The Doomsday Vault by Steven Harper (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"In a clockwork Brittania, Alice's prospects are slim. At 21, her age and her unladylike interest in automatons have sealed her fate as an undesirable marriage prospect. But a devastating plague sends Alice off in a direction beyond the pale-towards a clandestine organization, mad inventors, life-altering secrets, and into the arms of an intrepid fiddle-playing airship pilot."


My Thoughts:

The Doomsday Vault is a book made of pure awesomeness!!! Filled with adventure, zombies, inventions, gadgets, intrigue, and yes...a little romance, this book has just about everything that a reader could ask for. Alice is only looking for a simple life. She wants to find a proper husband that will help lift her and her father out of debt and bring her back into high society. But trouble has a way of finding Alice and she finds herself caught up working with a secret society while also falling in love. This book was filled with adventure from the very beginning to the last page. The author wasn't afraid to take chances, and there many unexpected twists and turns throughout the story. I liked that the story was told from the viewpoints of both of the main characters Gavin and Alice. It allowed for the reader to see both of their different adventures and how their adventures wound together. I thought that the book was a fast paced read and I had a hard time putting it down. I loved how this book was different from the other steampunk novels that I have read...it was a fresh and original storyline. My favorite thing about this book was that the author takes the book in places that I never expected...it left me reeling at different points. The ending leaves it open for another book and I am looking forward to reading the 2nd book whenever it comes out.

All in all, a great beginning to this series and an author that I want to read more of. If your looking for a brand-new take on the steampunk genre...look no further. And if you haven't taken the plunge and tried this genre out yet, then I think that this would be a great beginning read. I was taken up with the world that the author created and I can't wait to revisit it in the future! Highly recommended!

Bottom Line: I adored this book...and a great way to begin 2012!

Disclosure: I was lucky enough to find this one at my local library but I'm definitely going to add a copy to my own shelves :)