The Mortal Word (The Invisible Library #5) by Genevieve Cogman – Review

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5 stars, Book Review, fantasy, Genevieve Cogman, library, mystery, parallel universe, series, Steampunk

About The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman

Peace talks are always tricky, especially when a key diplomat gets stabbed. This rudely interrupts a top-secret summit between the warring dragons and Fae. As a neutral party, Librarian-spy Irene is summoned to investigate. She must head to a version of 1890s Paris, with her assistant Kai and her detective friend Vale, where these talks are fracturing. Here, she must get to the bottom of the attack – before either the peace negotiations or the city go up in flames.

Suspicions fly thick and fast and Irene soon finds herself in the seedy depths of the Parisian underworld. She’s on the trail of a notoriously warlike Fae, the Blood Countess. However, the evidence against the Countess is circumstantial. Could the killer be a member of the Library itself?

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Review of The Mortal Word

In Chapter One of The Mortal Word, Irene steals one token book, which serves only to illustrate Irene’s magical and physical abilities, not so much to glorify her librarianship. Librarian is Irene’s title. But her job, well…. Spy, yes (and she admits it), detective, most definitely (even though she pretends only to assist other detectives), task master – well just ask her fellow investigators.

The Mortal Word takes place in the setting of a peace negotiation between the dragons, the ultimate creatures of order and the fae, who introduce chaos into every possible situation. Why would two such dissimilar races want peace? That question will be asked many times in The Mortal Word.

Soon after the peace ‘conference’ starts, one of the primary dragon negotiators is murdered. Irene’s friend, detective Vale, is asked to investigate. Irene’s job: manage the detective along with the dragon and fae representatives to the investigations. Plus, her close friend and former apprentice Kai (dragon) shows up to assist in a very unofficial way. I love how Irene has taken charge more and more throughout the series. She has become quite the formidable taskmaster.

But while Irene is able to delegate, there are some things she still wants to do herself. Irene’s interest in Sherlockian detective stories means she wants to follow up on some clues herself. I have read enough of Irene to know that anytime this happens, trouble will ensue. And anytime this happens, Irene will use her brains, and maybe a bit of magic, to get out of trouble. While all her friends and associates are quite capable, Irene is the superhero of this series.

The Mortal Word can be read as a standalone and will appeal to anyone who appreciates a great mystery solved by a brainy detective, with a mix of myth and magic. Though if you think that sounds pretty good, why not read the entire series!?

Thanks to the publisher (Berkley, Penquin, Random House, whoever – they are all on the letterhead) who held a giveaway and sent me the prize of an ARC of the The Mortal Word. I had read books 1-3 and had decided not to continue the series, not because I did not like the series, rather I had other books I wanted to read more. However, having received a free book, I had to read it! So glad I did!

 

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Cogheart (The Cogheart Adventures, #1) by Peter Bunzi – Review

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5 stars, Adventure, Book Review, childrens, clockwork, family, middle grade, Peter Bunzl, Steampunk

About Cogheart by Peter Bunzl

Some secrets change the world in a heartbeat. . . .

Lily’s life is in mortal peril. Her father is missing and now silver-eyed men stalk her through the shadows. What could they want from her?

With her friends—Robert, the clockmaker’s son, and Malkin, her mechanical fox—Lily is plunged into a murky and menacing world. Too soon Lily realizes that those she holds dear may be the very ones to break her heart. . . .

Murder, mayhem and mystery meet in this gripping Victorian adventure.

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Review of Cogheart

Cogheart is a middle grade steampunk adventure that features a brave young girl, a daring young boy and a loyal clockwork fox.

I love that steampunk is being written for the younger generation, since it is one of my favorite genres. The book says it is aimed at readers 12, though I would expand this to include adventure-loving advanced younger readers 5th grade and older.

Often, in adventures for middle grade and YA readers, the villains are adults.  Cogheart is no exception. And these villains are not only bad guys, but they look pretty creepy. The trouble starts when the bad guys go after Lily’s father. In an effort to warn his daughter, John Hartman sends Malkin, his mechanical fox, to Lily with a message. Just as Malkin’s escape pod leaves the airship Dragonfly, a harpoon strikes the hull and John is shot. Fade to black….. (you know what that means).

And so the adventure begins. On the way to find Lily, Malkin meets and teams with young Robert Townsend, son and apprentice to a clockmaker. In the meantime, Lily has been removed from the boarding school she hates by her father’s housekeeper. Lily isn’t exactly in love with Madame Verdigris either. It immediately becomes apparent that Verdigris does not have Lily’s best interests at heart.

