The Perilous Journey Of The Much Too Spontaneous Girl (The Perilous Journey of the Not So Innocuous Girl #2)
Author: Leigh Statham
Publication Date: September 20, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books
Description:
Lady Marguerite Vadnay and her trusty automaton, Outil, have settled into life in New France rather well. Marguerite is top of the class at flight school and her future as an aerpilot
is nearly secure. She has everything she wants— except a commission on
the pirate hunting dirigible The Renegade. Using every card in her
aristocratic arsenal, Marguerite wiggles her way onto the finest warship
France has to offer. But as usual, Marguerite’s plans endanger the
lives of those she holds dear— only this time no one else is going to
save them. As Marguerite and Outil set off on a rescue mission they may not return from, she finally realizes it’s time to reorder her cogs.
This
steampunk adventure is littered with facts from The Golden Age of
Piracy and follows (not too closely) some of the lives and adventures of
the brave men and women who sailed the seas as privateers, pirates and
soldiers.
The Perilous Journey books are based on a true story. I came across this amazing tale while doing some family history research. One of my ancestors emigrated from France to Canada in the late 1600’s through a social program started by Louis the XIV called The Daughters of the King. It was an amazing program where women were legally adopted by Louis and sent to New France on ships across pirate infested waters. Once they arrived, they stayed in churches. Best part – the girls got to chose who they wanted to marry and if you were a man lucky enough to be chosen by one of these girls to get married, you were given land and status. It was a big win for everyone. In a world where women have been oppressed for centuries, and still are today, it was refreshing to find this kind of story and I couldn’t wait to tell it.
I read everything I could find on the actual social program for The Daughters of the King, and I also did extensive research on the golden age of piracy. Then I steampunked it up, just for fun, and the result was a great adventure.
Top 10 Favorite Books
I’m not sure I’ll be able to do this… but I’m going to give it a try! I will have to pick books that I’ve read more than once as a guideline and I definitely won’t be able to put them in order! That’s like asking me to pick between children!
1. The Hunger Games (the first book in the series)
2. Lord of the Rings (the entire series)
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Although I love all things Harry Potter)
5. The Chronicles of Narnia Series
6. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
7. The Scorpio Trials
8. The Giver
9. Fahrenheit 451
10. To Kill a Mockingbird
Ten Things You Didn't Know About the Series
1. It’s based on a true story
2. Most of the names are real
3. Most of the relationships are made up
4. The first robot was invented in the 1800’s
5. If you have French-Canadian ancestors, you’re probably a descendant of a Daughter of the King
6. Originally I had a lot more characters die
7. Pirates were historically more democratic than any government at the time
8. Aerpirates are more fun than regular pirates
9. Aer is pronounced “Air”
10. When you write steampunk, you can spell “Air” anyway you want
OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
Lady Marguerite lives a life most 17th century French girls can only dream of: Money, designer dresses, suitors and a secure future. Except, she suspects her heart may be falling for her best friend Claude, a common smithie in the family’s steam forge. When Claude leaves for New France in search of a better life, Marguerite decides to follow him and test her suspicions of love. Only the trip proves to be more harrowing than she anticipated. Love, adventure and restitution await her, if she can survive the voyage.
(1) winner will receive a scrabble tile book cover charm (US ONLY)
(5) winners will receive a digital copy of books 1 and 2 in the Perilous Journey of the Not So Innocuous Girl series by Leigh Statham (INT)
