Short but Sweet

This, the second in the Magnificent Devices series has the same good and bad points as the first (Lady of Devices).

It's well-written with a charming, Austenesque wit but it is far too short and leaves most of the major plot points unresolved.

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Great Steampunk Adventure

I did enjoy this. I have not given it a five star rating for two reasons. Although I enjoyed the narrator's performance, I did get pulled out of the story occasionally by an incorrect emphasis on certain words which didn't really make sense. I was drawn into the story and liked the development of the characters from the first story, they are easy to like (or dislike in the case of James) I'm not really keen on 'cliffhanger' endings although they are a good way of enticing the listener/reader to purchase the next in the series. My only other criticism is that in Britain, in Victorian times, the heroine's 'majority' when she would be free of her parents' influence, would have been when she reached the age of 21 rather than 18. Apart from these few niggles it's a 'rattling good yarn' and I look forward to the next one.

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Another excellent story fabulously narrated!

I LOVE these books - they are fabulously narrated, with great character and spirit, and really bring the story to life! So much so that I had to listen to the whole thing once started, and now I'm moving straight on to the rest of the series asap! This book was even more full of adventure than the first, with mischievous children, escaping lunatics, mad scientists, snobby bloods... A fantastic array of characters, events and - of course! - devices!
I cannot recommend these books enough to all adventure lovers, whatever your age

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Spoiled by. Poor narration with. Awkward pauses.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narration. It drove me mad in the first book, but I wanted to know where the story was going so bought book 2. I won't be buying any further books from the series as my annoyance at the long pauses, badly placed emphasis and weird breaks (for breath?) now outweighs my desire to know what happens to the characters.

What didn’t you like about Fiona Hardingham’s performance?

Everything. Seriously. Wrong pauses. Wrong emphasis... I found my self missing whole sections of the story as I attempted to work out what she had actually meant by what she said. For example, there's a difference between "hitting him DEAD. In the centre of his CHEST" and "hitting him dead in the centre of his chest"...

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1 person found this helpful