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Veneficas Americana #3
The Warlock's Curse
THE YEAR IS 1910. Eighteen-year-old Will Edwards has landed a prestigious apprenticeship at Detroit’s Tesla Industries, the most advanced scientific research center in the United States. It’s a plum prize for a young man who dreams of a career in the new science of Otherwhere Engineering.
But his father doesn’t want him to go. And he won’t tell him why.
Determined to get there by any means necessary, Will finds unexpected support along the way. His old friend Jenny Hansen—daughter of a San Francisco timber baron—is eager to help him for reasons of her own. And so is his estranged brother Ben, who he hasn’t seen in over ten years.
But running away turns out to be the easy part. On the first full moon after his eighteenth birthday, Will is stricken by a powerful magic—a devastating curse laid upon his ancestors by the malevolent sangrimancer Aebedel Cowdray. Will must find a way to control the magic that possesses him—or the vengeful warlock’s spirit will destroy everything and everyone he loves.
But his father doesn’t want him to go. And he won’t tell him why.
Determined to get there by any means necessary, Will finds unexpected support along the way. His old friend Jenny Hansen—daughter of a San Francisco timber baron—is eager to help him for reasons of her own. And so is his estranged brother Ben, who he hasn’t seen in over ten years.
But running away turns out to be the easy part. On the first full moon after his eighteenth birthday, Will is stricken by a powerful magic—a devastating curse laid upon his ancestors by the malevolent sangrimancer Aebedel Cowdray. Will must find a way to control the magic that possesses him—or the vengeful warlock’s spirit will destroy everything and everyone he loves.
390 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2012
3 people are currently reading
747 people want to read
About the author
M.K. Hobson
27 books221 followersM.K. Hobson recently decided to follow a time-honored authorial tradition and become a bitter recluse. She swore off all social media and left her website to go to seed. At the moment, she exists only as a voice on short fiction podcasts such as Podcastle and Cast of Wonders. She leavens the tedium of her vastly expanded free time with misanthropy, paranoia, and weight lifting.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
December 5, 2014
2.5
My overall view of this book is: "Ok, this is interesting. The prologue was kinda weird, but, other than that, this is pretty decent so far. Not quite the same charm as the first, but I'm digging the whole steampunkish Tesla thing. Will and Jenny are both a bit spoiled, but I understand where they're coming from. Ok, this is interesting... I wonder what's going to happen with that contract thing. Hmm...
*reads some more*
What? WTF? What just happened? Oh my holy god, what did I just read?"
So, yeah... it went a bit darker than I was remotely expecting or prepared for, and I don't really know how I feel about it. I'm definitely anxious for the conclusion of this duology, so there's that, but...
Unfortunatley I can't really get into everything without getting deep into spoiler territory, so consider the above my non-spoiler review. Here's the rest:
My overall view of this book is: "Ok, this is interesting. The prologue was kinda weird, but, other than that, this is pretty decent so far. Not quite the same charm as the first, but I'm digging the whole steampunkish Tesla thing. Will and Jenny are both a bit spoiled, but I understand where they're coming from. Ok, this is interesting... I wonder what's going to happen with that contract thing. Hmm...
*reads some more*
What? WTF? What just happened? Oh my holy god, what did I just read?"
So, yeah... it went a bit darker than I was remotely expecting or prepared for, and I don't really know how I feel about it. I'm definitely anxious for the conclusion of this duology, so there's that, but...
Unfortunatley I can't really get into everything without getting deep into spoiler territory, so consider the above my non-spoiler review. Here's the rest:
September 22, 2012
The Warlock's Curse by M.K. Hobson is one of the best books I've read all year, and possibly one of the hardest to review. If I write about what happens in the book, it becomes spoilery; if I write about the emotional sleigh ride* the book takes the reader on, that becomes spoilery too. This is partly because I didn't know what to expect at all; if I give any clues as to the trajectory of the emotional course, anyone reading this review will be anticipating the changes, and that ruins the fun.
I can safely say the book starts dark. That's inherent in the title. Hobson also does something very interesting in that we are primed to see the initial point of view character as the villain, and then turns our expectations on their head.
It then becomes an adventure story, a coming of age story, a story of young, burgeoning romance, with a Heinleinesque hero and heroine. I was rooting for Will and Jenny. They were smart, likeable, energetic, brash, and admirable. Will is a talented young engineer, Jenny an enthusiastic financier who uses her access to wealth (she's an heiress) to make more money. The bulk of the story takes place at the turn of the last century in a secondary world Chicago. Will goes to work for Nikolai Tesla at the prestigious Tesla Industries, and the book is chock-full of a new kind of science and technology that is both Earth-based and not (well, if string theory is true, then I suppose the Otherwhere could exist).
Did I mention Heinleinesque? The book has such a sense of Golden Age exuberance, that at one point, a character actually says, "As you know, Will..." in explaining a scientific theory. Instead of rolling my eyes, I chuckled. I don't know if Hobson did it on purpose but it worked.
However, I did have reservations. Some were about the science; but then again, I think string theory is like physics for English majors (I'm skeptical). It's a little hand-wavy and it seems more like magic than science in that it's awfully convenient, the way we can access unlimited energy via the Otherwhere with virtually no downside. I also was annoyed that in order for the book to work, basic information has to be withheld from Will regarding the warlock's curse -- except that it's actually in keeping with the other characters' true natures, as we come to find out.
Which brings me to my final reservation -- there's a whole lot of explanation about motives at the end that probably could have been more organic in the telling. It was disappointing, probably because everything up to that point was so much fun. I might have tsked.
Aside from that, I haven't felt this emotionally connected to a book in a long time. Please do read it, and the other books in the series. I had no trouble starting with this one, and I'm looking forward to going back and reading the others.
*As in Nantucket sleigh ride
I can safely say the book starts dark. That's inherent in the title. Hobson also does something very interesting in that we are primed to see the initial point of view character as the villain, and then turns our expectations on their head.
It then becomes an adventure story, a coming of age story, a story of young, burgeoning romance, with a Heinleinesque hero and heroine. I was rooting for Will and Jenny. They were smart, likeable, energetic, brash, and admirable. Will is a talented young engineer, Jenny an enthusiastic financier who uses her access to wealth (she's an heiress) to make more money. The bulk of the story takes place at the turn of the last century in a secondary world Chicago. Will goes to work for Nikolai Tesla at the prestigious Tesla Industries, and the book is chock-full of a new kind of science and technology that is both Earth-based and not (well, if string theory is true, then I suppose the Otherwhere could exist).
Did I mention Heinleinesque? The book has such a sense of Golden Age exuberance, that at one point, a character actually says, "As you know, Will..." in explaining a scientific theory. Instead of rolling my eyes, I chuckled. I don't know if Hobson did it on purpose but it worked.
However, I did have reservations. Some were about the science; but then again, I think string theory is like physics for English majors (I'm skeptical). It's a little hand-wavy and it seems more like magic than science in that it's awfully convenient, the way we can access unlimited energy via the Otherwhere with virtually no downside. I also was annoyed that in order for the book to work, basic information has to be withheld from Will regarding the warlock's curse -- except that it's actually in keeping with the other characters' true natures, as we come to find out.
Which brings me to my final reservation -- there's a whole lot of explanation about motives at the end that probably could have been more organic in the telling. It was disappointing, probably because everything up to that point was so much fun. I might have tsked.
Aside from that, I haven't felt this emotionally connected to a book in a long time. Please do read it, and the other books in the series. I had no trouble starting with this one, and I'm looking forward to going back and reading the others.
*As in Nantucket sleigh ride
April 1, 2013
This book took me a long time to finish.
Actually, no, that's not quite right. It took me a long time to get to the middle. Once I got about halfway (maybe 60%?) through, I finished it in a very short time.
My main problem with the book was that I didn't like anyone. Everyone seemed either unpleasant or stupid/naive (or both), including the main characters, and so I didn't have anyone to root for or care about.
That might have been okay, but for some reason, the humorously wry turns of phrase that kept me smiling (even chuckling at times) in the first two books of this series, were missing. Everything and everyone was so serious all the time.
Again, that could have been fine - I've read plenty of predominantly serious books - if I'd been able to invest some emotion in the characters.
But until events started to really move, I had little emotional investment to make me want to read the book.
However, when events did start to move, whoooo! Did they ever! And I suddenly found myself pulled along with them, as secret after secret was revealed and people's motivations suddenly became a lot more clear.
