CINDER31LA

CINDER31LA By Freida Kilmari
Publication date: August 31, 2024
Buy Link: Amazon
Genres: Adult, LGBTQ+, Retelling, Steampunk
Summary:

I have 22,280 days left to live.
She only has 31.

Here in Clepsydra, everyone knows when they’re going to die. Born with a life clock embedded into our wrists, the tick-tock of our heartbeat is a pulse we’ll forever hear. Steambotics rule number one? Never mess with a life clock. For 21 years of my life, I’ve followed the rules and walked in my late father’s footsteps, hoping to one day be as good an engineer as he was.

Until she walked into my life.

The princess is dying, and it’s up to me to break the law and do the impossible. To cure time.

—

EXCERPT:

I had 22,280 days to live. That was all the time I would get, whether I liked it or not. The clock never lied. The brass and steel of my lifeclock embedded in my wrist ticked on despite my mental whirring and purring, and I yanked my blue coverall sleeve down to mask the annoying tick tock of my heartbeat.

Returning my attention to the engine in front of me, I asked, “What’ve you got today for me, then?” I popped the hood of the steamer open and watched the faulty lines cross where they shouldn’t and meet where they should, with nothing transferring. “Hmmm . . .” I rubbed sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand. “Seems you’ve got yourself all twisted, little buddy. Don’t worry, we’ll have you fixed up in no time.” As if in answer, the steamer chugged and whined, puffing a dirty cloud of old, used air in my face—clearly on its last legs. But I couldn’t return it to Old Mags like this; it was the only way she could see her grandchildren over in Prago City.

Review: The Devious Dr. Jekyll

The Devious Dr. Jekyll by Viola Carr
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Steam Punk/Fantasy
Release Date: October 27th, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ Barnes and Noble

Book Description:

Dr. Eliza Jekyll, heroine of the electrifying The Diabolical Miss Hyde—an edgy
steampunk retelling of the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—investigates a bizarre
murder case in an alternate Victorian London while battling her treacherous secret
half: Lizzie Hyde.

Solving the infamous Chopper case has helped crime scene physician Dr. Eliza
Jekyll establish her fledgling career in the chauvinistic world of Victorian law
enforcement. But the scrutiny that comes with her newfound fame is unwelcome
for a woman with a diabolical secret. And there is the mercurial Royal Society
agent and wolf man Remy Lafayette. Does he want to marry her, eat her, or burn
her at the stake? Though Eliza is uncertain about Remy, her dark and jealous
shadow self, Lizzie, wants to steal the magnetic and persistent agent, and usurp
Eliza’s life.

It’s impossible to push Remy away when he tempts her with the one thing she
can’t resist: a bizarre crime. The search for a bloodthirsty ritual torturer dubbed the
Pentacle Killer draws them into a terrifying world of spies, art thieves, and evil
alchemy, where the price of immortality is madness—or damnation—and only
Lizzie’s dark ingenuity can help Eliza survive.

As Eliza and Remy race to thwart a foul conspiracy involving the sorcerous
French, they must also overcome a sinister enemy who is all too close: the
vengeful Lizzie, determined to dispose of Eliza for good.

♥ ♥ ♥

"The Devious Dr. Jekyll" by Viola Carr was a bit of a different read for me. Although I'm familiar with the aspects of the Steam Punk genre, I've never actually read any before. It took me a bit to get familiar with the culture and language being used, but once I was properly acclimated I was able to enjoy Carr's story.

This is actually the second book in Carr's "Electric Empire" series. This is another series that I'm not starting at the beginning, but it was enough of a standalone book that I was able to read the second in the series and not feel completely lost. However, there were a lot of characters in this electric Victorian world that sometimes seemed to all run together for me. This is possibly something that would have been easier to keep track if I had read the previous book.