Title: The Hidden Goddess Author: M. K. Hobson Series: The Native Star #2 Cover Art: David Stevenson Genre: Steampunk Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Julia Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages Publisher: Spectra (April 26, 2011) ISBN-10: 0553592661 ISBN-13: 978-0553592665 Sexual Content: Kissing, sensuality, and Emily finally shows Dreadnought her etchings. Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & put this author on your watch list.

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Description

In a brilliant mix of magic, history, and romance, M. K. Hobson moves her feisty young Witch, Emily Edwards, from the Old West of 1876 to turn-of-the-nineteenth-century New York City, whose polished surfaces conceal as much danger as anything west of the Rockies.

Like it or not, Emily has fallen in love with Dreadnought Stanton, a New York Warlock as irresistible as he is insufferable. Newly engaged, she now must brave Dreadnought’s family and the magical elite of the nation’s wealthiest city. Not everyone is pleased with the impending nuptials, especially Emily’s future mother-in-law, a sociopathic socialite. But there are greater challenges still: confining couture, sinister Russian scientists, and a deathless Aztec goddess who dreams of plunging the world into apocalypse. With all they must confront, do Emily and Dreadnought have any hope of a happily-ever-after?

Review

Despite the happy ending of THE NATIVE STAR, Emily and Dreadnought definitely have a lot to overcome from the first page of THE HIDDEN GODDESS. From her ivory prosthetic to her disdain for polite tea room conversation, Emily is a woman out of her element. Even worse, she endures all of this for the sake of true love, the conspicuously unavailable Dreadnought Stanton.

As Emily tries to make it through the public spectacle of Dreadnought’s Investiture towards her marriage, it is difficult to see a path to happiness for her and and her harried fiancé. Is happily ever after really becoming the Sophos’s Hollywood mannequin of a wife? While these trials and doubts make the opening of THE HIDDEN GODDESS heartbreaking to read, they also make the rest of the book infinitely more satisfying. Hobson ties everything together in a way I never anticipated (and had me alternating between happiness and laughter right through the epilogue).

In THE HIDDEN GODDESS, Hobson writes us right into Emily’s shoes. It is so easy to share her doubts, her heartaches, and her dilemmas. Luckily, once past the high society constraints and annoyances of the first few chapters, Hobson amply rewards readers (and Emily), with a memorable adventure.

 

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
The Native Star	Alyx at Tor.com Shara at Calico Reaction Thea at The Book Smugglers

We’re welcoming back M.K. Hobson, author of the new book, THE HIDDEN GODDESS (available now) today to share some of her favorite witches and wizards.  Julia fell in love with the first book in Hobson’s series, THE NATIVE STAR, last year and will be posting her review of THE HIDDEN GODDESS this week.

You can read all the previous Top 10 Lists HERE

My Favorite Witches and Warlocks
by
M.K. Hobson

1 & 2) Endora and Serena from Bewitched.

 
(Elizabeth Montgomery played the role of Serena but was credited as Pandora Spocks)

I could probably populate my entire top-ten list with characters from Bewitched, which was one of my favorite shows when I was a kid. But I'll restrain myself to my favorite two. Endora, of course, was the evil and powerful mother-in-law who was always trying to wreak havoc on Darrin's life. I was totally on her side, rooting for her to succeed, because I thought Darrin (no matter who played him) was a complete drip. Serena (Samantha's groovy cousin with the black hair and the beauty mark) was so completely awesome I wish the whole show had been about her (and her costumes) instead.

3) The Wizard of Oz (aka Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs).

While not really a wizard or warlock in his own book, all he had to do was ride his balloon into one of *my* books and he would have been hailed as one of the greatest Credomancers of all time!

4) La Voisin (aka Catherine Monvoisin)

La Voisin provided sorcerous council to the ladies of the ancien regime. There is the possibility that she was hired by the Marquise de Montspan to poison Louis XIV and one of his other mistresses (a rival to the Marquise.) Historical accounts differ on whether or not she was actually guilty, but there's no doubt that she was burned at the stake in the Place de Greve in 1679.

5) Nicky Holroyd from "Bell, Book and Candle."

Jack Lemmon as a warlock, playing "Stormy Weather" on the bongo drums? C'mon, you can't beat that.

6) Jacob Philadelphia.

I am so fascinated by Jacob Philadelphia that I put him in my story "The Hotel Astarte." He was a Rosicrucian stage magician around the time of the American Revolution, and he performed for the greatest crowned heads of Europe. 

7) Howl, from Howl's Moving Castle.

While I liked the movie all right, I thought the character of Howl was much more interesting in the book.

8) Baba Yaga.

She flies around in a pestle! She lives in a hut that stands on four chicken legs! She eats children! I defy to you name a more awesome witch from any folkloric tradition.

9) Maleficent from Disney's Sleeping Beauty.

She is, hands down, the best Disney villain ever. She can turn herself into a totally bitchin' dragon. When I was six years old, the fact that she actually said the "H" word filled me with anarchic delight.

10) Angelique from Dark Shadows.