(Maybe a little less secrecy - to the reader, if not the characters - would have helped for me. I found a lot of the hidden motives more frustrating than tantalizing.)
Anyway, by the end of the book, I was very satisfied, and looking very much forward to the next one. I think I may have to re-read this one (and maybe the first two, too) before reading #4, because there are so many fascinatingly complex interrelationships that one needs to keep straight...
Actually, no, that's not quite right. It took me a long time to get to the middle. Once I got about halfway (maybe 60%?) through, I finished it in a very short time.
My main problem with the book was that I didn't like anyone. Everyone seemed either unpleasant or stupid/naive (or both), including the main characters, and so I didn't have anyone to root for or care about.
That might have been okay, but for some reason, the humorously wry turns of phrase that kept me smiling (even chuckling at times) in the first two books of this series, were missing. Everything and everyone was so serious all the time.
Again, that could have been fine - I've read plenty of predominantly serious books - if I'd been able to invest some emotion in the characters.
But until events started to really move, I had little emotional investment to make me want to read the book.
However, when events did start to move, whoooo! Did they ever! And I suddenly found myself pulled along with them, as secret after secret was revealed and people's motivations suddenly became a lot more clear.
(Maybe a little less secrecy - to the reader, if not the characters - would have helped for me. I found a lot of the hidden motives more frustrating than tantalizing.)
Anyway, by the end of the book, I was very satisfied, and looking very much forward to the next one. I think I may have to re-read this one (and maybe the first two, too) before reading #4, because there are so many fascinatingly complex interrelationships that one needs to keep straight...
April 5, 2013
Yay! This book was really good. I was getting so excited about it I was worried it would not live up to expectation. I backed this book on kickstarter and my faith was definitely not misplaced! This was one of those stay up all night to finish because it is so awesome books. It was also one of those books that at the end of it you are like, "ok, I need to read the one that comes next right now even if it is 4 am and I need to go to school tomorrow!" (and get tempted to send a billion dollars via kick starter to somehow make it magically instantly available) I have loved the novels in this series, and the darker tone in this one really appealed to me. I don't understand why these books don't have a wider readership because they are really wonderful. The world building, characters and plots in these series are really interesting and inventive. If you loved the other novels in this series, you most definitely need to get your hands on this one. You can start with this novel even if you haven't read the others. Since this is the case, it obviously means absolutely everyone should read it. Thank you Ms.Hobson so much for a really wonderful novel!!
November 22, 2012
I really enjoyed this one, very interesting take on an alternate history. I liked the way the author combined steampunk and magic. The world she created is very interesting and the more of the story that I read, the more drawn into it I became.
I also really enjoyed the characters. I liked Jenny and Will and I was really rooting for them to make it despite that both their families were working against them. I also liked some of the side characters like Briar and the Gores. I even began to take an interest in Cowdray, even though he is completely evil, I still wanted to know what makes him tick.
The story seemed very open ended to me. Certain characters strings were definitely left untied and while the ending did clear up a lot of things in the last few scenes, it still left me wanting to find out more.
Honestly if I had any complaints about the novel itself, it’s that I wanted to learn more about certain characters, Little Sanctity Snow for example. Also I don't feel the cover portrays the book as well as it could. (Even though I do like the cover)
Definitely recommend this one, I give it 5 out of 5. It was a very enjoyable read.
I also really enjoyed the characters. I liked Jenny and Will and I was really rooting for them to make it despite that both their families were working against them. I also liked some of the side characters like Briar and the Gores. I even began to take an interest in Cowdray, even though he is completely evil, I still wanted to know what makes him tick.
The story seemed very open ended to me. Certain characters strings were definitely left untied and while the ending did clear up a lot of things in the last few scenes, it still left me wanting to find out more.
Honestly if I had any complaints about the novel itself, it’s that I wanted to learn more about certain characters, Little Sanctity Snow for example. Also I don't feel the cover portrays the book as well as it could. (Even though I do like the cover)
Definitely recommend this one, I give it 5 out of 5. It was a very enjoyable read.
March 9, 2013
MK Hobson continues her series on her own--and boy am I glad writers have the option these days. Otherwise we would never have gotten this continuation of the story of Emily Edwards and Dreadnought Stanton.
The story now moves to their son, Will, a talented young engineer. His parents deny him an opportunity to study at Tesla Industries, but Will takes matters into his own hands and runs away with the help of Jenny Hansen. Jenny's an heiress, but not of the screwball variety; she has her own, secret reasons for running away with Will to Detroit in a sham marriage.
Things, of course, do not go as planned. Will discovers this modern age of technology is not enough to stand against evils both ancient and modern rising up to destroy not just his life but all life on earth.
I used to think I put my characters through hell. Now? Not so much. Hobson is her characters' Nemesis, driving them mercilessly hither and yon at her usual breakneck pace.
Unlike the first two books, "The Warlock's Curse" doesn't wrap everything up at the end. Yes, there is an ending, and a natural one, but we're not going to get the conclusion until the next book.
GET WRITING, MISSY. ;)
The story now moves to their son, Will, a talented young engineer. His parents deny him an opportunity to study at Tesla Industries, but Will takes matters into his own hands and runs away with the help of Jenny Hansen. Jenny's an heiress, but not of the screwball variety; she has her own, secret reasons for running away with Will to Detroit in a sham marriage.
Things, of course, do not go as planned. Will discovers this modern age of technology is not enough to stand against evils both ancient and modern rising up to destroy not just his life but all life on earth.
I used to think I put my characters through hell. Now? Not so much. Hobson is her characters' Nemesis, driving them mercilessly hither and yon at her usual breakneck pace.
Unlike the first two books, "The Warlock's Curse" doesn't wrap everything up at the end. Yes, there is an ending, and a natural one, but we're not going to get the conclusion until the next book.
GET WRITING, MISSY. ;)
December 25, 2012
4.5 stars.
...
...
November 28, 2013
It's the early twentieth century, but not as we know it. History is full of magic and recent history is full of science fiction, alternate dimensions that have lead to inventions inspired, and powered by, Otherwhere.
Will Edwards is eighteen and a genius. He is angry at his family and his father in particular, who has refused without explanation to allow Will to accept an apprenticeship offer from Tesla Industries. Will is planning rebellious acts that he doesn't have the money to fund.
Luckily for him, Jenny Hansen has come to visit. Jenny is a childhood friend and an heiress, when she reaches her majority. Jenny has decided that she cannot wait to get her hands on the cash so she proposes a deal: she'll help Will get to Detroit, and Tesla Industries, if Will helps her. If they marry, Jenny will gain full access to her trust fund.
M.K. Hobson has built a fascinating and rich world, a mix of magic and Steampunk. Will and Jenny were born into the Malmantic Generation - a generation that is allergic to magic. Their generation resent the older users with their magical advantages, and the allergy has resulted in devastating birth defects. There is a drug, Panchrest, that immunises users against magic, and there is political pressure to make immunisation mandatory. Jenny's sister has been hospitalised all her life, trapped in her magically twisted body.
What Will's family have not told him, and the most likely reason his father doesn't want him to leave home, is that he is cursed. In the prologue, an evil warlock curses his bloodline: on the first full moon after a child of the line turns eighteen, he will be possessed by the warlock and will be wicked.
I loved the world, I kept reading for the exposition. I have never done that before, never found it so impossible to connect with the characters. It shocked me in a way, I kept wondering whether I was supposed to like WIll and Jenny at all. Will is spoiled, arrogant, sulky. Jenny is also spoiled and her desire to gain access to 'her' money was just ugly. Neither of them cared that their actions could hurt members of their family … Jenny in particular shocked me, her father was nice enough, he just objected to putting a great deal of cash at the disposal of a seventeen year old. At least in other 'breaking the inheritance through hasty marriage' romance plots, there's also generally some wicked and nasty parent or guardian that must on all accounts be stopped. Jenny is also terribly sanctimonious. She's militantly anti-magic.
Jenny was also far too interested in Will's genius invention. Will has built a power device to run his car that connects to power in an alternate dimension. He has managed to overcome the critical problem with using an other dimensional power source, called 'connection drop.' He explains all this, in great and lengthy detail, to an admiring Jenny who is completely ignorant of alternate dimensions (which, how? that never made sense). I'd almost hoped this was a hint that the marriage plot was all a big con, and Jenny was planning to take Will down.
