Venturess

Starred review from June 15, 2017
After the "Cinderella" story ends, a heroine inventor must stop a war between humans and Faerie.Nicolette's tale didn't end after she found her prince and escaped her stepmother in the "Cinderella" retelling Mechanica (2015). Earning her living as an independent inventor, Nick's uncomfortable with the public's belief that she's destined to wed their prince. She loves Fin, yes, but their relationship with each other and with their best friend, Caro, isn't something she wants to constrain by a conventional marriage. Meanwhile, anti-magic religious fanatics and war profiteers aim to lead the kingdom in a full-blown genocide of Faerie. Fin thinks he can stop the war, but they must hurry; one courtier is secretly building an automaton army. An airship journey across the ocean to Faerie ends exactly as the adventure demands, leading to angst-y revelations, steampunk gadgeteering, and cinematic battles. The romantic element is solid and nondistracting, as dark-skinned Fin, "short, fat, pretty blonde" white Caro, and Nick (whose appearance is ambiguous) remain happily in love with one another, leaving the emotional hand-wringing for political and family drama. The romantic triad, lacking any on-page erotic component, is deftly handled. Unresolved plot threads imply a sequel in the works. As clever as the heroine's invented boot polishers and sewing machines, as appealing as the dresses designed by her coal-powered automaton horse. (Steampunk. 12-16)

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July 1, 2017

Gr 6-10-A companion to Mechanica, this work continues the fractured Cinderella, steampunk, and faerie mash-up. One year has passed since Nicolette and Nick left the Steps (stepmother and stepsisters), and Fin's father, King of Esting, has once again declared war on Faerie. When Nick discovers an army of automatons built to fight the Fey, friends Nick, Fin, and Caro journey to Faerie by airship. A relationship blossoms between Nick and Captain Wheelock. In Faerie, Fin negotiates peace with the Fey and works to ensure they remain free from colonialism. Nick learns that her mother is "living" as an automaton, and Nick's steam-powered horse, Jules, reveals to her the mystery of the Ashes. This book overturns and plays with typical steampunk tropes and features female engineers with a DIY attitude. It also presents a world in which dark-skinned people, such as Fin, reign over those with fairer skin. A central theme is freedom-religious freedom, freedom from imperial domination, freedom to live unencumbered by gender norms, and freedom to love others unbound by restrictions of family, gender, or race. This volume ends with a host of social issues and relationships unresolved, leaving room for another installment. VERDICT This thought-provoking blend of genres deserves a spot in most middle and high school collections.-Stefanie Hughes, Mt. Pleasant, TX

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