For me there was nothing good about this book. The only thing I liked was the synopsis. I couldn't stand the characters mainly the FMC as well as the plot.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* i would read more from this series, at first i was unsure because frankly i am not too into the steam punk/time travel whatever or romance but this was better than other similar books i have read by far

I love Elizabeth Chatsworth especially because of Eleanor of Aquitaine series. However, I really did not like Constance. She was very Whitney and complained a lot. I found the romance to be very forced and instant love. I thought it should take sometime to build slowly. However, I did like the world-building. I recommend this for fans of Steampunk novels!

I wasnt expecting a romance to be so prominent in this one so that was immediately a minus for my enjoyment.
But of course that is a personal preference.
Overall I just think I was annoyed at the way the female characters were written.
Sometimes you can tell that you would not get along with the story when a woman author is not writing in 2021 (when the book was published) a woman that is not defined by her body, looks and interest towards a love interest, I am tired of reading these kinds of books and I think that the world of books needs better women representation were we are empowered than just another man follower.

Thank you to Netgalley for this e-copy! My opinions are my own.

The blurb made it seem so interesting, but it was just not for me. The main character was meh and boring, not holding my interest. The love interest was okay.

This is a fun, fluffy steampunk romance which is normally very much my jam, but I found that I had to suspend a lot of basic logical thinking while reading. Maybe a tad more than I would have preferred to do so.
Don't t get me wrong, I enjoy a wild, twisty, fun romp full of adventures and mild insanity as much as the next girl but in this case, it often felt like we were venturing into straight up caricature. Similarly, the characters also felt a bit too much to connect with them which made it difficult for me to truly care about their fate. I did laugh here and there but I found I couldn't truly get into the swing of things because of these issues.

The Brass Queen is a multifaceted book with lots of character. From the ridiculous speeches the main character gives, to her bravery, her confidence and her intelligence. While situations depicted in the book are not entirely realistic, it made for a great read.

It is a lovely mix of fantasy, history, romance and Tech. The Brass Queen has a rather fresh view of Tech and it's possibilities as well as male/female relationship dynamics.

A great read

I read the brass queen back in December, and, to be honest, I don't remember too much about the story.

In The Brass Queen, wanna-be/have-to-be socialite Constance is secretly also a super machine engineer who creates guns, gadgets and even Jaegers like from Pacific Rim, which is cool since The Brass Queen is a steampunk novel. Her scientists get kidnapped, which kicks the plot in motion. There's also some American dude she falls in love with, which is somehow vital to the story.
Unfortunately, now that I think back to it, the steampunk was more of a stylistic choice than really thought out, and there's also magic for some reason which is explained as inventions and such, I believe. But I could be wrong because I'm painfully bad at remembering books I read.

It's a very enjoyable book, especially if you don't look too close on the science behind it. And there's also a dope AF golfing/polo event happening in the book! The romance was a bit too main-focus for me, personally, but the book was still fun while it lasted.
It also gives me major Soulless (Gail Carriger) vibes, which is my favourite steampunk series ever.


@NetGalley and CamCat Publishing: Thank you guys for this ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

"I'm more than the Brass Queen, more than Miss Haltwhistle, more than Cousin Connie, or any of the other labels they pin upon me. I'm one hundred percent my own woman. As such, I'll carve out my destine, not by following in my family's footsteps, but blazing my own trail'

So says the heroine of this book, Constance Haltwhistle, a truly interesting woman. Whew! What a ride!

This is not my first foray into Steampunk fiction but I wouldn't say I was an aficionado. Having said that, I don't think one needs to be to enjoy this novel. The world-building is extraordinary and I found myself googling steampunk dirigibles and fashions whilst imaging myself in this noisy, colourful and, at times, violent universe. But the parts I enjoyed the most was the witty dialogue between the diverse and hilarious characters.

I adored the tongue-in-cheek humour as Constance reveals herself to be a wonderfully awful snob. I was all set to be annoyed the author cleverly revealed her genuine love for her staff and a real fear of abandonment - it makes her a most complex and entertaining heroine. She's like that tactless friend that you dread introducing to people but who you know is loyal and generous to a fault.

Treasdale is appropriately dashing and exasperated - obviously drawn to this compelling woman against his better judgement. He radiates sex-appeal without it being 'in your face' and his ability to see Constance's faults and strength of character give their conversations a lovely sweetness - although there is plenty of zing.

Cawsley is delightfully dry and joyless - the epitome of the long-suffering, stoic, English butler uncomplaining in his stewardship of an irrational, arms-dealing, contrary mistress who occasionally shoots him and rarely apologises.

Lord Pendelroy and Hearn are equally delightful, not to mention the Singhs (who there had better be a future book about!).

I truly hope this is not the last book in the Brassiverse as I am now unashamedly hooked.

This was one of my most anticipated releases, and unfortunately it did not work for me. I'm sure this is a great book for many, but I couldn't find an interest in these characters. I also found some things that typically rub me the wrong way, like saying a white man is tan instead of having a suntan. I also find the writing pretty simplistic and stereotypical. I typically like the writing to engage me enough that it keeps me going to the point that the characters invest me in the book. This unforunately didn't work out.