From the beginning, there was Something Wrong with the Tesla Industries apprenticeship offer. Will didn't read his apprenticeship documents, and was only vaguely aware that Tesla kept all apprentices, all male, on the company property. They could only eat certain foods, and were forbidden contact with women. None of this affects Will, married to Jenny, in the slightest. And, set against the real big threat of the curse, it has little impact. Will uses it to his advantage at one stage, and in such a way that really confused me: I already disliked Will, was I supposed to actively hate him?
It was really difficult, not liking either of them. It meant that when the full moon curse of the prologue hit, I had no sympathy for Will. I didn't necessarily want him to suffer, I just didn't want to be around him anymore. I wanted to blank him out of the book and just read interesting things about early movies and magical teleportation, and workers doing magic in factories and having industrial accidents and movements to unionise the workforce for health and safety … and maybe that Tesla had a big evil alien brain in a vat in the basement and it made him crazy and apprentices that didn't follow the rules were taken to the brain vat and had their brains vacuumed out by evil brain tentacles.
Given what Jenny suffered, I did have some sympathy for her. I hadn't liked her, didn't care about her money or her financial genius skills or her politics. I understood how angry she was about her sister, I understood that she did have a very separate and complex set of motivations from those driving Will. But she faded away as a character in the aftermath of the curse activation, as the secrets of Will's family, the secrets of the magic allergy cause, the secrets of everything, started to unfold.
The point of it all seemed to be that people do have massively complex things going on in their lives, and suddenly they're hit by this huge out of nowhere thing, and the game changes. I'd definitely read more by this author based on the world she has built, but hopefully with more likeable characters next time.
Will Edwards is eighteen and a genius. He is angry at his family and his father in particular, who has refused without explanation to allow Will to accept an apprenticeship offer from Tesla Industries. Will is planning rebellious acts that he doesn't have the money to fund.
Luckily for him, Jenny Hansen has come to visit. Jenny is a childhood friend and an heiress, when she reaches her majority. Jenny has decided that she cannot wait to get her hands on the cash so she proposes a deal: she'll help Will get to Detroit, and Tesla Industries, if Will helps her. If they marry, Jenny will gain full access to her trust fund.
M.K. Hobson has built a fascinating and rich world, a mix of magic and Steampunk. Will and Jenny were born into the Malmantic Generation - a generation that is allergic to magic. Their generation resent the older users with their magical advantages, and the allergy has resulted in devastating birth defects. There is a drug, Panchrest, that immunises users against magic, and there is political pressure to make immunisation mandatory. Jenny's sister has been hospitalised all her life, trapped in her magically twisted body.
What Will's family have not told him, and the most likely reason his father doesn't want him to leave home, is that he is cursed. In the prologue, an evil warlock curses his bloodline: on the first full moon after a child of the line turns eighteen, he will be possessed by the warlock and will be wicked.
I loved the world, I kept reading for the exposition. I have never done that before, never found it so impossible to connect with the characters. It shocked me in a way, I kept wondering whether I was supposed to like WIll and Jenny at all. Will is spoiled, arrogant, sulky. Jenny is also spoiled and her desire to gain access to 'her' money was just ugly. Neither of them cared that their actions could hurt members of their family … Jenny in particular shocked me, her father was nice enough, he just objected to putting a great deal of cash at the disposal of a seventeen year old. At least in other 'breaking the inheritance through hasty marriage' romance plots, there's also generally some wicked and nasty parent or guardian that must on all accounts be stopped. Jenny is also terribly sanctimonious. She's militantly anti-magic.
Jenny was also far too interested in Will's genius invention. Will has built a power device to run his car that connects to power in an alternate dimension. He has managed to overcome the critical problem with using an other dimensional power source, called 'connection drop.' He explains all this, in great and lengthy detail, to an admiring Jenny who is completely ignorant of alternate dimensions (which, how? that never made sense). I'd almost hoped this was a hint that the marriage plot was all a big con, and Jenny was planning to take Will down.
From the beginning, there was Something Wrong with the Tesla Industries apprenticeship offer. Will didn't read his apprenticeship documents, and was only vaguely aware that Tesla kept all apprentices, all male, on the company property. They could only eat certain foods, and were forbidden contact with women. None of this affects Will, married to Jenny, in the slightest. And, set against the real big threat of the curse, it has little impact. Will uses it to his advantage at one stage, and in such a way that really confused me: I already disliked Will, was I supposed to actively hate him?
It was really difficult, not liking either of them. It meant that when the full moon curse of the prologue hit, I had no sympathy for Will. I didn't necessarily want him to suffer, I just didn't want to be around him anymore. I wanted to blank him out of the book and just read interesting things about early movies and magical teleportation, and workers doing magic in factories and having industrial accidents and movements to unionise the workforce for health and safety … and maybe that Tesla had a big evil alien brain in a vat in the basement and it made him crazy and apprentices that didn't follow the rules were taken to the brain vat and had their brains vacuumed out by evil brain tentacles.
Given what Jenny suffered, I did have some sympathy for her. I hadn't liked her, didn't care about her money or her financial genius skills or her politics. I understood how angry she was about her sister, I understood that she did have a very separate and complex set of motivations from those driving Will. But she faded away as a character in the aftermath of the curse activation, as the secrets of Will's family, the secrets of the magic allergy cause, the secrets of everything, started to unfold.
The point of it all seemed to be that people do have massively complex things going on in their lives, and suddenly they're hit by this huge out of nowhere thing, and the game changes. I'd definitely read more by this author based on the world she has built, but hopefully with more likeable characters next time.
December 3, 2012
I reviewed M.K. Hobson’s second novel, The Hidden Goddess, for Tor.com back when it came out. And I have been eagerly awaiting the sequel ever since.
The thing about this book is: what do I say? I am a spoilerphobe and I try to write spoiler-free book write-ups; this is sooper-hooper tricky in the case of M.K. Hobson’s Veneficas Americana series, because The Warlock’s Curse is intimately tied to the events of the preceding two books. This means a discussion of this third novel requires tapdancing around the revelations from three full books.
But here goes: TWC is mostly the story of William Edwards, a sweet and remarkably gifted farmboy with a talent for Otherwhere engineering. Will’s not quite eighteen, he’s a tad dyslexic and he’s been accepted as a fellow at the Telsa Institute in Detroit. Sadly, his parents have categorically forbidden him to go.
Will is a good-hearted kid–a sweet one, really–but he’s in a huge power struggle with his father and this has made him snarky and more than a little desperate. Then a chance arises for him to run off by accepting some help from someone in a similar situation, his childhood pal Scuff, otherwise known as Jenny.
Jenny, like Will, has a streak of genius and parent troubles. Being a girl, she’s expected to sort out her issues, tighten her bustle and quietly enter into fruitful matrimony with some San Francisco society gentleman to be chosen later. Instead, she and Will embark on a partnership–they flee together to Detroit, where the Telsa folks are located, and pursue their separate agendas.
The only hitch? They have to get married to pull it off. Soon our teen heroes are on the run with a barely legitimate marriage certificate and more money than sense. Everyone is after them, and there’s also another problem they can’t appreciate: nearly everyone around Will has told him a lie or two over the years, Jenny included. And hidden behind his parents’ lies is a secret so awful it might destroy the two of them and a decent amount of U.S. real estate if things go awry.
It’s a novel. Things go awry.
TWC plays out against a backdrop of magic, politics, and plague. An evangelist preacher is taking steps to try eliminating all magical ability from the U.S. population. He has already managed to inoculate most of the younger generations, but he’s trying to wipe out the abilities of the privileged elder generation who grew up with magic.
It’s tricky, at times, that this book is so intimately tied to its precedessors. I can’t imagine reading it without having read The Native Star and The Hidden Goddess. A certain amount of the pleasure I derived from reading it came from knowing all the things William doesn’t. And as a second complaint, I will say it ends on a whopper of a suspenseful situation. Being obliged to put it down without having the next book ready and waiting was very sad.
As for the novel itself: it has the usual grandeur of Hobson’s writing, the delightful characters and hilarious dialog, and the no-punches pulled savagery of a bare-knuckles brawl. In marrying and running off from people determined to protect them from everything including the truth, Will and Jenny dress themselves for the slaughter. And I do not use that word lightly. The little bit of responsibility they bear for getting themselves into trouble hardly rates against what happens to them.
Is Hobson saying we should meekly accept lying by authority figures for our own good? No, obviously not. But TWC is very much about displaced pride, the inability to ask for help and the inability of one person, however talented, to stand against massive corrupt organizations, be they political, corporate, or sorcerous in nature.
