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Steam and Shadow #3
Clockwork Image
Vandals and Vampires Beware:
Tressa won’t let anyone stand in her way.
After years maintaining engines and repairing machines, Seawoman Tressa Wimple has come into a shockingly large sum of money. It only takes Tressa a single breath to decide what to do—she will donate it all to Westwood Orphanage, a home for children who are otherwise bound for the streets. They saved her and her brother many decades ago; now, she wants nothing more than to reach out a hand to the small and helpless of London.
All her plans are derailed, however, when a faceless adversary decries Westwood and claims that the orphanage is a front for something far darker; as dark as an alleyway where Tressa first rescues a boy from a vampire. With the help of her brother, Jasper, and the tall, alluring Brox, Tressa determines to get to the bottom of the claims and protect the children, regardless of the risks.
When all that is dark is forced into the light, Tressa must face her most combustible problem yet: her own past.
Tressa won’t let anyone stand in her way.
After years maintaining engines and repairing machines, Seawoman Tressa Wimple has come into a shockingly large sum of money. It only takes Tressa a single breath to decide what to do—she will donate it all to Westwood Orphanage, a home for children who are otherwise bound for the streets. They saved her and her brother many decades ago; now, she wants nothing more than to reach out a hand to the small and helpless of London.
All her plans are derailed, however, when a faceless adversary decries Westwood and claims that the orphanage is a front for something far darker; as dark as an alleyway where Tressa first rescues a boy from a vampire. With the help of her brother, Jasper, and the tall, alluring Brox, Tressa determines to get to the bottom of the claims and protect the children, regardless of the risks.
When all that is dark is forced into the light, Tressa must face her most combustible problem yet: her own past.
- GenresSteampunk
127 pages, ebook
Published July 25, 2019
23 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
L.G. Rollins
20 books105 followersFor L. G. Rollins, conversations regarding Schrodinger’s cat, the effects of scientific advancements on politics, and whether Infinity is better categorized as a number or an idea are all quite commonplace. To be short, she is an unapologetic nerd. Mix in her love of whimsy and the unusual, and you get Steam and Shadow, a steampunk series of science, sweet romance, and unexpected adventures.
To learn more about L. G. Rollins, her books, and get a FREE NOVELLA visit LGRollins.com.
To learn more about L. G. Rollins, her books, and get a FREE NOVELLA visit LGRollins.com.
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August 19, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (8/19/2019)! 🎁
January 12, 2022
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I got an ARC of this book.
This is the second book I have read in this series, but the fourth book released. The books don’t seem to be related in any way as of yet, but that could be an interesting tie in later. What I really like about this series is the main female love interest is always a total badass. Strong women, women in charge, and women bucking gender roles are by far my favorites especially in books set in societies with really rigid gender roles and in romances. So it is like this series was written for me.
Tressa is a high ranking mechanic on a submarine. How much more badass can you get? Not only is the society dictating that women must wear dresses and be more demure, but she bucked that to the point of being the best mechanic out there. It was so refreshing to see a capable woman as the main love interest. She was more capable than the men around her for the entire book.
The plot itself was interesting. I was curious at what the tragic backstory was and how it had gotten to so many kids. It wasn’t super graphic or sexual, which is also rare for a tragic back story for a woman. Rollins seems to know exactly what things to avoid to make me love a book. The kids were clearly abused, but very little happened on page so it felt safer to read the big reveal than I was expecting from the hints throughout the book.
My main issues with the book are that the romance seems a bit forced. By that I mean I don’t see why Tressa likes the guy. There was very little description of the two or them or why she would be interested in him. Tressa is shown to be black on the cover of the book, but throughout the book that is not something that is mentioned or plays a role in things. There are two references that her skin is tan, which if you pair that with she has been on a submarine forever would say that she might not be white. If you don’t pair those two details together then you miss her race entirely, because she might just be tan. Race could have played an interesting role in a book like this. So honestly, that mattered more to me than the romance. Having the romance be secondary was perfectly fine withe me. I was here for the mystery and the vampires, not boys. Though the first kiss was 100% the way I wanted it to happen. I really appreciated that the bulk of the book focused on the mystery plot, instead of having that as a sub plot. It allowed the characters to have depth and meaning. It also allowed the romance to feel a bit more natural. Have I mentioned that I adore awkward men who aren’t perfect? Rollins seems to have gotten the message even if I have never said it.
