Critique

It is difficult to find books that could be classified as Steam Punk, but this novel is a great candidate. Of course, I say that as a compliment since I’m a big fan of Steam Punk art and culture, and books and movies that explore that world are hard to come by. For those are unfamiliar with the term, Steam Punk is a fantasy world generated from a specific time period in our own world’s history, based in the time of the Scientific and Industrial Revolutions. As such, most Steam Punk works are set to look like that time period, are usually in England or Europe, and imagine a world where everything is powered by steam, or, in the case of this novel, have a strong fascination with metal. Even if the writing weren’t great, which it is, I would still recommend this novel just for its contribution to the world Steam Punk.

So, to the writing itself. Rutkoski has created a very tangible imaginative world with unique magic and fresh characters. Petra is a lovable character who you can’t help but to root for, and Neel is also fun to follow. There are so many elements to this book that I loved: that it’s set in the Prague of an alternate history, the living metal animals, especially Astrophil, the various types of magic and that, characteristically, each person only has one ability, the rich description of the scenes and the world as a whole, and Rutskoski’s talent in creating narrative voice with the perfect balance of inner dialogue, dialogue between characters, scenery description and plot movement/action.

Having seen the name and the cover, I was hoping that it would be an amazing book, and I was not disappointed. I recommend this novel to all readers 11+.