The Falconer by Elizabeth May

Summary: Aileana Kameron is intent on avenging her mother's death...by hunting and killing every fae in Scotland. She has help from a pixie, a Seer and even a powerful fae himself, Kiaran MacKay. 

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It's steampunk, faery-hunting and historical Scotland all rolled into one quirky and quickly-moving story. The action scenes were my favorite parts, and the author doesn't get bogged down in filler. It isn't perfect, but still enjoyable. 

Favorite Quote: "I want to be there with you until the end." 

378 pages

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The concept is extremely unique: over half of a damaged society was imprisoned inside Incarceron, an artificial intelligence that is an ever-changing, sentient prison that acts as an entirely separate and self-sufficient world. 70 of the Sapienti who helped create Incarceron were imprisoned inside it as well, and the controlled society was supposed to repair morals and help save humanity.

Obviously, nothing worked out as planned, other than that Incarceron grew more and more powerful and restless. According to the warden, there is no way in or out of the prison, though one person claimed to have escaped from it.

The story is split into 2 POVs: Finn, a seventeen-year-old boy who is inside Incarceron, but he can only remember the past 3 years of his life, as if he didn’t exist before the age of 15, and Claudia, the prison warden’s daughter, who lives in the original world.

This is one of those stories where the world is so unique, that you need to be paying good attention at every moment to get the most out of the book, which is why it was probably a bad idea for me to read this on audiobook during a frustrating commute. I let myself get distracted a few too many times and think I would have enjoyed the story more if I had paid better attention.

Overall, it’s a good read and an interesting blend between YA Fantasy and Sci-Fi. Some might even call it Steampunk.

Pages: 464

Monarch by A.R. Ivanovich

Monarch is the third book in the War of the Princes series by A.R. Ivanovich. I won't give any spoilers away, but it continues the exciting adventure of Katelyn Kestrel, who ventures from her isolated home of Haven, into the dangerous outside world where two immortal princes use their countries to wage a never-ending war against each other. 

This series is published on Amazon through an independent publishing company, so you can read it through your Kindle for about $3. 

Book 1: Haven
Book 2: Dragoon
Book 3: Monarch
Book 4: should hopefully be published next year!

This series is full of adventure and suspense in an original, fresh take on a steam-punk world. It takes awhile to learn this new world, but once the story gets rolling, you won't be able to put it down!

420 pages

"Crimson & Steam" by Liz Maverick

I picked up this paranormal romance while browsing the shelves; it turned out to be part of the "Crimson City" series by Maverick and other authors.  This one centers on Marius, the leader of one of the main vampire families in a futuristic Los Angeles, and Jill, a reporter who is his human soul mate.  He can read her thoughts and emotions yet will not give in to his love for her due to his marriage alliance with a werewolf princess.  There's also a touch of steam punk with the inclusion of mechanical men (mechs), former humans partially turned into machines by the United States government.  This futuristic tale shares space with the backstory of how the vampires, werewolves, and mechs came to be created in mid-nineteenth century London.  I found the two plots to be very interesting and creative but the ending felt rushed, cheating us readers out of a satisfying conclusion.  320 pages.