Magic Mirrors Tour: The Seven Drawers Review

Happy Halloween, y'all! It's the one day of the year when you have an undeniable excuse to cosplay in public! Sadly, it's also the last day of the Magic Mirrors blog tour . . . but we're finishing up with an awesome book: Kendra E. Ardnek's The Seven Drawers. I got to read multiple versions of this story, and I loved all of them, so naturally I had to review the book for the tour. But we'll get to that in a minute — first, a bit about the book and author.

About the Book

Gwen's life has been absolute misery for the last two months. Her father died, she was written out of the will, her stepmother kicked her out of the house, and, in that time, she's not heard a word from her boyfriend of five years. 

And she might be suffering from insanity. A chest of drawers just appeared at the foot of her bed, and as she opens each drawer, she's spirited away to another realm where she finds herself in increasingly bizarr prisons, each the fault of her stepmother.

Can she win back her life - and kingdoms? - from her stepmother? Or will Editha win?

Find it on: Amazon || Goodreads

 

 

 

 

About the Author

Kendra E. Ardnek loves fairytales and twisting them in new and exciting ways. She’s been or acting them on her dozen plus cousins and siblings for years. “Finish your story, Kendra,” is frequently heard at family gatherings. Her sole life goal has always been to grow up and be an author of fantasy and children’s tales that glorify God and His Word.

Find her online at: Website || Blog || Goodreads || Facebook || Twitter || Amazon  

 

 

My Review

One thing's for sure: no one can ever accuse Kendra E. Ardnek of having unoriginal ideas. Nor can they accuse her of failing to pull off even the craziest of those ideas. Even the ideas that you think could never work, not in a hundred years, somehow do, often magnificently. The Seven Drawers, her second retelling of the story of Snow White, is no exception.

The Seven Drawers was, if I remember correctly, inspired by misspelling "the seven dwarves." From that phrase, Kendra spins a tale of parallel universes, betrayal, intrigue, true love, mystery, danger, and sacrifice. Through it all, she weaves the tale of Snow White, but in a way you've never seen before.

Aside from the uniqueness of the concept, my favorite part of The Seven Drawers is just how many of the elements of the Snow White story (both the original and the Disney version) Kendra manages to include — and how many variations on the basic storyline she comes up with in the process of creating the overall story. The well-known roles and elements of Snow White — a beautiful princess, a wicked stepmother, a handsome prince, a magic mirror, a poisoned apple, a huntsman sent to cut out the princess's heart — all appear, sometimes in multiple ways. In addition, some often-forgotten pieces of the story, like the comb that the stepmother originally uses on Snow White, appear as well, and even small details in the original become significant here. All these pieces are entwined together with the astonishing creativity you'd expect from Kendra's novels.

Plotwise, The Seven Drawers is, again, very well done. Kendra maintains a steady tension throughout the story that'll keep you from setting the book down in a hurry. Her twists are well thought-out and foreshadowed without being instantly obvious. Of course, the frequent shifts between realms help with that, and Kendra gradually reveals the mystery of those realms in a way that's natural and intriguing.

On the character front, we have a fairly small cast. Gwen is an excellent protagonist: smart and determined and doing her best to be strong in the wake of tragedy. Yet Kendra also allows Gwen to be vulnerable and non-dramatically broken in ways that make her quite relatable. Editha, the evil stepmother, is, well, evil. She's not a sympathetic villain, but she's a cunning opponent, which is what the story needs most. And Jeremy, Gwen's boyfriend, is just a wonderful human being. He's not given as much characterization as some characters, but given the short span of the story, there's not much that could be done about that. He and Gwen are adorable together, though. Relationship goals, those two. 

I'm not going to say that The Seven Drawers is now my favorite of Kendra's novels — not with Lady Dragon, Tela Du and The Worth of a King on the table. But I will say that it's only a spot or two below those. And if you're looking to experience the story of Snow White in a way that no other author could give you, The Seven Drawers is exactly what you need.

