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kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
Second in The Iron Seas steampunk paranormal-romance series about the adventures of a group of rebels fighting against the Horde. The couple focus here is on Yasmeen and Archimedes Fox.
Wolf is desperate to put together a hefty amount of money to pay off a Horde ruler for the barge of weapons he sank. No payment, no continued life. His other aim in life is to seduce Yasmeen.
Well, I am curious as to how all these letters manage to find the other sibling if Archimedes is always on the move… Of course, I love the descriptions of the gadgets and machines, the culture and the trickery almost as much as the crazy adventures---think Indiana Jones but substitute zombies for those snakes!
One of the differences in this series is Brook's cocky adventurers with their casual acceptance of the heroes trying to kill each other off or simply attempting to fool each other. It takes a specific ability to separate an attack that's just business from simple friendship and not harbor resentments. Just as it takes a strong man to hold off from sex simply to enjoy the emotion of denial and desire. Too funny.
When Archimedes points out that she could reach Rabat faster if she sailed with Mad Machen, Yasmeen responds:
One of the negatives is that Brook skims along without encouraging us to identify with her characters too deeply. There is tension but not much in the way of emotion especially in Archimedes' seduction of Yasmeen; it's mostly just words that tell us they are falling in love. I just didn't feel it.
Brook does provide fodder for future installments with new cities and outposts with their abandoned treasures.
A pure joy to read.
After tipping Archimedes into a zombie-lined canal in Venice, Yasmeen sails off to Denmark to see his sister Zenobia to explain that she's stolen Archimedes' sketch for herself. It's after her trip to "chat" with Kessler, that she runs into Archimedes again and he "forces" her to hand it back.
Only, nothing falls out as either of them expects when Yasmeen's beloved Lady and crew goes up in smoke and Archimedes is mugged when he races out to help. Yasmeen is determined to find those who murdered her crew and stole her fake sketch while Archimedes must retrieve the original.
It all leads to greater adventures and the opportunity for romance as they partner up to dance around zombies, assassins, and their pasts when Archimedes is hired by Hassan for the experience Archimedes can bring to their expedition. Unfortunately, between Kareem's prejudice against unmarried ladies without the protection of their fathers and brothers and Captain Guilleot's hatred of women in general, Archimedes and Yasmeen must pretend to be married.
So join us for a trip around Europe and into Africa as we search for more treasure including Da Vinci's clockwork army.
Archimedes Fox, a.k.a., Wolfram Gunther-Baptiste, needs the money from that Da Vinci sketch to get Temür Agha off his back. And have the time to court Yasmeen as he desires. He has a passion for adventure---the scarier the better---and a penchant for brightly colored waistcoats.
Zenobia Fox is the sister who writes all the adventure tales about him. She's just gained permission from Yasmeen to create a new adventure series about her although she has promised to make enough changes to protect her. Zenobia figures people will think this new heroine is based on Mina Wentworth.
Yasmeen, a.k.a., Captain Corsair, sails an airship with a mixed crew. She's determined to keep her independence. And that doesn't include having a man in her life. They're always trying to prove something! Her crew (and friends) includes Mr. & Ms. Pegg; Rousseau, the quartermaster; Ginger; Sarah; Thema; and, Bebé Laverne.
Temür Agha is the governor of Rabat. Nasrin is the ban tsetseg, the steel flower who loves Temür, part of an elite guard serving Horde royalty and favored governors. Hassan is his counselor conspiring with Kareem al-Amazigh to rebel against Temür. Hassan has hired Vincent Ollivier (an assassin who mostly uses poisons) for his maps and diaries; Marsouins, mercenaries skilled in aerial and underwater combat to protect them; and, now he wants Archimedes for his experience.
Guillouet is the captain of the Ceres and has an extreme bias against women on his airship. His crew includes the Vashon brothers, Peter and Paul; Engel, the bitter navigator; Henri who lost his virginity on a table back in Port Fallow; Leroy; Cassel; and, Simon.
Peter "Miracle" Mattson is a weapons smuggler but, for some reason, any partners he has mysteriously die at the conclusion of a deal. Franz Kessler is an art dealer with a big mouth in Port Fallow. Mad Machen sails a pirate ship, the Vesuvius and is a friend of Yasmeen's. Obadiah Barker is his quartermaster; Jannsen is the ship's surgeon. Occasionally, they team up with Yasmeen's Lady Corsair providing air support on the voyage.
A few references to the Iron Duke (see Iron Duke) and the Blacksmith. Ivy Blacksmith is hired to go down in her submersible to retrieve Yasmeen's strongbox; Eben plans to borrow Big Thom's dive suit to ensure her safety. Nergüi is a Horde as well as a very clever inventor (I suspect we'll be revisiting him and his grandmother Terbish in a future installment).
The cover is a foreground of gears, bolts, nuts, washers in a distressed gray with blots of blue and a smoothed round opening focusing the eye on Archimedes stripped to the waist wearing a strap across his bare chest, riveted leather gauntlets, a sword at the ready, and an intent look on his gorgeous face as he stares out at us. In the background is an airship carrying a platform.
