Hour of Mischief

Thanks to NetGalley and Curiosity Quills Press for the arc of Hour of Mischief by Aimee Hyndman! I enjoyed this story full of steampunk, mythology and fun banter! The characters are strong and developed and the steampunk world contains mythological gods. This combination made an enjoyable read!

At first I wasn't too sure about this novel, and that's why it took some time for me to request the book. But I was wrong, and will admit it. It was exactly the kind of book I like, so with this I humbly apologize to Hour of Mischief.

Janet has a job gone terribly wrong and now her only chance is to make a deal with the God of Mischief, who's admittedly her God since she's a thief, but whom she has a lot of reasons not to trust. When she needs to help him stop a war with all the humans caught in the cross-fire, he might have a hidden agenda.

The best part: definitely the mythology. If you like to read books with all kinds of Gods thrown in, this is your pick. There's a lot of meddling with/between the humans, but it's more than just Greco-Roman style gods. Its focus is the so-called clockwork gods and the elder gods.

The story is entertaining to read, but it has been done before. Janet makes her tour around a bunch of the Gods for the God of Mischief, which is a great way to introduce more characters and setting. I particularly liked the library, wonderful!

However, there never was a lot of suspense because everything was just a little bit too convenient for my taste. Also, for me it is uncertain now whether or not this book belongs to a series, or that the ending is really quite open.

But please, should there come a sequel. I'd like to read it!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Aimee Hyndman's HOUR OF MISCHIEF was a fun, fast-paced romp through an original steampunk setting, and despite a few pesky editing problems, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

In a clockwork world where time itself relies on a pantheon of clockwork gods, 17-year-old Janet pulls heists with her little found-family of thieves. A job gone bad lands them in prison, where the irreverent trickster God of Mischief, Itazura, offers Janet a chance to save her friends by working with him to avert the apocalypse.

Janet was a great MC: tough, funny, haunted, utterly loyal to her team, and completely in over her head. Itazura served as a good foil--charming, witty, alien, and never quite trustworthy. The supporting cast was mostly well-developed, too. As a person with anxiety, I especially liked the character of Sylvia, Janet's teammate and dear friend, who was smart, observant, had a great head for strategy, and suffered anxiety attacks. I wished Sylvia had gotten more focus.

The world-building unfolded naturally, and drew me in until I was completely absorbed. By the end, I dearly wanted to know more about Janet's world, its characters and creatures, and its eventual fate.

There were a few drawbacks: Despite the good storytelling, HOUR OF MISCHIEF could have used further editing to clear up its occasional grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Also, I had expected a stand-alone novel, and was caught by surprise when the storyline was not wrapped up. But despite the rough edges, I liked Janet and her world well enough that I will be picking up the sequel, whenever it arrives.

Fun romp in a newly devised Steampunk setting, the feisty heroine and unpredictable gods keep things interesting. I'd read #2.

Loved this series, some a tad confused by parts but love love love it. Highly recommend.

I immediately wanted to read this book when I saw the cover, it's so captivating and beautiful! In the beginning of the book when Janet's team was introduced I loved how different they were and I really wanted to see more of them throughout the book. Representation is very important to me, not just different personality types but also disabled people, mentally ill people, people of different sexual orientations and of all backgrounds and skin colours. This book's got it all and there's even lots of representation within the Pendulum Thieves alone. There's Sylvia who suffers from panic attacks, but is still very tough and then Parker, who's very talkative and fond of explosions (and dark skinned!) and finally Sid who's mysterious and silent. Even the protagonist, Janet is disabled. She has a prosthetic arm (which comes in handy in fights) which reminded me a lot of Cinder from the Lunar Chronicles, they're also similar personality wise. However I do seem to grow tired of all these insecure, snarky, sarcastic protagonists. I really enjoyed the setting of the story and all the mythical gods. I loved that the romance was nicely dosed and not too in your face. The story did end too soon in my opinion, I really wanted to see more of the Pendulum Thieves and I'm very curious about the Clockmaker, but I guess we'll have to wait for a sequel.

