The Electrical Menagerie: Steampunk Meets Sci-Fi in a Fabulous Adventure

I was recently given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of a book that absolutely made me fall in love.

The Electrical Menagerie is one of those books that captivated me from the very beginning. The voice was the first thing that got my attention. The characters quickly came alive for me. Carthage and Huxley are so different, and yet so compatible. Carthage the inventor and tinkerer and illusionist and performer who came from circumstances that could have entirely broken him. Huxley the organizer, the businessman, the logical one, with a surprising past. I could connect with both of them and loved seeing their interactions. The depth of their characters really impressed me. The rest of the cast was unique and interesting as well. 

And the story world....

The story world. Oh, my. Steampunk with a twist of sci-fi. Trains running on rails through space. Holopaper. Steampunk-style automatons that run on electricity. The genre mash-up was perfect. And all of it centering around a circus-like competition for entertainers. The book's description says it's for fans of The Greatest Showman, and honestly I hadn't even seen that description when I read my advanced copy, but that is exactly what came to mind for me. Not a knock-off, though. Not by any stretch. The Electrical Menagerie is completely unique, but it definitely has the atmosphere of The Greatest Showman (minus the musical numbers, of course). It's got that fun for all ages feel, too. The main characters are adults, but the book is appropriate for middle grade and up. 

I am so looking forward to more books in this series! And I know without a doubt I'll be reading this one again.

The official description: 

The Electrical Menagerie, one-of-a-kind robotic roadshow, is bankrupt.
Sylvester Carthage, illusionist and engineer, has the eccentric imagination the Menagerie needs to succeed creatively — but none of the people skills. Fast-talking Arbrook Huxley, meanwhile, has all the savvy the Menagerie needs to succeed commercially — but none of the scruples.
To save their show, Carthage & Huxley risk everything in a royal talent competition, vying for the chance to perform for the Future Celestial Queen. In this stardust-and-spark-powered empire of floating islands and flying trains, a shot at fame and fortune means weathering the glamorous and cutthroat world of critics, high society, and rival magicians —but with real conspiracy lurking beneath tabloid controversy, there’s more at stake in this contest than the prize.
Behind the glittery haze of flash paper and mirrors, every competitor has something to hide… and it’s the lies Carthage & Huxley tell each other that may cost them everything.

I'm not alone in loving this one:

"Dazzles from start to finish. In Carthage & Huxley, Sherlock & Watson fans will find another dynamic duo whose ready wit and sizzling banter (and inevitable personality clashes) never fail to delight. You'll be calling for an encore performance." Gillian Bronte Adams, author of The Songkeeper Chronicles

"The stuff that fandoms are built on." Kyle Robert Shultz, author of Beaumont & Beasley

Purchase Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Electrical-Menagerie-Celestial-Isles-Book-ebook/dp/B07D5TM5VS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39719906-the-electrical-menagerie

About the Author:

Mollie’s first job was with a major theme park, where she operated a roller coaster, fixed parade floats, and helped Scooby-Doo put on his head. Now, Mollie is a movie producer and the author of character-driven science fiction/fantasy novels for adults who never outgrew imagination. Her favorite things include Jesus, dinosaurs, and telling cinematic stories that blend glitter and grit.

Social Media Links

Website — Twitter — Instagram

Enter the Giveaway:

Explore the world of The Electrical Menagerie by entering to win this Celestial Isles prize pack, which includes: "High Victorian" playing cards by luxury playing card company Theory11, handmade galaxy mug by DeVita Designs, Science & Engineering Themed Pocket Notebook Set by CognitiveSurplus, and a tin of Electrical Menagerie themed tea (over a $50 value)! (US only.)
Link: https://kingsumo.com/g/8tf8sz/the-electrical-menagerie-steampunk-prize-pack-giveaway

And continue following the blog tour:

Monday, June 4th    

Book Spotlight – Sarah Ashwood’s Newsletter
Author Interview – New Authors Fellowship
Review – Finding Kat Heckenbach

