Description: The secret lies with the Heart.
Born with a magical knack for manipulating emotions, Leodora’s only dream is to ensure her talented little sister dances on the biggest, brightest stage in the Republic: The Curiosity, a grand old theater of tradition and innovation. After escaping a cruel carnival, Leo secures her sister a place in the Curiosity’s chorus line, and herself a job as a professional audience member, swaying the crowd’s mood with her magic. The girls have a home for the first time in their lives.
Then a tragic accident darkens the theater. A greedy businessman begins blackmailing Leo, and financial woes threaten to close the show forever. The Curiosity’s sole hope lies in a mythical power source hidden beneath the maze-like passages and trapdoors of the theater—the Heart. And Leo’s only friend Paxton, nephew of the theater’s stagemistress, is the key to finding it.
While Leo and Paxton hunt for the Heart, the blackmailer’s threats loom larger. Mysterious figures, cryptic clues, and deadly traps hinder the search at every turn. If the friends cannot recover the Heart in time, Leo and her sister will be cast out of the only home they’ve ever known, and the final curtain will fall on The Curiosity.
My Thoughts: It has been a while since a steampunk has caught my attention such as this did. The setting, the magic, the characters, all combined into a wonderful tale. My favorite of the knacks, and what really makes this a steampunk, was the invention knack and how these theater owners used it to create animatronic props that brought plays to life. I would love to see the machine's talked about in this book and how they worked with the dancers in real life.
Though she doesn't have the invention knack, the heroine Leo is the heart of this story. A manipulator of emotions but still unable to take even the most blatant of hints, she was a wonderful character to have lead us through the story. I adored her and Paxton's relationship and related to her protectiveness over her sister.
Despite the light tone of the book, there are some dark portions. Leo's backstory is heartbreaking and affects her outlook on the world and her relationships with everyone around her. There are also a couple of deaths, both of which are treated with less solemnity than might be anticipated. Particularly with the last one. Yet overall, this is a light, whimsical read with a touch of romance.
I have provided an honest review after having received an eARC of the book from the publisher.
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