Jeweled by Anya Bast was a surprise read that was hot, and full of emotional turmoil of the main character Evangeline. It was also a steampunk world wrapped in magic. Score one for that alone. Here is the blurb:
Defined by magic. Ruled by desire.
In the Court of Edaeii, magic-imbued Evangeline is rewarded for her gift in manipulating emotion with a sapphire stone set into the perfect curve of her lower back. Her greatest rival in the royal court is the enigmatic Anatol, instilled with the power of illusion. He may better her in magic, but he is her absolute equal in passion.
They share something else—they’re both targets of low-born revolutionaries bent on overthrowing the palace of the privileged few. Rescued from the mobs by Gregorio, the brilliant revolutionary mastermind, they’re given sanctuary. But in this warm refuge, Evangeline soon finds herself torn between the magic of one man she has always desired, and the excitingly new and radical moves of another. For her, there is only one choice.
Evangeline, Anatol and Gregorio come together as one to explore the possibilities of love beyond reason, and to indulge in pleasure without limits.
I picked this book up at the store closing of Border’s and almost put it back. Very glad that I didn’t because I got a steampunk type world which made the book that much more enjoyable to me. The story takes place in a world that is magical, but it also has a regime that cares nothing for the peasants, that is until those peasants take over. The book timeline is at the start of a revolution, and those once in power find themselves being hunted down and killed.
At the heart of the story is a young woman taken away from her family because of her powers and she grew up harsh in a glittery world. But when she has to run for her life, she starts to experience emotions and this is where the story truly blossom as the reader is taken on Evangeline’s journey to find out her past and to learn that she truly is capable of love.
This was a book I would not have come across, and it is unfortunate that the closing of a bookstore opened my eyes up to this beautiful, unique world.
One more thing.
Anya Bast truly gets the idea of a steampunk world. It is not just the steam-powered machines that make the world, but the dystopian society that melds the two together and she has added a third element, magic, making this not only an enjoyable read, but a recommended one.
Go to her website here to find out more about this author. The next novel in the series is called Jaded.
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