As everyone probably knows, Tim Burton is going to be remaking Dark Shadows with Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins . The role of Angelique will be played by Bond Girl Eva Green. I'm hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

 

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Book Details:

THE HIDDEN GODDESS by M.K. Hobson

(Available now)

In a brilliant mix of magic, history, and romance, M. K. Hobson moves her feisty young Witch, Emily Edwards, from the Old West of 1876 to turn-of-the-nineteenth-century New York City, whose polished surfaces conceal as much danger as anything west of the Rockies.

Like it or not, Emily has fallen in love with Dreadnought Stanton, a New York Warlock as irresistible as he is insufferable. Newly engaged, she now must brave Dreadnought’s family and the magical elite of the nation’s wealthiest city. Not everyone is pleased with the impending nuptials, especially Emily’s future mother-in-law, a sociopathic socialite. But there are greater challenges still: confining couture, sinister Russian scientists, and a deathless Aztec goddess who dreams of plunging the world into apocalypse. With all they must confront, do Emily and Dreadnought have any hope of a happily-ever-after?

Click HERE to read an excerpt

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:

1. N/A

Also reviewed by:

• Dirty Sexy Books
• Steampunk Chronicle
• Dreams and Speculation

M.K. Hobson is the author of  THE NATIVE STAR, a historical fantasy full of magic, romance, and laced with steampunk elements.  Julia’s review will be up soon, but in the meantime, M.K. is here to share a few "gateway" historicals for urban fantasy junkies.  Plus she’s giving away her book and a couple other goodies. See details below. 

Historical Fantasy for Urban Fantasy Readers
by
M.K. Hobson

If you're reading this blog, it's likely that you're a fan of urban fantasy. (Gee, Mary, what gave it away?) And maybe, like many voracious readers, you've already discovered how much fun historical fantasy can be. But if you haven't, I'm here to tell you that this rich, up-and-coming subgenre is not just about steampunk (which is not intended to take anything away from undeniably fantastic works in that era such as Gail Carriger's SOULLESS and Cassandra Clare's hotly-anticipated CLOCKWORK ANGEL to name just two.)

Where urban fantasy is often defined by a sense of place—corrupt, big-shouldered locales like New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago—historical fantasy is defined by a sense of time. In successful historical fantasy, readers are immersed in a bygone era. When you find books that do both—combine urban intrigues with sweeping historical vistas—the results can be truly spectacular.

The following are a few historicals that I think would be right up the (dark) alley of any hard core reader of urban fantasy. Some of them might already be old favorites, but I hope you'll find something new and tempting.

1. The Vampire Files (series), P.N. Elrod. BLOODLIST (the first in the 12-book Vampire Files series) was published in 1990 which makes P.N. Elrod an éminence grise of historical urban fantasy. Set in 1930s Chicago, the books (often described as "vampire-noir") follow ex-reporter (and vampire) Jack Fleming as he navigates his way through a Raymond Chandleresque world of floozies, mob bosses and society dames. If you happen to be a fan of the old soap opera "Dark Shadows" then you must run, not walk, and buy all of these books immediately.
2. MOONSHINE, Alaya Dawn Johnson. Set in New York in the roaring '20s, this thrilling novel follows the adventures of social activist (and former demon hunter) Zephyr Hollis as she works with a mysterious stranger to bring down a vampire crime boss. Zephyr is a truly multilayered heroine; while she possesses the standard urban-fantasy "demon-ass-kicking" skills, as a defender of the downtrodden (including the supernatural downtrodden) she's conflicted about using them and prefers more peaceful methods. A perfect mashup of historical and urban fantasy that gives the period term "vamp" a whole new meaning.
3. BLOODY GOOD, Georgia Evans. The first in a trilogy set in Britain during World War II, BLOODY GOOD chronicles the adventures of country doctor Alice Doyle who joins forces with a handsome conscientious objector (and pixies) to fight vampire Nazis. I mean, just typing out that plot description makes me happy—and should make you get your hands on a copy if you haven't already.

So there you have it—"gateway" historicals for urban fantasy junkies. I promise, once you've plowed your way through these, you'll find yourself jonesin' for an even harder fix. You'll find yourself mainlining Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Naomi Novik, C.C. Finlay, or Madeleine Robins. Just one word of warning: if anyone tries to offer you some Harry Turtledove, just walk away. That stuff will kill you.

M.K. Hobson's debut novel, THE NATIVE STAR, is a historical fantasy romance set in an alternate 1876 America with magic. In it, a timber camp witch from the Sierra Nevadas and a snooty New York City warlock are thrown together on a journey across the United States by horse, train, and biomechanical flying machine to unlock the secrets of a mysterious artifact. Now available from Spectra at fine retailers nationwide!

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Thanks M.K. for stopping by.  Come back anytime.

Visit M.K. online:

• Website
• Facebook
• Goodreads
• Library Thing
• LiveJournal
• Twitter

Giveaway

Giveaway courtesy of M.K. Hobson

One copy of THE NATIVE STAR by M.K. Hobson, plus a signed bookplate and a lavender sachet.

This title will be published on August 31, 2010

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.

Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open to US only
2. Leave a comment that includes:
   1. Your favorite historical fantasy or a comment for M.K.
   2. A way to contact you if you win
3. Entries must be received by Midnight MST on October 12th.

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