The thing about this book is: what do I say? I am a spoilerphobe and I try to write spoiler-free book write-ups; this is sooper-hooper tricky in the case of M.K. Hobson’s Veneficas Americana series, because The Warlock’s Curse is intimately tied to the events of the preceding two books. This means a discussion of this third novel requires tapdancing around the revelations from three full books.
But here goes: TWC is mostly the story of William Edwards, a sweet and remarkably gifted farmboy with a talent for Otherwhere engineering. Will’s not quite eighteen, he’s a tad dyslexic and he’s been accepted as a fellow at the Telsa Institute in Detroit. Sadly, his parents have categorically forbidden him to go.
Will is a good-hearted kid–a sweet one, really–but he’s in a huge power struggle with his father and this has made him snarky and more than a little desperate. Then a chance arises for him to run off by accepting some help from someone in a similar situation, his childhood pal Scuff, otherwise known as Jenny.
Jenny, like Will, has a streak of genius and parent troubles. Being a girl, she’s expected to sort out her issues, tighten her bustle and quietly enter into fruitful matrimony with some San Francisco society gentleman to be chosen later. Instead, she and Will embark on a partnership–they flee together to Detroit, where the Telsa folks are located, and pursue their separate agendas.
The only hitch? They have to get married to pull it off. Soon our teen heroes are on the run with a barely legitimate marriage certificate and more money than sense. Everyone is after them, and there’s also another problem they can’t appreciate: nearly everyone around Will has told him a lie or two over the years, Jenny included. And hidden behind his parents’ lies is a secret so awful it might destroy the two of them and a decent amount of U.S. real estate if things go awry.
It’s a novel. Things go awry.
TWC plays out against a backdrop of magic, politics, and plague. An evangelist preacher is taking steps to try eliminating all magical ability from the U.S. population. He has already managed to inoculate most of the younger generations, but he’s trying to wipe out the abilities of the privileged elder generation who grew up with magic.
It’s tricky, at times, that this book is so intimately tied to its precedessors. I can’t imagine reading it without having read The Native Star and The Hidden Goddess. A certain amount of the pleasure I derived from reading it came from knowing all the things William doesn’t. And as a second complaint, I will say it ends on a whopper of a suspenseful situation. Being obliged to put it down without having the next book ready and waiting was very sad.
As for the novel itself: it has the usual grandeur of Hobson’s writing, the delightful characters and hilarious dialog, and the no-punches pulled savagery of a bare-knuckles brawl. In marrying and running off from people determined to protect them from everything including the truth, Will and Jenny dress themselves for the slaughter. And I do not use that word lightly. The little bit of responsibility they bear for getting themselves into trouble hardly rates against what happens to them.
Is Hobson saying we should meekly accept lying by authority figures for our own good? No, obviously not. But TWC is very much about displaced pride, the inability to ask for help and the inability of one person, however talented, to stand against massive corrupt organizations, be they political, corporate, or sorcerous in nature.
October 25, 2012
This is one of those books you really can't label as adult or YA. If anything I would maybe say New Adult because Will is eighteen and Jenny is 17. But it's appropriate for YA readers and Will definitely has his moments of being a teenager instead of the adult he should be acting as.
I am a huge fan of M.K. Hobson. Her books The Native Star and The Hidden Goddess were on my favorites lists the years they released. The world that she has created pretty much blows my mind. It has the history I tend to crave occasionally but it's an alternate history with magic at the center of it all. There's also Steampunk elements but much of that is tied in with the magic. Now before I go further I have to make something clear, this book is in the same world as her previous books, but it's 1910 rather than 1876 and has new characters. Yes, we get to see the characters from the previous books but they are definitely in the background and you do not have to read the first two to read this one. Because I love them all so much I still suggest you read them all, but you can definitely read this one without reading the others.
This one has a male POV! You know how I love those, so that was a bonus for me. Will is 18 years old and a genius. At least when it comes to putting things together and inventing things, but when it comes to the average sort of thing he tends to not think things through or consider the repercussions for his actions. Which is pretty typical 18 year old boy behavior... But Will is determined to work for Tesla Industries and learn more but his parent's forbid it. When Jenny Hansen comes along offering him the option of marrying her so they can make it up to Detroit for him to work for Tesla Industries, he's pretty much all over it.
Jenny Hansen has her own plans in mind but she's not about to share with Will and this causes a bit of a rift between them... but Will, he knows he's developing some feelings for Jenny for real even though she's his fake wife. We don't know what's in Jenny's head since we're only in Will's and I kind of wish we did. It would maybe be nice to have both perspectives here, I want to know what she's thinking!
The first half of this book was good but the second half of the book was a bit of a whirlwind as I was pretty much knee deep in it and not looking back. Every interruption annoyed me as I was dying to see everything come together. At times I would predict one thing and then discover how wrong I was. It was completely unpredictable! Yeah, we know that Will makes mistakes and we can see it'll bite him in the ass, but so much turned out differently than I thought it would.
The end of the book was pretty killer. It was an explosive end and left us with a bit of a cliffhanger. You know I detest those, but for some reason this one didn't bother me too much. Oh, I'm still *desperate* for the next book, but I wasn't actually angry as I often get with cliffhangers. There's much more to be tied up to conclude Will's story, but I guess we'll just have to wait for the next one to find out what else happens.
I very highly recommend you pick this book up. This world is incredible! In each of her books I really feel transported to the time and place and feel I'm right there with them. I can't wait to see what happens in the next one!
You can find this review and others like it on my blog at http://www.candacesbookblog.com
Disclosure: Thanks to the author for the review copy of the book. All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or compensated for them.
I am a huge fan of M.K. Hobson. Her books The Native Star and The Hidden Goddess were on my favorites lists the years they released. The world that she has created pretty much blows my mind. It has the history I tend to crave occasionally but it's an alternate history with magic at the center of it all. There's also Steampunk elements but much of that is tied in with the magic. Now before I go further I have to make something clear, this book is in the same world as her previous books, but it's 1910 rather than 1876 and has new characters. Yes, we get to see the characters from the previous books but they are definitely in the background and you do not have to read the first two to read this one. Because I love them all so much I still suggest you read them all, but you can definitely read this one without reading the others.
This one has a male POV! You know how I love those, so that was a bonus for me. Will is 18 years old and a genius. At least when it comes to putting things together and inventing things, but when it comes to the average sort of thing he tends to not think things through or consider the repercussions for his actions. Which is pretty typical 18 year old boy behavior... But Will is determined to work for Tesla Industries and learn more but his parent's forbid it. When Jenny Hansen comes along offering him the option of marrying her so they can make it up to Detroit for him to work for Tesla Industries, he's pretty much all over it.
Jenny Hansen has her own plans in mind but she's not about to share with Will and this causes a bit of a rift between them... but Will, he knows he's developing some feelings for Jenny for real even though she's his fake wife. We don't know what's in Jenny's head since we're only in Will's and I kind of wish we did. It would maybe be nice to have both perspectives here, I want to know what she's thinking!
The first half of this book was good but the second half of the book was a bit of a whirlwind as I was pretty much knee deep in it and not looking back. Every interruption annoyed me as I was dying to see everything come together. At times I would predict one thing and then discover how wrong I was. It was completely unpredictable! Yeah, we know that Will makes mistakes and we can see it'll bite him in the ass, but so much turned out differently than I thought it would.
The end of the book was pretty killer. It was an explosive end and left us with a bit of a cliffhanger. You know I detest those, but for some reason this one didn't bother me too much. Oh, I'm still *desperate* for the next book, but I wasn't actually angry as I often get with cliffhangers. There's much more to be tied up to conclude Will's story, but I guess we'll just have to wait for the next one to find out what else happens.
I very highly recommend you pick this book up. This world is incredible! In each of her books I really feel transported to the time and place and feel I'm right there with them. I can't wait to see what happens in the next one!
You can find this review and others like it on my blog at http://www.candacesbookblog.com
Disclosure: Thanks to the author for the review copy of the book. All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or compensated for them.
December 7, 2012
M.K. Hobson did a Kickstarter campaign to finance the writing of this, the third in her alternate American History Magic/Steampunk (heavier on the Magic than the Gadget)series that started with Native Star. It came as no surprise to me at all that her campaign was successful. I fell in immediate, irrevocable love with her characters from the first two books.
Will and Jenny, the stars of The Warlock's Curse, were just as personable, but for me, a bit more whiny and naive than Dreadnought Stanton and Emily. Let's just say it took me longer to warm up to them.
