Stone Mad

February 1, 2018
Follow-up to Bear's feminist steampunk yarn, Karen Memory (2015), whose setting is an alternate-world gold rush-era city in the Pacific Northwest.This time, the hero of the previous adventure, horse-breaker and retired 17-year-old "seamstress" (or prostitute) Karen Memery, enjoys dinner and a show at the Rain City Riverside Hotel with her partner, Priya, a mad scientist who converted a steam-powered Singer sewing machine into a suit of battle armor (yes, it still sews), when a series of loud knocks interrupts the proceedings. Tables flip over and other weird damage occurs, for which Hypatia and Hilaria Arcade, a pair of spiritualists, are blamed. Clearly, or so Karen thinks, there's a tommyknocker--a generally helpful supernatural creature whose normal habitat is the gold mines of Alaska--loose in the basement, and it's very upset about something. Karen unthinkingly rushes off to investigate along with the Arcade sisters and Mrs. Micajah Horner, a stage magician performing as her late husband's stand-in. Priya stomps off in a huff, so now Karen has two issues to resolve. Even with the richly imagined backdrop and distinctively earthy narrative voice, it's all a bit of a stretch, with a too-brief adventure sandwiched by lengthy disquisitions on interpersonal trust-building.Reams of practical advice for those embroiled in troubled relationships but, fictionwise, not too much to chew on even for series fans.

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March 19, 2018
Bear’s Karen Memory (2015) introduced her stubborn and spunky heroine, Karen Memery, a teenage sex worker who saved her late-1870s Pacific Northwest town from threats foreign and domestic. Now Karen and her beloved, Priya, are preparing to enjoy their first night in their new home when traveling spiritualists dredge up an old, seemingly supernatural mystery poised to cause mayhem. Naturally, Karen wants to investigate. Though this novel lacks the scope and some of the sheer raucousness of the first, all of the characteristics that make Karen memorable are glowingly apparent on every page. Elements that would feel clunky from a less talented author—such as Karen’s habit of constantly flinging herself headlong into danger because of deep regrets about her past—all seem natural and inevitable by the finish. Subtle touches guarantee that every character is colorful, no matter how fleetingly introduced. Bear’s fans will definitely want to catch Karen’s latest adventure. Agent: Jennifer Jackson, Donald Maass Literary.

March 15, 2018

Karen Memory has a lot to celebrate. She has finally retired from the Hotel Ma Cherie, and with girlfriend Priya has purchased a little ranch. Dinner and a magic show are all they're looking for--until they meet the Arcade Sisters sitting next to them. Then the night takes a turn for the worst. For the sisters are Spiritualists, and they have awakened a tommy-knocker--a magical creature that usually resides in Alaskan gold mines, not in restaurant basements--and it is angry. With magic, cons, and rescues afoot, Karen once again finds herself in the thick of it all. VERDICT The follow-up to Karen Memory successfully continues Bear's steampunk and Weird West mashup. The fast-paced action, colorful backdrop, and intriguing characters, not the least our protagonists Karen and Priya, give readers a lively and fast read.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2018
Karen and Priya are out for a night on the town when Karen's irrepressible curiosity gets them entangled with a pair of spiritualists, a stage illusionist, and a riled-up tommyknocker kidnapped from its mine. The spiritualist Arcade sisters start it off with a bit of table knocking, but it could be a real haint ?there's a story, Karen tells us, about a man returned from Alaska who murdered everyone in the place. Then again, it could just be a grift. Priya, more cautious, is having none of it?which leaves Karen in the hotel with the Arcade sisters and Mrs. Horner, the illusionist, when the hotel starts shaking. The Arcade sisters have gotten the attention of something much more dangerous with their tricks. Karen is an affable narrator and an enthusiastic investigator, and the story is an excellent adventure as well as a genuinely touching narrative about relationships and compromise; Bear's (The Stone in the Skull, 2017) narrative skill and flair for both plot and character continue to impress.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)