https://shailasbooknook.wordpress.com/2016/03/27/hour-of-mischief-by-aimee-hyndman-review/

Hour of Mischief is a YA steampunk novel about seventeen year old, Janet Redstone. She has not had an easy life living in the slums of Fortuna with her mom. In a world ruled by the Clockwork Gods, Janet and a group of her friends (the Pendulum Thieves) earn a living by robbing their temples. They usually do a good job of getting in and out on a heist until one goes wrong that lands them in prison. Now, the only way to save herself and her team is to make a pact with the God of Mischief.

Janet Redstone is so freaking awesome! I loved that her temper was so short and she was always ready to punch someone with her left hand. Why the left hand? She has a prosthetic left arm, which makes for a killer punch. Janet is sassy, spunky, snarky, sarcastic and everything in between. Learning about where she was born and what her mother does tore me apart, but I like that she didn't allow it to hinder her. Janet seems to always have to look after herself and really doesn't know how to enjoy life. I like that she learned to relax and enjoy life within the small moments. Janet was seriously phenomenal character. Strong, brave and determined in all things. She always had a surprise up her sleeve.

Itazura, god of mischief, was absolutely enjoyable. I loved everything about him -- his witty remarks to his conceited attitude were just funny. It added to him being a god and his character in general. I love how strong and gentle he was. Being a god he wasn't aware of certain human emotions, but in being around Janet he was able to learn and he respected her. I'm curious as to what he omitted and what his sister, goddess of death, knew that Janet and Laetatia didn't.

The budding romance between Janet and Itazura was unexpected, but at the same time I was hopeful. I thought it would be Janet to initiate any romance between the two of them, but for it to have been Itazura made it much more fascinating. He truly has such a strong liking towards Janet. He never used his status as a god to "overcome" her. Things gradually grew between them over the course of their journey. I love that he saved her multiple times and I love that she wasn't scared to speak her mind to a god or let alone punch him -- several times. Absolutely beautiful.

Meroquio, god of Love, is a true douchebag. I can't believe how rude he is. The way he treated Janet pissed me off. His powers, thankfully, never got the best of her. I really do not like him. Laetatia, goddess of festivities, is such a joy! She was fantastic from beginning to end. She became friends with Janet and not to mention her daughter is Janet's bestfriend -- how cool is that. For the goddess of festivities, she can be downright brutal when she needs too. Kaval and Viden, twin gods of wisdom, made me smile because of how sweet and tender they were. I like that they never looked at Janet as if she was beneath them. I love that they accepted the chance to help Janet in saving humanity. The twin gods were pretty damn awesome. I enjoyed the incorporation of wendigos and shape shifters. It added some drama to the story.

Elder gods are the 4 seasonal gods. They had there powers taken from them and are now planning an apocalypse. The 12 clockwork gods, who came after the elder gods, have ignored the elder gods destruction to keep their powers. The minor gods are helping elder gods because they were promised power. The whole idea behind the elder gods and clockwork gods is absolutely ingenious. I enjoyed reading about the different gods and their domains. I did however find them to be lazy, weak individuals. They were just willing to let the elder gods destroy humans when they should have fought against them. I'm interested to see how things progress now that the word has spread about the apocalypse.

This was an absolutely amazing story. I'm looking forward to a sequel because I need to know what happens next for Janet and Itazura. I need to know if they save Sylvia. I also need to now what the clockwork gods do against the elder gods. Finally, I need to know what the hell is up with Itazura and what his sister was talking about in the Abyss. I need answers! I'm hooked.

So entertaining!! Loved the mythology!!

*** I would like to thank Netgalley, Curiosity Quills Press and the author Aimee Hyndman for sending me this digital copy of Hour of Mischief in exchange for an honest review***

Hour of Mischief starts of with our MC Janet and her friends trying to steal something from a museum. They are caught and put in prison. While being questioned, Janet meets Itazura, the God of the Hour of Mischief. He tells her that he will help her and her friends if she makes a deal with him. Janet didn’t know what she was getting into when she agreed to help Ita convince the other gods to help and stop the Elder gods who are going crazy causing chaos.