Tuesday, June 5th   

Review – Seasons of Humility
Book Spotlight – Fairies, Fantasy, and Faith

Wednesday, June 6th  

Guest Post – H.L. Burke’s Blog
Character Interview – Kyle Robert Shultz
Review – Bold Reads

Thursday, June 7th  

Review – Inspired Chaos
Guest Post – J.L. Mbewe
Review – Scriblerians
Review – The Bibliophile of Beaverton

Friday, June 8th  

Author Interview – Bethany A. Jennings
Guest Post & Review – The Elven Padawan
Author Interview – Shannon A. Hiner

Saturday, June 9th

Author Interview, Character Interview & Review – Katelyn Buxton Books
Review – K.M. Carroll, Author – fun, fantastical escapes
Character Interview – The Book Sprite

Monday, June 11th  

Blog Tour Wrap-Up – Unicorn Quester

Book Review: Jinx by Sage Blackwood

Because it's been waaaaaayyyyyy too long since I've blogged, and I seriously just have not had much to say. My life has been busy-busy with homeschooling and holidays and birthdays. So, I'm sharing this short review about a book I loved, and am now reading the sequel:

(My review as posted on Goodreads.)

This is MG fiction. Fun, well-written, fast-pasted without skimping on story and character development. The writing voice really captured me as well. Told with a fairy tale flavor, it had me smiling in so many places. There are dark bits, of course, as any good fairy tale has, but they're not told in gruesome detail.

The story world has a lot of familiar tropes--witches, wizards, werewolves, etc.--but all handled in unique ways. The magic system is really cool, as are Jinx's particular abilities. I totally connected to Jinx and LOVED Simon the wizard--and the way the author shows the good and bad in all the characters impressed me.

Love the cover art, too!

Goodreads link HERE. 

As I mentioned, I'm reading the sequel, Jinx's Magic.

If your looking for good middle grade fantasy, seriously, get this series. 

A Rosary of Stones and Thorns: a review of sorts...

I finished reading a book (A Rosary of Stones and Thorns by M.C.A. Hograth) the other day and I can't stop thinking about it. I'm sure that was the author's intent. I wish I knew what drove her even deeper.

The back of the book has this disclaimer:

This story is a work of fiction and not intended as serious religious commentary.

It is the story of an angel who has been literally thrown to Earth from Heaven for standing up against the archangel Michael. Why does she do this? Because she finds a room that holds the halos of all the fallen angels, including Lucifer's, and believes they are being held by God in hopes Lucifer and his followers will repent and return to Him.

In other words, it delves into the idea that God would be merciful enough to forgive Satan.

But there's more, and I'm afraid *I can't go farther without spoilers. So you are duly warned.*

In this story, Lucifer created hell as an alternate heaven--a place where souls are welcome when they have not followed God's laws well enough to enter Heaven.

Oddly, I could buy this. Not in real life, mind you--but for story's sake. I got no gut-sick feeling over the idea of this being used in a work of fiction.

However, a  few things did not sit well with me. You see, in the book it's Michael who determines who may stay and who must go. Where is God in this? Would God allow Michael to make those decisions? Would God allow interpretation of His laws like that in Heaven?

At one point, a woman holding a baby enters hell's gates and says that she was to be allowed into Heaven but her baby was not. She couldn't bear the idea of her baby's soul dying (what the book calls being "taken by the Wind"). This seems so backwards to me. I could not understand the point, unless it was to show us how our children would be lost, even the most young, if a checklist must be completed in order to enter Heaven.

Hm....

And the real biggie. In the story one of the main characters is a Jesuit priest named Steven. He is the one who finds the banished angel and rescues her, and goes with her on the quest to mend the war between Michael and Lucifer. Yes--it's between them since it is Michael who is running things. It's a war between two leaders who each believe they are actually following God's will. It's just that Lucifer is willing to leave God's presence in order to follow that will.