When Robert and Malkin catch up with Lily, helping Lily escape is just the tip of the adventure iceberg. Now chased by the men that went after her father, Lily runs for help, along the way meeting Anna, airship pilot/journalist, who becomes part of the adventure. All the while, we don’t really know why Lily is being chased.

Cogheart was released in the UK in 2016, so it has been out for a few years. Today, February 12th, is Cogheart’s US release. It is book one in a three book series, so if Cogheart appeals, look for Moonlocket and Sky Circus to follow. And if you like this book, I recommend you check out the author’s website for fun GIFs, games and activies relating to Lily’s amazing adventures.

Cogheart is a non-stop adventure sure to engage readers of any age that appreciate airships, danger, friendship, family, mechanical animals and people and a bit of airship piracy.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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A Hanging at Lotus Hall (The Steampunk Detectives, #2) by Corrina Lawson – Review

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5 stars, Book Review, Corrina Lawson, historical, magic, romance, series, Steampunk

About A Hanging at Lotus Hall by Corrina Lawson

Family secrets are the most dangerous…

All is not well at Lotus Hall, the home of the Dukes of Bennington, powerful mages who sit at the highest levels of power in the British Empire.

Consulting detective Gregor Sherringford, youngest brother of the current duke, is summoned home by his mother, the Dowager Duchess, after the mysterious arrival of a family member long presumed dead.

Joan Krieger, Gregor’s investigative partner and lover. accompanies him. In her experience, families bring nothing but grief. Besides, she’s no proper match for Gregor, with her reputation as a “fallen” woman, and being from a Jewish merchant family.

Her fears are realized after their arrival at Lotus Hall. The duke is distant, Gregor’s mother is concealing a secret, Gregor’s other brother is hiding an affair, and the other guests, important members of the Metaphysical Society, warn Joan of dire consequences if she continues to use forbidden magic in her investigations.

When one of the signature Sherringford inventions is used to kill, uncovering the truth behind all the facades becomes imperative. For someone is hunting Sherringfords and unless they can all learn to trust each other, their family will be utterly destroyed.

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Review of A Hanging at Lotus Hall

From page one, heroine Joan Krieger is placed in a situation that will be challenging to navigate. Why? Because she is a woman that wields magic. Make that a Jewish woman that wields magic. Illegally, since only men are considered to be able to handle the power of magic. But Joan’s challenge came in the form of an offer to be the first to teach girls at a mage school. Does this mean that society is ready to accept female mages?

Add all this to the fact that Joan is both the magical apprentice and lover of Gregor Sherringford, the 3rd son of a duke, and you can see that Joan’s life is not uninteresting.

When Gregor’s mother asks him to return home and bring Joan with him, the game is afoot. While only an attempted murder has occurred at this time in the book, the trip home sets up the circumstances for the real murder. Suddenly Gregor is the detective, with Joan as his assistant and everyone, from Gregor’s brother Jared (the Duke) to his niece, Anne, is a suspect.

This country manor murder mystery is both classic and original. The setting, the Sherlockian elements (down to the name of Moriarity), the family dynamics – those are all time-honored ingredients of many very good mysteries. Add the mage factor, the changing mage society in England and the conflicts that go with that and you have a fresh twist on the English manor murder mystery.

Intertwined in the mystery is the ongoing story of Gregor and Joan. Their relationship is solid, but on a wood foundation sort of way, as opposed to bedrock. Gregor is extremely protective and uncommunicative. These are Joan’s pet peeves and her reason for holding back. This is a couple that will always be interesting, but I would really like to see their relationship mature to more of a partnership. Hoping that A Hanging at Lotus Hall is not the last book in the series, I will be patient!

Gregor and Joan are the main characters, but this book is full of fascinating supporting characters. Gregor’s mother Vai, the returned-from-the-dead Edward Dale, and older brothers Jared and Nick. Just to name a few. Pay attention to each and everyone for clues if you wish to solve the mystery.

I read book one in the Steampunk Detectives series, The Curse of the Brimstone Contract, in 2015. At that time, I was really getting into steampunk. So I ate it up. Similarly, I devoured A Hanging at Lotus Hall. This book is for anyone that enjoys a complex plot, great character, and mystery with twist.

Many thanks to the author who provided a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.

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