When I started reading this book I was a bit confused with who all the gods were, what the hours meant. It was new and different but as I kept reading you find out more about who everyone is, and about the past. This is the way I see it, The Clockmaker is God, Mother and Father are Adam and Eve, but there are more gods so it also reminds me of Greek mythology. Mother and Father are like the Olympians and the Elders god are like the Titans, and the Clockwork Gods are the children of the Olympians. I could be wrong. But what I do know is that many of the gods don’t really care what happens to the humans so there has to be someone who can convince them to help.

Janet was great, she was a poor girl, with a metal arm, and with a prostitute for a mom. She's stealing with her friends for a living. Janet is strong and brave, loyal to her friends, she doesn’t give up without a fight. Never backs down. She jumps into burning buildings to save strangers, that's the kind of person she is. I really liked reading about her, I liked her strength and wish I was more like her.

We don’t get to see much of her friends, but we learn a couple things about them, and they all seem cool, they are always there for each other. Itazura was interesting, I didn’t know if he could be trusted at first but he grew on me. He annoyed Janet a lot but I soon found him silly and entertaining 😊 Laetatia was cool, I'm glad that Janet has her as a girl friend. Lae was protective of Janet and took care of her, when other gods would've cared less. Lae is also a good fighter. I think all the gods know how to fight. We meet other gods, and a couple of the bad guys. Janet had assassins, shape shifters, Wendigoes, and gods come after her. It was pretty good.

When I read that this book was about a girl with a metal arm I thought Fullmetal Alchemist, then I read that the author likes anime and I was like yeeesss!!! 😊😊 I didn’t know what to expect but now I know that I want more 😊 I want more of this great unique world, I want more of Janet, her friends, more of the Clockwork Gods and especially more of Itazura 😊😊 I'm so glad that this book will have a sequel, it was amazing, I thought it was a stand alone, but I'm glad it's not, I need more, but now I have to wait 😞

I loved this book, so much, it was honestly one of my favorites of the year. It took me a little bit to get into it, and while it's not perfect, it does so many things right. The main character Janet is so wonderfully kickass. Kudos to the writer because she was able to create a main character who is so fully fleshed out. I feel like a lot of YA has gotten a bit receptive with their female lead characters, and Janet is a breath of fresh air. Yeah her childhood sucked, and yes life isn't exactly great now, but she fights through and she doesn't feel sorry for herself. The writing through out is fluid, and beautiful, and lives up to the wonderful plot. The side characters are all rounded and have purpose. And The Lord of Mischief is beyond entertaining. I can not wait to read more by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and Curiosity Quills Press for giving this book to review.

17 year old Janet has not had a good start in life and does not believe that she owes the Clockwork Gods anything. When I heist goes wrong and her gang and her ends up in prison she makes a deal with Itazura, the God of Mischief. To get her friends out of a deadly prison she must convince the gods to warn humanity about the danger they face from the Elder Gods. It is a lot harder than Janet was expecting especially when she is sure that Itazura is keeping something important from her.

Hour of Mischief is a very good steampunk fantasy novel. It is fast paced, has action, twists, mystery and a hint of romance. While good, I did found that the solutions to the problems were a bit easy. I like the mythology in this book with the Clockwork and seasonal gods, and the world that was created.

Janet is reckless, impulsive and sarcastic, but also loyal to her friends, no nonsense and insecure about failure and her mum. However, I did feel that Janet’s name did not fit her character. Itazura is cocky, sneaky and charming but while annoying he is also witty and respects and is protective of Janet. Laelatia is a fun and caring character. I hope we get to see more of the Pendulum gang in the next book.

