Beast Heart

When the girl with the clockwork hand meets the boy with the beast heart, sparks fly in this poignant, adventure-filled debut.

Book 1 of the Steambound Trilogy. When Gabby’s hand turns to steam, her mom hires an engineer to build her a clockwork glove. It’s the last thing Gabby wants—if only she could be normal. But when her mom is attacked by something monstrous, normal is no longer an option. Now the only person she can turn to is a grizzled detective, who promises to help her become something … more.

Meanwhile, Kemple’s foster dad treats him like a slave. And the beatings are getting worse. So when a rebellious girl named Josephyn arrives—with a plan to escape to the city—he doesn’t hesitate. But there are creatures in Iron Bay whose slashes are worse than skin-deep. And as Kemple evolves into something inhuman, his search for a cure begins.

They are strangers in a city where carriages rattle, airships rumble, and where their own dark pasts continue to haunt them. Soon their paths will collide, and the girl who slays monsters will come face to face with the boy who is becoming a beast.

My Review
I must sadly admit that this book did not turn out to be a winner for me. This does make me very sad as I am a fan of steam punk. It has been a little while since I have read a steam punk book and therefore, was excited to jump into this book.

While, this book did have some of the vibes of steam punk, I would say it was more "fantasy". Also, it did feel like it was geared for the younger audience. Which is fine as that is what this book's target reading audience is. Yet, there are so many young adult novels out there now that are being read by adults alike that it is nice when you read one that appeals to both audience levels.

It seemed like the story really was slow to get going. I understood the set up of Gabby and Kemple and what was happening to them. Yet, after a while, it seemed this was accomplished within a few chapters and did not need to play out as long. The further I did read into the story; the better it did get. However, by this point I was not feeling the story anymore. This book may not have been for me but this does not mean someone else might not enjoy it.

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About the Author

Kyle Richardson

Kyle lives in the suburban wilds of Canada with his adorable wife, their rambunctious son, and their adventurous daughter. He writes about shapeshifters, superheroes, and the occasional clockwork beast, moonlights as an editor at Meerkat Press, and has a terrible habit of saying the wrong thing at the most inopportune moments. His short fiction has appeared in places such as Love Hurts: A Speculative Fiction Anthology and Daily Science Fiction.