Hi all:
I bring you two stories (well, one story, two books) by an author and blogger I met many years back (shortly after I started blogging) whose stories, imagination, and creative process (not limited to writing either) have always fascinated me. She is multitalented, and I was lucky enough to get an illustrated copy of these two books, although, unfortunately, due to restrictions on images and confusion about Amazon rules on the use of AI the final version doesn’t contain the images the author worked so hard to create. The story is wonderful nonetheless, and I recommend both books wholeheartedly.
First, a bit about the author:
Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene is certain that the pen is in your hand. After a life shaped by the tragedy of losing a sibling to Mµnchaµsen Syndrome by Proxy, along with the abuse she herself survived, Teagan took that metaphorical pen into her hand. She wrote her way to a new chapter of life with a successful career authoring and editing technical documentation. With another revision that pen took her to the next chapter, working alongside highly placed Federal executives to compose their communications. However, Teagan wasn’t finished. The pen was still in her hand. In her latest chapter she is an acclaimed multi-genre author, living in a high desert town in the Southwest of the USA. Rescue cats, the §coobies — Velma and Daphne, offer unsolicited advice on all stories, as well as the book covers Teagan designs.
This author’s stories range from paranormal to high fantasy and urban fantasy, to various steampunk (and other types of punk), to mysteries with historic settings. In addition to fiction, she has created the Author Tool Chest series of non-fiction works as resources for writers and anyone who loves language. In free time she enjoys conversations with friends, singing karaoke, and playing her piano.
See her book trailer videos at Youtube.
You can find her blog with plenty of information here
And now, the books:
The Delta Pearl. A Steampunk Riverboat. Book 1 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene
Unbridled whimsy for all ages. The Delta Pearl is a shining, opulent take on the often dark steampunk genre. It’s also the coming-of-age story of a young woman with a painful past, in an era of change. However, adventure takes centerstage.
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The magical riverboat has a full complement of crew, all of whom have gemstone names, but they also use their positions as names, like the Captain, the Cook, and the Dealer. Then there’s the Delta Pearl — the riverboat herself, who is the most mysterious of all.
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Rescued and brought aboard the riverboat as a young child, Émeraude now approaches her sixteenth birthday, but she is uncertain where she fits in that hierarchy.
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The riverboat has taken on an array of intriguing passengers. Émeraude has taken a fancy to a particular young inventor. As for the rest, any and all of them spell trouble. Mystery and danger flow with each turn of the paddlewheel.
My review:
I thank the publisher for providing me with an early ARC copy of the book (one with illustrations that could not be included in the final version) which I freely chose to review.
I discovered Riordáin Geneviene through her blog many years back. I was impressed by her ability to create serials based on the suggestions of her followers. She created the three-thing method, whereby she would ask her readers to post three things (sometimes within a certain category or belonging to a time, others totally free), that she would later use to create her stories. It was always amazing to see how she incorporated the elements suggested while moving the story forward, creating characters readers cared for and plots full of imagination, whimsy, and more than a bit of magic. Her talent left me awestruck, and I have since read her novels, novellas, short stories, and most of what she has published. And that includes her non-fiction work, the fruit of her research into language, habits, and usages of past historical eras, which provides a truly useful resource to readers, students, and creatives interested in those topics.
After a lot of her readers asked her to turn some of her serials into books, she has been doing that, and that allows new readers to discover the joys of these stories, whilst those of us who might have read the originals as they were published can revisit and marvel at how well it all fits together. It is always a joy to visit again the settings and meet the characters of this author, because by the end of the serial they have become close companions and friends, and we sorely miss them.
I find it difficult to choose a favourite among her serials, as there are always things or characters that are special to me in all of them, but I must say the Delta Pearl is one of those where everything seems to have come together, steampunk at its best and most imaginative. The setting is magical and enchanting: a very “special” steamboat in the Mississippi, where we meet Émeraude, a young woman about to celebrate her sweet sixteenth birthday, and the rest of the crew. They all have names featuring precious gemstones, and their connection to the Delta Pearl goes well beyond just working there. The Delta Pearl “chooses” or “adopts” people, and it can react to different circumstances that might destabilize it.
Apart from the crew, we meet some wonderful creatures that live there as well, and I am a big fan of Onyx and Amethyst, and no, I won’t tell you who (or what)) they are. You’ll have to find out when you read it.
And, then there are the passengers. Some are hiding things, some are trying to learn things, some are inventors and might have more than a passing connection with the Delta Pearl, and some might have dark designs.
