Title: The Native Star
Author: M.K. Hobson
Series: Emily Edwards #1
Cover Art: N/A
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Spectra
Release Date: August 31, 2010
ISBN-10: 0553592653
ISBN-13: 978-0553592658
Review Copy Source: M.K. Hobson
Reviewed by: Julia
Book Description
In the tradition of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, this brilliant first novel fuses history, fantasy, and romance. Prepare to be enchanted by M. K. Hobson’s captivating take on the Wild, Wild West.
The year is 1876. In the small Sierra Nevada settlement of Lost Pine, the town witch, Emily Edwards, is being run out of business by an influx of mail-order patent magics. Attempting to solve her problem with a love spell, Emily only makes things worse. But before she can undo the damage, an enchanted artifact falls into her possession—and suddenly Emily must flee for her life, pursued by evil warlocks who want the object for themselves.
Dreadnought Stanton, a warlock from New York City whose personality is as pompous and abrasive as his name, has been exiled to Lost Pine for mysterious reasons. Now he finds himself involuntarily allied with Emily in a race against time—and across the United States by horse, train, and biomechanical flying machine—in quest of the great Professor Mirabilis, who alone can unlock the secret of the coveted artifact. But along the way, Emily and Stanton will be forced to contend with the most powerful and unpredictable magic of all—the magic of the human heart.
Review
I am a “character oriented” kind of girl, to the point where, given witty dialog or a relationship I care about, a story’s premise is entirely irrelevant to my enjoyment (case in point, Aaron Sorkin’s “Sports Night”. What on earth do I care about sports TV? Handsome men with witty dialog? Yes, please.). Given my proclivities, imagine my surprise when I found myself ranking the world building in THE NATIVE STAR right along side my interest in the hero and heroine. Not that Dreadnaught Stanton and Emily Edwards weren’t great characters, with enough development and surprises to keep me entertained, but they were framed by such an unique premise that their world almost stole the show.
Admittedly, I don’t have a great deal of books in the steampunk genre to draw on when saying THE NATIVE STAR was “unique”. Dru Paglissotti’s Clockwork Heart is the only one I can think of off-hand (I count the Parasol Protectorate as much more fantasy than steampunk, but even if I didn’t, that only raises my grand total to 4 books). What I lack in steampunk reference points, however, I make up for in “American History magical crossovers”. I adore Patricia C. Wrede’s Thirteenth Child, which shows settlers striving to tame a frontier rife with magical creatures and plagues. A world where ordinary people view anyone who attempts to eke out a living without magic as suicidal extremists. While THE NATIVE STAR takes a different tact (and a different period of American history), it’s world gave me an enjoyment reminiscent of Thirteenth Child, the delight of reading a wholly original reprisal of a familiar period of time.
Supposing there is a magical/mechanical world, THE NATIVE STAR takes us through the growing pains and natural disasters of that very complex, steampunk industrial revolution. Mass production replaces cottage industry, “patent magics” take the place of home remedies, and native folklore is disregarded in favor of a more academic school of magic. And through this mass of cultural upheaval and economic unrest swirls Dreadnaught Stanton and Emily Edwards, each brilliant products of this fantastical world. Despite representing different sides of the “revolution”, they were far from being cliche. I found Emily and Stanton to be believable and interesting, capable of surprising me (pleasantly and otherwise) without leaving me feeling “tricked”. I know I will eagerly purchase THE HIDDEN GODDESS, the next installment in this series. Not because I want to resolve any plot threads or unravel any puzzles, but more because I can’t wait for another chance to step into the world M. K. Hobson has created.
Sexual Content: As appropriate for the time period, more romance and sensuality than sex. Crudity is only crude by 19th century standards.
My Rating:
4/5
Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel.
Click HERE to read an excerpt from THE NATIVE STAR
Previous books in the series:
- N/A
Also reviewed by:
Sounds great. Like you, I haven't read much Steampunk, but I love the Wild West idea.
ReplyDeleteI love steampunk in my books although I'm hardly a purist (or expert). This book sounds great -- the cover art grabbed me, and I'm thrilled you enjoyed it. I'm always glad to start a new series, too.
ReplyDeleteHobson is very clever in creating magical theory and application. It's that fusion of magic with physical objects that makes me want to call this book "steampunk", but in reality, it deserves it's own term. I've been muttering word combos all evening to try and capture the whole "wild west", "industrial revolution" fantasy concept. Manifest Fantasy? Fantastical revolution? I think I'm too literal for this task, any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteThe book is first and foremost an adventure/mystery story. The romance was handled very lightly, it wasn't the center of the story, but still very satisfying. The plot was full of twists and turns, and the story never went where I expected it to go.
ReplyDelete