A review by cupiscent
Heart of Iron by Ekaterina Sedia

4.0

This alternihistory Russian/Chinese steampunk adventure is quite charming and I'm disposed to like it for many reasons. For starters, it's steampunkery set somewhere other than England or the US (though, strangely, mostly English-speaking; I would be interested in learning the reasons behind that) and it includes some wonderful themes of identity in a time of great flux. Our heroine is both capable and ladylike right down to the tremendously restrained treatment of the love triangle.

Unfortunately, all that charming doesn't leave an awful lot of room for excitement or pace, and while I found myself consistently pleased with reading it, it never gripped me by anything vital.