Review: Steel Lily by Megan Curd + Character Interview

What: Steel Lily (The Periodic Series #1) by Megan Curd

Who: Starry Sky Publishing

When: August 20th 2013

How: A copy of this novel was provided by the author as part of a book tour.

AVERY PIKE is a commodity. No, more than a commodity. Her existence is guarded at all costs.

She’s a water Elementalist, the strongest of her dwindling kind. She creates steam to provide energy to fuel Dome Four: the only thing standing between humanity and an earth ravaged by World War III. No steam, no Dome. No Dome, no life.

Or so she thinks.

That is, until a mysterious man offers her a way out of having to donate steam. A way to escape the corrupt government of Dome Four. While the offer seems too good to be true, Avery is intrigued. But when she arrives to her new home, she realizes the grass isn’t any less dead on this side of the fence. Instead, the lies are just hidden better.

…Which means digging deeper.

When Avery enlists the help of her friends to uncover the truth, she learns that while some secrets are better left concealed, humankind was never meant to live in a cage. And when you can control the most sought after resource, you can learn to control anything…including the fate of your world.

Avery Pike is an Elementalist. She can create steam from water, and it just so happens that her Dome runs on steam. Avery Pike is Dome Four’s most coveted asset. That is, until she escapes with a handsome stranger into Dome Seven.

Avery’s life is turned upside down when Jaxon, the beautiful boy with blue eyes, saves her and her best friend, Alice from impending death. But what Avery thought was escape to freedom might be entrapment worse than she could have ever imagined.

Wow, just WOW. I loved this book so much. Steel Lily is an amazing blend of dystopia, steampunk, magic, friendship, love, betrayal, and trust. From the first sentence, I was hooked, and drawn into the fantastic world that Curd has created.

I loved the secrets in this novel. I was forever second guessing myself as to who Avery could trust, and who she couldn’t. I thought every character besides Avery herself was evil, and out to ruin the world at some point. I am glad some of these suspicions never came true, because there are a plethora of characters in this novel that I absolutely adored.

Avery. I love Avery. It’s odd to think that she is merely 15 years old, because she acts far beyond her age – but I suppose that could be a side of effect of the state her world is in. She is strong, and witty, and shy, and fragile all at the same time. I love characters like this. Avery puts on a facade of steel, but inside, she is just as scared as everyone else. Her bravery is astounding, and her loyalty incomparable. As you can probably tell, I am a super fan of Miss Pike.

Jaxon. Oh, Jaxon. I love this boy! He is one of my favourite YA love interests that I have come across in a VERY LONG TIME. I love him – did I say that already? He’s so tortured, but puts on such a different face. And I love that face. It’s sarcastic, and funny, and narcissistic (but in a nice way – is that possible?), and totally crush worthy. I love his vulnerable side the best though, and I really want to learn more about him in the sequel.

SEQUEL. Hurrah! I am so happy that Steel Lily is not a standalone, as I feel like there is so much more of Avery’s, and everyone else’s, story to be told. I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of Iron Pendulum in December of this year!

Before this turns into an essay, I just want to add that the twists in this novel are epic, and I never saw them coming. My emotions towards certain characters did a complete 180 when it came to the last five or so chapters, and I just want everything to be explained! Hence the eagerly anticipated Iron Pendulum.

I shall be waiting impatiently for December to roll around, that is for sure. And in the mean time, I shall be checking out Megan’s other books – hopefully they will all be as amazing as Steel Lily!

© 2013, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.

And now, there is a special character interview with Alice!

1.      Hello, Alice. Thanks for visiting me here at Books For A Delicate Eternity! For those who don’t know, what’s Steel Lily about?

Hi Chiara, thanks for having me! Steel Lily is technically Avery’s story about her life, but we all know every girl needs a wing woman. That’s where I come in!

2.      What role do you play in Steel Lily?

I’m Avery’s best friend. We’re like family, really. We’re all we’ve had for so long, it’s hard not to look at Avery like a sister. I try to keep her out of trouble, but she’s got a mouth, and well…that doesn’t help her situation much. ::laughs:: Plus she says so much that I would love to say but can’t. She’s awesome. I’m glad we have each other.

3.      It is mentioned several times that you and Avery are like sisters. What’s your earliest memory of Avery?

Oh man, it was like the second day we were in the dome. My brother and I were there alone, and her mom came over and got us. People were still eating what they’d brought into the domes…rations hadn’t begun. So her mom came and brought us to their house and fed us. Avery and I hit it off immediately. Seemed like after that, we were inseparable. ::smiles:: 

4.      If you could meet one fictional character from any book who would it be, and why?

I would love to meet Katniss Everdeen. She could teach me how to use a bow. That’d be pretty awesome!

5.      As an animal lover, I wanted to ask the following question. If you could have a pet, which animal would it be? Why?

Well, animals are hard to come by in the dome, but I’ve heard that cats are great pets. Maybe I’d get one of those? Or maybe a horse…although I doubt that’s really going to fit in my house. :)

6.      Comparing your life in Domes Four and Seven, are you still glad you escaped Dome Four?

Yes…and no. Dome Four sucks. I mean, it’s hot and miserable and people are living ration to ration. Traditionals like me are treated like crap, but we have each other. We take care of each other. Dome Seven…it’s beautiful. It’s full of amazing stuff that hasn’t been around since we had to move into the domes. But it comes at a price. ::wipes tear out of eyes:: I don’t really want to talk about Dome Seven. Not all that glitters is gold. That’s all there is to it.

7.      Can we expect to see more of you, and hear more of your story in Iron Pendulum?

Totally! I mean, what would Avery do without me? I’m her wing woman!

8.      Thank you for answering these questions, and I look forward to reading more about you in Iron Pendulum!

Thanks for having me! I can’t wait for you to see more of our story. Just remember, I’ve got Avery under control. ::winks::

Don’t forget to check out Steel Lily this August!

You can find stalk Megan at the following sites: Website – Twitter – Goodreads – Facebook – Amazon

I would like to thank My Pathway To Books Book Tours for giving me the opportunity to be a tour host for Steel Lily.