The title is all Yasmeen with her Heart of Steel protecting her.
My Take
Wolf is desperate to put together a hefty amount of money to pay off a Horde ruler for the barge of weapons he sank. No payment, no continued life. His other aim in life is to seduce Yasmeen.
Well, I am curious as to how all these letters manage to find the other sibling if Archimedes is always on the move… Of course, I love the descriptions of the gadgets and machines, the culture and the trickery almost as much as the crazy adventures---think Indiana Jones but substitute zombies for those snakes!
One of the differences in this series is Brook's cocky adventurers with their casual acceptance of the heroes trying to kill each other off or simply attempting to fool each other. It takes a specific ability to separate an attack that's just business from simple friendship and not harbor resentments. Just as it takes a strong man to hold off from sex simply to enjoy the emotion of denial and desire. Too funny.
When Archimedes points out that she could reach Rabat faster if she sailed with Mad Machen, Yasmeen responds:
'It serves my interests not to have my friends killed while helping me. A husband, however...it will be quicker than divorce.'
One of the negatives is that Brook skims along without encouraging us to identify with her characters too deeply. There is tension but not much in the way of emotion especially in Archimedes' seduction of Yasmeen; it's mostly just words that tell us they are falling in love. I just didn't feel it.
Brook does provide fodder for future installments with new cities and outposts with their abandoned treasures.
A pure joy to read.
The Story
After tipping Archimedes into a zombie-lined canal in Venice, Yasmeen sails off to Denmark to see his sister Zenobia to explain that she's stolen Archimedes' sketch for herself. It's after her trip to "chat" with Kessler, that she runs into Archimedes again and he "forces" her to hand it back.
Only, nothing falls out as either of them expects when Yasmeen's beloved Lady and crew goes up in smoke and Archimedes is mugged when he races out to help. Yasmeen is determined to find those who murdered her crew and stole her fake sketch while Archimedes must retrieve the original.
It all leads to greater adventures and the opportunity for romance as they partner up to dance around zombies, assassins, and their pasts when Archimedes is hired by Hassan for the experience Archimedes can bring to their expedition. Unfortunately, between Kareem's prejudice against unmarried ladies without the protection of their fathers and brothers and Captain Guilleot's hatred of women in general, Archimedes and Yasmeen must pretend to be married.
So join us for a trip around Europe and into Africa as we search for more treasure including Da Vinci's clockwork army.
The Characters
Archimedes Fox, a.k.a., Wolfram Gunther-Baptiste, needs the money from that Da Vinci sketch to get Temür Agha off his back. And have the time to court Yasmeen as he desires. He has a passion for adventure---the scarier the better---and a penchant for brightly colored waistcoats.
Zenobia Fox is the sister who writes all the adventure tales about him. She's just gained permission from Yasmeen to create a new adventure series about her although she has promised to make enough changes to protect her. Zenobia figures people will think this new heroine is based on Mina Wentworth.
Yasmeen, a.k.a., Captain Corsair, sails an airship with a mixed crew. She's determined to keep her independence. And that doesn't include having a man in her life. They're always trying to prove something! Her crew (and friends) includes Mr. & Ms. Pegg; Rousseau, the quartermaster; Ginger; Sarah; Thema; and, Bebé Laverne.
Temür Agha is the governor of Rabat. Nasrin is the ban tsetseg, the steel flower who loves Temür, part of an elite guard serving Horde royalty and favored governors. Hassan is his counselor conspiring with Kareem al-Amazigh to rebel against Temür. Hassan has hired Vincent Ollivier (an assassin who mostly uses poisons) for his maps and diaries; Marsouins, mercenaries skilled in aerial and underwater combat to protect them; and, now he wants Archimedes for his experience.
Guillouet is the captain of the Ceres and has an extreme bias against women on his airship. His crew includes the Vashon brothers, Peter and Paul; Engel, the bitter navigator; Henri who lost his virginity on a table back in Port Fallow; Leroy; Cassel; and, Simon.
Peter "Miracle" Mattson is a weapons smuggler but, for some reason, any partners he has mysteriously die at the conclusion of a deal. Franz Kessler is an art dealer with a big mouth in Port Fallow. Mad Machen sails a pirate ship, the Vesuvius and is a friend of Yasmeen's. Obadiah Barker is his quartermaster; Jannsen is the ship's surgeon. Occasionally, they team up with Yasmeen's Lady Corsair providing air support on the voyage.
A few references to the Iron Duke (see Iron Duke) and the Blacksmith. Ivy Blacksmith is hired to go down in her submersible to retrieve Yasmeen's strongbox; Eben plans to borrow Big Thom's dive suit to ensure her safety. Nergüi is a Horde as well as a very clever inventor (I suspect we'll be revisiting him and his grandmother Terbish in a future installment).
The Cover
The cover is a foreground of gears, bolts, nuts, washers in a distressed gray with blots of blue and a smoothed round opening focusing the eye on Archimedes stripped to the waist wearing a strap across his bare chest, riveted leather gauntlets, a sword at the ready, and an intent look on his gorgeous face as he stares out at us. In the background is an airship carrying a platform.