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Are you excited for The Seven Drawers? What do you think sounds most fascinating about this story? Please tell me in the comments! And, as always, don't forget to check out the rest of the day's tour stops and enter the giveaway on the master post.

Thanks for reading!

-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Blog Tour Stops: October 31

Knitted By God's Plan: 7 Reasons to Read

Light and Shadows: 5 Reasons to Read

Dreams and Dragons: Review

Heather L.L. FitzGerald: Character Spotlight - Jeremy
The Langauge of Writing: Review

Jenelle Schmidt: Review

Reality Reflected: Review

Keturah's Korner: Review

Resting Life: Character Spotlight - Gwen

Reveries: Character Spotlight - Editha.

Or find the full list of stops here.

    

Magic Mirrors Tour: Overpowered: The Awesomeness of Biblical Retellings

Hey'a, everyone! It's Day Five of the Magic Mirrors blog tour, and today we have another Bible-inspired retelling of Snow White . . . but instead of being a sci-fi/fantasy/dystopian reimagining of two tales, this one sets Snow White in the context of the Old Testament era. I beta-read this book, and I absolutely loved it for multiple reasons, but especially for this setting. Other than the Books of the Infinite series, I don't think I've encountered another fantasy book that uses an ancient Israel or Israel-inspired setting for its stories. And, y'know, that needs to change . . . and, in usual form, I'm going to share why I think that. But first (you know the drill), a bit about the book and author.

About the Book

After a blood crime sends Taliyah bat Shammai running from her home, she flees into the hill country. Yet the hills are no place for a woman traveling alone. Strange dreams of talking jackals and mysterious mists are the least of her worries—for she knows that the Avenger of Blood will be following close behind her.

Barred from the Refuge by the circumstances of her crime, Taliyah thinks that her best chance of survival may lie with Cypress and his band of mercenaries: giant Cedar, hardened Thorn, boasting Vine and tidy Fig. Unsure whether to stay or go, Taliyah is reassured by the arrival of a young man with a mysterious past and cardamom-colored eyes. Something tells her that he is a man she can trust. Yet when a new king rises at the city of the Dawn, Taliyah and the seven criminals are called to fight a battle they cannot win. Will the outlaws stand fast in the face of certain death? Can Taliyah ever find safety again? Even escaping the battle may not save her… for the Avenger is still coming.

-- Loosely inspired by the tale of Snow White, this Christian fantasy novella is set in a magical version of ancient Israel. 135 pages (33,000 words) plus 65 pages of bonus features including cut scenes, a bonus short story, author interview, and more. For ages 12 and up.

About the Author

Kathryn McConaughy is a Christian fantasy author. She studied at Geneva College (as well as at sundry other institutions of higher education), where she pursued the goal of learning as many ancient languages as possible. She is the author of “Guardian of Our Beauty,” an ancient Near Eastern Sleeping Beauty tale from the anthology Five Magic Spindles. Kathryn lives in an apartment in Maryland and will probably remain there until the building collapses under the weight of her dissertation materials.

Why Biblical Retellings Are Awesome (And We Totally Need More of Them)

1. They're outside the traditional medieval setting. This isn't an advantage unique to Biblical retellings, but it's still pretty great. Eventually, you want a non-European-medieval fairy tale, and Israel-inspired stories fit that bill splendidly.

2. If the story is set in historical Israel in the actual OT era, it's super fun to try to recognize things. This is one aspect that I really love about Overpowered. It's set in the time period of the book of Judges, and seeing how the author wove that into the story was really cool. But the author also knows a ton about the language and culture of the era, and she used more Hebrew terms as opposed to the modern words, so figuring out the exact place and era was a little more challenging and therefore a little more rewarding.

3. They give new perspective on familiar stories . . . in more ways than one. I mean, that's the whole point of a retelling — the whole point of fantasy in general: that it gives you a new perspective and a new look at a story or idea. And setting your novel in the Old Testament or New Testament era can give you a new perspective not just on any fairy tales you happen to retell but also on that particular era . . . at least if you do your research right.

