Reviewer: Rowena Here There Be Monsters (Iron Seas, #0.5) by Meljean Brook
Series: The Iron Seas #0.5
Also in this series: The Iron Duke (Iron Seas, #1), Fire and Frost, Tethered (Novella), The Kraken King Part I, The Kraken King (Iron Seas, #4), Heart of Steel (Iron Seas, #2), The Iron Duke
Publication Date: October 1st 2013
Genres: Steampunk
Pages: 125
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Series Rating:
Two years ago, blacksmith Ivy, desperate to flee London, purchased her overseas passage by agreeing to spend the voyage in the bed of the pirate captain, Mad Machen. Saved at the last minute by his rival, Ivy scraped out a new life in Fool’s Cove…until Mad Machen finds her, forces her to accept a job that will create a monster, and reminds her that she still owes him the price of a journey…
This companion novella is the introduction to the Iron Seas series and was previously published in the 2010 anthology, Burning Up.
Here there Be Monsters by Meljean Brook is a prequel to Iron Seas series.
I’m a huge chicken when it comes to trying things outside of my comfort zone. I’m more of the go with what you know you’ll like instead of trying something new. I’m a lover of contemporary romances and that’s what I read. I know that I’ll either love it or like it and if I hate it, I have go to authors that help me forget. But 2015 is the year that I’m trying to step out and try new sub-genres. It’s the year that I get those paranormals that everyone loves read. It’s the year that I branch out and see if I’ll like steampunk and urban fantasy. So when Holly told me to try this novella out, I was game to give it a try.
I’m so glad that I did.
This book follows Ivy Blacksmith and Eben, the guy known as Mad Machen. The story opens with Ivy, on the run to the only guy that she knows who has the power to help her in the world that they live in. That guy is Mad Machen. Her life is threatened and she needs to get out because she does not want to stick around so when she shows up at Eben’s room, he’s surprised. He’s going to help her, of course. But before they can take off, Ivy gets another offer to get away and she takes it, leaving Mad Machen behind.
Two years later, Mad Machen finds the girl that got away and Ivy is scared out of her pants but when Eben forces her to accept a job she doesn’t want, she forgets to be scared and she just gets pissed.
This was a really short story so it didn’t take much time to get it read. I won’t lie and say that it was an easy read for me because I’m new to all of the steampunk romance business so a lot of the kraken talk and the metal skin stuff took some getting used to but when I finished the story, I was glad to have read it. I liked it. I liked that Mad Machen had a thing for Ivy before she got to his room that night. I liked that he never gave up on looking for her and I really liked seeing him fumble his way through each and every single conversation they had on the ship. He was the captain of the ship but he kept slipping every time he talked to Ivy. I thought it was adorable.
I liked seeing Ivy and Eben grow closer and closer with each passing day. I liked seeing Ivy struggle with what she was feeling for Eben, her confusion and seeing her come into her feelings for him. What I didn’t like? How short it was. But, that’s just me being greedy.
Ivy was a good heroine though there were times when I wanted to give her a good shake but she was strong and I liked how she made a life for herself in the town that she settled in.
Eben was a great hero. I loved how patient he was with Ivy. He waited a long time to be with this woman and every time she bought her freedom from hooking up with him each night, I groaned because he just kept right on waiting to get his hands on her. Poor guy but he cracked me up when he told her, “If courting didn’t work, abduction was next.” LOL.
I thought this was the perfect introduction into the steampunk romance genre and I’m looking forward to digging into this series even further.
Grade: 4 out of 5
YES!!!!! *fist pump*
The only not-good thing about this story is how short it is, yes?
Yep. I wanted more but that was just me being greedy. I really liked both Ivy and Eben. I liked how their story took place over the course of a long period time which didn’t make the story feel forced. Good stuff.
I don’t think you can get a better intro to steam punk than something from Brooks. So so good.
That’s exactly what Holly said before she told me to read this book. I’m glad I did. Brook is great at steampunk.
I am enjoying Bec McMaster’s London steampunk series – stepped out of my comfort zone with it last year 😀
I gotta be honest, I read McMaster’s Kiss of Steel and wasn’t super into it. Part of my issue is probably just the vampires, which actually creep me out. I guess maybe the book was too gritty for me? How does the rest of the series compare to that first book?
I like my books dark and gritty which is probably why I like this series. I would have to say the following books continue with the same themes introduced in Kiss of Steel 😀
. . .so more dark and grit! 😀
Haha so maybe that’s not a series for me. 🙂
There seems to be a lot of stepping out of our comfort zones. Good for you, Willa! Same with me.