Elle explores her powers as the Oracle and Marsh finds
himself bored and alone. Since he's no longer a Warlock,
life seems less exciting, so when Commisioner Willoughby of
the London Metropolitan police asks him to help solve a
strange mystery, Marsh is glad to help out. Only this
mystery is dangerous, and Marsh finds himself losing his
heart and gaining a clockwork device in its place that
leaves him a zombie. He's not the only zombie, though. A
plague of the creatures sweeps through London and now Elle
must team up with the Nightwalker Loisa Beladodia to save
the city and find Marsh's heart and put it back in his chest
before it's too late.
I do so love the steampunk genre. Book two in Liesel
Schwarz's The Chronicles of Light and Shadow series,
A CLOCKWORK HEART follows the first book seamlessly,
bringing our
favorite characters back for a second round of adventures.
We have our main character, Elle, who is still strong as
ever and coming into her own with her new powers as an
Oracle, and a mystery and beat the clock adventure to save
her husband, Marsh.
My favorite aspect of this book was the
new machine hearted characters based on zombies. They
provided a wonderful and creepy visual. Readers of
steampunk, especially with paranormal elements, or fans of
Cherie Priest's The Clockwork Century and Gail Carriger's
The Parasol Protectorate, will do good to check out this fun
series.
FOR BETTER OR CURSE. That might as well have been
the wedding vow of Elle Chance and her new husband, the
ex-Warlock Hugh Marsh in the second book of this edgy new
series that transforms elements of urban fantasy, historical
adventure, and paranormal romance into storytelling
magic. As Elle devotes herself to
her duties as the Oracle—who alone has the power to keep the
dark designs of Shadow at bay—Marsh finds himself missing
the excitement of his former life as a Warlock. So when
Commissioner Willoughby of the London Metropolitan police
seeks his help in solving a magical mystery, Marsh is only
too happy to oblige. But in doing so, Marsh loses his heart
. . . literally.
In place of the
flesh-and-blood organ is a clockwork device—a device that
makes Marsh a kind of zombie. Nor is he the only one. A
plague of clockwork zombies is afflicting London, sowing
panic and whispers of revolution. Now Elle must join forces
with her husband’s old friend, the Nightwalker Loisa
Beladodia, to track down Marsh’s heart and restore it to his
chest before time runs out.