Steamy Review: Island of Icarus

Island of Icarus by Christine Danse



Jacket Blurb:
Field Journal of Jonathan Orms, 1893

En route to polite exile in the Galapagos Islands (field work, to quote the dean of my university), I have found myself marooned on a deserted tropical paradise. Deserted, that is, except for my savior, a mysterious American called Marcus. He is an inventor—and the proof of his greatness is the marvelous new clockwork arm he has created to replace the unsightly one that was ruined in my shipboard mishap.

Marcus has a truly brilliant mind and the gentlest hands, which cause me to quiver in an unfamiliar but rather pleasant way. Surely it is only my craving for human companionship that draws me to this man, nothing more? He says a ship will pass this way in a few months, but I am welcome to stay as long as I like. The thought of leaving Marcus becomes more untenable with each passing day, though staying would be fatal to my career...

I'm so glad I finally got a chance to read this. I applied for an ARC through NetGalley, but Carina Press didn't want me. *mopes dramatically* As a result, I had to wait for it to come out and buy it. *more moping* It was totally worth it, though. Combine men, romance, and steampunk, and I'll be there.

Island of Icarus starts off with a wonderfully familiar romantic scenario: our hero is shipwrecked, and he is rescued by a handsome island recluse. However, because we're dealing with queer genre romance, Danse gives us lots of little twists and turns to keep us interested. From the moment Jonathan hits the island, things take on a steampunk feel. We experience, through him, the wonders of his rescuer's workshop, and the man capable of creating such brilliant inventions. Jonathan himself is interesting because he is unaware of his own sexuality: all he knows is that he has run away from a respectable betrothal, and so he believes that there is something deeply wrong with him.

This aspect constitutes some of the charm in this story: these two men act like Victorian men, even as they fall desperately in love. Barriers of society and upbringing are constantly threatening them, and their reservations about their relationship are valid, since they live in a time where being a man who loves men could be very dangerous, or at least damaging. And, yes, when the boys get down, it is hot. Where other books with similar scenarios might focus on the politics, Danse handles her themes deftly, spinning a wonderful love story, and bringing her lovers, and the reader, to a satisfying conclusion.

Steamy Review: The Labyrinth of the Dead

The Labyrinth of the Dead by Sara M. Harvey



Jacket Blurb:
In ghostly worlds, souls are the only currency. When lost lovers and ancient enemies meet, a rescue mission becomes a fight for the survival of all that is real.

Portia Gyony, Nephilim and warrior, is sworn to protect the human race. But when her ghostly lover, Imogen, has the chance to return to life in her own body once again, Portia must brave the twisted forces of the shadow-world to rescue Imogen and prevent the world of the dead from bleeding through into the land of the living.

Sara M. Harvey, you're on my list. Another cliffhanger?? I mean, you have to know that people would follow your wonderful trilogy without all the emotional torture... Right? You do know that, don't you?

Yes, Portia Gyony is back, being awesome as usual. In The Labyrinth of the Dead, Harvey goes deeper into the universe she has set up, drawing readers into the afterlife, a hellish twilight realm where the dead are no better than currency. Portia ventures there alive, like Orpheus, in an attempt to bring Imogen back to life once and for all. And, wow, does she ever take us for a ride.

I may complain about Harvey's shameless cliffhangers, but they are SO worth it. Whereas Convent, necessarily, had to spend a lot of time in set-up, Labyrinth gives us a better sense of who these characters are, and what they're capable of. We also get to see more of this mystical steampunk world, and are shown exactly what's been at stake since the first page of the first book.

So, to sum up all my rambling: this trilogy is amazing so far. Go and pick it up if you like angels or steampunk or dark fantasy or women being hardcore badasses. Then you can join me in suffering the wait for the next one.

Steamy Review: The Convent of the Pure

The Convent of the Pure by Sara M. Harvey



Jacket Blurb:
Secrets and illusions abound in a decaying convent wrapped in dark magic and scented with blood. Portia came to the convent with the ghost of Imogen, the lover she failed to protect in life. Now, the spell casting caste wants to make sure that neither she nor her spirit ever leave.

Portia's ignorance of her own power may be even more deadly than those who conspire against her as she fights to fulfill her sworn duty to protect humankind in a battle against dark illusions and painful realities.

Words cannot express how excited I was when I heard about The Convent of the Pure for the first time. I was told that Sara M. Harvey had written a dark fantasy that featured Catholic mythology, Nephilim, badass lesbian heroes, and steampunk themes. Basically, one more author decided to write something just for me (shhhh, don't burst my bubble). I pre-ordered Convent from the Apex Book Company, which meant I got a signed copy, and inhaled it the moment I got it.

I've read this book twice now. Each time I got something new from it. The first time I breathlessly followed Portia as she haplessly stumbled through a sinister conspiracy that encompassed heaven and hell and all points in between. The second time I was slowly drawn along by the hopeless love between Portia and the long-dead Imogen. I felt myself being swallowed by an acute sense of dread and betrayal. I reveled in Harvey's clever use of Catholic prayers and trinkets, and gleefully studied every piece of steampunk technology that appeared.

