An interesting thing about this series is that it combines steampunk with the sort of creatures that you usually find in urban fantasy - but more as background colour than anything else. That is, the books feature vampires and werewolves, although I've not shelved the previous two in the series under "vampires" or "werewolves", because although such characters exist, and the jockeying between the various factions affects the politics of the world in question, they're never really the focus of the story. That changes in this book, as Sophronia's friend - the wonderful Sidheag - is brought to the fore. Sidheag, the daughter of a Scottish werewolf pack, is profoundly affected when that pack gets into trouble, and it's up to Sophronia and the rest of their friends to use their skills to help her. (I can only hope that in the next volume, it's the turn of poor under-rated Agatha to get the spotlight.)

While I continue to enjoy the series, I have zero interest in Sophronia's ongoing romantic struggles - if only the YA love triangle trope would die in a fire already! - and the increasing emphasis on this in her storyline is making me more attached to the secondary girls than I am to her. More of Dimity and Sidheag and Agatha, please, and far far less of Soap and Felix, for whom I do not care one single bit.