4. You can weave in cultural legends. Outside of the actual religion, Jewish culture has some pretty interesting folklore, at least based on what I've heard. (Overpowered uses a little of that, which is pretty cool.) And if you expand your view a little, so do the other cultures of the Biblical eras. This could be interesting, though challenging, to weave into a real-world setting, or it could provide some inspiration for an awesome fantasy world.

What do you think? Do you want to read more Biblical-era inspired retellings and retellings set in the actual Biblical eras? Please tell me in the comments! And, as always, remember to check out the rest of today's posts and enter the giveaway!
Thanks for reading!

-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Blog Tour Stops: October 29

Knitted By God's Plan: 7 Reasons to Read

Light and Shadows: 5 Reasons to Read

Dreams and Dragons: The Awesomeness of Biblical Retellings

The Language of Writing: Sneak Peek!

Heather L.L. FitzGerald: Character Spotlight - Fig

Literature Approved: Review

Reality Reflected: Review

Keturah's Korner: Review

The Labyrinth: Character Spotlight - Taliyah

Unicorn Quester: Character Spotlight - Yotham

Selina J. Eckert: Guest Post - Inspiration for Overpowered

Dragonpen Press: Guest Post - What is Overpowered?

 

Or find the full list of stops here.

Magic Mirrors: For Such a Time As This: Why We Need More Cross-Genre Fiction

 

Hey'a, everyone! Day four of the Magic Mirrors tour brings us For Such a Time as This by Heather L.L. Fitzgerald. This retelling blends Snow White and Esther with fantasy, sci-fi, and dystopian elements, which is a combination I never saw coming but am super excited for. That crossover of genres is one of the things I'm most excited for about For Such a Time as This, especially since I wish I knew of more cross-genre fiction in general. I'm going to tell you why in a minute . . . but first, a little about the book and author.

About the Book

Queen Vashti the Fair is not only the wife of King Xerxes, she is also—secretly—an enchantress. But thanks to Haman’s flirting she now has a new distinction: deposed. While Vashti loses perks like her holographic trousseau, Haman continues to enjoy his position as second in command, much to Vashti’s vexation.

Mordecai was once a soldier in the king’s private guard, but has since carved out a self-sufficient life for himself and niece Esther. Although citizens are required to have an identity chip for governmental transactions, he and Esther live off the grid and out of big-government’s greedy reach.

Or so he thought.

When Mordecai’s old nemesis, Haman, turns up demanding Esther’s participation in the king’s upcoming beauty pageant, Mordecai arranges to have her transported to the Vale of Seven Dragons for protection. But not before Esther’s charm makes her a target on Vashti’s radar, as Vashti seeks to undermine the outcome of Xerxes’ hunt for a new queen.

Esther is caught between loyalty to her uncle and fear for her future—whether in the care of dragons or in the palace of the king. Will she be brave enough to embrace her destiny, wherever that may be?
Find it on: Amazon || Goodreads

About the Author

Award winning author Heather L.L. FitzGerald writes from her home in Texas, while dreaming of being back in the Pacific Northwest, where she grew up. She is drawn to stories that become good friends--friends you want to revisit--the kind you wish to keep close. Those are the type of novels Heather aspires to write, ones worthy of delicious coffee and a lingering relationship.

The Tethered World was a finalist and The Flaming Sword won the 2017 OCW Cascade Award for Speculative Fiction. So far in 2018 The Genesis Tree has become a finalist for a Realm Award, Selah Award, and an OCW Cascade Award.

Heather's a member of ACFW, Manent Writers, and CAN.

Find her online at: Website || Goodreads || Facebook || Twitter || Newsletter || Instagram || Amazon

Why We Need More Cross-Genre Fiction

Ok, let's get something straight right up front: I have nothing against normal, unblended genres. However, I think that not exploring cross-genre fiction closes off a whole multiverse of unique stories, worlds, characters, and more.

