The secret lies with the Heart. Born with a magical knack for manipulating emotions, Leodora’s only dream is to ensure her talented little sister dances on the biggest, brightest stage in the Republic: The Curiosity, a grand old theater of tradition and innovation. After escaping a cruel carnival, Leo secures her sister a place in the Curiosity’s chorus line, and herself a job as a professional … professional audience member, swaying the crowd’s mood with her magic. The girls have a home for the first time in their lives.
Then a tragic accident darkens the theater. A greedy businessman begins blackmailing Leo, and financial woes threaten to close the show forever. The Curiosity’s sole hope lies in a mythical power source hidden beneath the maze-like passages and trapdoors of the theater—the Heart. And Leo’s only friend Paxton, nephew of the theater’s stagemistress, is the key to finding it.
While Leo and Paxton hunt for the Heart, the blackmailer’s threats loom larger. Mysterious figures, cryptic clues, and deadly traps hinder the search at every turn. If the friends cannot recover the Heart in time, Leo and her sister will be cast out of the only home they’ve ever known, and the final curtain will fall on The Curiosity.
Enter a world reminiscent of The Greatest Showman, with a puzzle worthy of Sherlock Holmes and National Treasure, in this new Steampunk Fantasy from H. L. Burke.
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Heart of the Curiosity is a steampunk fantasy in which two sisters, Leo and Muse, run from a carnival show to a respected theater–The Curiosity.
The Curiosity is aptly named due to the incredible shows, incredible animatronics, and an inexhaustible power supply that has brought unwanted attention from those who care nothing for theatrics.
All this is set in a world in which everyone has a knack–a special ability. Leo is capable of toying with people’s emotions. Muse can levitate–a handy ability which pairs well with her dancing.
Muse is hired at the Curiosity as a dancer, but only because the owner wants Leo’s ability to manipulate potential customers to improve ticket sales. As much as Leo hates having her knack exploited for such endeavors, she’ll do anything for her sister.
During their time at the Curiosity, the owners have become family to Leo and Muse. At least, the son, Paxton, and his grandfather have become family. But when the grandfather is killed in a freak accident, they suspect he was murdered by those with an interest in the infinite power source. A battle ensues to keep the Curiosity. Leo, Paxton, and Muse find themselves in a race to find the power source to save their family’s legacy.
What a fun, clean, thoroughly enjoyable story! The characters come alive in this believable world full of people with unusual abilities, interesting technology, and yummy pastries. Intrigue awaits with every flip of the page. If this sounds like your kind of story, you won’t be disappointed. Join Leo, Muse, and Paxton in their life-threatening race to solve the puzzle that is the Heart of the Curiosity.
Heart of the Curiosity is a gaslamp fantasy novel by H.L. Burke. It’s aimed at young adult readers, and features gadgets, intrigue, witty dialogue, and a sprinkling of romance.
One of my favorite reads of 2019, Heart of the Curiosity shines with mystery, humor, and a unique blend of whimsy. I laughed out loud at the inventive name-calling and snarky exchanges. And they were well-timed too, diffusing the heavier moments to keep the story moving along.
The mystery was easy to follow as the story unfolded and featured a few twists seamlessly interwoven into the plot. Having the family’s history as a key element to solving the puzzle added to the intrigue and enriched the feel of the characters.
And who could forget the wonderfully unexpected debut of the snail circus!
This story has the energy of a cult-classic movie with its interesting characters, engaging dialogue, and quirky story elements. Fans of H.L. Burke, gaslamp fantasy, and readers looking to try something new should check out Heart of the Curiosity.
Steampunk and performers seem to go hand-in-hand, especially circuses. The main focus of this book is a ballet theater, which makes good use of steampunk technology, but there’s also a tiny snail circus which sounds like lots of fun!
This story is enjoyable and imaginative. The setting is rich with details about the theater, the steampunk city, and the ways that everyone’s little magical Knacks interact with each other. The mystery about the Heart is interesting with a few twists, but the real draw for me was the interaction between the characters. Leo and Paxton have a great friendship, and some of the side characters like Coriander and Clarion are so charming. I wish we’d had more time for the theater “family.”
I loved the little “Easter egg” mention of San Azula, which implies that the book takes place in the same world as Nyssa Glass. Paxton and Ellis should swap notes sometime.
Three trigger warnings for this book: it contains spiders (which are friendly but described as large and fuzzy), death (not explicit, but on-screen), and also mentions of sexual assault (off-screen and not explicit, but enough to make me take a break). Most of the story is light-hearted and fun but the main character is haunted by her past trauma.
More about the trauma, it’s not really a spoiler because it’s mentioned from the first scene. Leo is on the run from a circus manager who abused her. Because of this, she’s very jumpy, doesn’t trust men, and is extremely protective of her younger sister. All too often, abuse is a heavy-handed and cheap plot device for a female character. The author writes about Leo’s emotions carefully and delicately, with a lot of realism. It’s not used just for shock value. It’s done well, but it’s because of the realism that it may be hard to read. I also appreciated that she didn’t just “get over” her PTSD magically, it’s obviously going to be something she continues to work on.
Favorite meal: all the pastries sounded so delicious. The baker has the magical ability to add any flavor into her creations, and she’s always experimenting with new things. I really want to try the lemon and sunshine scones with whipped butter. My mouth was watering in every scene where the characters were eating, which was frequently.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys steampunk, circuses/theaters, and girls who overcome trauma. Also fans of Neil Gaiman, Tamora Pierce, and Gail Carriger.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a Steampunk Fantasy for Young Adults, but adults will enjoy it too! There’s mystery, danger, and suspense. It’s witty with a bit of romance and some bantering. It also has some deeper themes.
The story follows the life of big sister Leo. She and her sister Muse live and work at The Curiosity, a grand old theater. There’s even a snail circus!
Everyone is born with a magical knack. Some knacks are quirkier than others. Leo has the rare ability to manipulate emotions and her sister, who is a dancer on stage, can levitate. But tragedy strikes at the theater and the sisters’ futures are no longer certain. There’s sabotage, blackmail, and a mystery that needs solving. Where is the mythical heart? Can Leo and Paxton, the heir to The Curiosity, find it in time to save the show?
I received an ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Love the knacks! I think this Burke gal has a knack for telling fun stories.
It took me awhile to invest in this story. Something about Leo kept me at arm’s length. I’m still not sure what it was. In fact, part of me wondered if I might enjoy the story more in first-person so I could really understand her.
My biggest gripe was that Leo turned around and “got it” too quickly. For a YA book, that’s okay, but it bugs me as an adult reader. I want the change to be more authentic. I want the character to have to work for it and through it.
Still, this is a great story with compelling characters whose motivations are one-hundred percent on the mark and relatable. I’m not a huge steampunk fan, and this story will totally appeal to those of you who are.
I received an advance copy from the publisher and have chosen to leave a review.
I received an ARC from the publisher. This review is my own independent and fair evaluation.
This book saved me from a reading slump. I was just having difficulty getting into books lately but this was just such a fun read. I loved the world building and the characters were fun to hang out with.
My biggest critique (if you can call it that) is that the main characters reminded me very much of the main characters from another book by H.L. Burke, Spice Bringer. In a lot of ways, Paxton seemed like a Jayesh with a metal arm. Can’t complain too much though, both Paxton and Jayesh are super sweet.
I’m also sure I’m not the only one who would like to visit Mademoiselle Kimber’s bakery. Can we make that a real life place somehow please?
I’d highly recommend this book. It was fun and heartwarming and made me cry happy tears at the end.