3.5 on the Masq Scale. Nefertiti's Heart by @AWExley #fantasy #steampunk #bookreview
Cover links to Amazon.com
Nefertiti's Heart
Written by A.W. Exley
Follow @AWExley
Genre: Fantasy, Steampunk
Book Synopsis
Cara Devon has always suffered curiosity and impetuousness, but tangling with a serial killer might cure that. Permanently.
Her Majesty's Enforcers are in pursuit of the murderer and they see a connection between the gruesome deaths and Cara. So does she, somewhere in London her father hid Nefertiti's Heart, a fist sized diamond with strange mechanical workings. Adding further complication to her life, notorious crime lord, Viscount Nathaniel Lyons is relentless in his desire to lay his hands on Cara and the priceless artifact. If only she could figure out his motive.
Self-preservation fuels Cara's search for the gem. In a society where everyone wears a mask to hide their true intent, she needs to figure out who to trust, before she makes a fatal mistake.
Diantha's Review
Steampunk is quickly becoming one of my favorite genres. I’d had my eye on this book on Amazon for months (look at that beautiful cover!), so when the author appeared here on our site, I was like WHAAAA??? Let me get Nefertiti’s Heart! She gave it to me, and I tried to hold off, but like I said, I’ve been eyeballing this book for forever.
The beginning is intriguing and I immediately liked the main character, Cara. From the jump, we learn that she’s tough, snarky, and will put a bullet in you if she has to. Plain and simple. Oh, and Cara was a BOXER. How can you not like a heroine like that?
I’m not going to waste words rehashing the plot. Read the synopsis. That’s what it’s about. I will say there is a fantastic murder mystery at the center of it, however, the killer was kind of obvious to me. Didn’t stop the crimes from being shocking. Killer was cray-cray! But there’s your mystery/suspense, you sleuth-heads, and it was rather intriguing.
Enter Viscount Nathaniel Lyons and we’ve got our romance, lovebirds. It moved kind of fast, but I didn’t care. Hot, sexy crime lords have a way of convincing you to turn a blind eye to things that might otherwise drive you mad. I really enjoyed the way he and Cara were together. They were actually the “PERFECT” couple. Read the book and find out why.
My main complaint is there wasn’t enough steampunk elements to me. We had the robotic horses and carriages, and then there was the fashion and the artifacts (such as Nefertiti’s Heart). Oh! And the servers in the restaurants were cyborgs, I believe, among other places. Lyons owned an airship...okay, maybe I’m just being picky. But I DID expect more action and adventure. With Lyons basically existing as an air-PIRATE, I was sure there would be some amazing swash-buckling adventures. But alas, there were not. The entire story took place in London and was more focused on the murders and Cara’s romance with Lyons. Not really a bad thing, but I just had different expectations.
Overall, a fast read that I enjoyed. Cara was a great heroine to follow and I would not mind one bit if the author continues Cara’s story, though she may take the series other places. It would be a welcome treat either way.
Review Disclaimer: Book provided in exchange for an honest review.
Content Disclaimer: Marked mature due to sex.
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