Hm....

Anyway, now the real biggie--Steven finds a cross in hell...THE cross. He drops to his knees, overwhelmed by emotion. And Lucifer comes to him, tries to comfort him, claims that he'd tried to save Jesus' soul from being "taken by the Wind" but was "too late."

I'm not sure what this is supposed to represent. Why would Jesus, if He lived a sinless life, not be allowed in Heaven? Was it rules? Did Michael turn Him away because of rules? If He had to follow rules to get into Heaven would Jesus have been turned away?

Hm...

You see?

I don't know exactly what to think about this book. I'm sure there are Christians that would be outraged by this book. I can hear the cries of blasphemy now...

But I am finding it very hard to be upset by it.

First of all, the writing is really, really good. I mean, it's self-published, but other than a handful of typos and not-so-great cover art, you would never know by the writing. Wait, yes, I know, trad-pubbed books have typos and can have bad cover art, too. I'm stereotyping. Yes. But it's just to make a point. Deal, please.

Second, I cannot tell by the author's writing where she stands faith-wise. I met her at the Necronomicon, and she said she finds herself writing a lot of stories about forgiveness. This is the only work of hers I've read and have no idea if her other writing uses Christian elements. I find the fact fascinating, though.This is not like Philip Pullman's books. God is not made out to be a bad guy. At. All. There is SO much about His love in this book. The way it draws the angels, strengthens them, heals them. Lucifer misses God in the story, loves Him.

Hm....

Third, as you can see, this is making me think. About MY faith. Not doubting it by any means. But pondering what makes it tick. What would God do in the face of Lucifer's repentance? How angry might I be at the idea of Jesus dying a permanent death?

Yes, there were things that didn't get completely explained--like, where was any reference to Jesus' resurrection? If He was "taken by the Wind" that would imply He never rose from the dead. That jibes not well with me. But, again, I'm not sure where this author is coming from. I cannot hold her to my particular values and beliefs if she doesn't share them.

Still, she's stirred the pot for me, and for that I give her props. And for writing a well-crafted novel. If you can handle the "theology" of this novel, I'd definitely recommend it!

(PS--the cover art. The actual *artwork* on the cover is well done and I believe is the work of the author herself. It's the layout that doesn't work for me. The solid color is too much, the font is hard to read, and the artwork is hard to see because it's too small in relation to the cover as a whole.)

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, Review

This is going to be a strange review to write. The Raven Boys was a book that made me wish I wasn't a writer. That is something I need to explain before I can go on.

Two kinds of books make me wish I wasn't a writer:

One--the kind of book that is so beautifully written I feel like a complete idiot thinking I have a right to even attempt writing. Books like The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey. Those books just make me want to give up because what is the point if I'll never be that good?

Two-the kind of book with those little fiddly things that writers have drilled into their heads as no-nos. No adverbs, no telling, no head-hopping, odd shifts in voice/style, etc. Things that would not bother a normal person, but totally bug a writer who is new enough to still feel the drilling. (From what I gather, once you've gotten big enough, stuff like that doesn't bother you when you read. And it often doesn't seem to be a worry when you write for plenty of big authors either. I don't know--I'm not that far along yet :P.)  But the point is, I wish I didn't get bugged by this stuff--that it would just slip by unnoticed.

The Raven Boys was both. About 97% the first thing, and about 3% the second thing.

I spent most of my time reading completely immersed in the story. And when I say immersed, I mean it. Like, totally forgetting there was a real world around me. I could SO see the characters. So feel them. There were literally places where I found myself holding my breath. Chapter 36 was a big breath-holder.

The writing has such an intensity. The characters such depth. (Negative reviews on Amazon gripe about this. Really? You are going to complain that the characters are complex???) This book kept reminding me of the movie Dead Poets Society. The private school boys, with such different backgrounds, but such incredible bonds. And Blue was awesome. Strong but insecure at times. Sweet and funny. Different, and totally easy to relate to.