Anyway, Warlock's Curse is set many years after the second book. Will is a gifted mechanic and youngest son in a family whose Patriarch is arrogant and dictatorial and is keeping Will from a very promising apprenticeship with Tesla industries for no good reason.
So Will decides to run away. Along comes Jenny, childhood friend, who also wishes to get away from her father. The solution? Marriage. As a married couple, Jenny has access to trust fund money and can help Will get to his apprenticeship.
Only...Jenny's not entirely truthful about why she wants her trust fund, and Will's family aren't exactly who they say they are, and Will himself is starting to hear a very strange voice...
You just can't beat Hobson's Veneficas Americana series for pure idea-driven fun (credomancy as a magical system is just so darn cool) and for creating even minor characters worthy of their own novels (Sanctity Snow the crazy, divine-inspired organist or the romance between the Unionist Briar and the Greek sangrimancer, or the love triangle between two of Will's brothers and his flapper-like sister-in-law).
The writing is impeccable, the secrets revealed at just the right pace, and the characters endure real and terrible consequences for their actions.
But...and here's where the book lost that last, 5th star for me, there was too big of a gap between the first and second half of the book.
The first half with Will finding his way at Tesla industries while trying to find out what Jenny is up to was terrific...and then it all gets left behind on one, fatal night and everything changes. (And sadly I can't discuss any of it because it would be massive spoilerage) The second half, while very cool in its layers of conspiracy and implications, had almost nothing to do with the expectations set up in the first half of what Will might achieve with his Flume and his Tesla work at all. The story careens off into another direction and I felt a little lost between the first half and the second. (and a little shell-shocked, to tell you the truth. The first half is whole-hog YA and the second half I felt made this book probably inappropriate for my 5th grade daughter to read)
Not to mention the terribly open ending with many dramatic issues unresolved. (darn you, Hobson!)
There's no question I'll have to get the second in this duology as soon as it comes out to find out what happens. And along with her first duology in the series, this second one promises to be a wild ride.
This Book's Snack Rating: Like those Trader Joe's dark chocolate-covered potato chips for the hardy crunch of riveting characters and world-building coupled with a startling bitterness of plot direction halfway through
Will and Jenny, the stars of The Warlock's Curse, were just as personable, but for me, a bit more whiny and naive than Dreadnought Stanton and Emily. Let's just say it took me longer to warm up to them.
Anyway, Warlock's Curse is set many years after the second book. Will is a gifted mechanic and youngest son in a family whose Patriarch is arrogant and dictatorial and is keeping Will from a very promising apprenticeship with Tesla industries for no good reason.
So Will decides to run away. Along comes Jenny, childhood friend, who also wishes to get away from her father. The solution? Marriage. As a married couple, Jenny has access to trust fund money and can help Will get to his apprenticeship.
Only...Jenny's not entirely truthful about why she wants her trust fund, and Will's family aren't exactly who they say they are, and Will himself is starting to hear a very strange voice...
You just can't beat Hobson's Veneficas Americana series for pure idea-driven fun (credomancy as a magical system is just so darn cool) and for creating even minor characters worthy of their own novels (Sanctity Snow the crazy, divine-inspired organist or the romance between the Unionist Briar and the Greek sangrimancer, or the love triangle between two of Will's brothers and his flapper-like sister-in-law).
The writing is impeccable, the secrets revealed at just the right pace, and the characters endure real and terrible consequences for their actions.
But...and here's where the book lost that last, 5th star for me, there was too big of a gap between the first and second half of the book.
The first half with Will finding his way at Tesla industries while trying to find out what Jenny is up to was terrific...and then it all gets left behind on one, fatal night and everything changes. (And sadly I can't discuss any of it because it would be massive spoilerage) The second half, while very cool in its layers of conspiracy and implications, had almost nothing to do with the expectations set up in the first half of what Will might achieve with his Flume and his Tesla work at all. The story careens off into another direction and I felt a little lost between the first half and the second. (and a little shell-shocked, to tell you the truth. The first half is whole-hog YA and the second half I felt made this book probably inappropriate for my 5th grade daughter to read)
Not to mention the terribly open ending with many dramatic issues unresolved. (darn you, Hobson!)
There's no question I'll have to get the second in this duology as soon as it comes out to find out what happens. And along with her first duology in the series, this second one promises to be a wild ride.
This Book's Snack Rating: Like those Trader Joe's dark chocolate-covered potato chips for the hardy crunch of riveting characters and world-building coupled with a startling bitterness of plot direction halfway through
September 27, 2013
Originally at: http://yabooknook.tumblr.com/post/623...
I don't know why I waited so long to rec this book. My own actions baffle me.
So I have already recommended another of M.K. Hobson's books, THE NATIVE STAR, which is one of my absolute favorites and, as it happens, the first book in this series. Why am I recommending THE WARLOCK'S CURSE separately then? apart from obviously liking to bend rules and such
THE WARLOCK'S CURSE is actually the start of a new duology within the series, so technically you could read it without having read THE NATIVE STAR and still understand and enjoy it. I would side-eye you forever, though, because THE NATIVE STAR is fantastic and why anyone wouldn't want to read it is beyond me.
Moving on...
So THE WARLOCK'S CURSE takes place some years after the events of the last duology, following Will and Jenny as they make their way in the world. And obviously get hit in the face by some impressive obstacles.
Let's talk about characters first because we all know that's my favorite bit. Will Edwards. Will. Sigh. There were so many times through this book were I just wanted to reach out and hug him. And so many times I wanted to slap him across the face until his neck rotated 360˚. I'm trying to say he was great. He was likable and made mistakes left and right, but he tried. And, guys, he was troubled. Really troubled. Really troubled.
Jenny was just fantastic, and also flawed (which all the best characters are). She was ambitious and determined and complex. She had goals and motivations and her own plot, even though she wasn't the main character. I loved Jenny. Jenny and I could be friends.
There's other characters I liked loved but I don't want to talk about them because spoilers! I'll just say: Read closely. And, Aebedel Crowday was immensely disturbing.
Deer gawd.
Still, as much as I want to spend all my time gushing about the characters, where this book really shines is in its feel. This was dark. Darker than I expected it, and I loved it. THE WARLOCK'S CURSE pushes its own boundaries, making you care about characters who are broken and amazing and who put themselves in horrific situations. It is full of folklore that will feel new and familiar (specially if you've read the previous duology).
It is satisfyingly dark and a whirlwind of action that doesn't sacrifice character development. Read it and suffer waiting for the second book with me, please.
I don't know why I waited so long to rec this book. My own actions baffle me.
So I have already recommended another of M.K. Hobson's books, THE NATIVE STAR, which is one of my absolute favorites and, as it happens, the first book in this series. Why am I recommending THE WARLOCK'S CURSE separately then? apart from obviously liking to bend rules and such
THE WARLOCK'S CURSE is actually the start of a new duology within the series, so technically you could read it without having read THE NATIVE STAR and still understand and enjoy it. I would side-eye you forever, though, because THE NATIVE STAR is fantastic and why anyone wouldn't want to read it is beyond me.
Moving on...
So THE WARLOCK'S CURSE takes place some years after the events of the last duology, following Will and Jenny as they make their way in the world. And obviously get hit in the face by some impressive obstacles.
Let's talk about characters first because we all know that's my favorite bit. Will Edwards. Will. Sigh. There were so many times through this book were I just wanted to reach out and hug him. And so many times I wanted to slap him across the face until his neck rotated 360˚. I'm trying to say he was great. He was likable and made mistakes left and right, but he tried. And, guys, he was troubled. Really troubled. Really troubled.
Jenny was just fantastic, and also flawed (which all the best characters are). She was ambitious and determined and complex. She had goals and motivations and her own plot, even though she wasn't the main character. I loved Jenny. Jenny and I could be friends.
There's other characters I liked loved but I don't want to talk about them because spoilers! I'll just say: Read closely. And, Aebedel Crowday was immensely disturbing.
Deer gawd.
Still, as much as I want to spend all my time gushing about the characters, where this book really shines is in its feel. This was dark. Darker than I expected it, and I loved it. THE WARLOCK'S CURSE pushes its own boundaries, making you care about characters who are broken and amazing and who put themselves in horrific situations. It is full of folklore that will feel new and familiar (specially if you've read the previous duology).
It is satisfyingly dark and a whirlwind of action that doesn't sacrifice character development. Read it and suffer waiting for the second book with me, please.
November 30, 2012
This was a really enjoyable book! There were so many great things about it.