The title is all Yasmeen with her Heart of Steel protecting her.
clairedrinkstea's review against another edition
4.0
Nice progression from The Iron Duke but I prefer it, both characters and plot. I did enjoy Heart of Steel, though it didn't feel as tight as The Iron Duke.
I enjoy the Steampunk setting being a fan of the genre, but I felt the character could have used a bit more development in order for me to feel as engaged as I did with The Iron Duke.
Good second novel in the series and will look out the the novella's, short stories and third book.
I enjoy the Steampunk setting being a fan of the genre, but I felt the character could have used a bit more development in order for me to feel as engaged as I did with The Iron Duke.
Good second novel in the series and will look out the the novella's, short stories and third book.
strayfe_angel's review against another edition
5.0
So much enjoyment derived from this book, once again, what's not to like. If you've already read the first then you know.
samrushingbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This was a great follow-up to The Iron Duke, and had--in my opinion--a slower developing romance. It was interesting to learn more about both Archimedes and Yasmeen, especially since the two of them complement each other so well. I also enjoyed meeting Archimedes' sister Zenobia; it gives me an idea of what I might expect when I dive into reading The Kraken King. But first I get to read Riveted, which based on the description features two characters I cannot recall being mentioned in either of the first two books. Regardless, I love the world that has been created and I am certain that I will enjoy future installments of the Iron Seas novels as well.
whatsmacksaid's review against another edition
3.0
This is one of those books that desperately needs a map.
amym84's review against another edition
5.0
I didn't know what I would think of this book. I really liked [b:The Iron Duke|7864587|The Iron Duke (Iron Seas, #1)|Meljean Brook|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312522759s/7864587.jpg|11022865]. I liked the characters created in that world and a lot of times I din't care when authors switch up the main characters in each of their stories.
In this case Meljean Brook does a great job. Heart of Steel tells the story of Captain Corsaire and Archimedes Fox both featured in the Iron Duke. Archimedes's future was in question after being thrown off Lady Corsaire and left for the zombies.
I think this book was so good for me because it told it's own story. It didn't follow the same formula as the previous book. Yasmeen and Archimedes had their own chemistry and relationship.
Yasmeen was a great female character. Very strong and self-reliant. It was good to see her start to have feelings for Archinedes yet not sacrifice being strong. She didn't soften up her personality, she just made room to feel more.
Same with Archimedes. He didn't lose any of his masculinity by letting Yasmeen take the lead. I really hate it how a male character can be the most alpha until he meets the woman he falls in love with and then he loses it. I think it says more that he felt comfortable enough that he didn't worry about it in the first place.
This book seemed to move at a faster pace than the first book (which doesn't speak badly of either book), just something else to differentiate between the two.
I like this series and I look forward to continuing reading this series.
In this case Meljean Brook does a great job. Heart of Steel tells the story of Captain Corsaire and Archimedes Fox both featured in the Iron Duke. Archimedes's future was in question after being thrown off Lady Corsaire and left for the zombies.
I think this book was so good for me because it told it's own story. It didn't follow the same formula as the previous book. Yasmeen and Archimedes had their own chemistry and relationship.
Yasmeen was a great female character. Very strong and self-reliant. It was good to see her start to have feelings for Archinedes yet not sacrifice being strong. She didn't soften up her personality, she just made room to feel more.
Same with Archimedes. He didn't lose any of his masculinity by letting Yasmeen take the lead. I really hate it how a male character can be the most alpha until he meets the woman he falls in love with and then he loses it. I think it says more that he felt comfortable enough that he didn't worry about it in the first place.
This book seemed to move at a faster pace than the first book (which doesn't speak badly of either book), just something else to differentiate between the two.
I like this series and I look forward to continuing reading this series.
carlacbarroso's review against another edition
4.0
Loved Archimedes and Yasmeen story! However the end seemed a bit rushed and anticlimatic. I was expecting for Archimedes to be under the influence of Rabat's tower and was a bit of a let down to learn it was already off. Also, the end was like "and everything was nice, so much worry for nothing". It was like this huge build up and then... meh! But I did enjoy the couple's interaction and adventures. :)
carlacbarroso's review
4.0
Re-read. Felt exactly the same as the first reading. It just seemed that after 200 pages or so the author was becoming bored with the story and just wanted to wrap it up. But OMG their interaction! Love Archimedes and Yasmeen! <3
pamgodwin's review against another edition
5.0
Victorian garb, clanking gears, gaslit pubs and fierce airship pirates. Everything I love about romantic steam punk collides with apocalyptic zombies. Somehow Brook pulls this off with no little erotic heat and leaves me salivating for the next release. This review applies to all of the books in the series thus far:
Burning Up (anthology)
The Iron Duke
Wild & Steamy (anthology)
Heart of Steel
Burning Up (anthology)
The Iron Duke
Wild & Steamy (anthology)
Heart of Steel