Fantasy Steampunk Romance -- No, you're not misreading the title of this thread

[Teresa Edgerton]

The St. Croix books are mildly dark almost frankenstien-ish. But the author's character seems to devolve in this story as she falls deeper into her opium use. This book has actual Steam powered devices.

So I started the first one and ended up reading all four over the course of a couple of days. The first one was very hard to get into at the beginning, very slow, and a lot devoted to the various "gadgets." There were also some faux period things that were just ... wrong (I can accept that this is not our world or our society, but some things seemed like she was trying for a period feel and not following the logic behind them) ... also, occasionally some rather tortured dialogue and misuse of words in the exposition (where was the copy editor?). Quite enough to ordinarily discourage me from reading past the first few chapters, but I kept on regardless and somewhere along the way -- just in the nick of time probably -- the story became sufficiently compelling and suspenseful that it kept me reading on to the end of the first book.

And then ... well, there were some things I wanted answered that were obviously not going to be answered unless I read the next book ... and the next ... and the next. I still twitched a bit over some things, but most of the time I was too immersed in the story to let them distract me -- much. It was only afterward that I noticed a few plot holes.

So did I like them? I guess I did, because it is rare that I finish a book that I don't like, and if I don't like the first book of a series I never feel compelled to buy the rest. The fact that I bought them one right after the other and read through them all in a matter of days would argue that I liked them a lot. But if you asked me why, I am not sure how I would answer. Although there were a lot of steampunk staples, there were also things about the setting that I found fresh and original. I liked the main character. And after those first few chapters in the first book I found Books One, Two, and Three to be page-turners. But was that enough? Apparently so.

The fourth took quite a different direction, and the beginning dragged a bit for me, but it looks like she's set up things for a very exciting fifth book to come out later this summer. I know I'll buy it.

Teresa: Isn't "The Infernal Devices" also a Fantasy Steampunk Romance of some kind?

I am not sure. There is that one main story element that is steampunkish, but maybe one would class the books under Gaslight fantasy romance. The series seems to be right there along the borderline between the two.

But speaking of tortured dialogue, anyone who has read my remarks on those books in the Cassandra Clare thread will have seen that I found the dialogue in the second two books in that series increasingly bad, to the point that it quite put me off a series that I liked very much in the beginning.

 

[Ursa major]

Here is a link to one book that I've read:

Amazon.com: Nefertiti's Heart (The Artifact Hunters) eBook: A.W. Exley: Kindle Store

The description of the book on Amazon doesn't indicate much romance (in the interpersonal sense), although that doesn't mean it's presence is insignificant. If you think the book is any good, I'd try it: it sounds reasonably intriguing, what with murders, "enforcers", mysterious artefacts and a determined crime lord....

There is definitely romance (and sex). I read it a while ago and liked it, but I don't know if you would ... largely because I've been reading so many books lately, they're mostly blending together in my mind. But it is different, so you might think it worth reading just so you can say you tried the genre, and find out if you like it.

It was quite enjoyable, albeit with far more romance than I would normally look for in a book, with an interesting premise. I'm tempted to read the sequel**, given the scope the premise gives for a variety of adventures. (And it was interesting to see a beeching and well as a birching. *cough* )

One thing I haven't seen before, in terms of the writing, was the almost total absence of the Past Perfect (Pluperfect) -- I noticed one "had" -- even when I thought it was needed (i.e. where the past tense narrative mentioned things happening in the past, but not as a flashback). Is this something prevalent in romance (or steampunk), or is it just a quirk peculiar to the writer/imprint?


** - Although one might imagine the amount of sex might increase because (spoiler)

Spoiler

there's likely to be less unrequited longing given the MC seems to be in a relationship by the end of the first book

.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Ursa, the book was published by a press that, rather oddly, describes itself:

Curiosity Quills is a gaggle of literary marauders with a bone to grind and not enough time for revisions.

A truly full-service publishing house, we create together, support each other, and put out the best darn tootin’ words this side of Google.

Whatever all that means.

And I suspect that the "full service" may not include adequate copy editing.

 

[Ursa major]

Anyway, thanks for mentioning the book. Not what I'd usually read, but as I said, quite enjoyable.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

You're welcome.

I've been thinking about reading the sequel, too. Haven't quite made up my mind. And there is a sample waiting on my Kindle for the first book in a different series by the same author.

 

[Ursa major]

The first book ended at 80% of the text I downloaded; the majority of the remaining 20% consists of the first three chapters of the sequel, Hatshepsut's Collar. I'll read these and see if I want to continue. There are also the first two chapters (the first is very short, the second quite long) of the same author's The Quarry, which looks (by glancing at one of its pages at random) to be a contemporary story.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Ok, you guys talked me into it. I will remember to read this darn book on my iPad, I will, I will, and I will also remember to read Teresa's book. I will.

