Did I say eclectic? I am sure that I warned you several posts back that I have an eclectic reading style. Now I am going to reveal one of my reading secrets. Be forewarned--this revealation even surprised my son. "Steampunk?" he replied as I explained the book I had just read. I thought it was a new trend in fantasy or sci-fi.
I admit they are not books that you will display on your shelves in leather bound, gilt page volumes. When you combine the Victorian setting and amazing technology that seems to somehow fit within the era you have caught my attention. Add to that mix strong female characters as well as vampires and werewolves. Then throw in some mystery and a good portion of action--I am engaged and entertained. Isn't that one of the reasons we read?
Steampunk, actually probably a sub-genre of science fiction or fantasy, is diverse. I read one book that I enjoyed except that sex seemed to be a major focus of the story to the point of detracting from the story line. Then I discovered Gail Carriger. I would be confortable loaning her books to my grand-daughters or my mother.
Ms. Carriger has created a great series called The Parasol Protectorate. I read through the first four books very quickly, downloading them to my Kindle the moment I finished reading the previous book. The current titles in this series are: Soulless; Changeless; Blameless; and Heartless. Timeless is due in March 2012 and I can hardly wait.
Several series of steampunk are available for the young adult crowd as well. I can understand how vampires and werewolves in a different setting would appeal to this age group although not all of this genre includes supernaturals. The amount and type of technology varies as well.
My suggestion? Read Soulless and see what you think. Once you are hooked try some of the other steampunk authors, there seem to be a lot out there. Find your confort level and enjoy!
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