Tori's Review: Dead Iron by Devon Monk

Paperback: 352 pages
Price: $15.00 
ISBN: 978-0451463968
Released: July 5, 2011
Publisher: Penguin
Author's Website: Devon Monk 
Buy it: Amazon
Obtained: Publisher
Genre: Steampunk 
Series: Age of Steam 
Book Order: 
1. Dead Iron

In some ways, Cedar Hunt seems to have been created for America's steam age. This hard-working bounty hunter possesses the guns, the savvy, and the grit to survive in this power-driven world; but he also has a major chip on his shoulder: He's a werewolf and, even worse, he's burning with guilt about the death of his brother. When he receives word that his sibling may yet survive, Cedar pulls out all the stops to get to the truth.

My Rating:

My Opinion: 
Amazing. DEAD IRON jostled me out of my reading funk and also got me squealing about how awesome it was--no small feat after a summer of science-filled hell.

Ever since reading Meljean Brook's amazing contribution to the BURNING UP anthology, I have been dying to get my hands on Steampunk that is not only written well, but also engaging. When I find a novel that contains both, it usually feels like I'm being swept back to those earlier years where all you would find me doing was playing Final Fantasy games. Which, interestingly enough, were like a video game-ized versions of the Steampunk genre (at least to me they are).

With that sweet memory fresh in my mind, I will now tell you why you must buy and read this book ASAP.

1) Devon takes the Steampunk genre and makes it her own. How? By making this like a Wild West story.

I hate cowboys and never really find anything out west (historical-wise) interesting. I figured if I didn't like DEAD IRON, those would be my two reasons why. Thankfully, the setting, while important, is not overly emphasized, so it is easy to forget where exactly the characters are.

And there are no cliche cowboys. YES!

2) This is not your typical gritty story. There is bloodshed, brains getting busted open, and so much gore I was actually surprised at how far the brain-bashing went. Thankfully, it was tastefully done. The killings were much deserved when they happened, and that little vindictive part of me that always wishes the heroes and heroines extracted their revenge more fully, rejoiced. Devon was not afraid to get down and dirty, and I really appreciated that.

3) The final battle...

HOLY COW. Even if you don't like Steampunk, you should read DEAD IRON for that battle. It was the coolest and most creative one I've read in a long time. Plus, the ending was done so well I was excited and felt like I was part of the party.

Now that I say that, I can't help but think of Oregon Trail. Someone's gonna get cholera or will be swept down the river.

While I do rate DEAD IRON 5 stars, I would like to mention that I had a few issues with the book (that initially was going to make me rate it a 4 before I finished reading).

First is that the story does lag at a few points. Thankfully, since I read DEAD IRON over such an extended period of time, the lulls did not bother me as much as they might have, normally.

The second is that I would have liked a bit more world-building. I felt like I was in Cedar's world, but I also felt disconnected from it all at the same time. I'm still trying to pinpoint what exactly was throwing me off-kilter while reading DEAD IRON, and the only thing I can come up with is the POV.

This novel follows a few characters, which amps up the tension when the final battle draws nearer (and got my heart racing at almost every scene). Before the battle, however, I felt like there was some sort of emotional chasm separating me from the characters. The only way I can describe it is that, while I was immersed in the world, there was a fog obstructing my vision. That fog is was prevented me from feeling fully connected.

...until we reached the climax of the story, that is. Once the action picked up, the characters felt more real to me. And while my connection was brief, it was so intense that I couldn't help but fall in love with this story and world.

Which is why, despite the "could-be-betters," I am highly recommending DEAD IRON to you all. Give it a shot, because there are plenty of paranormal elements within to keep both paranormal and steampunk fans satisfied.