Steamborn

Rating: 4/5Steamborn is exactly the Dystopian Steampunk book I want to read. It has the perfect combination of the two for me. I could ask for nothing more in terms of world building. I felt fully emerged in the city of Ancora and believed every word spoken about the two parts of the city. “What the hell did you shoot that thing with?”“Science.”My understanding of the dangers to Ancora is little to none. I typically zoned out and brushed past the mentions of the Bugs attacking the city. Personally, I’m not a fan of bugs in general and I feel as if that was the reason rather than Asher’s explanation of them. Even so, I was immersed in the attacks happening to the city and understood it to the fullest. When these bugs aren’t threats, Alice keeps some as pets. It disturbs me but also peaks my interest at how these bugs came to be as they are.Plot was the main factor that this book lacked in. The storyline was good don’t get me wrong. I loved the fact Lowland’s walls fell causing them to merge with the Highborns but I felt as if it began to drown when Charles became “paranoid” about the Parliament’s actions. Characters on the other hand is a different problem. I enjoyed them, don’t get me wrong, but the portrayal of some of them got on my nerves. Who are you to tell me a small minor plot detail is briefly mentioned and is crucial later on yet the MC still doesn’t mention it. Like this all could be solved. May Contain spoilersIgnoring the characters, the themes presented elevate the story. ThemesClass differences Asher only briefly mentions a class difference in Ancora through the Highborns disrespecting the Lowlanders during Festival. Yet I could feel every point made. Most Highborns show their opinions when interacting with Lowlanders. This confuses me in the fact that some hate them and other Highborns don’t. I understand it mimics the class divide in real life but when you see the majority of Highborns not caring about the Lowlanders I start to not care. So what the Highborn lady paid for Jacob to play a game of Cork if he wished to? She didn’t have to pay for him. CharactersJacobJacob is Charles’s apprentice who is a pick pocket who’s selfless. He pickpockets to find something with value to help his family yet if he find something with emotion behind it (Aka the pocket watch) he regrets his decisions and returns it. Jacob’s selflessness is mostly shown specifically through his father. He constantly thinks of how his father is going to afford medicine or if he’s going to get better. He even saves the silver coins from Miss Penny with the thought of using it to pay for his father’s medicine.When amongst the highborns side of Ancora he is selfless when making the mechanical arm for Bobby. He went out of his way to improve Bobby’s quality of life.Despite this the boy feels quite dumbed down. I understand he’s a 15/16 year old but actions where he “accidentally” misses out important information when including Charles and Bat in the situation bewilders me. The portrayal of careless through this and Jacob running late at the start of the book is completely brushed over.AliceGod I hate Alice. Not because of the way she’s written, I personally love her personality and how much she blends in with Charles and Jacob. Yet Alice is also a contrast to Jacob. She shows how Jacob thinks rationally rather than sensibly. Alice also appears more responsible of the two teenagers as she typically keeps Jacob in line. Maybe this is because she grew up with Jacob and this is how she’s learned to combat him but I don’t feel as if this is it. Sometimes it feels as if she’s babysitting Jacob.I feel like she’s only there as a future love interest for Jacob. Like Asher won’t have to write someone in for that because Alice is there. Childhood best friends trope right here folks. I hope it doesn’t come to that but I feel as if I’ve read a little too much where I just assume it at this point.She feels a little unnecessary as a character. It’s as if she’s just put in to flesh Jacob’s life out a bit.CharlesCharles, Charles, Charles. God does this man keep surprising me. He is badass (and I love him for it) just as much as he’s mysterious. You barely get to know his past up until the last half and it’s worth it. I don’t know how to explain him without doing him justice. He’s definetly my favourite thing about this book.This man is sarcastic a lot especially when talking to the spider knights what behind that he’s actually correct the majority of the time with what he says. Charles just says the hard honest truth and he doesn’t hide any of it from Jacob and Alice.SamuelI’m not gonna lie I couldn’t understand for the life of me who Samuel is and what’s his purpose. I struggled to connect with him to the point I only understood the key things about him:- He’s a spider knight,- Nephew of Bat.I would have loved to learn more about him. Like how did he meet Alice and Jacob? Why he’s a spider knight? If these are explained within the book then I apologise because I must’ve brushed over it.ConclusionI loved reading this book, don’t get me wrong it has its issues, but I couldn’t put it down. Yet this hasn’t convinced me to continue the series. I may at another point in time because I adore how Asher has written the Steampunk world of Ancora and I would love to read of the new cities he adds.Yet I couldn’t help but to feel as if there was a lot of unnecessary filler within this book. I don’t understand how certain parts are used to move the story along. Unless it’s leading up to another part of the series further on, but I still feel as if there could be another way to address this.