Aside--I was sitting at The Three Broomsticks in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. With a butterbeer in hand. And what was I thinking? That I was looking forward to getting back to the hotel room that night to finish off the last 20 pages of the book. Yes, that is how much the characters stuck with me.

I don't want to give you more. This book is about searching, and discovery, and you need to go into it just with your mind open for anything possible to happen. And be prepared to love these characters.

But those fiddly bits. You know how tiny nicks or scratches jump out at you more when they are on a flawless surface? That's how it was. They jumped out at me more because the contrast was greater, I think. I won't nit pick individually, because as I said, it's stuff that *should* slip right by me. The only thing that bugged me enough to mention outright was that sometimes the characters' cuss words (the actual words) were in the dialog, and other times they "breathed a swear word" or some such. Those step-around-it-without-saying-it bits felt so contrived for some reason. Maybe because that's a device used when one doesn't want cussing in a book at all, and it's used sparingly. It was both used combined with actual cussing (so what's the point?) and overused here. And there were moments that felt to me like the voice of the story changed--just for a sentence or two--and it took me out of the story.

And I have to admit, the ending left me a bit wanting. Not just because there is more to the story, but because it felt clipped, rushed.

Still, the awesomeness of the vast majority of the story makes up for the fiddly bits. And I will totally read the next book! And despite feeling like a hack in comparison, I will not give up writing :P.

The Telling by Mike Duran

I was gonna wait and write this next week, but it's rainy today, and I can use some procrastination material. Yes, I will work on my own stuff today, I promise, but in a little while :P.

The first thing I want to say is that any time I read something by an author I "know" in any capacity, I worry that it makes me biased. On one hand, maybe my liking that person will make me like their writing more than I would had a stranger wrote the same thing. On the other hand, I can find myself being too critical of writers I know.

But I feel absolutely certain that this book stood on its own in my mind.

The Telling is the story of Zeph Walker, who was given the gift of prophecy from God as a child, but a tragedy turned his heart from it and he renounced both God and his gift and chose a life of solitude in the small town of Endurance, CA.

Tamra and her grandmother, Annie, are brought into his life, though--or maybe it's that he's dragged into theirs--when strange things start happening at Annie's nursing home. People are changing, and it turns out there is a very sinister reason. Zeph, of course, is the key to stopping it all.

I was SO impressed by Mike Duran's characterization in this book. Quite the cast of characters, and all of them fully formed. I totally connected with them throughout the book, especially Zeph. And the side character of Little Weaver is just plain cool :).

The setting was vivid, and the plot well-paced. There were a very few, nit-picky things I found, but nothing worth pointing out in a review because it is likely things others won't even notice, and they were very isolated. Not speed bumps in the reading--more like a handful of stray pebbles on the road.


Also, unlike The Resurrection, which reminded me of Frank Peretti's work, The Telling didn't really remind me of any other author. It felt like Mike had come into his own voice more completely.


Anyway, overall I have to say I'd be tempted to go back and knock The Resurrection down to a 3-star (from the 4-star I gave it) and Winterland down to a 4-star so I can clearly show how much better I liked The Telling by comparison. Great job. Loved it :).

Review: Daughter of Light by Morgan Busse

Daughter of Light is the story of Rowen, a girl who was left on the doorstep of her adoptive home when she was a baby. When she reaches adulthood, right after her adoptive father's death, a strange thing happens. A white mark appears on her palm. With it comes power that frightens Rowen and ends in her banishment. She has nowhere to go, and takes her only option: a position as personal guard to a princess in the White City, where she is forced to use her powers and risk discovery when war is waged on her new home.

I will start with the positives:

Morgan has strong building blocks. Good plotting, pacing, world-building, and characterization are all there. The story is told from four points of view: Rowen, Captain Lore (Rowen's commanding officer), Nierne the scribe, and Caleb the assassin. They are interspersed at good intervals and lead the story's pacing well. Description is aplenty, giving a solid picture of every place and person. I felt a connection to the main characters, particularly Caleb. It's traditional fantasy, so there is a certain formality to the dialog, but it's not overdone and works quite well.

