The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross Review

"In 1897 London, something not quite human is about to awaken 

When mechanical genius Emily is kidnapped by rogue automatons, Finley Jayne and her fellow misfits fear the worst. What's left of their archenemy, The Machinist, hungers to be resurrected, and Emily must transplant his consciousness into one of his automatons—or forfeit her friends' lives. 

With Griffin being mysteriously tormented by the Aether, the young duke's sanity is close to the breaking point. Seeking help, Finley turns to Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. When Jack kisses her, Finley must finally confront her true feelings for him...and for Griffin. 

Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily, from Whitechapel's desolate alleyways to Mayfair's elegant mansions. He would walk into hell for her, but the choice she must make will test them more than they could imagine. 

To save those she cares about, Emily must confront The Machinist's ultimate creation—an automaton more human than machine. And if she's to have any chance at triumphing, she must summon a strength even she doesn't know she has...."

Okay, I open the book and read because I'm desperately hoping that this is indeed the last and final. Then I read this:

"A giant tentacle slapped the front of the submersible, driving the small craft backward in the water."

That's the first sentence and already I'm confused. What the heck is a submersible! And then I realize submersible must be a submarine. Seriously these words need side notes and footnotes before I get something wrong. Anyway, that's one of the many complaints I have against this book.

Unfortunately this isn't the last and final. The Machinist is still alive, errr... dead, and well. He's even more powerful in death, than in life. (Can he please die? Maybe in the next book. Or not.) Overall, The Girl with the Iron Touch isn't doing much more than pushing Sam's and Emily's 'I have a crush on you/I also have a crush on you' relationship forward, also pushing Finley's and Griffin's 'caring' relationship forward, making the conflict worse, introducing a brand new character, finding Jack Dandy a new love interest, healing the breach between Sam and Finley, and giving closure to Mei's death to some of our beloved characters.

In short, The Girl with the Iron Touch is the book that ties everything together for the final showdown. The final battle between Finley, Griffin, Sam, Emily, Jack, and Mila versus The Machinist. I'm interested in how will Kady Cross pull off the inner problems (within the gang) in the next book. Everything is coming together so well that I'm suspicious of treachery. How will the gang (I'll call Finley, Griffin, etc. the gang because 'gang' is so much easier) ever defeat The Machinist?

After reading the last few words of the ending, it seems that the highly anticipated fall of The Machinist will be arriving in the next book. If only...if only... Always some kind of diversion or disaster that always happens in the middle/beginning of the next book. Anyway, the ending is a nice clean ending for The Girl with the Iron Touch. No cliffhangers (or at least major ones), but I'm sure we'll be as excited as we are for The House of Hades. (Love Percy and Annabeth. If a tragedy hits, I hope it turns out to be something like Romeo and Juliet. Better to stick together in the Underworld forever. Even if it is filled with millions of terrible monsters.)

The chemistry between Finley and Griffin outshines the 'crush' of Sam and Emily. Everytime I read something HOT, I always need a fan. (A mental one.) There's three scenes I particularly love in The Girl with the Iron Touch. Of course, I like the chemistry between them in the end. Then there's the 'Jack Dandy interrupted these two' scene and the "You stink" scene. Gosh, don't blame me for going crazy in these deep, human moments. (Hot, too.)

Characters:

Finley, as usual, is amazing. I love the moments of when she gets jealous over Jack Dandy. Ooo! Those moments are like awesome because Finley's all pretending that she doesn't care about Jack Dandy when we all know that she does. (Griffin is the other love interest.) The Girl with the Iron Touch basically bonds her closer to the gang, along with Mila (although I'm suspicious that Finley is suspicious of her. I don't think Finley trust people that quickly.) 

Someone turn on the AC! Check my pulse! We have a hottie here! Griffin is an handsome and dreamy character in the Girl with the Iron Touch. (Other than Jack Dandy, of course. But Griffin is more appealing than Dandy. Sorry, Dandy Boy.) I hate how Griffin shuts everything out whenever he's too lost and tired. He throws the rules away in The Girl with the Iron Touch.

Rating: Five out of Five

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross Review

"In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one...except the "thing" inside her.When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no "normal" Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch....

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of "them." The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help--and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on--even if it seems no one believes her."

The Girl in the Steel Corset is a wonderful book, in summary.  

The plot is quite interesting, with nothing more to be said. The ending isn't too amazing or too surprising. She fights, she wins. The usual stuff in a 'Happy Ever After' book. No major cliffhanger or anything! However, the dialects are wonderful! I love how Kady Cross brings you back in time to experience the eighteen hundreds. You figuratively 'time travel' back to the past.

Finley, the main character. Naturally suspicious of everything, she's no match for the dashing, manipulative Griffin King, who can manipulate minds and feelings. (King manipulates Finley to trust him). Finley is caught up with a plot. Queen Victoria is going to be replaced by an automaton, Queen Victoria look-like. The mastermind behind the plot is watching every move Finley makes. How will she ever save Queen Victoria and her new friends, even if they don't trust her?

Griffin King, an orphaned duke, is handsome and quite attracted to Finley Jayne. He's busy trying to solve his internal battles and later external. With dreamy looks and his parent's death haunting his mind, he's the Batman of the eighteen hundreds. With the gadgets. Alas, no cape, no fancy suit, no mask, no secret identity. And the Machinist, the evil and nutty mastermind and the Joker of the age, is watching his every move. 

Jack Dandy, the bad boy of the block. He's the one who grandmothers and mothers tell you to stay far, far, far away from. With a charming personality and ladies man suave, Jack Dandy will have all the female readers swooning with delight. And the Machinist is watching his every move. (Gasp!)

The villain, Machinist, is clever. He is a true Joker and madman of the Victorian Era. He's a clever man who doesn't play by the rules. He's hidden and hidden well. He's mysterious. He's the Machinist.

Rating: Four out of five