I could leave the ending since it felt a little rushed, which is the reason the romance felt rushed to me. If the ending had been a little more open ended, I would have probably given this book five stars. Considering the pages in question were maybe four pages on my kindle, that is a pretty fantastic amount of pages to just not be wild about.
I got an ARC of this book.
This is the second book I have read in this series, but the fourth book released. The books don’t seem to be related in any way as of yet, but that could be an interesting tie in later. What I really like about this series is the main female love interest is always a total badass. Strong women, women in charge, and women bucking gender roles are by far my favorites especially in books set in societies with really rigid gender roles and in romances. So it is like this series was written for me.
Tressa is a high ranking mechanic on a submarine. How much more badass can you get? Not only is the society dictating that women must wear dresses and be more demure, but she bucked that to the point of being the best mechanic out there. It was so refreshing to see a capable woman as the main love interest. She was more capable than the men around her for the entire book.
The plot itself was interesting. I was curious at what the tragic backstory was and how it had gotten to so many kids. It wasn’t super graphic or sexual, which is also rare for a tragic back story for a woman. Rollins seems to know exactly what things to avoid to make me love a book. The kids were clearly abused, but very little happened on page so it felt safer to read the big reveal than I was expecting from the hints throughout the book.
My main issues with the book are that the romance seems a bit forced. By that I mean I don’t see why Tressa likes the guy. There was very little description of the two or them or why she would be interested in him. Tressa is shown to be black on the cover of the book, but throughout the book that is not something that is mentioned or plays a role in things. There are two references that her skin is tan, which if you pair that with she has been on a submarine forever would say that she might not be white. If you don’t pair those two details together then you miss her race entirely, because she might just be tan. Race could have played an interesting role in a book like this. So honestly, that mattered more to me than the romance. Having the romance be secondary was perfectly fine withe me. I was here for the mystery and the vampires, not boys. Though the first kiss was 100% the way I wanted it to happen. I really appreciated that the bulk of the book focused on the mystery plot, instead of having that as a sub plot. It allowed the characters to have depth and meaning. It also allowed the romance to feel a bit more natural. Have I mentioned that I adore awkward men who aren’t perfect? Rollins seems to have gotten the message even if I have never said it.
I could leave the ending since it felt a little rushed, which is the reason the romance felt rushed to me. If the ending had been a little more open ended, I would have probably given this book five stars. Considering the pages in question were maybe four pages on my kindle, that is a pretty fantastic amount of pages to just not be wild about.
July 25, 2019
Seawoman Tressa Wimple has lived for 20 years on the sea, fixing machines and maintaining engines. Landbound, Tressa is surprised when she comes into a considerable sum of money. She decides to donate that money to the orphanage that raised brother and herself. She wants to give back to the place that took her and her brother in. But her memories of Westwood are not all sunshine and rainbows. Something happened to Tressa there, something terrible. Something that was supposed to be stopped 20 years previous. Determined to solve the mystery, Tressa is helped by her brother and a mysterious, attractive man named Brox. What she finds hidden inside Westwood is evil at its purest. Will Tressa have the strength to confront her past? Will she be able to help the children?
Clockwork Image is a novella that takes place in the Steam and Shadow world. For a book that was 127 pages, the author was able to pack a punch. The plotlines were fast-paced. There were not any dropped storylines. Which I was thankful for. Lately, I have read a few books where some of the storylines disappeared. That drives me nuts!!
What I also liked is that while this book is 4th in the series, it can be read alone. Some of the other characters from the previous books to make an appearance, but they are in and out. The author didn’t linger on them. Again, something that I enjoyed.
I liked Tressa. She was at a loss on what to do with her life after her career ended. She wanted to do good for Westwood even if she had bad memories of the place. So, donating the money she came into seemed like the best thing. I got her confusion when things started happening. Everything seemed to be pointing to that mysterious event in her past.
I did have a small complaint about the event. The author did a great job of keeping everything wraps, but she did it too well. The clues were leaked too far apart. I did start to lose interest in that storyline.
The steampunk angle of the book was terrific. I loved that Tressa spent her entire career maintaining engines and fixing boilers. The author went into detail about what Tressa did while at sea. Tressa fixing Brox’s engine and the beginning scene fascinated me.
I loved the romance angle. I liked that Tressa was struck by Brox as soon as she saw him. I didn’t like that she had such self-doubt about how he felt about her. I liked that Brox wanted to court her. I mean, he asked to kiss her!! But what I liked the most was that there was no sex. It made for a refreshing read..
