The Dark Unwinding ~ Sharon Cameron

Title: The Dark Unwinding
Author: Sharon Cameron
Publisher: Scholastic
Page count: 318
Author website: www.sharoncameronbooks.com

From GoodReads:
A spine-tingling tale of steampunk and spies, intrigue and heart-racing romance!

When Katharine Tulman's inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London.

Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply. And her choices are made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a secretive student, and fears for her own sanity.

As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle's world at stake, but also the state of England as Katharine knows it. With twists and turns at every corner, this heart-racing adventure will captivate readers with its intrigue, thrills, and romance.


The Dark Unwinding was one of those books in which I went in to it clueless. What do I mean? Well, it was new, a debut author, and had an interesting cover. So I picked it up from the library. But I honestly never read the jacket synopsis! I assume it was going to be steampunkish in nature. It kind of was, but it was also gothic. Either way, I enjoyed it!

There was a little bit of slowness at first for me, but once the story picked up (about a quarter into it) I was hooked. The story was fresh and entertaining. There was inventions, mystery, romance, and deception. But for poor Katharine, it isn't exactly a happy time. She is sent to the family estate to declare her wayward uncle a lunatic and have him committed. But once she arrives, Katharine realizes that things are not quite as they appear. If she declares her uncle she puts hundreds of people (including children) on the street. Is that something she is willing to do?

The more time she spends with her Uncle Tully and Lane, the more confused and conflicted she becomes. And then there is the matter of her "spells" she begins to experience. What exactly is going on at Strawnwyne Keep? And what is with her uncle who at the best of times acts like a child? And carries on with childlike rules and activities, yet who is an inventive genius.


Again, I enjoyed The Dark Unwinding very much. I had only one chief complaint. The family history/tree was confusing. I thought Uncle Tully was the husband of the aunt who sent Katharine on the 'mission.' But I was wrong, and I didn't realize it till much later in the book. Maybe it was just me, but I was sooo confused! lol
Luckily there was no real love triangle. There was nothing paranormal about the book, nothing fantastical. Honestly, it read more like a historical fiction piece than anything else, and it was honestly a breath of fresh air!

Highly enjoyable. Grab this one and give it a whirl!

"Big things can be little."
 "Or sometimes little things can be big."

Masque of the Red Death ~ Bethany Griffin

A review copy was provided by the DAC Tours

Araby lives surrounded by death and contagion. To help protect against contagion, masks are worn-but only by those who can afford them. To show that you are not sick, people, but especially women, wear shorter dresses, trying to expose as much skin as possible.

Araby and her friend April are frequent visitors to the Debauchery Club. Yes, it is exactly as it sounds. Anything that is deemed debauchery is available there. Meanwhile, Prince Prospero sits in his castle waiting for his steamship construction to be complete.

Life goes on, even though Araby is depressed. Then April disappears and her brother comes to Araby for help. At this point in the story Araby enters the dreaded love triangle.

Anyway, that's pretty much the book in a nutshell. There is an underground revolution, betrayals, truths, etc. A new illness emerges, and begins its destruction: The Red Death. No one is immune.

So that is what we are left with. An escape and somewhat of a cliffhanger. So obviously there will be a sequel. A sequel that I will skip.

To be honest, I was excited to read this book. I love the cover, and I found the idea fascinating. However, I had trouble keeping my interest in the book. I forced myself to read it, and even skipped over a few pages to help. I also didn't feel it was very steampunk, even though that is one of the genres for it. With the exception of the steam carriages and the airship was there some steampunk I missed?