My Review of “A Clockwork Christmas” By JK Coi, PG Forte, Stacy Gail and Jenny Schwartz

  

Blurb:

We Wish You a Steampunk Christmas

Changed forever after tragedy, a woman must draw strength from her husband's love. A man learns that love isn't always what you expect. A thief steals the heart of a vengeful professor. And an American inventor finds love Down Under. Enjoy Victorian Christmas with a clockwork twist in these four steampunk novellas.

Anthology includes:

Crime Wave in a Corset by Stacy Gail
This Winter Heart by PG Forte
Wanted: One Scoundrel by Jenny Schwartz
Far From Broken by JK Coi

Stories also available for purchase separately.

My Review:

With any anthology—and this one was a great one on the whole because I liked each story  for different reasons—you still have one tale that just sweeps you away more than the others. For me, it was the first story, Crime Wave in a Corset by Stacy Gail. I loved it right from the beginning,  the period language, a subtle blending with the fashion, and industrious inventions gave the story a nice historic atmosphere. What I enjoyed most about the story though was the pitting of a large alpha male against a tiny firecracker of a woman, a female thief at that, who is smart and crafty due to a horrid past.

Story two, This Winter Heart by PG Forte, was again very emotional, a tale of acceptance of one another despite differences. While historic, it carried a timeless message of seeing everyone as real and capable beings, worthy of love. In the third story, Wanted: One Scoundrel by Jenny Schwartz, there was a lot more punk than steam. Still, it was a great story, full of the politics of the time, which I think would be hard to write. The author certainly did her homework. As well as the social intrigue though, along with a few touches of blackmail, there was a nice heavy dose of romantic tension.

Last, but certainly not least, was Far From Broken by JK Coi. In this story the steam part was so creative, just so brilliant in its inventions. Again, this theme of acceptance was there, but like the second story, a prominent part of the storyline. Overall though, this anthology did a fantastic job of creating solid steam punk tales, each with very different plotline and settings, while still letting you feel the season of Christmas. What really impressed me was that each story carried the theme of the holiday season, goodwill toward men. And, isn’t that what we all love about a holiday story that they remind us of the good possible in each of us?

Reviewed for Suspense Magazine

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