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A review by angieleigh
Necklace Without A Trace by Lucy Penrose
adventurous
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Disclaimer: Even though I had requested/received a review copy of Necklace Without A Trace through BookSirens, I enjoyed the book so much that I ended up purchasing a copy via Amazon afterwards.
When I saw the cover of this book I was intrigued. I have read less than a handful of Steampunk books & really liked them; Necklace Without a Trace adds another reason why I should read more of the genre!
There really isn't a character I didn't like - except maybe the hotel receptionist who thinks it's a good idea to go around waking up guests at 6am to ask when she can expect rent money...even though Sierra was paid up for another week! Or the annoying little pixie who tried to pull her hair out of her head.
As Sierra makes her way through the throng of magical creatures, and humans like herself, on the crowded streets of Deva City, we learn a lot about her quickly. Joining the esteemed Guild as the very first female agent is her dream. It took her three weeks, and almost all of her meager life savings, before she was finally given her probationary case: To find a missing necklace when there are absolutely no clues left behind and three people who had been in the room around the time it went missing.
This case? This isn't like any probationary case that a man would get. They get kittens tucked up into trees that need rescuing, not historical and very expensive jewels that disappear without a trace, such as the Burgeon Necklace.
Yes, there is a feminist theme lightly weaved in, but Penrose does a fantastic job with it. I mean, Sierra's the first woman to even be considered and that's after three weeks of badgering the Guild receptionist (Charlene, who doesn't seem to realize she's dead)! When the Guild realizes that she was mistakenly given a case much too senior for someone so very green, they quickly rectify that and I was glad to see it handled so very gracefully by the Guild Director.
Because that meant she got to work with Logan, the Museum's security guard, more. I really like him and how he was able to help Sierra, letting her lead the investigation and stepping in only when it was absolutely necessary. I absolutely think those two work well together as friends, business associates, or even as a potential couple down the road. He may be a shapeshifter, with quite the temper, but she is the key to helping him to reign it all in and learn control.
Rosie is the best friend that everyone deserves. I absolutely adore her and hope that she makes appearances in future installments in this series. Sprocket, the kitten, and Iggy, the lizard, were absolutely adorable and even the gnomes captured my heart! And I'd love to see Conor and Bethany again.
I was able to figure out who the thief was very early on, but the reason why they stole the necklace was not what I had had in mind, so that was a surprise. The ending sets up the sequel nicely and I can't wait to see what's in store for Sierra (and company?) next.
The only "con" is that the book could do with some more proofreading and another round or two of editing, otherwise, I really enjoyed this quick & easy read (I was finished within an hour of starting it!).
When I saw the cover of this book I was intrigued. I have read less than a handful of Steampunk books & really liked them; Necklace Without a Trace adds another reason why I should read more of the genre!
There really isn't a character I didn't like - except maybe the hotel receptionist who thinks it's a good idea to go around waking up guests at 6am to ask when she can expect rent money...even though Sierra was paid up for another week! Or the annoying little pixie who tried to pull her hair out of her head.
As Sierra makes her way through the throng of magical creatures, and humans like herself, on the crowded streets of Deva City, we learn a lot about her quickly. Joining the esteemed Guild as the very first female agent is her dream. It took her three weeks, and almost all of her meager life savings, before she was finally given her probationary case: To find a missing necklace when there are absolutely no clues left behind and three people who had been in the room around the time it went missing.
This case? This isn't like any probationary case that a man would get. They get kittens tucked up into trees that need rescuing, not historical and very expensive jewels that disappear without a trace, such as the Burgeon Necklace.
Yes, there is a feminist theme lightly weaved in, but Penrose does a fantastic job with it. I mean, Sierra's the first woman to even be considered and that's after three weeks of badgering the Guild receptionist (Charlene, who doesn't seem to realize she's dead)! When the Guild realizes that she was mistakenly given a case much too senior for someone so very green, they quickly rectify that and I was glad to see it handled so very gracefully by the Guild Director.
Because that meant she got to work with Logan, the Museum's security guard, more. I really like him and how he was able to help Sierra, letting her lead the investigation and stepping in only when it was absolutely necessary. I absolutely think those two work well together as friends, business associates, or even as a potential couple down the road. He may be a shapeshifter, with quite the temper, but she is the key to helping him to reign it all in and learn control.
Rosie is the best friend that everyone deserves. I absolutely adore her and hope that she makes appearances in future installments in this series. Sprocket, the kitten, and Iggy, the lizard, were absolutely adorable and even the gnomes captured my heart! And I'd love to see Conor and Bethany again.
I was able to figure out who the thief was very early on, but the reason why they stole the necklace was not what I had had in mind, so that was a surprise. The ending sets up the sequel nicely and I can't wait to see what's in store for Sierra (and company?) next.
The only "con" is that the book could do with some more proofreading and another round or two of editing, otherwise, I really enjoyed this quick & easy read (I was finished within an hour of starting it!).