A SPARK UNSEEN BLOG HOP, DAY 10: REVIEW

The thrilling sequel to Sharon Cameron's blockbuster gothic steampunk romance, THE DARK UNWINDING, will captivate readers anew with mystery and intrigue aplenty.

When Katharine Tulman wakes in the middle of the night and accidentally foils a kidnapping attempt on her uncle, she realizes Stranwyne Keep is no longer safe for Uncle Tully and his genius inventions. She flees to Paris, where she hopes to remain undetected and also find the mysterious and handsome Lane, who is suspected to be dead.

But the search for Lane is not easy, and Katharine soon finds herself embroiled in a labyrinth of political intrigue. And with unexpected enemies and allies at every turn, Katharine will have to figure out whom she can trust--if anyone--to protect her uncle from danger once and for all.

Filled with deadly twists, whispering romance, and heart-stopping suspense, this sequel to THE DARK UNWINDING whisks readers off on another thrilling adventure.

Sharon's Website | Twitter (@CameronSharonE) | Facebook | A Spark Unseen Trailer

It’s no secret that I’m doing horrendous now on my Goodreads challenge. You may be thinking, Mara, are you gone in the head? We’re here to read about your reaction to A Spark Unseen not to talk about the state of your reading ambitions at the moment. But I mention this diabolical truth because I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get into A Spark Unseen since I’ve been going through books at a much slower rate than I’m used to. I was afraid that even though I loved The Dark Unwinding, my brain wasn’t going to give a crap and then I’d be faced with more disappointing news.

Haha, A Spark Unseen is the shite, silly Miss Oh, yeah, I mean that. The Dark Unwinding is a homey story, where I’d like to think a historical me would’ve fit in and enjoyed and felt comfortable despite all the hair-raising mysteries of the gothic keep Katharine finds herself in and the unorthodox creations that seem to find her and would probably have me inventing a safe word like ‘dragon slippers’ every time I got uncomfortable or startled, BECAUSE, even with all that, it’s a story of a practical young woman finding home, a family, and love at once while detangling a dangerous mystery by sheer cleverness and mad sleuthing skillz.

It keeps the political intrigue either actually intriguing or in the background where I like to think it belongs in a book. Political stuff gives me the turtle face and trust me, people, that’s not attractive.

“Call me Miss Tulman, if you please.” That’s Miss Tulman to you, Mrs. Dupont, and don’t you deliberately “Mademoiselle” this kick-ass brilliant lady because she’s too boss for you and for that.

Everything I loved about Katharine in The Dark Unwinding came rushing back to me as soon as I’d started A Spark Unseen. She’s practical, intuitive, and genuinely smart with a soft heart, and that puts her in line for an exclusive invitation to a sesh of Triple B—that’s Book Buying Binge to you commoners—because I need a companion like her to keep me entertained and in check. Katharine runs things, keeps everybody in line and defended. It’s so easy to feel deeply frightened and sympathetic on her behalf because she’s forced to make even heftier decisions about the welfare of countless people, all of whom she adores with her Uncle heading the list.

She is constantly mentally shouting for Lane—her beaux from The Dark Unwinding who isn’t around for reasons for which you should’ve read the first book to know *sticks out tongue*--to help her with these burdens, and while that might have irked me normally—you know, buck up girl and take it like a man instead of calling for one—it didn’t because everyone is well-aware of how capable she is. More, it’s a matter of her being utterly exhausted handling this all on her own. She’s alone and scared, and Lane would be the only one she could trust to help take the load off so she could breathe.

I found myself wishing for him too.

For once, it isn’t the man who makes the page—is that a saying? Sometimes when a book is a particular victim of the Sophomore Slump, and the main love interest is gone, I find myself flipping pages more earnestly because I want him back and can’t wait for his return. That’s a problem. If her reunion with her guy is the only thing making me speed through the story then said story has a serious lack of substance everywhere else. And while I found myself anxious for Lane’s return, that honestly wasn’t what kept me flying through the book!

It’s the fast-paced start, from which Katharine quickly finds herself on the run. The race against these looming threats in both England and France hastily closing in before Katharine has the proper time to plan and think. It’s the not knowing what may happen to all my favorite characters of this book.

Yeah, basically Cameron is as boss a lady as Katharine.

All I’m saying is… what am I saying? Oh, yeah, this was AWESOME! If you want some fantastic historical fiction with some light undertones of steampunk and gothicness, you’ll dig this book. And if that’s not what you’re looking for? First of all, what is wrong with you, you silly clown? And second, you don’t need to be interested in any of those things to appreciate this book.

