Even more info on the books:

Here’s are the blurbs for the 4 novellas inside this collection, along with my reviews:

Spectacle of the Spring Queen: Mae Wright has always dreamed of opening her own seamstress shop, and when she inherits a premises in the illustrious city of Soldark, she thinks her dreams have come true. But misfortune strikes the moment she steps foot in the city, when she loses her money and her things after saving her dog from falling into the port. With the help of a local theater and its mysterious director, she’ll need to get back on her feet–but will her dreams of becoming a seamstress be the same after finding a new life in the theater?

My Review:

This novella follows Mae as she sets out for an exciting new life in the big city, only to be met with bad luck at every turn.

I was really impressed with Mae’s positive attitude. Whenever something goes wrong she resolves to power through and work hard to improve her situation.

When it gets too tough, she finds help from an unlikely source. The theater is looking for a new costumer and she is a seamstress. How fortunate.

I loved the eclectic cast and the general theater atmosphere. The steampunk element shines in the mechanical engineering of the stage production.

This was an enjoyable and uplifting read that made me want to go see a live theater performance.

The Mechanical Masquerade: Verity Pennington has always wanted to attend the Midsummer Masquerade ball held by the elite society in Soldark. And when her best friend tells her she’s moving, and it’s their last chance to get in, Verity must tap into her creative side to pull off a mask that will allow her entrance. When a thief steals valuable clock plans from her father’s shop, and Verity knows he’s going to be at the ball, getting in isn’t just a fanciful idea anymore, but a daring escapade.

My Review:

How to describe this novella? It’s not quite a mystery, but also not exactly a heist, spy mission or even a romance. Without ruining the story all I can really say is that there was a theft and there is a plan to recover what was taken, but there will be twists along the way.

True to its summer theme, this story will make you wish you could go to a fair, and eat shaved Ice and funnel cakes. The Clockwork imagery is fantastical and the descriptions of the ball are gorgeous. The villain is truly nasty, and the heroine is brilliant. The Mechanical Masquerade is one you will want to attend.

All Hallows Airship: After a childhood illness, Caz Coppersdown is finally heading out of Soldark on her own, though she doesn’t consider her great aunt’s estate anything exciting. She’s more interested in tracking down a big news story that’ll get her published in the Soldark Times, but her aunt’s All Hallows soiree doesn’t seem too newsworthy. That is, until a catastrophic blast in town points fingers at innocent people. She’ll need to dig for facts quickly, because the constables are calling…

My Review:

I enjoyed this short Steampunk novella. It had a great Autum vibe with Halloween trappings without being creepy or overly scary.

All Hallows Airship has no supernatural elements. But it does have are a cute airship pilot and a mystery to solve.

This is the perfect story to get in the seasonal mood without worrying about nightmares.

The Clockwork Ice Dragon: Aurelia Sundon finally has a chance to get into the illustrious Inventor’s Guild. The only problem? The deadline for submitting her invention is Christmas Day. She thinks she’ll be able to swing it, until her ex-boyfriend shows her his competing invention, which has gone out of control and is covering the city in snow. As she decides whether to help him, the snow is getting deeper, and the clock is ticking..

My Review:

The Clockwork Ice Dragon is a delightful holiday tale of high hopes and determination. It’s also a light romance, about a guy just trying to impress a girl. He goes about it all wrong and a cautionary tale about how people do not know how to drive in snow.

I loved the fun steampunk aesthetic of this story. It would make a fun read for any time of the year but setting it at Christmas time added a certain context of wonder that made it special.