See, here's the thing about "pure" genre fiction: after a while, people just start telling the same story in very similar ways. That's not to say that you can't write unique stories within straight fantasy; just the opposite. Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive, Kendra E. Ardnek's Rizkaland Legends, and Jaye L. Knight's Ilyon Chronicles all fit solidly into specific fantasy subgenres (epic or high fantasy, portal fantasy, and low fantasy, respectively), but no one would accuse them of being cliche or unoriginal. 

However, cross-genre fiction encourages authors to take a new look at whatever basic story they're trying to tell, just like Heather takes a new twist on the tale of Snow White. Whether you blend genres, you create new elements and angles for your story. Brandon Sanderson's first Mistborn book is a great example of this. At its most basic level, Mistborn is just another Overthrow the Evil Empire storyline, with a bonus Chosen One trope hanging out in the background. However, its combination of fantasy, dystopia, and heist genres provide the foundation for all the twists that make it so epic and memorable.

Combining genres will affect all areas of a story, as authors take basic plots, character types, props, and aesthetics from each genre and combine them in unique ways. However, the first and biggest area that combined genres effect is usually the setting. For Such a Time as This, for example, combines sci-fi technology, dystopian conditions, and fantasy magic to create its setting. And Mistborn takes the dreary landscape and strict hierarchy of dystopia, the magic and some technology of fantasy, and the urban environment of heist stories to make Scadriel. And all the other story elements, particularly character and plot, are built on the foundation of those settings.

And, of course, cross-genre stories can just result in some fun situations. If you have magic and high-tech elements in the same story, how do those interact? Do the scientists get mad when magic-users mess with their experiments? Or, if you have a contemporary fantasy heist story, how does your team of thieves deal with a security force that includes dragons, mind-readers, and future-readers? No matter what genres you combine, the possibilities are endless.

What do you think? Are you a fan of cross-genre fiction? Are you excited for For Such a Time as This? Please tell me in the comments! After that, make sure you check out the rest of today's tour posts and enter the giveaway, if you haven't already.

Thanks for reading!

-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Blog Tour Stops: October 29

Knitted By God's Plan: 7 Reasons to Read

Light and Shadows: 5 Reasons to Read

Dreams and Dragons: The Awesomeness of Biblical Retellings

The Language of Writing: Sneak Peek!

Heather L.L. FitzGerald: Character Spotlight - Fig

Literature Approved: Review

Reality Reflected: Review

Keturah's Korner: Review

The Labyrinth: Character Spotlight - Taliyah

Unicorn Quester: Character Spotlight - Yotham

Selina J. Eckert: Guest Post - Inspiration for Overpowered

Dragonpen Press: Guest Post - What is Overpowered?

 

Or find the full list of stops here.

Magic Mirrors Release: Blood in the Snow — Meet the Characters!

Today's the day, y'all! Blood in the Snow is out, and I honestly couldn't be more excited! (Or stressed. But I'm always stressed on Fridays, at least until 2-ish, so that's ok.) To everyone who was asking about the paperback: I'm incredibly sorry, but between schoolwork and some pretty extreme difficulties with formatting, I need to delay the paperback release. Everything is almost ready, but right now, everything in my life seems to be taking longer than I expect it to. Again, I'm immensely sorry and will let you all know as soon as the book is out.

In the meantime, the Kindle edition is all set, and everyone who preordered it should be recieving it soon! Or, if you don't want to wait for the paperback, you can buy the Kindle edition and have instant gratification. To that end, have some links, which will both let you get to my book and let you follow me on all the sites.

Find my book on: Amazon || Goodreads
Follow me! Author Site || Dreams and Dragons || Light and Shadows || Facebook || Goodreads || Amazon

Anyway. My favorite part of writing books is generally creating the characters, and that's true for Blood in the Snow as well. So, today, I thought I'd introduce you to some of the main cast of the book. As a bonus, I have character art (!!!) by two lovely artists: Melanie Morgan and Shelby Ahlborg. Honestly, I'm as happy about the art as I am about the book. So, let's get going!

