Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts

May 11, 2020
Once again proving that genres are made to be melded, Allen (Kiss of the Spindle) puts a suspenseful twist on this enticing, steampunk retelling of Cinderella. Chaos follows 23-year-old Shifter’s Rights advocate Emmeline O’Shea everywhere she goes, making her Det.-Insp. Oliver Reed’s worst nightmare. He’s pulled her from countless riled-up crowds protesting the reinstatement of the discriminatory Predatory Shifter Extermination Act at the demonstrations she’s organized throughout 19th-century London. But after Emme receives a rather nasty threat in the mail, Oliver steps in as her bodyguard, escorting her on a dangerous trip to Edinburgh for a history-making summit. Passionate Emme makes for a delightful heroine who is well aware of her own privilege—she comes from a well-to-do family, even if her stepfather is an utter boor who came packaged with scheming twin daughters­—and uses her status in defense of the vulnerable. Allen seamlessly integrates gentle romantic tension and nods to the original fairy tale with paranormal and steampunk elements and political intrigue. This is a fun, arresting break from reality.

Starred review from August 1, 2020

In this Victorian steampunk retelling of Cinderella, Emmeline O'Shea is more likely to be delivering passionate speeches at Shifter's Rights rallies and attacking her political foes than doing housework. When a threatening letter warns her against speaking at an important Shifter's Rights summit, Detective Inspector Oliver Reed is called on to be her bodyguard, much to Emmeline's dismay since the detective has consistently dragged her from riots and put her in jail for unruly behavior. Oliver, however, has secretly admired Emmeline's passion from afar and knows he's the only one who can safely protect her from her growing list of enemies--including a jealous stepsister. VERDICT With this new series, Allen (The Lady in the Coppergate Tower) creates an alternate 19th-century London with just enough steampunk elements (automatons, airships) to spice things up, and what could have been another stale version of a familiar fairy tale becomes a fresh retelling with plenty of danger and romance. An excellent choice for romance readers trying steampunk for the first time.--Kathryn Howe, Saint John Free P.L., NB, Canada

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2020
Allen's steampunk retelling of Cinderella is set in a historical world run by steam and automation, where horses are only used in the High Society Hunt, and vampires and werewolves intermingle with human society. Emmeline O'Shea is either ignored or treated like a burden by her superficial stepsisters, but she won't let that deter her from her mission to make shapeshifters an equal part of society. She attends rallies, which puts her in the path of her great nemesis, Detective Inspector Oliver Reed. But as her activism increases, so do the threats against her, and Reed becomes her personal protector. Then, when he accompanies Emmeline on a political trip to Scotland, he might become her Prince Charming. Allen (The Lady in the Coppergate Tower, 2019) draws readers in from the first scene, with Emmeline giving an impassioned speech on the rights of shifters. The pace builds as new characters are introduced, and the fantastical steampunk elements and a budding romance help balance the seriousness of Emmeline's mission.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)