kblincoln's review
4.0
Emily Edwards and Dreadnought Stanton have come a long way from the backwoods of Wild West California and their start in the first book of the series, Native Star.
Now they are the toast of New York, with Stanton's coming investiture of the head of the credomancy institute, and Emily cast as his virginal fiancee.
The problem is, Emily not only isn't quite what the institute, and her minder, Ms. Jeszenka would like to make her into, her long-lost memories of her biological father and mother hold a secret about her very existence that could stop the Black Glass Goddess from destroying the world.
Standing between Emily and Stanton's union are not only his duties, but a spin-doctor out to grab power, a secret Russian Society looking for a magic poison that would keep all people from practicing magic, outbreaks of Black Exunge that cause ordinary animals to become monstrous, and political chicanery of the most entertaining kind.
What makes this book different from the first is that we mostly follow Emily as she tries to deal with the institution's ideas about how she should dress and act, with much less time spent following her adventures and Stanton-relationshipping.
The first half of the book was slow going for me because of this. Once she begins to research her past, unlock her memories, and the jockeying for power between the institute, the Russians, and the devotees of the Black Glass Goddess begin in earnest everything becomes really exciting and fun.
Throughout, Hobson's deft touch with language at the basic level does make for pleasant reading.
I love the character of Ms. Jeszenka, and her machinations, as well as the revelations about the Russians.
I hope the tidy HEA at the end doesn't mean the end for these characters.
This Book's Food Designation Rating: Going back to the buffet for that second helping of lasagna you loved at first bite and finding out they've replaced it with Hungarian Goulash and noodles...and while the noodles are a bit ordinary, the goulash itself is satisfying and spicy.
Now they are the toast of New York, with Stanton's coming investiture of the head of the credomancy institute, and Emily cast as his virginal fiancee.
The problem is, Emily not only isn't quite what the institute, and her minder, Ms. Jeszenka would like to make her into, her long-lost memories of her biological father and mother hold a secret about her very existence that could stop the Black Glass Goddess from destroying the world.
Standing between Emily and Stanton's union are not only his duties, but a spin-doctor out to grab power, a secret Russian Society looking for a magic poison that would keep all people from practicing magic, outbreaks of Black Exunge that cause ordinary animals to become monstrous, and political chicanery of the most entertaining kind.
What makes this book different from the first is that we mostly follow Emily as she tries to deal with the institution's ideas about how she should dress and act, with much less time spent following her adventures and Stanton-relationshipping.
The first half of the book was slow going for me because of this. Once she begins to research her past, unlock her memories, and the jockeying for power between the institute, the Russians, and the devotees of the Black Glass Goddess begin in earnest everything becomes really exciting and fun.
Throughout, Hobson's deft touch with language at the basic level does make for pleasant reading.
I love the character of Ms. Jeszenka, and her machinations, as well as the revelations about the Russians.
I hope the tidy HEA at the end doesn't mean the end for these characters.
This Book's Food Designation Rating: Going back to the buffet for that second helping of lasagna you loved at first bite and finding out they've replaced it with Hungarian Goulash and noodles...and while the noodles are a bit ordinary, the goulash itself is satisfying and spicy.
mjfmjfmjf's review
3.0
A western steampunk sequel set mostly in New York that I read for the Endeavour Award. I wanted to like this one and wouldn't be surprised by others appreciating it more than I did. But the vaguely Victorian society with its various cliches I just find kind of irritating.
siria's review against another edition
3.0
It's been several years since I read the first book in this series, The Native Star, so the previous adventures of Emily Edwards and Dreadnought Stanton were far from fresh in my mind when I began The Hidden Goddess. Still, this novel almost stood alone and I could pick up the threads again without too much difficulty. M.K. Hobson has a knack for writing page turners, even when as in The Hidden Goddess the pacing is all off and the characters repeatedly fail to talk to one another in a manner that I normally find quite frustrating.
Emily is still a great main character: sympathetic, trying to do the right thing, but sometimes overwhelmed or making poor or selfish choices because she's running on limited information. Her relationship with Dreadnought Stanton was at once realistically drawn (falling in love and getting engaged is not the end point of a relationship) and deeply frustrating (the too-crowded final section of the book brings some revelations about Stanton's past that... well, if I were Emily, I'd have dumped him.)