From the Kingdom of Seven Rivers

Artist credit: Melanie Morgan

Princess Zhu Baili

Long ago, the prophecy was given: the fairest of all would unite divided lands and bring peace to the people. For years, people looked anxiously and consulted the fabled Dragonglass for the one who would fulfill that prophecy. And then Baili was born. As the firstborn princess of the Kingdom of Seven Rivers, a child of royalty and magic, with a Bloodgift that lets her control wind and water, Baili seemed a fine choice to carry out the prophecy. But though Baili is ready to do what she needs to do, she wonders: is she really the best person for this role?

Artist credit: Melanie Morgan

Empress Zhu Yawen

Once a princess of a small country south of Seven Rivers, Yawen is now empress over all Seven Rivers and its holdings. Both powerful and beautiful, with a potent though mysterious Bloodgift, she was considered a strong candidate for the fulfillment of the prophecy, and she grew up and wed the emperor assuming that she would indeed be the one to carry it out. And then Baili was born. Now she contents herself with running the empire, even as whispers of the people rise against her. 

Artist credit: Melanie Morgan

Dou Lanfen 

The youngest daughter of a very minor noble family, Lanfen has served as an attendant to Princess Baili and other members of the Imperial Family since she was fairly young. This allowed her to grow up in the very center of the riches and intrigue of the Imperial Court. Court life suits her well, perhaps too well . . . but now she's off to another kingdom and another set of intrigues as Baili's chief attendant on the journey to the Kingdom of Three Peaks.

From the Kingdom of Three Peaks

Artist credit: Shelby Ahlborg

 Prince Liu Xiang

As the eldest son and heir of the Emperor of Three Peaks, Xiang is well-known and well-loved throughout his kingdom. However, that's not just because of his position or even his reserved but kind nature. Born with the Bloodgift of healing, Xiang will gladly stop and heal anyone who he finds injured, and he's constantly testing the limits of his gift to figure out just how much he can heal. This desire to help others has endeared him to his people more than any emperor or emperor-heir for several generations.

Artist credit: Shelby Ahlborg

Nakuhara Chouko

 A victim of the Middle Kingdoms' taste for conquest, Chouko was born in the Isles of Rising Fire but now serves the Imperial Family of Three Peaks as a keeper of geese. Life could be worse for her — she has close friends among the other animal keepers, work she honestly enjoys, and food and shelter enough to get by. But she still longs for her childhood home and holds much spite for the empire that tore her from it. Despite her sharp-edged, independent nature, she is much loved by her friend. And she, in turn, is as stubbornly protective of them as she is ready to point out even unpleasant realities.

Artist credit: Shelby Ahlborg

 Ganbaatar

Ganbaatar, or Gan as he's usually called, doesn't speak much about his past except as it becomes necessary. A prisoner of battle between the Riders of the Endless Plains and the Kingdom of Three Peaks, he now tends the horses of the Imperial Family. Or, at least, that's all anyone knows he does . . . but one thing's certain: Gan was never one to let anything stop him from doing what needs to be done. Among the animal keepers and other displaced Plainsfolk, he has become an unofficial leader, and all of them know that if they need help, they can turn to Gan and he'll take care of it, no matter how impossible it seems.

What do you think? Are you excited to meet these characters? Let me know in comments! And don't forget to check out the rest of today's blog posts! Also, the giveaway for paperbacks of five of the Magic Mirrors titles is now available in the tour master post, so make sure you check that out!

Thanks for reading!

-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Blog Tour Stops: October 26

Knitted By God's Plan: 7 Reasons to Read

Light and Shadows: 5 Reasons to Read

Dreams and Dragons: Mega Spotlight

Heather L.L. FitzGerald: Guest Post - Snow White: A Story of Change

The Language of Writing: Review

Ink Calamities: Review

Jenelle Schmidt: Review

Literature Approved: Review

The Labyrinth: Review

The Page Dreamer: Review

Sparks of Ember: Review

Unicorn Quester: Review

Selina J. Eckert: Interview

Reality Reflected: Interview

Dragonpen Press: Interview

Or find the full list of stops here.

