mousegoddess's review
4.0
Yay review copies! I promise nothing when I receive them, only a fair review, and I thank my lucky stars for them because I am a biblioaddict.
I have been *waiting* for this one. Diabolical deeds! Racist/classist/asshole relatives! War! Chicanery! We mustn't forget the ghosts and ghoulies and things that go bump in the night. Add in 19th century mental health and I was swooning (metaphorically, though I did slip and fall shortly before starting this one so maybe it was my body's attempt at a proactive swoon).
Chadwick (I'm sorry, I find "Chad" an annoying name so I must think of him as Chadwick) and his intrepid sidekick, Patrick, are doing good the best they can. Claire is an "unexpected" addition to the stress and drama, which shouldn't be that surprising to any who read the preceding books. I will zip my lips overall because I don't like to give spoilers. But there is much noble idiocy (c'mon, it's CHADWICK, how surprised are you?).
This came SO CLOSE to being a five star read for me, there were just a few things that made me twitch enough not to be able to give that fifth star. HOWEVER, they are because I can be a bit of a pedant and I don't really see most others having any issues with the things that bothered me. So recommend, recommend, recommend.
okay for aayesha.
I have been *waiting* for this one. Diabolical deeds! Racist/classist/asshole relatives! War! Chicanery! We mustn't forget the ghosts and ghoulies and things that go bump in the night. Add in 19th century mental health and I was swooning (metaphorically, though I did slip and fall shortly before starting this one so maybe it was my body's attempt at a proactive swoon).
Chadwick (I'm sorry, I find "Chad" an annoying name so I must think of him as Chadwick) and his intrepid sidekick, Patrick, are doing good the best they can. Claire is an "unexpected" addition to the stress and drama, which shouldn't be that surprising to any who read the preceding books. I will zip my lips overall because I don't like to give spoilers. But there is much noble idiocy (c'mon, it's CHADWICK, how surprised are you?).
This came SO CLOSE to being a five star read for me, there were just a few things that made me twitch enough not to be able to give that fifth star. HOWEVER, they are because I can be a bit of a pedant and I don't really see most others having any issues with the things that bothered me. So recommend, recommend, recommend.
okay for aayesha.
laffingkat's review
4.0
Just like the other volumes in this Aether Psychics series, Aether Spirit is a fun steampunk romance with memorable characters. However, Aether Spirit has a slightly different feel than the previous volumes in this series because it's set in the United States during the Civil War, it features only some of the characters from the previous books, and it's a bit more focused on romantic and paranormal elements. Ms. Dominic provides enough background for this book to be enjoyed on its own, but I think the reading experience will be richer and more enjoyable if you read the entire series in order (and all of the books are so good, I highly recommend you read them all, starting with [b:Eros Element|26004639|Eros Element (Aether Psychics #1)|Cecilia Dominic|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1438192504s/26004639.jpg|45583105]).
While Doctor Claire McPhee was mentioned in previous books, this is the first time we have a chance to meet her. As with the other women in this series, I appreciated Claire's strength and intelligence and also enjoyed laughing at some of the predicaments she gets herself in. I love that [a:Cecilia Dominic|5011217|Cecilia Dominic|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1442597467p2/5011217.jpg]'s female characters are so well balanced (neither Mary Sues nor helpless damsels in distress). I also enjoyed getting to know Chadwick and Patrick better, and even the secondary characters are quirky and interesting. Ms. Dominic reliably writes memorable characters, whether they are characters you love or characters you hate or characters you just want to get to know better!
The only thing that disappointed me with this book is that we are teased with some very intriguing information about the aether, but I am getting impatient to learn more about the mystery of the Eros Element! That's not such a bad problem to have, but if you're also driven to find answers, just be prepared to race out and buy the next book to find out more!
The story featured elements of science fiction, paranormal fantasy, mystery, suspense, and historical romance, and I think this would probably please fans of many of these genres. The pacing seemed good to me, and the book was well-written. I was quickly drawn into the story and never had trouble suspending disbelief. I thought the descriptions of various manifestations of PTSD and how different characters proposed treating the condition were really interesting. The ending sufficiently ties up the events of this book, but leads directly into the next book in the series, [b:Aether Rising|33846170|Aether Rising (Aether Psychics #4)|Cecilia Dominic|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1484259229s/33846170.jpg|54784283].
I received a free copy of this book from the author and volunteered to review it. I didn't notice many typos or grammatical errors in the version I reviewed, and it was cleanly formatted. The language was clean, and there were no sexually explicit scenes, although there was some violence and a couple of deaths described without gory details. This should be appropriate for a wide audience.
While Doctor Claire McPhee was mentioned in previous books, this is the first time we have a chance to meet her. As with the other women in this series, I appreciated Claire's strength and intelligence and also enjoyed laughing at some of the predicaments she gets herself in. I love that [a:Cecilia Dominic|5011217|Cecilia Dominic|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1442597467p2/5011217.jpg]'s female characters are so well balanced (neither Mary Sues nor helpless damsels in distress). I also enjoyed getting to know Chadwick and Patrick better, and even the secondary characters are quirky and interesting. Ms. Dominic reliably writes memorable characters, whether they are characters you love or characters you hate or characters you just want to get to know better!
The only thing that disappointed me with this book is that we are teased with some very intriguing information about the aether, but I am getting impatient to learn more about the mystery of the Eros Element! That's not such a bad problem to have, but if you're also driven to find answers, just be prepared to race out and buy the next book to find out more!
The story featured elements of science fiction, paranormal fantasy, mystery, suspense, and historical romance, and I think this would probably please fans of many of these genres. The pacing seemed good to me, and the book was well-written. I was quickly drawn into the story and never had trouble suspending disbelief. I thought the descriptions of various manifestations of PTSD and how different characters proposed treating the condition were really interesting. The ending sufficiently ties up the events of this book, but leads directly into the next book in the series, [b:Aether Rising|33846170|Aether Rising (Aether Psychics #4)|Cecilia Dominic|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1484259229s/33846170.jpg|54784283].
I received a free copy of this book from the author and volunteered to review it. I didn't notice many typos or grammatical errors in the version I reviewed, and it was cleanly formatted. The language was clean, and there were no sexually explicit scenes, although there was some violence and a couple of deaths described without gory details. This should be appropriate for a wide audience.
More...