Novella Review – Goblins and Snowflakes (Steampunk Fairy Tale, Book 5) by Melanie Karsak (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Length: 200 pages
Publisher: Clockpunk Press
Release Date: November 13, 2018
ASIN : B07KH4RLFR
Stand Alone or Series: 5th book in the Steampunk Fairy Tale series
Source: Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Scarlette Rossetti thought her stay at Strawberry Hill Castle during the Christmas holiday would pass by uneventfully. She couldn’t have been more wrong. Enticed by the delights of the nearby village of Twickenham, Scarlette’s life would change in unimaginable ways.
She never expected to be drawn magnetically to The Two Sisters Doll Shop and Toy Emporium.
Scarlette didn’t guess that tinkering clockwork gnomes could have supernatural consequences.
And she didn’t know that one should never, ever, bargain with goblin men.
But during the Christmas season, magic is always brewing.”
Series Info/Source: This is the fifth book (more like a novella) in the Steampunk Fairy Tales series. I borrowed this through Kindle Unlimited.
Story (4/5): This is a very cute winter holiday story. Scarlette is staying at her Uncle’s while her father travels, her Uncle resides in the village of Twickenham. Scarlette likes to stay busy and has taken to helping the pair of older sisters that runs the local toy store. They task her with figuring out how to make a toy piano player and Scarlette is up to the challenge. Meanwhile her uncle is hosting the Rude Mechanicals for the holidays, including a rather handsome young inventor who is drawn to Scarlette for both her tinkering talent and kind nature. When Scarlette starts tinkering with clockwork gnomes and strange goblin men get involved she finds that there is more than romance in the air, there may be magic as well.
I enjoyed this story a lot. It’s a cute and magical holiday read, that is fun and romantic. It leaves you feeling happy and light-hearted. This book is a precursor to other books in this series and describes the formation of the Red Cape Society (which is featured both in books in the Steampunk Fairy Tale series and in the Steampunk Red Riding Hood series).
Characters (4/5): Scarlette is a woman of privilege who goes out of her way to make sure everyone in Twickenham village is taken care of. I loved her kind and inquisitive nature, she was easy to engage with and fun to read about. Pretty much all of the characters in here were like that. They were all well developed, kind, and creative types.
Setting (4/5): Twickenham village is a magical winter setting that I really enjoyed getting to know. The description here is magical and makes it easy to picture the town and its simple winter beauty.
Writing Style (4/5): This is well written and easy to read. I enjoyed how both the story of “The Elves and the Shoemaker” and the poem of “The Goblin Market” were incorporated into this steampunk setting. I enjoyed this story a lot and thought it was all in all well done.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a really well done story and a fun addition to the Steampunk Fairy Tales world. It is a sweet story and has a very wintery magical feel to it. I would recommend this story if you are looking for a heartwarming and magical story to read during the holiday season, especially if you enjoy steampunk worlds.