 

Magic Mirrors Tour: Red as Snow Review

Hello, everyone! Welcome to day one of the Magic Mirrors blog tour! For those unaware, Magic Mirrors is a group release of seven awesome retellings of Snow White. My own novella, Blood in the Snow, is part of the release . . . but that's not until Friday. Today, we kick off the tour with a new short story from Kendra E. Ardnek, Red as Snow. I'll be reviewing this short story in a minute, but first, a little about the book and author.

About Red as Snow

Rose is not yet seventeen and is the widow of the king. Her stepdaughter, who is nine years her elder, must marry or else forfeit the throne to her power-hungry cousin. Snow never was a great beauty, and having a beautiful stepmother just complicates things.

Can they join together to overcome the adversity surrounding them - or will betrayal and old wounds tear them apart?

Find it on: Amazon || Goodreads

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Kendra E. Ardnek

Kendra E. Ardnek loves fairytales and twisting them in new and exciting ways. She’s been or acting them on her dozen plus cousins and siblings for years. “Finish your story, Kendra,” is frequently heard at family gatherings. Her sole life goal has always been to grow up and be an author of fantasy and children’s tales that glorify God and His Word.

Find her online at: Website || Blog || Goodreads || Facebook || Twitter || Amazon

My Review of Red as Snow

Red as Snow is the latest addition to Kendra E. Ardnek's Twist of Adventure series. Like the other books in the series, it twists and reverses roles of particular story elements, creating a new, unique story. In this case, Kendra doesn't limit herself with regard to what she switches up — though she keeps all the most important elements of Snow White, only two of those elements have more or less the same role as they did originally.

This switching up of roles makes for an interesting story, if not a long one. In addition, Kendra takes some of the focus off the romance. That's not to say that romance doesn't play a fairly significant role in the story, but it's not the major focus. There are also two very enjoyable sibling relationships, one of which is arguably as important as the romance. It's probably that element that made me enjoy this book most — as regular readers of this blog know, I'm a sucker for a good sibling relationship.

The shortness of Red as Snow is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it's just the right length to read between two classes or while eating lunch by yourself. On the other hand, I would've liked to see it expanded a little more so I could get to know the characters better.

I'm not going to say that Red as Snow is Kendra's best work, but it's still a unique and enjoyable short story. If you like fairy tale retellings, you'll probably be glad you picked this one up.

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Are you excited for Red as Snow and the Magic Mirrors blog tour? Which book are you most looking forward to? Do you agree that fantasy needs more awesome siblings? Please tell me in the comments! And don't forget to check out the rest of the day's blog posts! Also, make sure you enter the giveaway! The Rafflecopter isn't quite ready yet, but once it is, you'll be able to enter to win paperbacks of five of the Magic Mirrors releases! So exciting!

Thanks for reading! 

-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Blog Tour Stops: October 24

Knitted By God's Plan: 7 Reasons to Read

Light and Shadows: 5 Reasons to Read

Dreams and Dragons: Review

The Language of Writing: Review

Ink Calamities: Review

Morgan Elizabeth Huneke: Spotlight - Rose

The Labyrinth: Guest Post - Why Magic Mirrors

Reality Reflected: - Guest Post - What is Snow White 

Or find the full list of stops here.

Want to read part of Mechanical Heart?

Hey'a, everyone! Guess what: Blood in the Snow releases exactly one week from today! Are you all ready? (Spoiler alert: I'm not ready. If anyone has a spare time turner, can I borrow it?) Currently, I'm running around trying to get everything ready for the blog tour, which means that normal content for this week is out the window. Instead, I decided to share some of Mechanical Heart, the other project I'm currently working on.

Mechanical Heart, Chapter One

Her heart beat on, as it always did.

Breen lay on the smooth wooden floor, eyes shut, waiting as her bones knit back together. The crystal in her chest burned with an almost unbearable heat as it fed magical energy into her body. Yet the clockwork of her heart pumped on unperturbedly.

