Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl
Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl by David Barnett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
From the first, this is a rambunctious adventure which plays on almost every single steampunk trope: Jack the Ripper, dirigibles, Dracula, automatons, Egyptology, and so on. It’s a kind of para-literature and reads like one of the penny-dreadfuls it has so much joy in playing with. Perhaps it’s not wildly original, and at times it is a bit clunky, but we forgive it everything because it is just so infectiously fun. I had a great time reading and the twists and turns kept me engaged. Just when I thought I knew what was going on – and hence, my interest might have flagged – something unexpected sprang up. A great little book – one of a projected trilogy.
Tabitha (Pabkins) - 22 April, 2014 - 12:58 am #
I absolutely adored this book! It was one of my favorites from last year. Infectiously fun is such an apt description! I compared it to reading a steampunk fantasy Indiana Jones movie.
Rjurik - 22 April, 2014 - 4:01 am #
Yeah, Barnett really went for a rollicking adventure, and I can sometimes find those a bit boring – but not this one!