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2023 Reading Challenge
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Book Review AND Book Shopping Spree Giveaway: Beast Heart by Kyle Richardson

About the Book
When the girl with the clockwork hand meets the boy with the beast heart, sparks fly in this poignant, adventure-filled debut.

Book 1 of the Steambound Trilogy. When Gabby’s hand turns to steam, her mom hires an engineer to build her a clockwork glove. It’s the last thing Gabby wants—if only she could be normal. But when her mom is attacked by something monstrous, normal is no longer an option. Now the only person she can turn to is a grizzled detective, who promises to help her become something … more.

Meanwhile, Kemple’s foster dad treats him like a slave. And the beatings are getting worse. So when a rebellious girl named Josephyn arrives—with a plan to escape to the city—he doesn’t hesitate. But there are creatures in Iron Bay whose slashes are worse than skin-deep. And as Kemple evolves into something inhuman, his search for a cure begins.

They are strangers in a city where carriages rattle, airships rumble, and where their own dark pasts continue to haunt them. Soon their paths will collide, and the girl who slays monsters will come face to face with the boy who is becoming a beast.

My Review
This was a very cool and original tale that grabbed me and held on for dear life throughout the course of the story – even when I wasn’t entirely sure why I was reading what I was reading… The first 2/3 of the book is parallel stories about two individuals – a girl who loses her mother to a horrific attack and an orphaned boy whose home life sends him fleeing to the streets. They both endure more than 20 people should have to endure – as children, mind you – but find their way over, under, and through the grind of their daily lives until – with only 1/3 of the book left – they finally meet.

The stories up to that point are interesting and engaging, horrible but entertaining. This is largely due to the compelling personalities of each kid. These are survivors in the truest sense, and their steampunk world is a clever compilation of the ordinary and the decidedly not-so. The world-building is strong, the pacing is solid with just the right blend of action and scene-setting, and the characterization is marvelous. The vast majority of the book is really good as a result. But all along you KNOW more is coming and are just waiting and waiting for it to hit. And then – BAM! – it does, and the last third of the book knocks your socks off…

I was told by a publicist that I would love this one – and I really did. It was a marvelously original tale set in a marvelously original world. There’s familiar stuff here, but it’s skewed just enough to keep you guessing and flipping pages faster and faster as you approach the end. And then it stops. Grr. Not my favorite way for a book to end, ever. I know this is part of a trilogy – they never hide this fact, it’s the first line of the book description – and knowing that helped. A bit. I still don’t love when things feel like they are just hitting the *really* good bits when they suddenly stop. I was reading as fast as I ever have, to see what on earth these poor kids would survive next, when I suddenly realized there was only like 5% of the book left (I read it on kindle). I knew I was running out of pages and I knew there was still A LOT that was up in the air. So I wasn’t exactly surprised when it stopped, but I was a little let down nevertheless…

This is a great tale and I’m dying to see what comes next. Here’s hoping the author is either already done or close to being so with at least the next book, because this isn’t a story that will do better for waiting to continue. There’s a lot going on and it’ll be tough to keep all the little details that made it such a compelling read straight in my mind if I have to wait too long for the next bit. Still, it’ll be worth the wait – even if it means I have to reread this one to refresh my memory… If you like an original dose of steampunk flavored adversity with your slightly supernatural, slightly coming-of-age, slightly horror-driven non-fairy tale, then this is DEFINITELY one worth checking out!

Thanks to the author and the good folks at Meerkat Press for my obligation-free review copy.

The Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author
Kyle Richardson lives in the suburban wilds of Canada with his adorable wife, their rambunctious son, and their adventurous daughter. He writes about shapeshifters, superheroes, and the occasional clockwork beast, moonlights as an editor at Meerkat Press, and has a terrible habit of saying the wrong thing at the most inopportune moments. His short fiction has appeared in places such as Love Hurts: A Speculative Fiction Anthology and Daily Science Fiction.

3 comments to Book Review AND Book Shopping Spree Giveaway: Beast Heart by Kyle Richardson

  • […] The Magic of Wor(l)ds – 30-Mar – Guest Post Michelle Meng’s Book Blog – 30-Mar – Book Review MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape – 31-Mar – Interview MamaMummyMum – 1-Apr – Book ReviewYa It’s Lit – 1-Apr – Book ReviewCrystal’s Library – 2-Apr – Book Review TKentWrites – 3-Apr – Excerpt Mythical Books – 4-Apr – Book Review @momfluenster – 6-Apr – Excerpt Phannie the Ginger Bookworm – 6-Apr – Book ReviewWriting Forums – 7-Apr – Excerptb for bookreview – 7-Apr – Interview Jessica Belmont – 7-Apr – Book Review Rockin’ Book Reviews – 8-Apr – Guest Post The Book Unicorn – 8-Apr – Book ReviewCasia’s Corner – 8-Apr – ExcerptJazzy Book Reviews – 9-Apr – Guest PostBig Indie Books – 9-Apr – PlaylistDescendant of Poseidon Reads – 10-Apr – Book ReviewAll Things Jill-Elizabeth – 10-Apr – Book Review […]

  • […] The Magic of Wor(l)ds – 30-Mar – Guest Post Michelle Meng’s Book Blog – 30-Mar – Book Review MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape – 31-Mar – Interview MamaMummyMum – 1-Apr – Book ReviewYa It’s Lit – 1-Apr – Book ReviewCrystal’s Library – 2-Apr – Book Review TKentWrites – 3-Apr – Excerpt Mythical Books – 4-Apr – Book Review @momfluenster – 6-Apr – Excerpt Phannie the Ginger Bookworm – 6-Apr – Book ReviewWriting Forums – 7-Apr – Excerptb for bookreview – 7-Apr – Interview Jessica Belmont – 7-Apr – Book Review Rockin’ Book Reviews – 8-Apr – Guest Post The Book Unicorn – 8-Apr – Book ReviewCasia’s Corner – 8-Apr – ExcerptJazzy Book Reviews – 9-Apr – Guest PostBig Indie Books – 9-Apr – PlaylistDescendant of Poseidon Reads – 10-Apr – Book ReviewAll Things Jill-Elizabeth – 10-Apr – Book Review […]

  • […] The Magic of Wor(l)ds – 30-Mar – Guest Post Michelle Meng’s Book Blog – 30-Mar – Book Review MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape – 31-Mar – Interview MamaMummyMum – 1-Apr – Book ReviewYa It’s Lit – 1-Apr – Book ReviewCrystal’s Library – 2-Apr – Book Review TKentWrites – 3-Apr – Excerpt Mythical Books – 4-Apr – Book Review @momfluenster – 6-Apr – Excerpt Phannie the Ginger Bookworm – 6-Apr – Book ReviewWriting Forums – 7-Apr – Excerptb for bookreview – 7-Apr – Interview Jessica Belmont – 7-Apr – Book Review Rockin’ Book Reviews – 8-Apr – Guest Post The Book Unicorn – 8-Apr – Book ReviewCasia’s Corner – 8-Apr – ExcerptJazzy Book Reviews – 9-Apr – Guest PostBig Indie Books – 9-Apr – PlaylistDescendant of Poseidon Reads – 10-Apr – Book ReviewAll Things Jill-Elizabeth – 10-Apr – Book Review […]

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