathetic to those around her. This is entertaining, quick, and packs a lot of story into a small page space. ( )

Wolves and Daggers is a beautifully retold, short steampunk retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. I love the author's steampunk fairytale world and her characters. ( )

I bought this book a while ago. I have a thing against Amazon and I RARELY buy books from there and refuse to use Kindle or Audible anything!! But I had to get some books that only they had and I wanted free shipping. I had been looking at this one for a while, and it felt like it would be right up my alley. Fairy tale, steampunk, yes please.

Then my book came in and I was PISSED. It was so small for $10. I was expecting some novel not novella. So the book sat.

But this month I am concentrating on short stories, novellas, and MG under 250 pages, so It was time to pick this up.

I loved it. Had a blast. The author packed so much into 124 pages. There was no dry spots, or anything long and drawn out. It was in your face here it is action and adventure from page one. I had my fairy tale links that worked quite well without being a strict retelling, and the steampunk was done well and used in ways that feel like home. My only complaint about the story itself is it did get annoying how often “Little Red” would lamate her lack of male love interest.

Overall this was a really great read and I did go buy books 2-4 and will pick up 5 and 6 in the coming months.

HOWEVER, I wish I could get these books somewhere other than Amazon. It is from an indie press, possibly a vanity or self published press and there is nothing wrong with that. I understand the pull Amazon has on the market place. And if you are a Kindle user you can get the entire series either free or really cheap. And that is lovely, but there are other readers like myself who are anti-Amazon that would love this book and probably other works by the author as well. There are ways for publishers and self-publishers to get their materials in all the marketplaces, and I would really hope this author would look into it. I would carry this book in my library in a heartbeat if I could get it other places. The print book itself is lovely. It has a great cover, attention is paid to the layout of the pages, and designs to designate each chapter are lovely. But the author has limited their scoop (even if it is a really large scoop) by staying Amazon only.

#MountTBR
#ReadHarder
#Booked2020
#Popsugar
#BeattheBacklist ( )