There are plenty of adventures, mysteries (there is a portrait that looks suspiciously familiar to Émeraude, a cameo whose story she knows little about, a huge diamond that goes missing, and a strange, and a menacing black cloud that seems to have a mind of its own), threats, secrets, fabulous contraptions, automatons, and many other things you cannot even imagine. Yes, a little bit of romance as well, of course!
The story is told in the first-person from Émeraude’s point of view, and despite all I’ve said, don’t be mistaken. It is not all fun and games. There is a depth to the characters and, Émeraude in particular, has a difficult past to contend with, and there are other dark things at work.
Anybody who thinks the era of the big paddleboats is interesting, enjoys adventures and mysteries, and likes mixed-genres of the steam-punk variety, should read this book. We have superb female characters (the males aren’t bad either), all sorts of intriguing and dangerous goings-ons, machines and contraptions to whet anybody’s appetite and much more. My only warning is that this volume doesn’t tell the whole story, so make sure to get the two volumes, because you are likely to read through it very quickly and want to move on to the second and last volume straight on. A fun and exciting reading experience.
The Geostrophic Pearl. The Delta Pearl. Book 2 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene
Unbridled whimsy for all ages. The Geostrophic Pearl picks up immediately after The Delta Pearl. Émeraude is safe (for now) from the still unseen foe, but dangers escalate as she becomes determined to unravel the mystery of The Delta Pearl, and save the rapidly deteriorating Blue John Boulton.
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The magical riverboat shifts into a time rift and her entire world is in danger. Then the danger that stayed hidden in Book-1 comes to the forefront. Émeraude, Victor, and the clockworks must work with an unexpected person to heal more than the First Mate if Émeraude is to meet her destiny. A character prepares to make a huge sacrifice.
My review:
I thank the publisher for providing me with an early ARC copy of the book (one with illustrations that could not be included in the final version) which I freely chose to review.
Before I say anything else, if anybody got to this book without realising it is the second in a short series, The Delta Pearl, you should go and read The Delta Pearl: A Steampunk Riverboat, first, because the author has built a wonderfully detailed universe, adapting her own successful blog serial, and these two books tell a complete story and cannot be read independently or out of order.
Now that is established, let me tell you that all of you who got here after reading part 1 are in for a treat. If you enjoyed the adventures of Émeraude, the crew of the Delta Pearl (all of them with gemstone names and all of them connected to the riverboat in ways that go beyond simple employees), and the passengers (some of them who fitted into its adventures extremely and uncannily well), you will be happy to know that there is much more wonder and magic to come. And if, like me, you loved the clockwork creatures that dotted the pages of the Delta Pearl, you have seen nothing yet!
We learn about what was behind the dark mysterious dark cloud that kept following the riverboat and had dark designs on Émeraude, and we get to understand the meaning behind the painting whose resemblance to Émeraude had entranced her and kept her guessing. In this part of the story, the motif of the double (Doppelgänger) takes on a lot of importance, and although it is possible to think about dark halves and opposites as we read the book, things are not as clear-cut as they might appear.
Romance blossoms, experiments, and inventions are developed and tried, voodoo and potions play a part, and all the characters are put to the test, especially Émeraude, who grows in determination, confidence, and strength thanks to help from unexpected quarters. She initially bulks at her destiny/inheritance —which she does not think she is ready for— but by the end of the story she has a firm grip on her future and her happiness.
I loved the new characters we discover (some that had been referred to before): people and creatures and everything in between (and you’ll have to read the whole story to know what I mean), and I loved the ending and how it leaves us with a question or several.
I am sure I am not the only one who’d be happy to read more adventures set in this universe, and all its readers will be sorry to abandon this world of wonder and magic.
Recommended to anybody who enjoys steampunk, fantasy, magic, has an imagination, and likes to leave reality behind for a while and travel to worlds beyond ours, where the usual rules don’t apply. Although most readers will feel compelled to read it as fast as possible, this is a book that also works very well for those who don’t have a lot of time to read and might read in short bursts, as its chapters are short and, as is typical with mysteries, there are moments where the characters gather the evidence and clues and events are explained, so it is very easy to follow the story and not get lost, no matter how much time one has or at what pace they can read. No excuses not to read this story and discover this multitalented author if you haven’t yet.
And I leave you with a powerful and inspiring quote from the story:
When you find inner strength which you never knew you possessed, this is when you save yourself.
Thanks to the author for this wonderful series, thanks to all of you for reading, and remember to like, share, comment, click, and above all, keep smiling. Have fun!
Just Olga 