August 29, 2014

Iron Pendulum Blog Tour: Review, Excerpt + Giveaway

 

Welcome to my stop on the IRON PENDULUM blog tour! Today I have a great excerpt from the book to share with you along with my review. Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom of the post!


Iron Pendulum (The Periodic Series #2)
Author: Megan Curd
Genre: YA Steampunk Fantasy
Release Date: August 28, 2014

Description:
Six months ago, Avery thought the world ended outside Dome Four. Thought she was one of the few of her kind. Thought the war that brought the human race to the brink of extinction was over.

But six months can change everything.

After fighting to escape a tyranny she didn't even know existed, Avery has had to come to grips with all the secrets she's uncovered. But more secrets continue to come to light, revealing how little of her world she truly knew. When evidence starts to show that Dome Four might be under siege, Avery knows what she must do.

Returning to the dome she longed to escape is a challenge for Avery, but now she knows there’s corruption lurking in the shadows. A massive steam shortage leaves half the dome without power, and people are falling ill. Dying.

And they’re blaming Avery.

Six months can change everything. One more month could kill everyone. The clock is ticking.
  

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17984513-iron-pendulum?ac=1

Her huff echoed in our headsets, and I was glad she couldn’t see my smile.
“Avery, don’t act like I don’t know you’re smiling behind that mask.”
I put my hands up in submission. Alice knew everything about me.
Jaxon took the map. “Let’s go left.” He turned and walked away like he expected us to follow. Which we did.
I was thankful for the mask, because it dulled the stench of refuse floating along the shallow water in the tunnel. Rats scurried along the waterline, our lights sending them into a frenzy. Each step caused the water to slosh and echo through the tunnel, giving our position away.
“We should try to stay out of the water,” I said into the mic, hoping someone would agree with me before Jaxon could argue.
No dice.
Jaxon touched his earpiece and spoke. “Why? Are you afraid of your toes pruning in the water?”
“It’s not that.”
“Contrary to legend, there are no alligators in the sewer.”
“That you know of,” Alice quipped.
Deep down, Alice liked Jaxon. She just enjoyed making him squirm. And the truth was, I enjoyed watching it happen.
“That I know of.” Jaxon admitted. “But I will take one for the team and wrestle the beast into submission if it floats down our tunnel. Then I expect minstrels to sing of my heroics in future years. You can be the minstrel, Alice. I bet you’d look great with a lyre and kilt-y getup.”
Alice shook her head. “If anyone would look good in a skirt, it’s you, chicken legs.”
“Oh, please, you know you wish you could look as good as me in a skirt. Have you seen your calves?”
Everyone laughed and Alice huffed. Jaxon took the lead and sloshed through the water, making more of a ruckus than necessary.
But then he went still. As still as a dog that had caught a scent on a hunt.
Alice’s whisper came through the earpiece. “Jax, what did you hear?”
I watched as the muscles in Jaxon’s back tensed and his shoulders squared. I heard the minor intake of breath and wondered if everyone else knew what it meant.
He was afraid.
Iron Pendulum is the second book in a fantastic young adult steampunk fantasy series. It continues where the first book left off - following our heroine, Avery, as she tries to pick up the pieces of her life after the war that destroyed almost everything. Now living outside the Domes - away from the awful tyranny she hadn't know existed until recently - Avery and her friends are determined to stop Xander and his horrific experiments at any cost. It just so happens that this time the cost is steep - Avery must go back inside her old home of Dome Four to determine if Xander is hiding out there to continue his evil plans. Going back home is hard for Avery - especially when she sees the destruction that's ravaged the place, along with how incredibly sick all the people are. There's a huge steam shortage in the dome and it's causing chaos - and death. For some reason, everyone is blaming Avery for the lack of steam. Things are getting worse and time is running out for the dome and its residents. Avery has to figure out what's happening and stop it before it's too late.

Unlike most series, this second book was just as phenomenal as the first. Most of the time a series will start off strong and then get progressively worse with each following installment. This is definitely not the case here. Every part of the book - from the characters and the setting to the plot and the writing style - was fantastic. Avery, our heroine of the story, continues to be a great main character. She's strong, smart, caring, and devoted to those she loves. She also has some awesome powers to manipulate the elements that she's still learning how to control. She's not perfect though - she has her fears, doubts, and flaws just like everyone else - which I thought made her all the more realistic and easy to identify with. Avery's character does some major growing in this book - she becomes more independent, mature, and determined to fight for what's right no matter what. The rest of the characters are well written with their own personalities and quirks. I especially liked watching Avery and Jaxon as their relationship grew. 

The setting was amazing, and I love how the author continued to describe it. With all the details and vivid imagery, it felt like I was there alongside the characters throughout the book. From the very first paragraphs I found that I could immerse myself back into the storyline like I had never left. The plot continues to be full of action, adventure, suspense, and tons of twists and turns. There were definitely some parts that left me puzzled and some that came out of nowhere and hit me like a ton of bricks. The story is fast paced and flows so easily that I didn't stop reading once I started. With the ease of the writing, the quick pace, and the fascinating story line - this is definitely a book (and series) that fans of the genre will not want to miss. Very highly recommended for fans of steampunk, fantasy, dystopias, and science fiction.

Megan Curd is a graduate of Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota. While having always enjoyed reading any books she could get her hands on, Megan didn’t begin writing until a friend encouraged her to do so while in college. 

When not writing, Megan enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Photography, traveling and snowboarding are hobbies she loves, and she doesn’t turn down the opportunity to play xBox with her brother and friends when it presents itself.

Megan currently resides in Ohio with her husband and son, where she is trying to convert them into Buckeye fans.

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1 comment:

  1. I love fantasy novels, and have never tried a steampunk novel before and this looks like a good one to start on!

    ReplyDelete