Back in August of 2015, I read Clockwork Menagerie, a Shadows of Asphodel novella. I was enchanted with Karen Kincy’s writing and steaminess of the love story presented in just a few short pages. I immediately got my hands on the two novels in the series and then left them on my virtual bookshelf until #COYER Blackout.

After finishing book one, Shadows of Asphodel, I immediately asked myself, “Why the hell did I wait so long to read this?!” This alternate WWI history with mechs and magic is right up my alley and reminded me of a grown up version of the Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld.

I grew to love Ardis, the main female protagonist, and her independent ways and ideas. Her relationship with Wendel (what a delightfully unusual name!) is hot and steamy and doesn’t require any commitment. It is a refreshing change of pace and one I quite enjoyed.

However, by the end of book two, Storms of Lazarus I was cursing Kincy and the dramatic uncharacteristic change that happens between the two characters. This change, due to my own personal life choices, made me angry. And as a reader, the change upset me because it seems to go against EVERYTHING that Ardis and Wendel thought and said to that point.

Overall, between books one and two, I enjoyed the action and intrigue with the alternate historical fiction twist. But the two characters, whom I admired the most and were the main reason I kept reading, quickly became characters that I disliked partway into book two. In the end, I wasn’t happy with the series at all.