Review: The Falling Machine (The Society of Steam #1) by Andrew P. Mayer

The Falling Machine by Andrew P. Mayer

Copy Courtesy of Pyr Books
Already Published

Summary
Sarah's father is a member of the Paragons, a group of super heroes with steampunk weapons that fight off the bad guys, but when the leader of this group is assassinated in front of her, it may be up to Sarah and the Automaton (the leader's greatest creation, a robot with really good AI) to save the day. Of course, this is complicated by the fact that in her day and age, women are basically objects to be possessed by men.

Commentary
Ok, I will admit this book may seem slow at times (I was perfectly happy with the speed), but oh the steampunkery and sleuthing! I also love how the author keeps you guessing as to whether a character will be able to get out of a tough situation, and if they do, how on earth they did it without making the reader agonize for too long.

Despite the multiple points of views, each viewpoint was delineated by chapters and it is very clear from the beginning who you are following so I never lost track. There is a lot of male chauvinism in the book, but it was appropriate to the era this book was set in although I still wanted to smack some of the male characters.

I think this was a really good addition to the Steampunk genre even though it did end on a major cliff-hanger that really leaves you going noooooo I need answers! I'm looking forward to seeing what the author does with the next book (Hearts of Smoke and Steam).

Star Rating: 4.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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