Crossing Over: Steampunk Supernatural Adventures

Hey all. It's time for this month's Crossing Over post. If you're not familiar with Crossing Over it's a feature that stemmed from my desire to recommend an adult book with crossover appeal based on a YA or sometimes Middle Grade book that are similar. I hate that we pigeonhole books into a specific age range and so I try to combat that. Plus it's basically an if you liked, then try but for crossover books. It runs once a month (usually) here and I pick the books based on the theme of what I'm reading. So this month my focus is twofold, steampunk and science fiction but when thinking about which one I was going to do for this post the obvious choice was steampunk.

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
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I really enjoyed this series but if I am being entirely honest, I didn't love the first book. It's a series that gets better as it develops. But by the last book I was totally invested, both emotionally and intellectually in the outcome of the book. And I am still not over that ending!

This is a book the effortlessly combines a bunch of different elements that you wouldn't think would work well together and they do. Not only is it historical fiction with great elements about society and a woman's place in it, but it also has fantastic steampunk elements, and a mysterious plot that revolves around supernatural creatures. That's right, there are zombies in this book.

The best thing about this book however is the characters. It is a book full of interesting and likable characters, starting with the main character. Eleanor Fitt is a young women who has never really felt like she fit in with her society, but she's tough, plucky, and resourceful which makes her a great heroine. There also some fantastic secondary characters in the Spirit-Hunters, and a good love to hate relationship courtesy of one Daniel Sheridan who is pretty swoonworthy. Not to mention some great villains who are pretty odious and characters that walk a very fine line between good and evil, which I always like.

Throughout the series you are taken to different places throughout the world including France and Egypt, all in the name of adventure and mystery. It really is a great series that combines history, mystery, and fantasy really well.

Soulless by Gail Carriger
My Review to Come/ Add to Goodreads

It feels strange to mention a book that I haven't finished in one of these posts (I'm almost done!) but I really couldn't not mention it. I mean it is a really great steampunk story and has a ton of crossover appeal. Plus it does remind me a lot of Something Strange and Deadly so I think people who like one will really enjoy the other.

Soulless is a book the effortlessly combines a bunch of different elements that you wouldn't think would work well together and they do. Not only is it historical fiction with great elements about society and a woman's place in it, but it also has fantastic steampunk elements, and a mysterious plot that revolves around supernatural creatures. That's right, there are vampires and werewolves (amung other things) in this book.

The best thing about this book however is the characters. It is a book full of interesting and likable characters, starting with the main character. Alexia Tarabotti is such a spitfire. She doesn't quite fit in with her society, and that goes deeper than the fact that she preternatural. But she's tough, plucky, and resourceful which makes her a great heroine. There also some fantastic secondary characters. Great friendships in Ivy Hisslepenny and Lord Akeldama (the names in this book, you guys) and a good love to hate relationship courtesy of one Lord Maccon who is pretty swoonworthy (I will always and forever be Team Werewolf). Not to mention some great villains who are pretty odious and characters that walk a very fine line between good and evil, which I always like.

And a cursory scan of the covers for the rest of the series makes me think that I will also be taken to different places throughout the world including France and Egypt, all in the name of adventure and mystery, I hope. But seriously, even though I am not done I am really loving this book. It does a great job in how it combines history, mystery, and fantasy really well.

These are both good examples of books I think can combine genres really well. I'm all about historical fantasies and these take that and add steampunk elements their great. The obvious choice when recommending crossover Gail Carriger books is to recommend her other series like the Finishing School series which is like a lower YA or the Custard Protocol which is YA and I hope to read when I am done with this series. But like I said, I think the Something Strange and Deadly series is really similar.

Both series combine steampunk Victorian settings with supernatural creatures to make books full of adventure and mystery. Both books have spunky female heroines who are trying to navigate their places in society while fighting for or against these supernatural threats. Plus both main characters use a parasol as their weapon of choice. I think if you enjoyed one of these series, you should totally try the other.

Have you read Something Strange and Deadly and/or Soulless? What did you think? What steampunk novels with crossover appeal do you like? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!