There are lots of unanswered questions left at the end of this book and I hope they are answered in the next book. I would recommend Hour of Mischief to fans of Raven by Pauline Creeden and Thief’s Covenant by Ari Marmell.

First of all, I would like to point out that the cover art for Hour of Mischief is spectacular- Janet Redstone is the focal point and the muted colors and gears are attractive. When I’m browsing through books, a unique or aesthetic cover will draw me in before title or author will and I think that’s a wonderful way to discover something new. The inside of the book is equally appealing, with clocks and gear work as the chapter headers. But really, the true gem is the story which was highly imaginative and was incredibly fun to read. I found myself disappointed and a bit surprised that I was already at the end and now have to await the sequel!

I really loved Janet, Itazura, and Laetatia- Aimee wrote them to have such a great compatibility with one another and as a result they were a great deal of fun to read about. They would make awesome friends- I mean the God of Mischief and the Goddess of Merriment/Festivities? You literally can’t fit any more excitement and trouble into it, unless there was a God of poorly timed pyrotechnic displays. Janet Redstone, our protagonist, was strong, confident, loyal, and also a pretty good sport considering all she had to put up with. She could also really hold the liquor quite well and throw a strong left hook, both of which are good in bar fights (or street fights).

The storyline was well-developed and had a steady pace- there weren’t any dull moments, but at the same time my head wasn’t spinning from all the action. I like the Clockwork Gods- it’s very different than the portrayal of a pantheon than is traditionally done. The attributes of the gods was similar to Greek, Roman, and perhaps even Norse, but their personalities were a little more unique. The fact that several of them were so closely tied to humanity was something that I don’t see done very often in literature. The world building was one aspect of the book that I feel could have been given much greater detail. We learn that there are separate “realms” that may or may not be connected in a way that people can travel between them. I was a bit confused on this part, but I don’t remember reading specifically one way or the other. There is also very little detail regarding the society that Janet lives in- we know she is from the slums, but what about the other rings of the city? What do people in the other rings do for a living and how is the society governed? Perhaps we really don’t need all the details, but for me to fully invest into a story I like to know as much as possible.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story and found it to be entertaining enough to want to read the sequel. This is something I would definitely recommend to readers that already enjoy books from smaller publishers because it’s unusual and very different from mainstream novels. I look forward to reading more books from Aimee Hyndman in the future! You can purchase Hour of Mischief on Amazon US or Amazon UK.

I would like to thank Curiosity Quills Press for letting me join in on their September blog tour and for providing me with an ecopy of Hour of Mischief in exchange for an honest review!

Clockwork gods rule over the land, one for each hour. Above them sit the Mother and Father, the hands of the Clockmaker. But before the twelve gods were created, the elder gods ruled over the seasons, and nearly destroyed the land. They were locked... and are now striving to be free.

Janet is only seventeen years old, but a child of the slums doesn't remain a child for long. Though she looks more to the Clockmaker and doesn't have much respect for the twelve gods, she is a thief and theoretically under the gaze of the God of Mischief, Izatura. Unfortunately for her, after she and her team of thieves are thrown into prison, she falls not only under his gaze, but also under a pact with him, agreeing to help the god in return for her friends' freedom.

HOUR OF MISCHIEF is a non-stop, thrill-laden adventure, full of gods, shapeshifters, and other beings and monsters out of myth and legend. The characters are fun and I found myself really liking Janet and Izatura, as well as several of the other gods we are able to meet. The author is only able to dip into the immense world surrounding this story, showing the reader that there is still so much left to tell, even though this book itself is a wonderfully complete story on its own. While this book it not marked as the first in a series, I really really hope that the author continues the tale. I want to know Izatura's secret, and just who exactly is Janet... or what?

4 1/2 Stars for a near-perfect tale.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

The heroine is hilarious. If not for her, the book would have been terrible... Honestly. She makes the best with everything that was given to her. okay and of course Itazura is also hilarious. I freaking love him as well. I wasn't a huge fan of the story itself, but the characters make up for it.