A SPARK UNSEEN by Sharon Cameron

Rating: A-

Release Date: 09/24/13

Synopsis:

The thrilling sequel to Sharon Cameron's blockbuster gothic steampunk romance, THE DARK UNWINDING, will captivate readers anew with mystery and intrigue aplenty.

When Katharine Tulman wakes in the middle of the night and accidentally foils a kidnapping attempt on her uncle, she realizes Stranwyne Keep is no longer safe for Uncle Tully and his genius inventions. She flees to Paris, where she hopes to remain undetected and also find the mysterious and handsome Lane, who is suspected to be dead.

But the search for Lane is not easy, and Katharine soon finds herself embroiled in a labyrinth of political intrigue. And with unexpected enemies and allies at every turn, Katharine will have to figure out whom she can trust--if anyone--to protect her uncle from danger once and for all.

Filled with deadly twists, whispering romance, and heart-stopping suspense, this sequel to THE DARK UNWINDING whisks readers off on another thrilling adventure.

My thoughts on the book:

A Spark Unseen whisks readers off to Paris in an effort to hide from not one, but two corrupt governments, giving this novel a sense of urgency and making it difficult to put down. By showing the light and dark side of eccentricities - and human nature in general - this novel argues that people are not always what they seem and that one must not judge based on first impressions alone. With endearing main characters and a suspenseful plot, A Spark Unseen should be on everyone's must-read list. 

Katharine does not grow immensely in this novel, but she does learn to stand on her own quite a bit more. I can't wait to see how she grows in the next installment. She didn't have time to deal with many of the occurrences in this book, so I know the next one will be full of character growth for her. Uncle Tully, on the other hand, grows quite a bit. I was surprised by that, foolishly thinking that he had grown all that he could and was stagnant now - due to his age more than his condition. I admit that I am ashamed for thinking that way, ageism is not becoming, and I am glad that Cameron proved me wrong. Tully also showed great insight at many points throughout the book, which displays how astute he can be when he's not focused on his work. I have a feeling that Mary, like Katharine, will do most of her growing in the next installment. She really impressed me a few times, though, and I can't wait to see what Cameron has in store for this character. 

The plot is full of mystery and suspense. Cameron really puts her characters through the ringer in this book. Poor Katharine has a terribly difficult time. I was genuinely worried for her several times throughout the story. This is a bridge book, definitely, but it also has an intriguing plot and stands on its own. However because of the multitude of occurrences in this novel that were not dealt with, I foresee the next installment focusing more on the characters than the plot. I am interested to see how these events will affect the characters and the new characters will fit into future stories. The setting was lacking, in my opinion. I absolutely adore France, and I didn't feel like Cameron really described Paris at all. The story could have been set anywhere due to the lack of description, and I felt that was an injustice to such a marvelous city. Aside from random French phrases being thrown around, I really didn't get a sense that the characters were in France at all. The pacing is spot on, and I did not get bored once. The ending wraps up the main problem of this book, but so many new problems were introduced that there is more than enough room for several future installments, and I am glad for that. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book and series to those who enjoy Steam Punk novels that are more historically accurate than the run-of-the-mill "futuristic" devices and gender roles. Cameron seems very adamant to keep social norms for the time period in place, and transportation and other such technologies keep with the times. The only thing that makes this Steam Punk is the clockwork devices that Uncle Tully builds. But I digress. If you enjoy historical fiction with a touch of clockwork goodies, then this series is definitely for you. 

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