One of the bigger flaws I remember from the first book is that the Native American characters featured seemed to be there solely to sacrifice themselves for white people. In this book, the big bad is the Aztec goddess Itztlacoliuhqui (who, I discovered when I googled, is actually a god in the Aztec pantheon, and whose gender swap appears to have been in the service of one of the more frustrating reveals at the end of the book), who is all savage blood lust and destructive urges, who is confined to a temple in Mexico that's strewn with dismembered body parts, and who is described as "dumb as a bag of hammers." Everyone who serves this goddess and actually does something to move her plans forward? A white American. Yeesh.
Emily is still a great main character: sympathetic, trying to do the right thing, but sometimes overwhelmed or making poor or selfish choices because she's running on limited information. Her relationship with Dreadnought Stanton was at once realistically drawn (falling in love and getting engaged is not the end point of a relationship) and deeply frustrating (the too-crowded final section of the book brings some revelations about Stanton's past that... well, if I were Emily, I'd have dumped him.)
One of the bigger flaws I remember from the first book is that the Native American characters featured seemed to be there solely to sacrifice themselves for white people. In this book, the big bad is the Aztec goddess Itztlacoliuhqui (who, I discovered when I googled, is actually a god in the Aztec pantheon, and whose gender swap appears to have been in the service of one of the more frustrating reveals at the end of the book), who is all savage blood lust and destructive urges, who is confined to a temple in Mexico that's strewn with dismembered body parts, and who is described as "dumb as a bag of hammers." Everyone who serves this goddess and actually does something to move her plans forward? A white American. Yeesh.
rankkaapina's review against another edition
3.0
Well, I liked this, but not quite as much as the first one. This provided some answers that were left out of the first book, but I really missed Emily & Dreadnought together. That really was the appeal and this book was so much more about Emily. Although, I did like her and even more I like Miss Jesczenka.
appalonia's review
3.0
Emily Edwards and Dreadnought Stanton are preparing both for marriage and the Investment ceremony that will formally make Mr. Stanton the Sophos of the Institute. A quick trip to visit her adopted father in Lost Pine results in Pap's confession that he performed magic on her as a child that removed her memories. He gives her a bottle containing her memories before the age of five, both the good and bad. Throughout the book Emily uncovers not only dark secrets about her fiancée, but also about Emily herself and her parents.
The first half of the novel was a bit disjointed, and I'll admit I missed Dreadnought horribly in this whole book. He hardly appeared, and the banter and relationship between he and Emily was what really made the first book enjoyable. But I have to admit the story flowed fairly well in this book and I really liked how it ended. I understand the author is preparing another in the series that will be set 30 years in the future and feature their children, and I am looking forward to reading the next book. Three and a half stars.
The first half of the novel was a bit disjointed, and I'll admit I missed Dreadnought horribly in this whole book. He hardly appeared, and the banter and relationship between he and Emily was what really made the first book enjoyable. But I have to admit the story flowed fairly well in this book and I really liked how it ended. I understand the author is preparing another in the series that will be set 30 years in the future and feature their children, and I am looking forward to reading the next book. Three and a half stars.
anywiebs's review
2.0
This book disappointed me more from the reading experience than the context. I enjoyed the first in this series mainly due to the fun atmosphere and light romance.
This book recreated this same feeling of joy whenever the two main characters were together. Unfortunately they rarely were.
The story itself was okay, but not captivating enough for me to keep reading, so it took me very long to finish.
This book recreated this same feeling of joy whenever the two main characters were together. Unfortunately they rarely were.
The story itself was okay, but not captivating enough for me to keep reading, so it took me very long to finish.
reginaexmachina's review
4.0
I thought this was an excellent sequel. I kinda had a complaint about how some things seem to resolve a little too quickly in the end and I wanted a little more Dreadnaught, but as a whole it was a really fun read.
krisis86's review
3.0
This one isn't as fun as The Native Star. Stanton and Emily aren't together very often this book, so much of the snark and wit is missing. I liked this book, but not nearly as much as the first one.
mackle13's review
4.0
This book was very frustrating. Or, rather, the people within the book were often frustrating and I was annoyed with them.
So, anyway, picking up pretty much directly where the first book lets off, we find Emily trying to make nice with Stanton's family and learn to pass in society. And, ya know, this part was kind of fun and I was enjoying it - not to mention expecting it, since it's mentioned on the book cover - but it doesn't really last that long until the adventure kicks and the story shifts gears entirely. I was disappointed that there wasn't more silliness with society and fabulous faux-pas, because I enjoy comedies of manners.
But, ah well.
