Deciding to "read" an audibook for the first time was a pretty big decision on my part. It's been a long time coming, I know. But I couldn't have hoped for a greater introduction to the format than I got with The Dark Unwinding. It took me a long, long time to finish it - who knew that audiobooks took so damn long? - and there were times where I forgot who was who because it was so drawn out, but that is everything negative I have to say about the experience. I certainly didn't expect anything so engaging or well-written.

• Can we just talk about Katherine Tullman for a second? The author deserves more than just the proverbial tip of the hat for the character development she reached with Katherine. I'm pretty much powerless against loving such a head-strong, feminist female protagonist from the 1800s in the first place, but one that went on such a journey of self-discovery and improvement had me positively tipsy with joy! There's nothing better than getting such a raw MC become such a fleshed-out, well-rounded character. Honestly.

• I loved Mary. She was hilarious, and the perfect companion for Katherine - even if she annoyed her to no end at times.

• I did expect a steampunk story when I started this (it has cogs on the front cover - what else was I expected to think?) but I'm actually pleased that those elements weren't bought into the story. Maybe it's just that I'm in such a historical mood, but I think that the character-driven storyline with the mysterious subplots suited the story so much more. I loved the simpleness of the storyline and how it allowed for equal exploration of the characters, time period and mystery to occur all at once.

• Speaking of plot, there were so many unexpected moments in this story... and I loved it! I actually gasped out loud at least one. It always had me on my toes, and I didn't know what to expect. The story kept changing directions (not in a bad way, at all) and the foreshadowing was so subtle, I was just clueless until they were revealed.

• I, surprisingly, didn't cry at all at this story but the ending certainly shocked me. I thought it was apt though, and will definitely be reading the sequel immediately.

• The side story of how mental illness (I'm not sure what else to call it - their term 'lunacy' seems much too harsh) was particularly interesting. Obviously, I knew how "unfavorable" it was to have such a family member and the the scandals their conditions could cause, but the fact that "lunacy" was a punishable crime astonished me! I literally had no idea - whether that's just sheer ignorance on my part or not, I found it absolutely fascinating to see how the characters dealt with Mr/Uncle Tully.

• The very subtle touch of romance - it's not really there, I don't think they even kissed - was nice. It wasn't too much but it was enough, and I cannot wait to see how it develops in the sequel.

• I love the time period, and the way the writing and dialogue captured the era perfectly.

• The narration was well-done, or I think it was. I don't exactly have anything to compare it to so I cannot be sure, but I loved how the narrator used different voices to distinguish who was speaking, and slight accents. The entire book was spoken in a British accent too which I loved more than I can say. This story is set in England so it was most apt and just fantastic - it really helped capture the time and mood of the story.

Overall this was so much more than I expected. I loved Katherine as a protagonist, and the story was engaging and exactly what I needed. The sequel is waiting for me on my iPad and I'll definitely be listening to it straight away.