The prologue definitely set an interesting tone. It describes the struggle that witchhunter Anson Kendall faces in trying to get revenge on warlock Aebedel Cowdray and finish his father's work, but the warlock places a curse on Anson and his family, promising to return in the bodies of his descendants and do evil on the nights of the full moon. This was written in an excellent style which was extremely effective for the subject matter. The prologue would not have had the same impact had it not been written the way it was. I really enjoyed it.
On to the story itself:
I thought the characters were fantastic. Will is a wonderful, brave young man with big dreams that his family does not approve of. He gets so tired of his father holding him back, so he stands up for himself and took a big risk to chase his dream, which I really admired.
I also really liked Jenny. She is a smart, fun girl who is not afraid of chasing some adventure. I really enjoyed the teasing, often flirty chemistry between the two, but that they still appeared just like the old friends that they are. I thought it was great too that they could learn from each other the whole way through.
The world building was fantastic. This novel is set in an alternate version of our world which is filled with not only technological advances of the early 1900s, but also with magic. There are so many implications of having magic as a real, integrated part of the world, and Hobson has covered many of them in her writing. So many aspects of the magic are worked into the world so well that it doesn't seem out of place, despite the fact that that was not what our world was like at all. The world, that is so like ours but still so different, really comes alive and feels real.
This story ended up being a lot more intense and darker than I had expected. This didn't mean, however, that I didn't enjoy it! While I was surprised at some of the wild and sinister things that happened, I was definitely enthralled in the story. I'll admit I was a little disappointed in the ending, mostly because Will isn't who I want him to be at the end. This may be completely different from what others wanted or imagined, though.
Overall I thought this was a great novel that really captured and maintained my interest and my curiosity throughout. It had great characters and an amazing world.
4 stars!
The prologue definitely set an interesting tone. It describes the struggle that witchhunter Anson Kendall faces in trying to get revenge on warlock Aebedel Cowdray and finish his father's work, but the warlock places a curse on Anson and his family, promising to return in the bodies of his descendants and do evil on the nights of the full moon. This was written in an excellent style which was extremely effective for the subject matter. The prologue would not have had the same impact had it not been written the way it was. I really enjoyed it.
On to the story itself:
I thought the characters were fantastic. Will is a wonderful, brave young man with big dreams that his family does not approve of. He gets so tired of his father holding him back, so he stands up for himself and took a big risk to chase his dream, which I really admired.
I also really liked Jenny. She is a smart, fun girl who is not afraid of chasing some adventure. I really enjoyed the teasing, often flirty chemistry between the two, but that they still appeared just like the old friends that they are. I thought it was great too that they could learn from each other the whole way through.
The world building was fantastic. This novel is set in an alternate version of our world which is filled with not only technological advances of the early 1900s, but also with magic. There are so many implications of having magic as a real, integrated part of the world, and Hobson has covered many of them in her writing. So many aspects of the magic are worked into the world so well that it doesn't seem out of place, despite the fact that that was not what our world was like at all. The world, that is so like ours but still so different, really comes alive and feels real.
This story ended up being a lot more intense and darker than I had expected. This didn't mean, however, that I didn't enjoy it! While I was surprised at some of the wild and sinister things that happened, I was definitely enthralled in the story. I'll admit I was a little disappointed in the ending, mostly because Will isn't who I want him to be at the end. This may be completely different from what others wanted or imagined, though.
Overall I thought this was a great novel that really captured and maintained my interest and my curiosity throughout. It had great characters and an amazing world.
4 stars!
November 15, 2012
The Warlock's Curse is the third book in the Venificas Americas series, but it is set at a different time than the first two and it has a new set of characters. I love reading series in order so I can get the full effect of the books, but I wasn't lost or confused by starting with this book. I loved the Warlock's Curse and I will be getting the first two books in the series to read as well, because if they are like this one I know I will love them too.
I am a major history nerd. I was a history major in undergrad and I just get all giddy when history is incorporated into stories or movies. I loved the history in The Warlock's Curse. M.K. Hobson did an amazing job weaving history throughout the story. And the coolest part is that it was like history class and science class with magic and some steampunkiness interspersed throughout it. Umm, yes please- those are all awesome things. And the effect when putting them all together was great.
The writing is the real deal. I love a fluffy book just like anyone else. Something you can pick up and just zone out and read. The Warlock's Curse is not that book. I was more of an active participant while reading this story because the writing is awesome but more dense and complex than some of the fluffier books I read. It was a nice change of pace for me, and I really loved M.K. Hobson's writing style.
Will and Jenny were so full of energy and enthusiasm that it was hard not to love them. Plus, I love a guys point of view so that was a big plus in my book. But the world building was the star of the show for me. I think this has to be some of the best world building that I have seen in a book in a long time. Everything is just so well developed and presented that it makes reading a real pleasure. This book was an emotional journey. More than once I was sad about something that happened, but ultimately everything works for the story. I think The Warlock's Curse is a book that has something for everyone, and you should check it out.
I am a major history nerd. I was a history major in undergrad and I just get all giddy when history is incorporated into stories or movies. I loved the history in The Warlock's Curse. M.K. Hobson did an amazing job weaving history throughout the story. And the coolest part is that it was like history class and science class with magic and some steampunkiness interspersed throughout it. Umm, yes please- those are all awesome things. And the effect when putting them all together was great.
The writing is the real deal. I love a fluffy book just like anyone else. Something you can pick up and just zone out and read. The Warlock's Curse is not that book. I was more of an active participant while reading this story because the writing is awesome but more dense and complex than some of the fluffier books I read. It was a nice change of pace for me, and I really loved M.K. Hobson's writing style.
Will and Jenny were so full of energy and enthusiasm that it was hard not to love them. Plus, I love a guys point of view so that was a big plus in my book. But the world building was the star of the show for me. I think this has to be some of the best world building that I have seen in a book in a long time. Everything is just so well developed and presented that it makes reading a real pleasure. This book was an emotional journey. More than once I was sad about something that happened, but ultimately everything works for the story. I think The Warlock's Curse is a book that has something for everyone, and you should check it out.
November 3, 2012
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
THE WARLOCK’S CURSE is a fascinating, dark, adventure story filled to the brim with steampunk science and technology. The first few chapters dragged a little but the second half of the story more than made up for the lackluster start with some startling revelations.
So much of a good steampunk novel comes down to atmosphere. The detailed, scientific explanations of various machines greatly helped with creating that tone though I could have done with a little less emphasis on a few of the more obscure scientific theories depicted in this book. What did work especially well was the history presented in THE WARLOCK’S CURSE with an uneasy mix of magic with technology. While Will’s curse is a horrible thing, I enjoyed the reason behind it since the explanation allowed for a more indepth explanation of how and why this world works the way it does.
As the protagonist, Will is a very headstrong character and I liked that he was so persistent and determined to achieve his goal to work for Tesla Industries. His stubbornness and inability to see the consequences of some of his more drastic actions were a tad annoying despite the excuse of his young age. That feeling was tempered by the frustration I felt on his behalf by all the secrets that were kept from him. That information would have helped a great deal if he had known beforehand.
THE WARLOCK’S CURSE started off slow but eventually picked up. The massive revelations were wonderfully surprising though I would have prefered to not be told it all at once as they were a lot to take in. All in all, this was a great adventure story set in a world brimming with magic and steam technology. The next book in the Veneficas Americana series, THE UNSTEADY EARTH comes out in 2013.
Sexual content: kissing, reference to rape
THE WARLOCK’S CURSE is a fascinating, dark, adventure story filled to the brim with steampunk science and technology. The first few chapters dragged a little but the second half of the story more than made up for the lackluster start with some startling revelations.
So much of a good steampunk novel comes down to atmosphere. The detailed, scientific explanations of various machines greatly helped with creating that tone though I could have done with a little less emphasis on a few of the more obscure scientific theories depicted in this book. What did work especially well was the history presented in THE WARLOCK’S CURSE with an uneasy mix of magic with technology. While Will’s curse is a horrible thing, I enjoyed the reason behind it since the explanation allowed for a more indepth explanation of how and why this world works the way it does.
As the protagonist, Will is a very headstrong character and I liked that he was so persistent and determined to achieve his goal to work for Tesla Industries. His stubbornness and inability to see the consequences of some of his more drastic actions were a tad annoying despite the excuse of his young age. That feeling was tempered by the frustration I felt on his behalf by all the secrets that were kept from him. That information would have helped a great deal if he had known beforehand.
