Advance Reader Review of The Girl In the Clockwork Collar (The Steampunk Chronicles #2) by Kady Cross

Overview

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling - or dangerous. 

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him...for the life of the girl Jasper loves. 

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens. 

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Recommended: Yes. 

See Discussing the Books: The Girl In the Clockwork Collar (The Steampunk Chronicles #2) by Kady Cross

About The Girl In the Clockwork Collar
Available as: NEW Hardcover $12.23 from Amazon.com ,  E-book $9.99 from Amazon.com Kindle's Edition , NEW Hardcover $13.49 from The Book Depository

                                                        Recommended Ages: 15 and Up

Hardcover: 416 pgs.

Expected publication: May 22nd 2012 by Harlequin 

For This Review: *Book Copy Provided by Netgalley as E-book Advance Reader Copy*

My Star Review 

Kady Cross right off let us into what we had been last encountering in The Girl In the Steel Corset (The Steampunk Chronicles #2). That is we along with Griffin, Finley, Emily, and Sam are on the rescue of Jasper Renn. Jasper as we all know had previously been taken from London, England to New York in America of 1897.  It comes to light soon enough that Jasper hasn't been taken into custody by the authorities looking for a crime he may have committed in cold-blood against someone. What really has happened is much more complicated involving an old partner in-crime of Jasper's who has a score to settle with him. Jasper on his last job with, Reno Dalton, a dangerous criminal didn't finish a job when he didn't give Dalton a stolen machine he had wanted to possess. Jasper from what we can see from his perspective isn't so thrilled by the direction of events. He lets Dalton know he was entitled to run for it without delivering the stolen machine from the job since Dalton had only paid him half for the the job done but Dalton believes as far as he's concerned Jasper deserved nothing  else. Above everything else he wants the stolen machine Jasper stole so many years back. Jasper doesn't quite know what the machine does but knows that Dalton is a viscious man who really can't possibly have something he seems to be obsessed over with a calculated purpose. He lets Dalton that he gaining possession of the machine would never happen outright. Dalton though quickly surprises him by showing him a captured , Mei Xing, a Chinese girl that Jasper had loved in the past while he lived in America. Dalton has put a clockwork collar around Mei's neck to ensure Jasper cooperates or else it will choke her if Jasper doesn't. Having no other choice , he sees no other way but to be manipulated to give Dalton the machine he wants if Mei is to walk away unharmed. Jasper isn't alone at all in trying to free himself and Mei though! Griffin, Finley, Emily, and Sam are fiercely trying to infiltrate Dalton's gang to get a foothold to help Jasper out of this mess. At the very end, plans don't exactly go as originally planned. 

THE STEAMPUNK CHRONICLES have to say are just amazing! So many interesting developments involved this time around. Had a great plot yet again in an even more different setting - New York, America of 1897- instead of London, England of 1897 which we saw in The Girl In the Steel Corset (The Steampunk Chronicles #2). The new villain - Reno Dalton- poses a rather grim threat for not only Jasper but all the friends of Griffin especially Finley. To Griffin he's a threat to Finley's recovery from her darker personalitie's side. She is having a hard time to just keep it under control. Finley very much wants to choose the side of light knowing Griffin wishes her, so she wont become like her father the inspiration for Jekyll & Hyde but she likes the danger! You do get to see Finley with good (her light side) and bad (her dark side) which was an intriguing aspect of THE STEAMPUNK CHRONICLES. Really like how it comes along. In other circumstances of villains, another villain made its appearance in The Girl In the Clockwork Collar. Something that is not human and can move in The Ether meaning far more trouble for Griffin and Finley since they can sense The Ether in different degrees with Griffin having more power over it. In terms of powers, readers should be excited to find that both Griffin and Finley should have increases in power where occasionally was unwanted by some of the characters since it's mentioned in the series that it is hard to control. Seemingly interesting telling of what is to come in the scifi element. Maybe new turns would come in that direction which could be fun to explore. The romance in The Girl In the Clockwork Collar, of course!, reached a boiling point with Griffin and Finley. Those two are at odds constantly since, yes, they are very different but still obviously still want each other. They have vastly different social spheres which makes them doubtful as well as how apart they are as people: Griffin is light (such a good, respectable  young man) and Finley who walks a fine line between light (being a good, respectable girl), and dark (being an aggressive and impulsive young lady). All that emotion to them is understandably confusing. There is just so much new going on The Girl In the Clockwork Collar with a nod to a certain girl named Wildcat who happens to have violet eyes and claws. Yes claws! It still had so much potential to lead onto the next Steampunk Chronicle. 

The Steampunk Chronicles #2, The Girl In the Clockwork Collar, has to be a favorite in The Steampunk Chronicles. Its romance couldn't be more perfect in how its handled as well as its scifi take in science fiction-steampunk is really atmospheric and you just feel at home with it. The Steampunk Chronicles have come to note are very fast in movements of story and then there is just so many developments from relationships to occurrences. A nice change of pace from the regular science fiction. Rather thrilling it was.  Really recommend and hopefully you will get to it!
Overall: Amazing reading!
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Steampunk, Historical Fiction, Robots, Androids, Superhumans

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

Review of  The Strange Case of Finley Jayne (The Steampunk Chronicles #0.5|The Steampunk Chronicles Prequel) by Kady Cross

                   

                                   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.