I do want to comment on Jasper and Tressa’s relationship. At the beginning of the book, I didn’t know what to think about how they interacted. But, everything smoothed out by the end of the book.
The end of Clockwork Image was explosive!! The twist that the author threw in took me by surprise. I couldn’t believe what I was reading!! Of course, I should have known. What happened to that little boy at the beginning of the book should have clued me in.
I would give Clockwork Image an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.
I would reread Clockwork Image. I would recommend it to family and friends.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
Clockwork Image is a novella that takes place in the Steam and Shadow world. For a book that was 127 pages, the author was able to pack a punch. The plotlines were fast-paced. There were not any dropped storylines. Which I was thankful for. Lately, I have read a few books where some of the storylines disappeared. That drives me nuts!!
What I also liked is that while this book is 4th in the series, it can be read alone. Some of the other characters from the previous books to make an appearance, but they are in and out. The author didn’t linger on them. Again, something that I enjoyed.
I liked Tressa. She was at a loss on what to do with her life after her career ended. She wanted to do good for Westwood even if she had bad memories of the place. So, donating the money she came into seemed like the best thing. I got her confusion when things started happening. Everything seemed to be pointing to that mysterious event in her past.
I did have a small complaint about the event. The author did a great job of keeping everything wraps, but she did it too well. The clues were leaked too far apart. I did start to lose interest in that storyline.
The steampunk angle of the book was terrific. I loved that Tressa spent her entire career maintaining engines and fixing boilers. The author went into detail about what Tressa did while at sea. Tressa fixing Brox’s engine and the beginning scene fascinated me.
I loved the romance angle. I liked that Tressa was struck by Brox as soon as she saw him. I didn’t like that she had such self-doubt about how he felt about her. I liked that Brox wanted to court her. I mean, he asked to kiss her!! But what I liked the most was that there was no sex. It made for a refreshing read..
I do want to comment on Jasper and Tressa’s relationship. At the beginning of the book, I didn’t know what to think about how they interacted. But, everything smoothed out by the end of the book.
The end of Clockwork Image was explosive!! The twist that the author threw in took me by surprise. I couldn’t believe what I was reading!! Of course, I should have known. What happened to that little boy at the beginning of the book should have clued me in.
I would give Clockwork Image an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.
I would reread Clockwork Image. I would recommend it to family and friends.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
July 25, 2019
~Steampunk, Victorian, Adventure
~First, I’ll state that I received this book as a gift from the author to read and review.
~This is a ‘steampunk’ themed adventure story. It is set in the Victorian era, where women were not expected to be the main character of the story. It is NOT a harlequin novel. We are given a strong female lead, who has a certain amount of emotional baggage to deal with throughout the story. At first, she has some issues with her brother, and with a male character that she is thrust into working side-by-side with. As the story progresses ALL the characters develop and grow in their relationships and their loyalty to each other.
~And there was a romantic angle to the story also. It was well done…subtle and sweet.
~We have bad guys…villains…both human and supernatural. Neither of these characters are overdone. Yes, they are bad, however they are not presented as overwhelming, world-dominating, super villains.
~I found the story well written and pleasant to read. It held my interest throughout the book. It had plenty of action and adventure…and there were a couple of surprise twists!
~I can definitely recommend this book. Sit back in your rocking chair, put your feet up, and enjoy this refreshing story.
~First, I’ll state that I received this book as a gift from the author to read and review.
~This is a ‘steampunk’ themed adventure story. It is set in the Victorian era, where women were not expected to be the main character of the story. It is NOT a harlequin novel. We are given a strong female lead, who has a certain amount of emotional baggage to deal with throughout the story. At first, she has some issues with her brother, and with a male character that she is thrust into working side-by-side with. As the story progresses ALL the characters develop and grow in their relationships and their loyalty to each other.
~And there was a romantic angle to the story also. It was well done…subtle and sweet.
~We have bad guys…villains…both human and supernatural. Neither of these characters are overdone. Yes, they are bad, however they are not presented as overwhelming, world-dominating, super villains.
~I found the story well written and pleasant to read. It held my interest throughout the book. It had plenty of action and adventure…and there were a couple of surprise twists!
~I can definitely recommend this book. Sit back in your rocking chair, put your feet up, and enjoy this refreshing story.