THE WARLOCK’S CURSE started off slow but eventually picked up. The massive revelations were wonderfully surprising though I would have prefered to not be told it all at once as they were a lot to take in. All in all, this was a great adventure story set in a world brimming with magic and steam technology. The next book in the Veneficas Americana series, THE UNSTEADY EARTH comes out in 2013.
Sexual content: kissing, reference to rape
December 1, 2012
The first thing that intrigued me about this book was the fact that it’s a steampunk set in the United States. It’s not often that I’ve seen a steampunk title set outside of England, so that immediately made me take notice. Once I started reading I was impressed with the fabulous world building. There’s a whole alternate history in this book, filled with science, steampunk, and magic. The book features such a dense setting, which at times was daunting, but overall really added to the richness of the narrative.
‘The Warlock’s Curse’ isn’t necessarily an easy book to read. It requires a certain commitment, because of all the characters and details about the science and magic. However, if steampunk science fiction is your preferred genre, then this is definitely one worth reading. What was unique about it, to me, was that while the characters were upper-YA age, it definitely had more of the feel of an adult book. It was more serious and focused on the plot, rather than the character-driven journey that most YA books feature. I actually would have liked to have explored Will’s relationships more, especially with Jenny, as I felt like we never got to fully understand her actions, despite learning a bit about her motivations.
This was definitely an interesting book, and I think that if you’re a big fan of the genre then you might enjoy it even more than I did. Also please note that while this is part of a larger series, it is the first book set in a different time period and with different characters, so you do not need to read any previous books to understand what is happening in this one.
‘The Warlock’s Curse’ isn’t necessarily an easy book to read. It requires a certain commitment, because of all the characters and details about the science and magic. However, if steampunk science fiction is your preferred genre, then this is definitely one worth reading. What was unique about it, to me, was that while the characters were upper-YA age, it definitely had more of the feel of an adult book. It was more serious and focused on the plot, rather than the character-driven journey that most YA books feature. I actually would have liked to have explored Will’s relationships more, especially with Jenny, as I felt like we never got to fully understand her actions, despite learning a bit about her motivations.
This was definitely an interesting book, and I think that if you’re a big fan of the genre then you might enjoy it even more than I did. Also please note that while this is part of a larger series, it is the first book set in a different time period and with different characters, so you do not need to read any previous books to understand what is happening in this one.
November 5, 2012
Review from Queen of Swords Book Reviews.
LIKED:
* The world-building is amazing. This is real American history with a very large twist. A couple of times I found myself wanting to research some of the events mentioned in the story to see if they were real or only in this alternate reality.
* The book does have a large steampunk component to it though the gadgets are by no means at the center of the story. I thought the devices were neat and well-integrated into the world.
* The magic system is unique, well-developed and consistent.
* Jenny and Will are great characters that I really connected with.
* Ms. Hobson doesn't pull any punches. Some of the events in this book are absolutely heartbreaking. At the same time that I'm sad for the characters, I also respect that the author is willing to follow her vision wherever it will go.
* I was really happy to see Emily and Dreadnought again. I love family sagas because you can experience the warm joy of old friends and the freshness and hope of new generations simultaneously.
LIKED LESS:
* The book focused mostly on Will, and the readers get a decent picture of Jenny through his interactions with her. While I understand why the author made that choice, I still wish that we had seen more of Jenny outside her relationship with Will. Hopefully the next book will remedy that. She's wonderful and I want more!
LIKED:
* The world-building is amazing. This is real American history with a very large twist. A couple of times I found myself wanting to research some of the events mentioned in the story to see if they were real or only in this alternate reality.
* The book does have a large steampunk component to it though the gadgets are by no means at the center of the story. I thought the devices were neat and well-integrated into the world.
* The magic system is unique, well-developed and consistent.
* Jenny and Will are great characters that I really connected with.
* Ms. Hobson doesn't pull any punches. Some of the events in this book are absolutely heartbreaking. At the same time that I'm sad for the characters, I also respect that the author is willing to follow her vision wherever it will go.
* I was really happy to see Emily and Dreadnought again. I love family sagas because you can experience the warm joy of old friends and the freshness and hope of new generations simultaneously.
LIKED LESS:
* The book focused mostly on Will, and the readers get a decent picture of Jenny through his interactions with her. While I understand why the author made that choice, I still wish that we had seen more of Jenny outside her relationship with Will. Hopefully the next book will remedy that. She's wonderful and I want more!
November 11, 2012
"The Warlock's Curse" is the third book in a series, but you can easily read it without having read the first two books. It leaves a great deal unresolved, but it looks like a fourth book is planned that will finish the series (or at least this part of the series) off.
"Warlock's" follows the adventures of William Edwards, 18, and his 17 year old former childhood friend Jenny Stanton, as they bluff their way through a marriage of convenience and an apprenticeship (on his end) at Tesla Industries in Detroit, MI in 1910. As much as she's assisting William, Jenny has plans of her own, involving a large amount of money and her physically infirm sister, Claire. As he's getting established at Tesla Industries, however, the eponymous Curse rears its ugly head and things go from slightly complicated to thoroughly screwed up.
Unlike Hobson's previous books, this is told from the point of view of a young man (the youngest son of her former protagonist) and the romance element is greatly reduced.
Hobson is a solid writer, and does interesting things with AU (Alternate Universe) history and events, interesting world building. She fleshes out her systems of magic (especially Sangrimancy) as well. There are some elements in this book that are darker than in her previous books, but she manages to avoid "woman in a refrigerator" syndrome.
I wish it had been from the POV of a woman, but maybe we'll see that with the fourth book in the series.
"Warlock's" follows the adventures of William Edwards, 18, and his 17 year old former childhood friend Jenny Stanton, as they bluff their way through a marriage of convenience and an apprenticeship (on his end) at Tesla Industries in Detroit, MI in 1910. As much as she's assisting William, Jenny has plans of her own, involving a large amount of money and her physically infirm sister, Claire. As he's getting established at Tesla Industries, however, the eponymous Curse rears its ugly head and things go from slightly complicated to thoroughly screwed up.
Unlike Hobson's previous books, this is told from the point of view of a young man (the youngest son of her former protagonist) and the romance element is greatly reduced.
Hobson is a solid writer, and does interesting things with AU (Alternate Universe) history and events, interesting world building. She fleshes out her systems of magic (especially Sangrimancy) as well. There are some elements in this book that are darker than in her previous books, but she manages to avoid "woman in a refrigerator" syndrome.
I wish it had been from the POV of a woman, but maybe we'll see that with the fourth book in the series.
January 5, 2013
I've been meaning to write a review for this book for awhile, but now that I finally have the time again I will.
First off all this book is brilliant! What I mean is that the characters, plot, themes, motifs, and overall structure is pitch perfect. Everything about this book is great. The characters are well developed, the world building is intensely satisfying, and the magic system is incredibly well developed. I loved M.K Hobson's previous two books, although "The Native Star" is still by and far my favorite of the entire series so far, but definitely "A Warlock's Curse" is a close second.
This book isn't a fluffy read, it's dark and devious in many different aspects and you never know what is coming next. This is a great book for anyone who likes alternate histories, tightly plotted novels, and an author who really knows what she is writing about. I can't wait till the next book in the series, and this is an author who truly needs to be more well known.
First off all this book is brilliant! What I mean is that the characters, plot, themes, motifs, and overall structure is pitch perfect. Everything about this book is great. The characters are well developed, the world building is intensely satisfying, and the magic system is incredibly well developed. I loved M.K Hobson's previous two books, although "The Native Star" is still by and far my favorite of the entire series so far, but definitely "A Warlock's Curse" is a close second.
This book isn't a fluffy read, it's dark and devious in many different aspects and you never know what is coming next. This is a great book for anyone who likes alternate histories, tightly plotted novels, and an author who really knows what she is writing about. I can't wait till the next book in the series, and this is an author who truly needs to be more well known.
May 23, 2015
after a pair of somewhat lighter historical-fantasy-romances (albeit, ones with a darker undercurrent in the form of nasty villains), the series dives much more deeply into that dark tone with the 3rd installment. Hobson has apparently completed the tale of the delightfully-named Dreadnought Stanton and his dirt-witch bride, moving on to tell the story of the couples' youngest son here. from the get-go, the main character is a pretty gawd-awful jerk (his willful carelessness likely killed his elder brother's favorite horse), but again, the interesting little twists on both the world Hobson has built for these interesting people to walk through and their own personal foibles keeps being engaging. there's a lot going on here (Tesla and his super secretive factory, the remains of the magic rock system, a whackadoo preacher, some "cursed" children), and with the book ending on an almost-cliffhanger, we're left wondering how much of it is red herrings or real plot anchors.