(Someone please feel free to poke me every day with a sharp stick until these books have been read.)

 

[Ursa major]

If I don't wield a sharp stick, will I avoid the blame if you don't like the A.W.Exley book?


I foresee no blame for recommending Teresa's Goblin Moon, if that was what you were referring to, so prepare for incoming pointy sticks.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

If I don't wield a sharp stick, will I avoid the blame if you don't like the A.W.Exley book?

I'm sort of with Ursa there. I wouldn't advise anyone to put aside their preferred reading just to read any of the books mentioned in this thread. But if anyone is looking for something different, something they would not usually read, if they are looking for a vacation from their usual, this could be fun. At least of the books I have read in this sub genre, I thought they were enjoyable.

(And of course modesty would forbid that I poked anyone with sharp sticks in regard to Goblin Moon -- which I wouldn't place in this sub genre, anyway.)

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Oh, I don't have any "preferred reading", really. There are things I don't go out of my way to read (hmm, just said that to a fellow writer who was selling his new book in the library last Saturday, and it was historical fiction -- maybe should have paid attention to it, considering the 75 this month, but it wasn't an area of history that I really read), but I'll try most anything on a recommendation. At the moment I'm reading two things I've already read (one for mood for writing, one because I found the third book was out and had to go back and read the first two again) and a new book in a crime series. It won't hurt to add something else.

I didn't mean to put Goblin Moon in this ...subgenre?..., I was just placing it in the genre of "books I have in my iPad and keep forgetting to read". Please do poke me about it, so I can stop that!

I won't blame anyone if I don't like the Exley book. Or if I don't like the poking.

 

[Mouse]

Is this something prevalent in romance (or steampunk), or is it just a quirk peculiar to the writer/imprint?

? I use 'hads' in mine. I've read all the normal 'hads' in others. Why would it be a romance thing? (That's not me being snarky - I'm genuinely wondering in case there's a reason, like, would it make the writing more immediate or something?)

Ursa, the book was published by a press that, rather oddly, describes itself:

Whatever all that means.

And I suspect that the "full service" may not include adequate copy editing.

Curiosity Quills has a full of my YA at the mo. I really like the emails they send.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

So what does "full service press" mean. Is their main focus selling books, or is it selling their services to writers? Or are they using the term in some other way?

Mouse, I have been reading a lot of romance novels lately, and noticing a sad lack of good copy editing. But I think that happens because the publisher is in such a big hurry to get the books out (they publish so many titles a month) that they don't employ copy editors, or the copy editors don't have enough time to go over the manuscripts, or ... well, something. But it's not the same from author to author (although romance writers do seem to love the comma splice), so I think it depends on how clean the manuscript was to begin with. I doubt anyone, at any press, is going to insert grammatical errors into your writing, but they might not take the time to find them, either.

Fortunately, compared to most of these authors, your writing doesn't need much copy editing. You may not know all the rules of grammar, but you have a good instinct for what is right.

So I think the problem with the plu-perfect that Ursa noticed is probably with the author, and the result of not enough revision or editing to fix it.

However, I am reading another book by Exley and (so far) enjoying it a great deal. I think she writes very well. But we all have our blind spots when it comes to grammar and spelling. Which is why beta readers, critique groups, and editors exist.

 

[Mouse]

So what does "full service press" mean. Is their main focus selling books, or is it selling their services to writers? Or are they using the term in some other way?

I have no idea, it does seem an odd term. They requested a partial from me from a Twitter thing and it turned into a full. I do like the way they come over in their emails and on social media though.

Mouse, I have been reading a lot of romance novels lately, and noticing a sad lack of good copy editing. But I think that happens because the publisher is in such a big hurry to get the books out (they publish so many titles a month) that they don't employ copy editors, or the copy editors don't have enough time to go over the manuscripts, or ... well, something. But it's not the same from author to author (although romance writers do seem to love the comma splice), so I think it depends on how clean the manuscript was to begin with. I doubt anyone, at any press, is going to insert grammatical errors into your writing, but they might not take the time to find them, either.

I know that with both my publishers I go through several edits (got my first lot coming back July/August) and I know that after I'm happy and my editor's happy it then goes on to a proofreader. Judging by how things worked with the short I've already had published with one of the presses, I'll get a look at it before it's actually made live, as it were, so if an editor had done something wrong/odd with my grammar, I'd be able to flag it up.

