Title: Steamed

Author: Katie MacAlister

Publisher: Signet 2010

Genre: Steampunk Romance

Pages: 332

Rating: 3 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Support Your Local Library; Steampunk

I read another review of this book; one that didn't like the book very much.  I must say that I have mixed feelings about this book.  Some parts I loved, and others I hated.

The Good

I enjoyed the politics behind Octavia's actions.  That may be because I like politics in general.  I find it interesting to see how people get wrapped up in competing agendas.  It wasn't hard at all to keep all the different factions separate.  I loved the intrigue, the uncertain nature of various characters, the keeping secret of information.  It made the book at bit more than a steampunk romance.  I also enjoyed the descriptions of the steampunk world.  having Jack and Hallie come from the real 2010 world created a great way for the characters to explain the steampunk technology.  So the weapons and airships run on nuclear physics?  Interesting.  I liked the scientific side of the story.

The Bad

There were two big things wrong with the book: Hallie and the romance.  Jack's sister was a nonexistant character, simply a plot device.  The little we saw of her wasn't good at all.  She was stuck up and stiff and stupid.  I mean who gets herself captured while standing at a fountain.  Wouldn't you be a little cautious in a war zone?  Better yet, wouldn't you be a little cautious in a completely different world?  Instead she wanders over to look at a fountain and gets captured as a spy.  Seriously!  We could have done without her character all together.  The other issue I have is with the romance.  It just wasn't believable at all.  Jack comes off as a complete sex crazed chauvinist masquerading as a Quaker (really a Quaker?).  And Octavia comes off as a pretentious slut.  (I know harsh language, but that was my initial thought)  I wasn't interested at all in their "romance."  Just get to the action (fighting, no sex) scenes already.

Overall, interesting premise and background plot but boring characters and romance.