April 12, 2017
Definitely one of the book series I wish more people knew about!!
Yes this is the third book in a series and focuses on other characters while the previous characters in books 1&2 are now older and have been relegated to a supporting role in this book.
But that's ok with me. I love MK HOBSON's story and it's unpredictability. I think this book was written for voracious readers. It certainly went against a lot of my expectations for the story. And that's certainly not a bad thing.
If you really want something new, then I hope you try this book out.
But better to start with the equally refreshing first two books to understand the terms in this book
Yes this is the third book in a series and focuses on other characters while the previous characters in books 1&2 are now older and have been relegated to a supporting role in this book.
But that's ok with me. I love MK HOBSON's story and it's unpredictability. I think this book was written for voracious readers. It certainly went against a lot of my expectations for the story. And that's certainly not a bad thing.
If you really want something new, then I hope you try this book out.
But better to start with the equally refreshing first two books to understand the terms in this book
August 28, 2017
Until I started reading these books again, I thought I was completely done with Steampunk. I think it's the combination of magic, steampunk and lies that sucks you in.
The only criticisms I have is: the characters changed very radically at the end and the end itself wasn't that great, it just didn't wrap things up sufficiently. I needed to know what happens to the family, what happens from then on. Sitting in s theatre just doesn't cut it.
The only criticisms I have is: the characters changed very radically at the end and the end itself wasn't that great, it just didn't wrap things up sufficiently. I needed to know what happens to the family, what happens from then on. Sitting in s theatre just doesn't cut it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2019
I really liked the start of this one -- the two main characters' plan sounded great, like a good setup for an adventure, and I enjoyed the bits about Will's inventions (although I also thought he sounded like quite a brat). Later in the book it gets very dark and the stakes escalate quickly...the end part almost felt like a completely different book, with a different tone. It was exciting but it wasn't as much 'fun'.
I still want to see what happens in the next one.
I still want to see what happens in the next one.
January 27, 2021
So disappointed, I enjoyed the first two books but this was hard to read, the characters unlikable and the ending unsatisfactory.
September 28, 2016
Hobson keeps the action moving in this third novel in her Veneficas Americana series. In this novel we meet Will Edwards, the son of Dreadnought Stanton and Emily Edwards - a young man unaware of his magical heritage. When he runs away to Detroit to take a position at Tesla Industries, however, his parents' past (and the curse they tried to evade) catches up with him.
September 9, 2016
I loved the previous duology in this series (The Native Star / The Hidden Goddess), so I was excited to see what Hobson had in store for the next generation of the Stanton/Edwards clan. Unfortunately, this entry never sat right with me. The writing was great, and I loved being back in Hobson's complex alternate America, but I never fell in step with Will and Jenny. The central concept of the book (which I can't explain here, or I'll spoil the whole thing) forces the author to tread a very fine line with the main character. In order for him to remain sympathetic, the reader needs to connect with him on a deep and basic level. In my case, that never happened. I was angry with Will for pretty much the entirety of the book, which made his later trials and angst fall flat for me. I get that his early naïveté was meant to serve as a contrast to the horrible thing that happens to him, but I never found him endearing - I found him rather selfish and short-sighted.
I also thought the whole Tesla Industries apprenticeship was a big dead end. Perhaps that aspect of the story will be developed more in The Unsteady Earth, but after the huge build-up surrounding Nikola Tesla and his freaky contracts signed in blood, the narrative shifted in a completely different direction and never returned to Tesla once. It was a frustrating red herring.
On the whole, I feel like The Warlock's Curse makes a lot of sense in outline form, but not much sense emotionally. The plot seems to stifle the characters. YMMV though, and I'll still pick up the next book because who knows - maybe it'll redeem this particular storyline for me.
I also thought the whole Tesla Industries apprenticeship was a big dead end. Perhaps that aspect of the story will be developed more in The Unsteady Earth, but after the huge build-up surrounding Nikola Tesla and his freaky contracts signed in blood, the narrative shifted in a completely different direction and never returned to Tesla once. It was a frustrating red herring.
On the whole, I feel like The Warlock's Curse makes a lot of sense in outline form, but not much sense emotionally. The plot seems to stifle the characters. YMMV though, and I'll still pick up the next book because who knows - maybe it'll redeem this particular storyline for me.
December 5, 2012
**spoilers are in this review**
**I was given a free copy of this book for an honest review**
When I started reading this book, I liked it. It is a good story, well written, and interesting enough to keep you guessing without confussing you. This book was well on the way to being a 3 or 4 star book, until the last 2 pages of the book.
This book is a story about Will, who only wants to go to Detroit and work for Telsa Industries. His lifelong friend Jenny comes up with a plan to get him to Detroit and her what she also wants. After getting to Detroit, Will starts hearing voices and a few days after the full moon, wakes up with Jenny in a seedy hotel room and cannot remember what happens. He thens ends up destroying 2 of the main power in the 19th century, and burns down "the agency" possible killing his parents. Great stuff!! The entire book, and I waiting for how she makes the HEA work. In the end there is no HEA, there isn't even an HE. He rapes and impregants the girl he loves, is betrayed by his brother, kills his father and possible his mother, is still posssossed by an evil warlock, and he doesn't even get the girl!?!? WTF!! What was the entire point of the book, you end up with more questions than answers and nothing was resolved. That made this book - a very enjoyable read until this - a 2 star book.
Since this is a book in a series, I have some hope that the author will correct this mistake in a later book, but not sure I want to invest the time to find out. Especially considering I will be doubly upset if it turns out to not be the case.
**I was given a free copy of this book for an honest review**
When I started reading this book, I liked it. It is a good story, well written, and interesting enough to keep you guessing without confussing you. This book was well on the way to being a 3 or 4 star book, until the last 2 pages of the book.
This book is a story about Will, who only wants to go to Detroit and work for Telsa Industries. His lifelong friend Jenny comes up with a plan to get him to Detroit and her what she also wants. After getting to Detroit, Will starts hearing voices and a few days after the full moon, wakes up with Jenny in a seedy hotel room and cannot remember what happens. He thens ends up destroying 2 of the main power in the 19th century, and burns down "the agency" possible killing his parents. Great stuff!! The entire book, and I waiting for how she makes the HEA work. In the end there is no HEA, there isn't even an HE. He rapes and impregants the girl he loves, is betrayed by his brother, kills his father and possible his mother, is still posssossed by an evil warlock, and he doesn't even get the girl!?!? WTF!! What was the entire point of the book, you end up with more questions than answers and nothing was resolved. That made this book - a very enjoyable read until this - a 2 star book.
Since this is a book in a series, I have some hope that the author will correct this mistake in a later book, but not sure I want to invest the time to find out. Especially considering I will be doubly upset if it turns out to not be the case.
July 31, 2014
I really disliked the prologue but got over it. Then for an interminable time the two mains were extremely annoying and there were things that weren't making sense. Then, everything just unraveled and there were very few things making sense. And then, I really disliked the ending. I closed the book thinking that I should have heeded the warning of the prologue 'this book is not for you'. But I was hopeful because I really liked the first two. Eh, what can you do?
For those that are interested and might read this, be warned, there are lots of elements of torture and cruelty and just plain evil.
For those that are interested and might read this, be warned, there are lots of elements of torture and cruelty and just plain evil.
November 16, 2012
Magic can be found inside the cover of this great book. Witches, warlocks and those who would stop them from using magic are brought together in the life of two families that encompass the entire world. A love story that will break your heart and leave you asking "why". A family's struggle to keep secrets from their loved ones, family that isn't family,and mysterious machines come together in a spellbinder (pardon the pun) of a story. This is a great read that must have another book if for no other reason than to answer the questions left unanswered.
January 17, 2014
This is such a hard review for me to right. I LOVED the first two books in the series and was so looking to this book. Perhaps that is my problem.
There are elements to the story that I like, Hobson writes a great steampunk mystery and there were chapters that I found myself caught up in...
However, in this story, I could not connect to the main characters which makes me sad because there were returning characters that I absolutely loved. Likewise, there were questions that I had that felt unanswered.
There are elements to the story that I like, Hobson writes a great steampunk mystery and there were chapters that I found myself caught up in...
However, in this story, I could not connect to the main characters which makes me sad because there were returning characters that I absolutely loved. Likewise, there were questions that I had that felt unanswered.
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