Fortunately, compared to most of these authors, your writing doesn't need much copy editing. You may not know all the rules of grammar, but you have a good instinct for what is right.

Ta!

So I think the problem with the plu-perfect that Ursa noticed is probably with the author, and the result of not enough revision or editing to fix it.

However, I am reading another book by Exley and (so far) enjoying it a great deal. I think she writes very well. But we all have our blind spots when it comes to grammar and spelling. Which is why beta readers, critique groups, and editors exist.

I wonder if an editor did suggest a change to her but perhaps she had a good argument to keep it the way she wanted? Dunno. I've not read any of Curiosity Quills books, so I don't really know how well they're edited or anything.

I read a Riptide book recently, and noticed one error. Which I didn't think was bad, really. I noticed more in one of Robin Hobb's books!

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I'm sure the quality of copy editing varies from press to press.

With some books I've seen, I can think of no good argument (not to say there isn't one, but I have very, very strong doubts) for the errors I've come across. They just look like carelessness.

But the book Ursa is talking about is one I read several months ago, so I don't recall whether the problem he points out was something I saw some justification for, or whether it even bothered me at the time I read it.





.

 

[Ursa major]

There wasn't much text that should have been in the pluperfect, so it isn't as if I was being pulled out of the story all the time. I just thought it was odd that it was written that way. I would have expected just about everyone would know, though probably subconsciously, how to deal with things in the past in a past tense narrative. It's almost as if it was written in the present tense and was bulk changed to the past tense, forgetting that some of it already was in that tense. (Not that I know how one might do a bulk tense change, so that can't be what actually happened.)


Anyway, I've been watching a lot of soccer on the TV, and so haven't got round to reading the first chapters of Hatshepsut's Collar, but I still intend doing so.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

To be fair, Curiosity Quills are well established and have a reasonably good spec ( as much as any small pub does). Their authors seem happy, by and large:

Curiosity Quills Press - Page 7 - Absolute Write Water Cooler

 

[Ursa major]

I read through that AW thread yesterday. I didn't see any real alarm bells ringing and the book I read (Kindle version, obviously) seemed well produced, with a decent cover (though I'd have put the ankh slightly higher in the title; but then I'm rather pernickety about things like that), good-looking chapter headings and nice section/scene breaks.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Ok, I finished Nefertiti's Heart today, and just bought the next one in the series.

I agree with Ursa about the lack of "had" that is a bit disturbing -- it just drops into flashbacks without any change of tense, and you have to scramble to keep up. There are also some words that bother me ("fix" of coffee, for one, and something else I've forgotten, that just don't seem right for the time. I realize that steampunk is built around things that aren't right for the time, and I had to wrap my mind around a few of those things, but the occasional narratorial word falls flat for me.

This is the first steampunk book I've ever read, I think. Is it the nature of steampunk that anything is possible, just because it's a world with things that we didn't have at that time in our own? I assumed that it would have a set of rules of its own, so if it's posited that x existed at this particular time in this world, then that makes y and z possible, but one doesn't just throw in q and v willy-nilly. How does that normally work in steampunk?

There were also grammatical things that made me crazy, and a few typos, and things that told me there wasn't a really persnickety copy-editor on duty, but overall it was nicely written.

I think Cara's mental state (PTSD, I suppose they call it now?) involving not wanting to be touched was too easily shuffled aside in the romantic entanglements -- she didn't seem to take very long to get over seven years of fear and anguish, as soon as a hot guy came along. One didn't get the feeling she was that bothered, really, for all the protestations of paralyzing fear.

It was a good story, though, and I liked it enough to buy the next book. Let's see what happens next!

(Oh, and ...ahem... that must be quite the tree.)

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

So after reading some other books that don't fit into this thread, I've just finished Firebrand by Ankaret Wells. Lots of airships (what is it about Steampunk and airships?) plus other mechanisms powered by semi-supernatural means. The romance in this one is very much front-and-center, although with court politics, abduction, espionage, and more.

It's supposed to be set in Angria, the setting for the stories created by Charlotte Brontë and her siblings when they were children. The sort of thing they might have written, I suppose, if they were alive today and into Steampunk ... and were sexually precocious.

I've read some of the Brontë juvenilia but that was long ago and I don't remember well enough to say if there are many similarities.

Anyway, I liked the book, even with all the airships.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

So it seems that it's ok to just throw in whatever technology you need in the story, in steampunk? I had assumed (silly me) that there would be a logic behind the progression of things.

(And there may be perfectly sound logic in the Artifact Hunters books, that I just don't know. I'm almost done with the second one.)