Book Review: The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: May 28, 2013

Series: The Steampunk Chronicles #3

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Acquired From: Public Library

SYNOPSIS

In 1897 London, something not quite human is about to awaken. 

When mechanical genius Emily is kidnapped by rogue automatons, Finley Jayne and her fellow misfits fear the worst. What's left of their archenemy, The Machinist, hungers to be resurrected, and Emily must transplant his consciousness into one of his automatons--or forfeit her friends' lives.

With Griffin being mysteriously tormented by the Aether, the young duke's sanity is close to the breaking point. Seeking help, Finley turns to Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. When Jack kisses her, Finley must finally confront her true feelings for him... and for Griffin.

Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily, from Whitechapel's desolate alleyways to Mayfair's elegant mansions, He would walk into hell for her, but the choice she must make will test them more than they could imagine.  

To save those she cares about, Emily must confront The Machinist's ultimate creation--an automaton more human than machine. And if she's to have any chance of triumphing, she must summon a strength even she doesn't know she has...

REVIEW

It's very rare for me, but there was absolutely nothing I could find in this novel that bothered me. I absolutely loved every moment of The Girl with the Iron Touch, which makes it easy for me to give it a solid 5 out of 5 stars. 

The story itself was wonderfully fast paced with lots of mystery and one great twist after another. The novel is rich with problems for the characters to face and overcome, and it connects strongly to the other novels in the series. The twists seem random and disconnected at first, but as the story goes on, the pieces fall into place that puts together a solid picture that allows you to see a diabolical mastermind at work. 

One of my favorite things about The Steampunk Chronicles is the relationship that exists between Finley and Jack Dandy. It's something that is wonderfully entertaining and very real. While Finley is truly in love with Griffin, it's clear that she enjoys the attention from Dandy. It always makes me love the story even more when there isn't so much melodrama around love triangles, but the fact that the characters openly admit that they love one of them and just likes the attention from the other. 

Overall, The Girl with the Iron Touch is lovely and entertaining. It's a novel that I'll definitely be adding to my collection to read again later.