But the really frustrating part is that Stanton wasn't really in the book very much, and I felt like a lot of it was manufactured to heighten the drama - and it does get a bit melodramatic, let me tell you - but it had all that irritated aspect of "things would be so much more easily resolved if people would just talk to each other instead of keeping secrets" thing which is just ever so annoying.
I also got irritated that a lot of the machinations to keep them apart were along the lines of treating Emily as either a) a delicate flower who needed to be protected or b) a distraction to Stanton, who needed to be strong. 'Cause, see, if Emily was distraught then Stanton would be distraught and, considering how credomancy works (which plays a big role in this book), we just can't have that.
But no one ever stops to think that a) Emily has proven herself rather capable, thankyouverymuch and b) the person you love can often be a source of strength in time of hardship!
My lord, but it was vexing.
That said, I couldn't stop reading. It was quite the little page-turner - one I thought about while I was at work, itching to get my fingers back on its pages.
Sometimes, when I'm reading a book I'm not hating but not particularly enjoying, I procrastinate. I find other things to do during my reading time... like browsing the internet, or petting the cats, or picking my nails...
But this was one where I wanted to skip things like lunch with my normal work crew so that I could read instead. And what a delight it is to have a book you long to get back to!
So, anyway, there's much melodrama and far too many attempts on people's live and people acting like children... but there's also intensity and action and excitement and tension.
I did miss Miss Pendennis, who was one of my favorite characters from the first book. She's off on some book tour, and Emily is left with Miss Jeniczek (must check on spelling) who is, herself, a credomancer and teacher at the school, and who acts as Emily's escort and guide in society. (She is one of two people we meet in this book that I found myself wondering where they were in the first book.)
I did come to like her, though, and she was much more relevant to the plot than Miss Pendennis really had been in the first, and it was nice to see another strong female character in the series, even if she did have the dreaded trope. Though
And I liked the ending. The climax was a bit rushed, but the denouement moments were nice. But, then, I am a sucker for HEA.
So, anyway, picking up pretty much directly where the first book lets off, we find Emily trying to make nice with Stanton's family and learn to pass in society. And, ya know, this part was kind of fun and I was enjoying it - not to mention expecting it, since it's mentioned on the book cover - but it doesn't really last that long until the adventure kicks and the story shifts gears entirely. I was disappointed that there wasn't more silliness with society and fabulous faux-pas, because I enjoy comedies of manners.
But, ah well.
But the really frustrating part is that Stanton wasn't really in the book very much, and I felt like a lot of it was manufactured to heighten the drama - and it does get a bit melodramatic, let me tell you - but it had all that irritated aspect of "things would be so much more easily resolved if people would just talk to each other instead of keeping secrets" thing which is just ever so annoying.
I also got irritated that a lot of the machinations to keep them apart were along the lines of treating Emily as either a) a delicate flower who needed to be protected or b) a distraction to Stanton, who needed to be strong. 'Cause, see, if Emily was distraught then Stanton would be distraught and, considering how credomancy works (which plays a big role in this book), we just can't have that.
But no one ever stops to think that a) Emily has proven herself rather capable, thankyouverymuch and b) the person you love can often be a source of strength in time of hardship!
My lord, but it was vexing.
That said, I couldn't stop reading. It was quite the little page-turner - one I thought about while I was at work, itching to get my fingers back on its pages.
Sometimes, when I'm reading a book I'm not hating but not particularly enjoying, I procrastinate. I find other things to do during my reading time... like browsing the internet, or petting the cats, or picking my nails...
But this was one where I wanted to skip things like lunch with my normal work crew so that I could read instead. And what a delight it is to have a book you long to get back to!
So, anyway, there's much melodrama and far too many attempts on people's live and people acting like children... but there's also intensity and action and excitement and tension.
I did miss Miss Pendennis, who was one of my favorite characters from the first book. She's off on some book tour, and Emily is left with Miss Jeniczek (must check on spelling) who is, herself, a credomancer and teacher at the school, and who acts as Emily's escort and guide in society. (She is one of two people we meet in this book that I found myself wondering where they were in the first book.)
I did come to like her, though, and she was much more relevant to the plot than Miss Pendennis really had been in the first, and it was nice to see another strong female character in the series, even if she did have the dreaded
Spoiler
rape as backstorySpoiler
I liked how it was handled here more than elsewhere - she, mostly, learned to overcome it but it also gave her motivations for some things that happened in the book. It was relevant, at least, to the plotline, which it often isn't.And I liked the ending. The climax was a bit rushed, but the denouement moments were nice. But, then, I am a sucker for HEA.