Review of The Girl in the Steel Corset (The Steampunk Chronicles #1) by Kady Cross

Overview
In 1897 England, sixteen year old Finley Jayne has no one except the "thing" inside her. When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch....
Only Grffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who's part robot, and Japer, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret. 
Griffin's investigating a criminal The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help--- and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.
But The Machinist wants to tear Griffin's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before that trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows who's side she's on--- even if it seems no one believes her.

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Recommended: Yes.

                    About The Girl in the Steel Corset

                       Available as: Hardcover $10.98 from Amazon.com

                                E-book $7.16 from Amazon.com's Kindle Edition, E-book $10.09 from Kobo.com, E-book $9.84 from Sony Reader Store 

Recommended Ages: 15 and Up

E-book: 304 pgs.

Published: June 1st 2011 by Harlequin (first published May 24th 2011)

For This Review: * Self-Provided E-book Copy*

The first in THE STEAMPUNK CHRONICLES will be a novel that might just well be on your mind soon after reading. Being driven by the exciting Steampunk genre makes it all the more unique for the reason it's only just been new territory for many authors to experiment with. In The Girl in the Steel Corset, Finley Jayne is no regular girl who has another personality within her that is uninhibited and once it takes over Finley can't always be held accountable for her impulsive actions.

Finley Jane's time is of London 1897, where she has managed to attain the position of lady's maid to the August-Rayne's household. Lord Felix August-Raynes the son of her employer tries to take advantage of her but Finley's other self reacts. Lord Felix is horribly injured so she flees from the possibility of being in more trouble with her employers. On her run she accidentally jumps in front of a running velocycle (a type of moped/motorcycle it is presumed) owned by the Duke of Greythorne, Griffin King. Griffin himself being orphaned feels sympathy for Finley so he decides against his other housemates' wishes to take her in. Griffin senses through his own special abilities that Finley is special. That she can contribute to the group which consists of: Sam a cynical half-robot guy, Emily a pretty Irish gal who's a genius machinist/inventor, and Jasper, an American cowboy,very much well-equipped practitioner of martial arts with his own secrets. Griffin and company are suspicious of the their new group addition but occupying their minds is The Machinist. He may be involved in various crimes committed by automatons. Everyone soon must work together to discover what The Machinist is planning. The Machinist really is trying hard to derail Griffin's group by casting suspicion among them. Finley though has found love and friendship within the group and wont give up easily. 

What really is a wonder in The Girl in the Steel Corset is how the world (a form of alternate reality--Victorian London 1897 is mixed into steampunk) created by Kady Cross is genius! Meaning she knows how to truly pull of steampunk through some nice awing scenes of robots, inventions, and mention of other mind-boggling gizmos. While the way Victorian London is  written is pretty believably. There's a sense of you viewing that London's time. If ever there are any science fiction fans who are taking to steampunk then Kady Cross's THE STEAMPUNK CHRONICLES really is something to fall into. Has a fine picturesque world topped off with the type of romance that can only be described as exciting. The story is widely moved by mystery and suspense. The storytelling switches from the perspective of Finley, Griffin, and Sam with Finley's being most dominant. It's never hard to follow and is layered smoothly to the other narratives. Making the reader feel close to the various interesting characters that goes perfectly with the world of THE STEAMPUNK CHRONICLES. So look forward to other novels to come in THE STEAMPUNK CHRONICLES. The Girl in the Steel Corset is but the first chronicle.
Overall: Amazing read!

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Steampunk, Historical Fiction, Robots, Androids, Superhumans

                        About the Author

Kady Cross is a pseudonym for USA Today bestselling author Kathryn Smith. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and a pride of cats. She likes singing with Rock Band on the 360, British guys, Vietnamese food, and makeup (she’s hopelessly addicted to YouTube makeup tutorials!). When she’s not writing Kady likes to catch up on her favorite TV shows, read a good book or make her own cosmetics.