This novel has an unique premise, but unfortunately I was very disappointed. While it was an intriguing steampunk, and I appreciate a Victorian-era setting that isn’t England, this fell flat for me.

Around halfway through, I considered dnfing; however, a twist arose that kept me interested enough to continue. It didn’t last. I read the last ~75 pages just to say I finished it.

The story features two characters of color. It also features insta-love. Imagine this: Elsa from Frozen as a brown girl and Leo from Heroes of Olympus, both sans elemental magic, running around 19th century steampunk Italy and falling into an angsty almost-love. Granted, the only thing Elsa has in common with Elsa is the name, and Leo is a mechanic, like in HOO, but the similarities end there. (You can’t tell me that the name Elsa doesn’t make you think of Frozen and five you the urge to belt “Let It Go”…or maybe that’s just me.) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (There’s also a chance that I saw this comparison in another review and it’s midnight, thus I’m not responsible for my nonsensical Disney references.)

I was going to give this 2.5 stars, but bumped it up to 3 because of Skandar the sweet mini tentacle monster and the labyrinth scene. But mostly Skandar.

If you’re looking for a fun steampunk read, I’d recommend giving this one a try, though I probably won’t be reading the sequel.