She’d fallen. Again. That seemed to be happening more and more lately. She wondered how many stories it had been this time. Just one? Two? Three?

The heat from the crystal slowly faded as the last fractures healed. Breen tested her fingers, toes, arms, legs, almost hoping that something wouldn’t work. Perhaps if she were broken enough, Madame Gottling would have to take her somewhere other than the clock tower. But, no, all her limbs seemed functional once again.

With a sigh, she opened her eyes, sat up, and gathered the tools that had scattered from her belt. A glance up answered her earlier question: she’d fallen two stories this time. Not so bad, all things considered. She still remembered the time she’d fallen down four of the clock tower’s ten stories — more accurately, she remembered the pain after she’d fallen. Her injuries had healed in a mere fifteen minutes, but the pain hadn’t receded enough for her to move for another two hours.

Today, however, the pain was already half-gone, and there was nothing to stop her from continuing her work. Breen headed for the nearest flight of narrow iron stairs and climbed up, passing weights and counterweights and massive gears set with sparkling gems. Everything shone bronze or copper or, in the case of the gems, various shades of red, blue, and clear. Of course it shone — she had to clean it all while she checked for wear and breakage. As if magic could wear down. But this tower couldn’t stop any more than her heartbeat could.

The clock struck two just as she reached the second-to-top level where she’d been working. She couldn’t hear the tolling bells anymore. She couldn’t hear much of anything anymore. But the sound made the floor vibrate beneath her feet and up through her bones, and all the gems on the gears flashed like sudden stars, and Breen stood still and savored the moment.

Then the gems faded, and the tower stilled, and she had to go back to work. Breen stepped off the wooden walkway and straddled a long beam of grey steel. She slid herself along, carefully not looking down. She wasn’t afraid of heights, of course. But looking down was always how she fell.

She reached the spot where she’d been before her most recent tumble, locked her legs around the beam, and grabbed her polishing cloth from where it had snagged on the tooth of a gear. Then she inspected the nearest gears one by one and inch by inch, wiping away dust and dirt, occasionally scraping away specks of corrosion, checking for any signs of serious damage.

Eventually, Breen worked her way through the rest of that level and the two above. The final level brought her all the way to the very top of the tower, behind the great glass clock faces. She carefully checked and cleaned the smaller gears and the massive rods that turned the clock hands, then tucked her tools back in her belt and slowly relaxed. Madame Gottling would come tonight, but not until dark.

Free for the moment, Breen undid her toolbelt and dropped it to the floor. Then she climbed into the curve of the western clock face’s frame and curled up, resting her head against the wood. From here, she could stare out and watch the whole city spread out below her.

Years ago, when she’d first been brought to the clock tower, she’d feared to do this. They had warned her that she must never let herself be seen. That anyone who found her would call her a monstrosity and an abomination. But people never seemed to look up, and with the height and the afternoon sun glinting off the clock face, Breen doubted anyone would notice her.

She, however, noticed them.

Here, high above almost every other building in the city, she sat and watched life go by. The streets bustled with boxy black carriages, most horse-drawn, others horseless and puffing steam from pipes attached to the backs of the passenger boxes. On the sidewalks, men in black and brown suits and ladies in bright dresses hurried and strolled. Smoke flowed in ribbons and streamers above them and around the tower, pulled from the chimneys of homes and factories alike.

Over the slums and factory districts across the river, the smoke hung black and heavy as a bank of thunderclouds. But Breen only looked that way when she wanted to convince herself that her life wasn’t so bad. “You could be down there,” she’d tell herself, “slaving in a factory or mill from dawn to dusk like you used to, choked by smoke and never seeing the sky. At least here you have the view and you’re filling your family’s pockets instead of draining them.” Yet, despite her best efforts, she could never quite convince herself that she was truly lucky to be here.

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What do you think? Are you intrigued? If you're interested, I'm currently looking for beta-readers for Mechanical Heart. Fill out the form here to sign up. (I'll make an official announcement of this later, but for now, y'all get first dibs.)
Thanks for reading! See you next week for the tour!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)