Kat Bloodmayne is one of the first women chosen to attend the Tower Academy of Sciences, but she carries a secret: she can twist the natural laws of science. She has no idea where this ability came from, only that every time she loses control and unleashes this power, it kills a part of her soul. Afraid for her life, Kat turns to bounty hunter Stephen Grey for help finding a doctor who can cure her. But what they discover on the way goes beyond science and into the dark sphere of magic.
I think one of the hardest genres of Christian fiction to write is fantasy; sometimes you wouldn't know it's christian save for the story's clean, more conservative morals, whereas other times Christianity is squeezed into a fantastical setting (with varying degrees of success), while still other times the allegory is thick enough to cut with a knife (cough cough, CS Lewis). I wasn't sure what to expect from this steam-punk world, but I think the author did a good job finding a way to insert faith into her story. Science rules the day (not so unlike today), but Kat's condition makes her question science's stand that there is no spiritual side to life; when she uses her [admittedly dark] powers, she can feel the damage to her soul.
I enjoy the world-building; it's definitely steampunk, with an emphasis on clockwork and steam, mad scientists, and modified Victorian styles, but there is also a bit of a western feel (with his duster and twin pistols, Stephen strikes me as the perfect old west bounty hunter). We've got a touch of conspiracy and corruption, war in the background, hints at privateers in the sky--plenty for the author to expand on in future books!
Stephen does something that I never expected him to do (can't go into it further without spoilers). But after setting aside my emotional upheaval, my detached, story-evaluating side pointed out that it was a great plot twist that will have consequences in the book(s) to come. It reminded me of my favorite aspect of the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon.
This is definitely book 1 of a series; I'm glad I have book 2 handy to start right away. Not that it ends on a cliff-hanger (don't worry, they make it into the airship!), but it is only the beginning of the story. I'm always one for enjoying long books, so I would have enjoyed it if the beginning (Kat's two years in school) had been expanded more, but on the other hand, all the action is post-school . . . so maybe the author chose rightly.
In any case, I am definitely going to check out other books by the author!
The Soul Chronicles
1. Tainted
2. Awakened
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