The Tea Demon by Cornelia Grey

The Tea Demon by Cornelia Grey
Stars: 4/5

Length: 52 pages
Blurb
Thief Eric Devon wishes one thing: for people to leave him bloody well alone. And maybe for more whiskey. Until a mysterious stranger offers him a job so dangerous that no one has ever attempted it and survived to tell the tale: recover a priceless object from the Turtle Merchants’ impregnable palace. Intrigued by the man and the challenge, Eric accepts—but the stranger is none other than the legendary airship captain known as the Tea Demon, terror of the Sea of Clouds. Eric must come up with the best plan in history if he wants to complete his job... and survive it too.

Overall
The way this story was written reminds me of The Princess Bride (the movie), as it is a mostly serious tale told in a mostly serious manner that pokes at the cliches because it can. A thief and a pirate airship captain get into a bar brawl with classic choreography, share a kiss, and meet the humorous crew. This story is fun without being too silly, although some may find the tropes a little too much. I thought everything was well handled; a refreshing taste of something different.

Strengths
While this story didn't have laugh out loud humor in it for me, it was still amusing and had me chuckling. Eric is a fun, laid-back guy who is willing to roll with the punches. He's also witty, sharp, and likes seeing Captain Tea flustered (but really, who doesn't?). The character dynamic is light and fun, creating a well-rounded jocular story.

Grey made the steampunk background come to life with beautiful, succinct descriptions of the world and the characters. In a few pages she creates a world, building upon the reader's basic knowledge to expand it into a fantastical environment. Although we are just given the bare bones, it's enough to provide a full-color illustration and support the simple--and amusing--plot.

The characters are plenty of fun, varying from a grumpy dwarf and an underage stick of a girl who fills the role of mechanic to the suave thief and the temper-prone captain. While they may fill standard roles, Grey has fun with the characters, letting the trope show through and plays off of it.

Weaknesses
While everything felt fresh and great, some points were deducted for originality. (It may be unfair, as the author seemed to be striving toward that point exactly, but it sometimes struck as a little too cheesy for me.) Otherwise this was a fun little story.

Received this book for review.

The Art of Steampunk by Art Donovan

The Art of Steampunk by Art Donovan
Stars: 4/5

Blurb:
The Art of Steampunk seeks to celebrate the world of Steampunk: a world filled with beauty and innovation. A world in which steam power and technology intertwine to create machines that are not only functional and practical, but unique and striking.

Inside, you will find the fantastical and stunning artwork of Steampunk artists from around the world. The 17 artists featured on these pages, among the frontrunners of the Steampunk genre, have had their work displayed at an exhibition at The Museum of History of Science at the University of Oxford, UK and have attracted the media attention of BoingBoing, one of the world’s largest blogs. Their artwork consists of everything from clocks and watches to light fixtures and jewelry, but every piece demonstrates hours of painstaking work and devotion from its creator. You will find that the artists themselves are just as unique and colorful as their masterpieces. Fully embracing Steampunk ideology, many have adopted a Victorian alter ego—a mad scientist persona to match the complicated intricacies of their artwork.

Review is based on an electronic viewing
Overall
A beautiful introduction to the world of steampunk, with nice art, limited text and good, basic information. While not ideal for someone already deeply in the world of steampunk, this book will definitely give some ideas to the beginning dabbler, as well as explain some of the history and concepts behind streampunk. A visually appealing work, this definitely would be worth having sitting on the coffee table. If nothing else, it will strike up conversation.

Strengths
Beautiful. There is some truly beautiful art represented on these pages, ranging from clothing to tools to just works of art (although they are all art in their own way).

Ideas. While this book primarily provides ideas of what steampunk culture is, it also is a nice look at different elements of the culture for those already involved, possibly offering fresh ideas for people who want to try something a little different with their own steampunk style.

Minimal words. While there are captions, descriptions, and some cute stories, as well as some background to both steampunk and the exhibition which this book represents, for the most part the art is left to speak for itself, letting the beauty stand on its own without being bogged down by unnecessary information.

Weaknesses
Not necessarily a weakness, but this is definitely angled for people just getting into steampunk, or it's meant to educate and draw people into the fold. While the perks definitely outnumber the drawbacks, aside from purely aesthetic reasons to get this, hardcore steampunk people may not get as much out of it.

I requested a review copy of this book.

Island of Icarus by Christine Danse

Island of Icarus by Christine Danse
Stars: 3.5/5

Overall
Our story opens in clutter as Jonathan sorts through the things in his office that he hasn't gotten around to putting away, even a year after being in his position at the university. With it, Danse shows the reader the life Jonathan is living, disorganized mentally as he struggles to overcome the shadows of his past while dealing with his new limitations, mainly that of a mangled arm that has a clockwork replacement. Although this is a first person perspective, we are not overwhelmed with angst or emotion, as our narrator is stoically Victorian British and a scientist, which is a refreshing difference from the emotional rides that some stories focus on.

Instead, Island of Icarus is a study of man, of determination, and of creating one's own fate. Although initiated through someone else's will, Jonathan's growth through the novel gives him a spine to make his own decisions and the confidence to follow through.

Strengths
Steampunk. Danse did a very nice job of creating a lightly steampunk atmosphere without short-changing the reader. She included steampunk elements (clockwork, mechanics, Victorian era), without making it a true steampunk piece of writing (aka, heavy with mechanics/steam engineering). True enthusiasts of this genre may feel it doesn't fit the style, but it's present enough to pass.

Characters. We have our classic Victorian educated man, Jonathan, who has suffered injury and heart break and has been marooned on an island with Marcus, a dashing American who is ambitious, crafty and a genius. Even though he is a genius, he's not socially inept, and yet he has isolated himself on this island. Of course the reader knows it's about more than wanting time to work on his project.

Writing. It was enjoyable, and led me to discover that "wow" is not a modern term (I initially thought it was an anachronism within the novel), but dates back to the 1500s. The novel seemed fairly well researched, both of the time period and the mechanics of clockwork gears and flight.

Weaknesses
Beach Sex. There are at least two places you don't want to be naked and rolling around. The beach and in hay. Thankfully the sex didn't involve penetration, but sex on the beach is just a bad idea generally. But I guess when it's all very instantaneous, you don't want your lover to run off because he's changed his mind.

Title. Icarus is the son of a craftsman who, along with his father, used wax and feather wings to escape the island they were imprisoned on. Ignoring his father's warning, Icarus flies too close to the sun, melting the wax and falling to his death. Perhaps it should have been titled Island of Daedalus, since Marcus is the craftsman. There is also some issues that Marcus doesn't really want to leave the island as Daedalus and Icarus did, although he does show some reckless behaviors like that of a young boy (Icarus) which requires Jon to rescue him. I like the basic concept of the novel being called Island of Icarus since there are wings involved, but I'm not sure it's appropriate.

While I enjoyed the story overall, I was never enthralled with the characters or the plot, never motivated to keep reading to see what happened next. If you're looking for something mellow to read, this would be a good choice. If you're in the mood for something a bit more adventurous or emotional, I wouldn't start here.