Last summer I discovered Nathalie Gray’s work via a Steampunk themed week at a blog I frequent, and lo and behold, after I left a comment, won the pot, as it were, the author herself gifted me with an e-copy of her 2008 Ellora’s Cave release, Mechanical Rose. When I finally cracked its spine (so to speak, as I read an ebook version) I found the author herein presents a fully-realized Steampunkish world, Terra, sprinkled with flying dragons built of brass and gears, lit by gaslamps, and defended with steampowered, and traditional guns, a world in which teatime is important . . .
But it is also a world in which insane madmen plot global domination, or destruction, whichever comes first.
Yet a very determined Mechanical Rose Society watch and dismantle these villainous plans at every turn. Eleanor Cleverly is one such agent, and has had a great career seducing and in some cases disposing of, the world’s most heinous villains. Her new mission sets her out to stop a clever inventor from turning over his latest project, a deadly creation that may mean Terra’s destruction, if the villainous Aloysius Spark gets hold of it. Her latest mission, however, may prove more than she can handle, as the Society sends her to spy on Leeford Gunn, an outcast from the well-placed Gunn family, and a brilliant inventor. The trouble is, Leeford’s latest invention just may prove to be a weapon powerful enough to destroy Terra, and Spark has his eye, and bank account, firmly on the weapon. It is Eleanor’s task to keep Leeford from turning that weapon over to him. As soon as she meets the inventor, and his weird family, though, the mission and her feelings for Leeford, take a decidedly un-mercenary-like turn. It isn’t long before the erotically romantic sparks fly between the two (and very often).
Has Leeford finally met his match? Is Eleanor in over her head? And will Spark get his hands on the deadly machine? You’ll have to read this to find out. So what did I think of it? I have to say, I’m now a fan of Ms. Gray’s thanks to this little 136 page tome. I found the world-building vastly intriguing, Leeford’s little creations, as well as Eleanor’s vast corset-arsenal, quite intriguing, the climax both shocking and breathtaking. And of course, the love between Leeford and Eleanor sweet, as well as hot.
I wish there were more books like this out there, frankly. But I count myself a budding fan of this genre, so I may be a little biased. If you’re looking for a clever, fantastical, steamy, and steam-powered, romance, you can’t do much better than getting a copy of Nathalie Gray’s intriguing little Mechanical Rose. If you’d like to, it’s available in both e-book, and trade paperback. Sometimes you can find Ellora’s Cave trade paperback books at Tampa’s Borders stores, so do check there. If nothing else, check Almost New Books on Henderson Ave in South Tampa for a copy, or of course, the Ellora’s Cave website would be your best bet for either the e-book version or the trade paperback. Whichever you settle on do checkMechanical Rose out. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the adventure. ;)
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