Willa’s Review of Heart of Iron (London Steampunk, Book 2) by Bec McMaster
Steampunk Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 7 May 13
I happened across this new series by chance. A mix of romance, paranormal, and steampunk tempted me to try something different, and, boy, am I glad I did.
This is the second book in Ms. McMaster’s London Steampunk series and continues three years after the events in Kiss of Steel. Lena has left her sister and brother-in-law’s house to be the ward of her half brother Leo and become a debutante in the Echelon, the ruling Vampire class. She made the decision to move on after being rejected by Will. She can accept the protection of a Vampire and his house and become his thrall – giving him her blood.
Will is werwulfen and carries the Loupe virus after being infected when he was a child, and then being paraded and tortured in exhibitions. He was saved by Blade, from Kiss of Steel, and his loyalty to him is absolute. He would never do anything to risk infecting Lena with the virus, which is why he rejected her. After overhearing Blade and Honoria discussing whether he could keep himself controlled around Lena, he moves out, and his friendship with Blade has suffered a little since.
Honoria makes clockwork toys and sells them in a local Emporium. The owner had approached her and asked if she would deliver messages on behalf of the humanists. Her life in the Echelon gives her a distinct advantage in gathering information and passing it on. When Will finds a coded message that Lena has, he realises that she is involved in something much more dangerous than even she can realise. The book has twists, turns, crosses, double crosses, races across the Whitechapel rooftops and a surprise or two.
The world building in these books is just lovely, well thought out and layered, but not too complicated for my brain cell. When books are published months apart, anything too complicated can get forgotten or mixed up in other series in my mind! The setting is Whitechapel in the 1870s and the descriptions, which neatly set the scene, don’t overshadow the plot. The Steampunk touches give it extra charm and the romance bubbles away on the pages front and centre, even though there is quite a lot extra plot-wise going on. We are also introduced to some new secondary characters who may appear in future books and catch up, just a little, with Blade and Honoria.
There is also a novella, Tarnished Knight, Book 1.5 where we have the romance between Esme, Blade’s housekeeper and former thrall, and Rip, one of his men who we met in Kiss of Steel.
Grade: B+
Summary:
NO ONE TO TRUST
Lena Todd is the perfect spy. Nobody suspects the flirtatious debutante could be a rebel against London’s vicious elite—not even the ruthless Will Carver, the one man she can’t twist around her little finger.
Will Carver, is more than man, he’s a verwolfen and he wants nothing to do with the dangerous beauty who drives him to the very edge of control. But when he finds Lena in possession of a coded letter, he realizes she’s in a world of trouble. To protect her, he’ll have to seduce the truth from her before it’s too late.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