I felt the world-building was the best of the book's elements. The landscape and cities, political relationships, races of people...all very rich and complex. I noticed several hat-tips to Lord of the Rings. And I particularly loved the quirks of the Alarian race, such as the eye color that reflects the changes in the sea. Very cool :).

I love that this story is not focused on the budding romance between Rowen and Lore. It is there, and relevant to the well thought-out plot (yay!), but it doesn't overtake the real story!

I also loved that there is plenty of dark material in the book, all handled quite well. One particular scene stood out to me in which Rowen sees into the mind of a rapist--she gives the *perfect* amount of information, showing the atrocity without giving gory details. It wasn't sanitized at all, but it wasn't gratuitous either.

The faith elements are well-woven into the story, and again are relevant (yay!) rather than contrived. Overt, but not preachy. Well-balanced.

But now, the negatives...

Morgan obviously has skill, but it is spattered with an accumulation of  "weasel" words and "filter" words that I found distracting and distanced me from the pov--something that should have been caught during the line-edit. (On that note, as I've found in all the MLP books I've read, there were quite a few typos.)

I also personally would have liked to see longer sentences, which would have given the prose more fluidity and eliminated some redundancy. Redundancy showed up in another form, but I hope Morgan sees the compliment in this statement: she states the obvious, "telling" the reader things when she has just done a perfectly good job of "showing" that very thing. Trust your skills, Morgan! If you show us, you don't need to tell us :).

In all honesty, readers who are not writers will likely not notice most, or possibly any, of the things I just pointed out as negatives. But they made my editor hand itch the whole way through.

Despite my nitpicking, I foresee reading the next book in the series. And I have no doubt Morgan will quickly build a fan base with this fantasy tale that is likely to capture readers who might otherwise not read the genre.

The Unraveling of Wentwater

The Unraveling of Wentwater is the latest (fourth) book in the Gates of Heaven Series by C.S. Lakin. I've immensely enjoyed this series so far, including this new addition (although my favorite remains The Map Across Time). Based loosely on the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, it is the story of the power of words.

It begins with the birth of a baby girl, and a visit from the marsh witch...who foresees the destruction of the town (the unraveling of Wentwater). Her prophecy, like Sleeping Beauty, involves a spinning wheel, but that is where the similarities end.

This isn't the tale of a princess hiding away until her sixteenth birthday with multicolored fairy godmothers, nor is there a prince who falls in love and saves her with a kiss. It's a love triangle between a girl with pale hair and two brothers--one who steals her heart with music and the other who tries to steal her heart through a curse--that takes the town apart word by word.

What I love about Lakin's writing is her complexity of story. Yes, the characters are strong and distinct--and the villains are wickedly villainous. But what makes the books for me are the twists and turns, and Lakin's love for words creates layer upon layer in intricacy.

I also adore that this series isn't a "series" in the true sense. Rather, the stories all take place in the same realm, and are tied together, but the books can be read out of order. The series is more tapestry than time line. Which means you could actually start with this book and not find yourself lost at all. The books reference story elements in the other books, but not enough to spoil the plot if you haven't read them yet.

Oh, and the cover art is lovely on them all!

*Note--this book hasn't released yet. I reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy.

The Resurrection by Mike Duran

Mike Duran is known for hitting on the controversial topics related to Christian writing. His blog posts consistently make his readers think about their definition of Christian fiction. He also doesn't believe in playing softball when it comes to reviews. The standard among Christian fiction reviewers tends to be a sappy-happy pat on the back, a "great job, my fellow believer!" and shining five stars.

All authors want their readers to love their books. But Mike strikes me as the type who'd rather have a critical breakdown of his than a standard glowing review. So, I decided to do this review a little differently....

