The Girl with the Windup Heart

When my wife's friend recommended this series to us, I didn't even notice it was published by Harlequin Teen until I was well into the first (and best) of the series. By contrast, I don't think there was a page in this one that didn't scream Harlequin, Teen, or both. Still, I'd enjoyed this X-Men in Steampunk Victorian England series up til now, so I persevered. But I'd read about half of the novel before I really “got into” the story.

There were basically two storylines in this novel – the B story (oddly, the one the book is titled for) is all about the highly advanced automaton that Jack discovered in the previous novel becoming a “real life girl” – just like her favorite, Pinocchio. There were some interesting moments in this story – and if it had been given more time to breathe – maybe taking place over a few weeks, rather than a couple of days – I'd have bought it and been invested in it.

The A story was even more rushed. Further proof that you can't keep a bad man down, The Machinist is back – again. This time, a full-fledged resident of the Aether, he kidnaps Griffin and begins to exact his revenge. Finley goes off to rescue him – with a little technical support from her friends. This is one of the bigger problems with this installment – the series is strongest when it's dealing with all the interpersonal relationships – not just the romantic ties – seeing the characters interact with each other. There was so little of that this time, it felt like a different series. Sam didn't get to be too Sam-ish. Both he and Emily mostly worked behind the scenes – ditto for Jasper and Wildcat (when they weren't off helping Jack in the B story). Emily and Finley got 1 or 2 good scenes together, but that's about it.

Anyway, Finley goes off to save Griffin and runs into a couple of blasts from the past. One of which was simply an unnecessary plot complication – and was dispatched as such. The other was probably the best part of this book. Probably its saving grace.

Initially, I was disappointed to read that this was the conclusion to the Steampunk Chronicles. But by the end, I think it's time – and clearly Cross did, too. There's no getting around the idea that she was wrapping things up (and rushed a few things to get to that point). Still, readers that have been with Griffin's little crew up to this point will appreciate seeing how things end. The book may have been not terribly impressive, but the series as a whole was still a fun Steampunk-ish tale. Because of the aforementioned saving grace and the series as a whole, I'll give this 3-stars. It should probably get 2 - 2.5.

This is actually the third series that I've finished recently that was a major letdown. (At least it wasn't as bad as the other two, but it's still a disappointment.)

The plot seems very threadbare and, really, comes off more as a vehicle to neatly wrap everything up than an actual plot. There's actually two unconnected ‘plots' in this story.

The first is the romance between Mila and Jack. I actually found it more...annoying than I wanted to because these are two of my favorites from the series. I've liked Jack since way back when he was first introduced in The Girl in the Steel Corset and had been so looking forward to finally getting his story. I would have been happier without because he's turned into a typical TA ‘bad boy'. Mila has a story arc that I always like the idea of and this is no exception. It could have been interesting, but it wasn't. Really, their romantic trials would have been over in ten pages if they'd just communicated with each other - after all, it's not like they were doing anything else. Say, anything plot relevant.

In the other story we have their old nemesis Garibaldi showing back up and, dastardly enough, kidnapping Griffin.

...

Oh, and Finley's attempts at rescuing him.

...

For over two hundred pages of this four hundred page book, Fin is attempting solo mission after solo mission to save her boyfriend. Yes, there's a reason for it, but it just highlights how much this series that used to be about a ragtag bunch of misfits - they only family they have - saving each other (and the day) becoming a one woman mission.

It's frustrating because I know this series can make the people work together. Like they did last book.

However, I shouldn't compare anything in The Girl with the Windup Heart to anything in The Girl with the Iron Touch, because this book fails on many, many levels.

Besides all this, we have little to no action in this book. Basically, the plot has handily tied Fin's hands, which is a shame, considering that when we first meet her she is kicking a lecher. The action seemed to only exist in the realm of ‘let's tie up all plotlines with a pretty bow.' And I do mean all plotlines. Some that I didn't even know needed to be tied up got the ribbon treatment.

The characters were...difficult in this book. I've never kept it a secret that Griffin and Finley were not my favorites in the series, and, curiously enough, besides the Mila/Jack story, this book focuses almost exclusively on them.

However, I can't shake the feeling that even they got worse in this book. Finley spends much of the book...well, to use her own word, pissy. She's looking for a fight the entire time and arguing with anyone that she can find. (Even before Griff was kidnapped, she was acting that way.) What's really heartbreaking though, is how the only person that argues with her, is Emily. Her closest ‘friend.' I used to love the unlikely friendship these two girls formed, but in this book it was constant sniping at each other.

Without a doubt, in this series, one of my favorite things (that and the ‘superpowers' the characters have) was the group dynamics. Well, in this book the group is seldom together and there's no playing to their strengths. Also, the abilities that these people have, seem to be not quite as unique as we originally thought.

All in all, a lackluster finale to an awesome series.

Seriously, if you like this series, just imagine the ending. (You'd be better off.)

(Originally posted on my blog: http://pagesofstarlight.blogspot.com/)