Review – Howls and Hallows (Steampunk Red Riding Hood, Book 5) by Melanie Karsak (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Length: 194 pages
Publisher: Clockpunk Press
Release Date: September 25, 2018
ASIN : B07G477MZL
Stand Alone or Series: 5th book in the Steampunk Red Riding Hood series
Source: Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Busy tracking down thieving werewolves in London, Clemeny is surprised when Edwin asks her to lead a new case in the Fenlands of east England.
The Cabell family is haunted by a curse. Something in the misty moors surrounding Cabell Manor has come howling just days before the exclusive All Hallows Ball. How gauche. But London’s best agent is on the case.
Clemeny soon finds herself learning the ropes of polite society while hunting an apparition on the foggy fens. She’ll need to solve the case quickly if she hopes to be the belle–not the bruiser–of the ball.”
Series Info/Source: This is the fifth book in the Steampunk Red Riding Hood series, I borrowed this for my Kindle through Kindle Unlimited.
Story (4/5): Edwin asks Clemeny to journey out to the Fenlands of east England in order to help the Cabell family deal with a curse. Lord Cabell disturbed a part of the fens he shouldn’t have and now something is hunting the Cabell family. Lord Cabell’s sister wants the issue dealt with before their annual renown Halloween Ball. Edwin plans to journey out later to the Ball which his family will also be attending and hopes Clemeny will stay on to join him.
There was a lot I liked about this story. This was a well done mystery and it unravels a bit more of Clemeny’s past, as she has to deal with some rather unconventional “monsters” in the fens.
Characters (4/5): Clemency continues to grow as a character and I loved some of the things she learns about her past in this book. Edwin is absent most of the book and ends up being somewhat disappointing in the end. However, Harper is back in the story and I really enjoy her a lot. We also get to meet some new interesting characters that I enjoyed. In general characterization is fairly well done in this book; sometimes it’s a bit inconsistent but generally I enjoy it.
Setting (4/5): I loved the creepy setting in the foggy fens of England. The settings are very creepy and very well described, they really come alive for the reader. The majority of the story takes place in this creepy manner and in the land around it and I enjoyed it a lot.
Writing Style (4/5): As with previous books in this series this book moves at a good pace, has a good mystery, and some decent action. I enjoy Clemeny’s search for information her past and liked the setting for this book. I also enjoyed the inclusion of more druidic mythology. Unfortunately, also like previous books this still feels just a bit unfinished or unpolished. Sometimes the plot is a bit inconsistent or things just don’t quite seem right. I know I complain about this everytime, I really feel like Karsak’s books are soooo close to being absolutely amazing, that the little bit of polish they are missing bothers me. I can never quite put my finger on exactly why these feel a bit unpolished….
My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this and like that the larger story of Cemeny’s past makes some good progress here. There is a lot of action, werewolves, and some druidic magic here. This is a fast and easy read that is entertaining and generally well done. I would recommend it to those who enjoy quick, fun steampunk reads with a good mystery and a lot of action.