July 25, 2019
Seawoman Tressa Wimple now in her 40's finds herself back on land and having to face the demons of her past. Westwood Orphanage was a dark time in her life; however, it is also the only place that is willing to take children off the streets. Even though some people were held accountable for the things that happened to the children there Tressa still has issues being near the place. Tressa discovers that the children may still be being abused and to get to the bottom of it all she needs help from her brother and Brox.
Clockwork Image is a novella topping out at 127 pages, but not once did the story feel rushed. The pacing was good from beginning to the end. One thing that they mention in the story and something that our main character recognizes is that everyone has different strengths. Oh, and did I mention the romance in this book is a slow burn. I won't lie I wanted it to happen through the whole book.
This may be the 3rd Shadow and Seam book but they are all standalones at least as of now. There is another one coming out on the 20th of August!
Clockwork Image is a novella topping out at 127 pages, but not once did the story feel rushed. The pacing was good from beginning to the end. One thing that they mention in the story and something that our main character recognizes is that everyone has different strengths. Oh, and did I mention the romance in this book is a slow burn. I won't lie I wanted it to happen through the whole book.
This may be the 3rd Shadow and Seam book but they are all standalones at least as of now. There is another one coming out on the 20th of August!
August 24, 2019
First read from this author, was not disappointed. First off was super happy that there was no sex, just a kiss here and there, romance was on the back burner but geez, I felt butterflies waiting for the next kiss.
Second, I loved that Tressa was an older woman (40/s) life begins at 40!!
Third, her job, Seawoman Tressa Wimple has been away on ships fixing and maintaining engines, boilers, definitely an original storyline for me and there's vampires, ok not many but at least they're there.
Fourth, she's a woman with a heart, she's comes into some money and decides to donate it all to the orphanage where she and her younger brother grew up, this is despite the nightmares she has of what she experienced there, she wants a better future for the children but nothing is ever that simple.
Only complaint, I knew it was a novella but I wish it were longer.
Second, I loved that Tressa was an older woman (40/s) life begins at 40!!
Third, her job, Seawoman Tressa Wimple has been away on ships fixing and maintaining engines, boilers, definitely an original storyline for me and there's vampires, ok not many but at least they're there.
Fourth, she's a woman with a heart, she's comes into some money and decides to donate it all to the orphanage where she and her younger brother grew up, this is despite the nightmares she has of what she experienced there, she wants a better future for the children but nothing is ever that simple.
Only complaint, I knew it was a novella but I wish it were longer.
July 29, 2019
So this was better than the second book for sure. It was more interesting although it seemed short to me. The story moved at a good pace and I found it fairly interesting. The romance seemed to heat up pretty quickly, certainly in contrast to book 2. I enjoyed the heroine’s penchant for fixing mechanical things and was pleased to find out more about Tressa. Not sure I’ll continue on with the series since it was just ‘meh’ for me.
August 20, 2019
Superb story!
The story starts on a roll, and never stops. There was no question of me putting this down to read later. The tale is of a time and place familiar it strange, with protagonist characters that are as yet unmet friends.
The hidden secrets are crucial yet frustrating, and the reader yearns to know, yet fears, what is hidden behind the sealed door.
Dare to experience the journey!
The story starts on a roll, and never stops. There was no question of me putting this down to read later. The tale is of a time and place familiar it strange, with protagonist characters that are as yet unmet friends.
The hidden secrets are crucial yet frustrating, and the reader yearns to know, yet fears, what is hidden behind the sealed door.
Dare to experience the journey!
August 18, 2019
An original story
About an orphan goNe right. Steam punk London is a bed of deceit and cruelty but when a horror returns that was thought vanquished this sister and brother are the ones to do it
About an orphan goNe right. Steam punk London is a bed of deceit and cruelty but when a horror returns that was thought vanquished this sister and brother are the ones to do it
August 27, 2019
Worth reading
Refreshing, unexpected characters hooked me and the fast pace kept me going straight through to the end. Needs more gadgets developed and explored in the storyline.
Refreshing, unexpected characters hooked me and the fast pace kept me going straight through to the end. Needs more gadgets developed and explored in the storyline.
December 15, 2019
I really enjoyed this story. The steam punk was fun and intriguing. Rollins has a great way with words, and I enjoy reading her books.
October 2, 2021
This was a fun story that makes me want to read the others in the series.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews