Book Review: The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross

Book reviews

9 July

Book Review: The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady CrossebookReview copy provided by publisher/ netgalleyHarlequin Teen, June 2013Synopsis- In 1897 London, sometihng 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 of triumph, she must summon a strength even she doesn't know she has....Review- The Girl with the Iron Touch is the third instalment of the Steampunk Chronicles set in London, 1897.Griffin has confined himself to his room, Emily discloses her true feelings for Sam and Finley is still coming to terms with the amalgamation of her ‘two’ sides. They all know Griffin is hiding something, that there’s something haunting him but he refuses to share his worries with his friends. Finley, frustrated by the sudden change in Griffin’s behaviour just when their relationship had begun, takes charge and tries to pull Griffin out of this depression. Things start to heat up between the young couple, but when Emily is kidnapped they must put their attraction and worries aside to help Sam find their friend. Jack Dandy makes another appearance, this time a little tamer and cooperative as he shares his discovery of a young woman on a dock who is part machine part human. Turns out The Machinist didn’t die and this girl is his creation and he has big plans for her… and Emily.The Girl with the Iron Touch doesn’t disappoint. As a fan of this series I’m encouraged by level of consistency in each of these books and how they continue to engage me and come up with something new. I love the steampunk era, the role of the automatons and the unique powers each of the friends possess. What I particularly enjoyed about The Girl with the Iron Touch is that Emily’s viewpoint plays a bigger role and we get to know her better, her history of abuse and her current struggles as she tries to escape her kidnapper. In the meantime she develops an unusual connection to the young automaton girl. The relationship between Griffin and Finley deepens and it’s nice to see them finally overcome some of their insecurities about their status.The technology in these stories is really quite interesting and I find myself just as interested in the plot line as I am in the characters. The ending alludes to the possibility of more books in the series, so I hope the author keeps up the momentum of these engaging chronicles. The Girl with the Iron Touch promises more action, interesting mechanical creations and a greater depth in the characters. Well worth reading!