The Resurrection is a Peretti-style spiritual warfare novel. It takes place in a small town, with a preacher and certain members of his congregation smack in the center of the battleground.

First up--Ruby Case, church member. She's got rock-solid faith. Is she flawed? Well, she has a limp...but she's the kind of woman you would want babysitting your kids because she's loyal, trustworthy, and has a heart of gold. She really made me think about the whole "perfect Christian character" thing that is so prevalent in Christian fiction. It's actually not the "goodness" that makes those characters annoying. Ruby is "good." She doesn't have a seedy past or fatal flaw (unless you count a stubborn independent streak). Those are techniques used by some Christian authors to show that they have "flawed" Christian characters. But here's the truth--some Christians are just genuinely good people. The thing is, though, they are not pious. And the characters in Christian fiction who come across as annoyingly good are actually pious and self-righteous scripture-quoting cardboard cut-outs. Ruby is not. She 's got serious depth. So while I couldn't point my finger and say, "Look, see, he made her 'flawed' so this book is really edgy," I can say she was real.


Reverend Ian Clark...no rock solid faith here. More like rock slide. This guy is totally on the fence, full of doubts, feeling like a faker in front of his congregation. Talk about a flawed character. But it does come from somewhere. He's suffered some real loss that made him feel the way he does. My gripe? I would have liked to see more of that past. Some really emotional flashbacks that give me a clear picture of his love for and closeness to his sister whose death set him on the edge. It would have endeared him to me, and I would have connected to his pain. However, I couldn't help but wonder if Mike didn't include that stuff on purpose. Maybe he wanted us to see Clark as a big slug, so we spend the first half of the book thinking, "Man up, you big wuss."

Side characters: Jack is Ruby's loving and devoted husband, who has left the church because of its hypocrisy. Vin is Ruby's best friend. The tattooed ex-druggie has a strength Ruby wishes she could muster, and a faith that comes from true thankfulness for the grace God has shown her. Both characters added richness to the story. There are others, of course, but telling you much about them will just be giving spoilers....

The Conflict. Ruby's touch seemingly brings a dead boy back to life. The town is in an uproar. Half of them think she's a saint and people come to her with gifts and requests for miracles. The other half think she's a witch or worse. All she wants is to be left alone, and come to terms with the reason God used her. She ends up drawn into a search of the town's history, though, when echoes of her experience bring forth information about past events that are eerily familiar. Clark, of course, is turned to as the spiritual leader--but how can he fulfill this role when he holds so many doubts? Work in a section of town that seems steeped in new age religion and pagan idol worship, and a friend of Clark's who is tugging hard on his strings of doubt.

The Plot. Hm. In the end, I could say, "Well done." In the middle, I felt it was disjointed at times. Not that it was hard to follow. But there were times when I felt something was introduced, to then be dropped, and the focus shift was slightly jarring to me. But the ending brought all the threads together smoothly. Any bumps in the road were very much worth it because of the destination.

Lastly, the thing that warranted an author's "afterward" in the book. Mr. Cellophane. The spirit who haunts Rev. Clark. I will leave you with this statement, and I want you to think about the difference in its meaning depending on whether I stuck five stars or one star next to my review: "Thanks for the nightmares, Mike." ;)

It's Been a While, So Let's Review a Book....

I haven't reviewed a book in a while, so I'd like to post about something I just got finished reading: Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. I loved this book. It is so unique, so original.

Incarceron is a high-tech prison--and an experiment. Take the dregs of society, lock them in, and use them to create a utopia. A flawless plan, right? The problem is it doesn't take into consideration human nature...or the possibility of the prison becoming self-aware.

None can enter and none can leave.

Then why does Finn feel certain he is from Outside? And if he is, how can he return?

On the Outside is Claudia, the daughter of Incarceron's warden, who is trying to escape her own prison--an arranged marriage. When she and Finn each find matching crystal keys, will Escape finally come?

I found this book completely amazing. Right up there with The Hunger Games. At least. Mind-numbingly cool.