To make up for my sloth-like ways

Two reviews in one day. Amazing! I am attempting to make up for my hibernation. After my renewed vigor from Tammy Blackwell, I was pursuing the recommendation section on my Amazon page and found way too many excellent choices. I am a bit of a sucker for a printed author who offers the digital copy free as introduction to the series.

Tangent (ok, really it is a rant) here: I am aggressively opposed to digital copies costing more than the printed work. Publishing houses of the large scale variety are gouging the avid bookworm. Best sellers and large "brand name" authors should not receive double the standard paperback price. $15 for your book just because it made some hit list is ludicrous. When the paperback version cost $8, then the digital copy should cost $4. Digital storage is not an expensive endeavor to upkeep. I would love to see the competitors to the major houses thrive and an economy of price arrive to the world of literature.

Lady of Devices by Shelley Adina

Prior to the creation of the steampunk genre (and somewhat forced by my days as an English undergrad), I was a fan of Victorian literature, history, and fantasy. Alternative history is an interesting genre but can be a rather double-edged sword. It pollutes the pool of very limited fact about the past when you take into account that recorded documents in history are kept by the victor of the time and may not be accurate representations of the world lived anyway. Science may be fact, but it comes heavily influenced by the ideology of the scientists that create it. I have issues with said pollution and find the creation of steampunk a smashing solution!

Lady of Devices was a pleasant addition to my favorites of the genre. It was heavily Victorian and scientific without getting in its own way. Some authors overdo the "punk" aspect of the steam inventions and create a world of stretched-too-thin imagination. Shelley Adina was able to draw me into her story from the first paragraph. It is always about a great opening. While I refuse to leave a book unread, I become even more attached to novels that hook me from the starting gate. Everything was very plausible with the story. I felt that with the proper ingenuity I could be my own Lady of Devices.

I was highly satisfied with the English wit of Claire's gang of misfits. The gang themselves were actually the biggest pleasure from the read. They were a group of characters that felt refreshingly new. The story did not seem as if it had been told numerous times before compared to many others colliding in the market. No matter who you are, there is always something to learn. Each of Shelly Adina's characters embodies that sense of creation and determination.

I am glad I tried out this author based on an excellent plot summary and being a sucker for a free price tag. 

Here's to purchasing the rest of the series (excellent use of promotion)!