This is a short book, but it has a tight plot, and an evil cliffhanger. To top it off, it is lovingly illustrated by Melissa Gay, who simply seems to life the characters off the page and spin them into visual reality. I can't recommend it enough for its freshness, suspense, and steampunky goodness.

Steamy Review: No Priest But Love

No Priest But Love: The Journals of Anne Lister from 1824-1826 edited by Helena Whitbread



This book is a follow up to Whitbread's previous collection I Know My Own Heart, which excerpted Anne Lister's diaries from five of the most tumultuous years of her life. No Priest covers three years, but in greater detail.

Whereas the first collection often buried the "juicy bits" amid more commonplace entries, this second book focuses almost exclusively on Anne's love affairs. Though it covers a shorter time period than the first, there is more to cover, as this was a very intense and important period in Anne's life.

Specifically, it deals with her affair with Maria Barlow, a woman she met, then lived with, in Paris. This relationship is held in contrast with her continued engagement to the married Marianne Lawton. She finds herself torn between them and, strikingly, at one point she writes, "I have a wife and mistress of my own."

I wrote before that I fell a little in love with Anne Lister while reading I Know My Own Heart. After reading this, well, the honeymoon is over. The book itself is a more engrossing read than the first, with a quicker pace and more events chosen to be of interest to a modern reader. However, Lister herself suffers in this light. She was a selfish, womanizing, hard-assed woman. She was astounding, but incredibly complicated, and not someone most people would want to deal with now.

All that being said, you should read this. Yes you. I don't care who you are. This book is fascinating, and the fact that it's all true makes it even more absorbing. I invite you to meet Anne Lister yourself, and judge her by whatever standard you wish. Whatever conclusion you come to, you will not regret the experience.

Steamy Review: New Blood

New Blood by Gail Dayton



Even with the upsurge in interest recently, it's still relatively difficult to find dead tree books of steampunk erotica and romance. The Blood series started in 2009 with this book, New Blood. Fans of erotica and erotic romance beware, though: while there is lots of tension between our heroes in this book, there are only two sex scenes, one of which is very traditional.

The setting is the Victorian era, but with lots of interesting changes. Magic is known and prevalent worldwide, although some countries are more tolerant of it than others. There are four schools of magic: alchemy, wizardry, conjuring, and the long-lost sorcery, or blood magic. Blood magic being practiced almost solely by women, it was systematically wiped out during the Renaissance, with the death of the last known sorcerer, Yvaine.

We follow Amanusa, Yvaine's successor in magic. She's found by Yvaine's blood servant, Jax, and he must convince her to become a blood sorcerer and use her power to help save Europe from a mysterious magic plague.

I was excited about the relationship between Amanusa and Jax at the beginning. It looked like, even though they were falling in love, Jax would be content to be her servant, and Amanusa would be happy to have him as her possession and servant, as well as lover. Perhaps I'm just exposing my biases. Dayton does not takes this route; rather, she opts for a more conventional romantic plot, which I can't be mad at her for since this is romantic fantasy. It was heartening that Jax is not the typical alpha male, and that their growing love is actually believable.

The world of New Blood is rich, if a little under-utilized. Magic and the Victorian era seem made for each other. The prim propriety of proper English society blends well with the ritualistic and hierarchical magic society. As a Victorian magical romance, it delivers, and is a quick and absorbing read.

Steamy Review: I Know My Own Heart

I Know My Own Heart: The Diaries of Anne Lister 1791-1840
edited by Helena Whitbread



I have a fondness for Regency novels and personalities that is kinda tied up in my love for the Victorian era. The philosophy and atmosphere is very different, but the "punk" elements of steampunk have a similar ring to the Enlightenment values of the Regency. So, yeah, that's why I'm going to talk about this book here.

I found myself falling a little in love with Anne Lister, for all that she was a touch too conservative and snobbish for my tastes. It's hard not to feel affection for someone who you learn so much about and come to know so intimately. Reading this diary convinced me that I would have loved to have a pint with Miss Lister, even if that meant we'd end up arguing about the rights of women or the safety of coal mining.

Those who get bored by journals, or who are not interested in the minutiae of Georgian gentry life, should probably steer clear of this one. Anne records her daily activities, her clothing, the health of herself and her family, and outlines of her exhaustive programs of study in excruciating detail. I was utterly absorbed, but I'm a giant geek.

More importantly, these diaries tell the story of all her love affairs with women. I couldn't help but laugh at her ridiculous flings with acquaintances (think tool shed), and shake my head at the unending drama of her long-term romance with the married Marianna Lawton.

Read it if you'd like a window on a different time, and into the mind of a woman decidedly ahead of her time, who lived her life courageously.