When Eilian Sorrell, a promising archaeologist and the eldest son of the Earl of Dorset, loses his arm in a dirigible crash, he fears he will face a bleak future among London’s aristocracy. On a quest for normalcy, Lord Sorrell commissions a prosthetic arm but finds the craftsman is not what he seems.
After the death of her brother, Hadley Fenice takes over his prosthesis business but knows it … knows it will be an uphill battle as women are discouraged from doing man’s work. In return for building Lord Sorrell an automaton arm, he offers her a chance at freedom by following him to the Negev Desert under the guise of a man.
But what lies beneath the desert is more precious than potshards or bones. As they venture deeper, they discover a society where the path of life is not governed by gain but by passion. When imperialistic invaders come in search of a new colony to pillage, Eilian and Hadley are forced to defend their fleeting glimpse of paradise.
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Plot elements are not belevable.
Great story of the times- good read.
Boring!
I got about half-way through and I began to be concerned as to where the story line might go…I’ve set it aside for a later date.
I enjoy’d the book about halfway through then it got weird
Did not want to put down. Good read
started out interesting but got hard to believe and then the story direction became depressing and predictable. Didn’t finish.
The author show great imagination and tells a good story. Some of the medical description of attaching a prosthetic limb were pretty far fetched to my mind but I’m not a medical expert. I think there was a lot of pushing the author’s liberal social values in the story that took away from the adventure. I do like to read books for entertainment – not to be politically influenced. Still, I found most of the story exciting and the characters interesting.
Unusual topic, interesting story multpile plot lines. Likable characters a really fun read.
Loved it!
I didn’t actually finish this book but I recommend it it you like this kind of thing. I don’t usually like the steampunk stuff but when I read the blurb I thought it was going to be different. The plot didn’t go where I wanted it to so I stopped reading it, not because it was a bad book.
I loved the characterizations and the plot!
Could have been so much better if ideas and characters developed more.
I found this book to be a little too fantasy. While I do know artificial limbs were in use during that time period they were very primitive and it left just a little too much to believe. The underground city was also pure fantasy and tends to lead the reader into a world that will not happen ever. We humans are just a little too willful. The fact that the couple did want to protect them added a good twist to the book. If you enjoy fantasy and stretching of facts this book would be for you, otherwise it should be labeled as science fiction not romance. I am not faulting the writing however, it is well done and keeps your interest.
It’s set in what I guess is like a steampunk world? Like its set in the 1800s, I believe, but there are steam-powered carriages instead of horse-powered carriages. I didnt know that going into reading it, and it’s just not my thing. Great for someone who is interested in that!
It is also a little slow paced.
I adored both main characters who disdained the snobbish “high society” they had to deal with. I loved that they were both very intelligent scientific minded people.
Good, but it dragged out in the middle,
I liked that it was different, and I didn’t mind mechanical angle it was a nice set up, but when it got more science fiction than romance it lost appeal for me. I didn’t understand why the author went to all the trouble to set the scene for artificial limbs in their infancy then to go completely otherworldly somewhere else. If it was left with blimps and mechanical arms I would have been okay with it and enjoyed it, but the detour to the supernatural lost my attention.
Couldn’t finish it.
Love this book