Review: Corsets and Clockwork: 13 Steampunk Romances by. Various Authors

Title: Corsets and Clockwork: 13 Steampunk Romances
Author: (Various Authors) -click here for a complete list
Publication Date: March 23, 2011
Pages: 448
Genre: Steampunk/Romance
Rating:  
 

Synopsis from Goodreads: Bestselling romance editor Trisha Telep brings an exciting new element to the fast-growing sub-genre of steampunk, which bends and blends the old and the new in increasingly popular dark urban fantasies. Young heroes and heroines battle evil, in various forms with the help of super-technological or supernatural powers, while falling in and out of love. 

Review: From animatronic love, to cannibalism, World War 2 references, and back to our beloved vampires, Corsets and Clockwork has something for every book lover, each with some steampunk flavoring to add new excitement.

I love a good sample plate. Have you even been to a restaurant and asked for a sample dessert plate. Where they give you all kinds of variations of cheesecakes, sponge cakes, puddings, and pies to try out and pick what is to your liking. Well, that is exactly what this anthology was like; a sample plate, begging for the reader to pick their favorites and look into ordering something more from each author.

I think the steampunk genre is one that I will love to read more books on. Who would have thought one of my favorite genres such as science fiction, and my least favorite genre of historical could mingle and create an exciting, new, and extremely interesting mix. The short stories in this book are quick romances, but the amount of depth that is woven into these little stories is astonishing. Though they were short, I felt like I knew a lot of the characters much more than I would have expected, despite the length of these books, I felt like the characters were as developed as a 1000 page novel and so were their plots. The way the authors was able to map out the scenes really made it seems like each short story was it's own, yet they were all cohesive in the way they all had that steampunk commonality about them.

Of course, there were individual stories that I favored, and some that in my opinion were not so great. Among my favorites are The Cannibal Fiend of Rotherhithe by. Frewin Jones, Wild Magic by. Ann Aguirre, Code of Blood by. Dru Pagliassotti, Under Amber Skies by. Maria V. Synder (favorite), and Chickie Hill's Badass Ride by. Dia Reeves. As you can see I did like a lot of the stories in this anthology. They were a great introduction into a new and exciting genre, as well as an introduction to new authors whose books I am no extremely excited to read!

Recommendations: If you are ahead of the game and  are already an avid steampunk reader, then I definitely  I recommend this anthology to you for an extra steampunk treat. And if you are ready to jump right into the new (or new to YA) genre, Corsets and Clockwork is the perfect way to sample some great authors and the steampunk realm!


Overall: 4/5

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Originality: 4/5
Entertainment: 4/5
Ending: 4/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Cover: 4/5