Seriously, the characters feel like a gargantuan extended family, keeping you inclined to care about all of them, most especially Katharine, her trusty sidekick maid, Mary, and her lovable Uncle Tully. I raved about The Dark Unwinding recently, and if that’s not enough to convince you, I’m humbly certain that this review has done something to push you in the right direction.

Hardcover / 352 pgs / Sept 24th 2013 / Scholastic / Goodreads / $17.99

I picked this up at the Scholastic booth during Book Expo America.

Reaction to... Dastardly Cradle Snatcher, Victorian Magnus, Lotta Death, and a Sideless Love Triangle

TO UNCOVER OR BE COVERED:
I have only one thing to say about this: Where was the cover designer for The Infernal Devices when both City of Fallen Angels and City of Lost Souls was released for everybody to hate see?

Now, now, darlings, be careful with those freshly sharpened pitchforks. I’m only mostly serious.

SUMMARY: Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS:
There's so much pain in this series, it's very hard to remember an ending without some of, well, that. And so for those of us who devotedly and determinedly white-knuckled our way through to the very last line of Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare, we know exactly where our beloved friends stand. And yes, I use the term 'friends,' for what better term could be applied to ones so beautifully dear?

This series is rapidly becoming notorious for its anguish-riddled love triangle but bear in mind that it's not ALL of the focus. There is so much to be resolved here: the question of Tessa's origins, the solution to corruption born where only good should thrive which is nearly as nefarious as the Magister himself, whose malicious intent has to be stopped OBVS, and the repercussions of the treachery faced in the last book all ON TOP OF the remaining desperate query. Who will Tessa choose; is there ever really a simple choice to such a complex tangle of souls and feelings?



WHERE WE GO:
With all of the above said, there's a ton of stuff to be handled before the ties are snipped and tucked away. And because of that Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare can't begin simply. Clare reminds of you that lump you've been carrying around in your throat for a while but forgot about and the choking feeling arises again. Jem, Tessa, and Will aren't in a harmonious place as combined force of a friendship. The links are strained yet the strength they were founded on remains. There's a withholding of truths and feelings, and a suppression of others. Guilt, shame, love, selflessness, and need battle for supremacy within each of them and it's a struggle knowing intimately of the struggles within each of them and not seeing a clearly defined, necessarily happy conclusion.

But beyond those internal battles, outside forces are invading with threats. Jem's war against his sickness is coming to a head and his chances aren't looking so good with the Magister shadowing its progression and striking hot at the most (for us) inopportune moment as big bad villains tend to do. There's also the matter of the Lightwoods, and this unwanted attention from the head honchos of the shadowhunters club. AND the devious Magister isn't relinquishing his demand for Tessa, his reasons all over the place and still mysterious. Each of these problems takes up time and in a new place which are forcibly endured by our very weary and not yet fully recovered friends.

WHO WE ARE WITH:
I love that Will, Jem, and Tessa are in frame more than most, but the other characters get their moment to bake or bask or whatever in the sun. Sophie, Gideon, Gabriel, Charlotte, Henry. All of them by this point have become so precious, and so does our surprise Herondale visitor, who is both kick-butt and female Will and altogether perfect and perfectly suited to this whole cray cray shebang.

And if everyone pairs up in some way then I refuse to be unmoved by it. It's fantastic that love can dwell where it shouldn't, that it finds a way even in it's most unsuspecting and reluctant of hosts.

THE LITTLE THINGS:

1. The Tender Bromance Goodbye
2. The fact that I got everything I didn't know I could want
3. THE HUGE TWISTS that I didn't completely see
4. The quotes at the beginnings of all the chapters
5. The Desperate Expression of Passion in Prison
6. The wisdom of Magnus and the beauty of that one time with Will on page 235 to 236...
7. THE EPILOGUE
8. And especially... all of it

Where do you go from here? No, seriously, I'm lost and I don't want to find myself all alone on a deserted road with a single broken telephone in a suspect-looking telephone booth. But, really, in all seriousness, how do you just jump back after something like this? The Infernal Devices is so rich and impactful and beautiful that it's impractical to expect something more from me, from you, us, than this satisfying desolation that leaves nothing for anything else unless it's equally powerful. And yet the heart can't take anything more after THIS BOOK that is so much and perfectly enough.

How do you get over a story of weakness, will, and heart, of fools and their better halves?
I'm not quite sure I want to find out.

Hardcover / 568 pgs / March 19th 2013 / Simon & Schuster / Goodreads / $19.99

I received a pre-ordered copy from my awesomecake mommy.