A highly entertaining and well written story. Had a lot of fun in reading and the author delivers great characters and plot.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I bloody don't have words for this one. STEAM PUNK! I f*ing love Steam punk. Honestly, it have its flaws, but if you like fantasy, sci-fy and Steam Punk, you will probably really like this book!

A fantastic novel delving into an alternate Victorian England. Memorable characters and witty dialogue. Definitely recommend this fun book. .

The Brass Queen is a well written book by Elizabeth Chatsworth - the story centers around Constance Haltwhistle and her partnership with an American spy. The book is steampunk and has a strong female protagonist, which I love. I really liked this book but wasn't all engaged in the story. I think the writer is very good but the story reads like a first book. There is something tentative about the characters and I hope the next book will be stronger.

Tried my VERY hardest to get into this, but really could not at all. I found the protagonist, Constance, to be impulsive and unlikeable and the love interest to be trite. Furthermore, while the steampunk concept was compelling I didn't enjoy the writing style, which made it difficult to stay engaged in the story, which was an avalanche of plot without much time spared for character development.

I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review
I had such high hopes for this book and it was so disappointing to me. The main character was so dull and empty I couldn't stand her

This was a delightful romp around a steampunk Victorian world along with your typical feisty (but savvy!) heroine, surly (but kind-hearted) hero, their loyal (and long-suffering) butler, and not to forget the utterly nefarious (and, obviously, well-mustached) villain. You know, the usual bunch. So if you're eager to meet them and ready for a light-hearted and fun read - hop abroad the steam-train, the ride's about to start!

LONGER DOESN'T EQUAL BETTER

When you're reading a good book, you don't mind a larger page count. Because then there's even more to savour.
In the opposite case however, it can have a strong reverse effect to the extent that the reader's appreciation will exponentially reduce.

********************************************

FIRST IMPRESSION

The cover, title and description were interesting.
On a closer look, the chapter titles also sounded intriguing.
Not to forget the first sentence: "The gras was always greener in another dimension."
And yes, the mention of winning The Best Banter Contest 2018 (Paranormal category) makes one even more curious.
So, it all looked very promising.

Although the first doubts began to rise when it became clear that the author gave herself a 5*-rating on Goodreads.
Of course, as a writer you're proud of your own work. Nobody's gonna argue with that.
But ratings are there to be given by the target audience aka the readers.

The first chapter was a strange mix of totally different elements and the story could still go in different directions from there.
Sadly enough, it only went downwards.

********************************************

NEGATIVE SPIRAL

Where to start?
There were so many flaws that they totally overshadowed the positive things (the good first impression mentioned above and the fact that there weren't much spelling mistakes) which normally would've gained an extra star.
My thoughts in random order:

The worldbuilding is set in the late 1800's and forms a blend of steampunk, victorian, b-movie james bond, c-movie romance, …
It's as if the author couldn't make a choice and threw in a bit of everything.
Furthermore, there's a serious lack of credibility in different areas: characters, events, …
An example of the latter:

"For seven hours, the detectives had taken great care to ensure his skull matched one of five phrenology profiles. It was a matter of departmental pride that any suspect borught in for questioning could be scientifically assigned to the correct criminal category. This was achieved primarily through the application of heavy objects to the suspect's head until its bumps matched the charts."

All of this cán work if the humour really stands out.
But in this case it doesn't. At least not for every reader.
Seeing the many raving reviews on Goodreads, my opinion isn't widespread.
Therefore, it's advised (as always) to form your own opinion about this book.

There are two main characters: the male American protagonist Trusdale is an inept US-spy and the female English protagonist Constance is a 21 year old pig farmer who turned into an arms-dealer and goes under the alias of the “Brass Queen”.
They're both very flat. But above all, they have the most unbelievable/annoying/childish/all of them (pick your choice) reactions I've ever read.
If one were to resume these protagonists, it would be like this: Trusdale hasn't got balls and Constance is obnoxious beyond imagination.
Some of the many reflections of Constance:

"She mentally added public reading to her list of things about Trusdale that irritated her. Perhaps she should start writing these down?"

"She'd always assumed there were few issues in life that couldn't be solved with the application of a hefty bribe or a hearty slap. But between the hunt for a spouse and the quest to find the missing scientists, she needed to approach matters with a little more finesse. It was time for her to become the heroine the situation deserved."

"For some reason, everyone was remarkably unsupportive of her brilliance today."

"If Trusdale was right, and her plan was terrible, this was the last time she would see him alive."

If you want to give your novel a little je ne sais quoi by throwing in a few French words, be at least sure that you do it the right way.
Note to the author and editor: 'the pompous peacock' is translated as 'LE paon pompeux'. From the 15 (!) mentions of this restaurant's name, three of them were wrong and mentioned 'la' instead of 'le'.

"Her face burned hotter than a Madras curry, a popular delicacy at Le Paon Pompeux."

Some things are repeated so many times, it gets on ones nerves.
The restaurant's name was one of them.
The book Babett's Modern Manners, which is kind of a bible for Constance, is another one. It's referred to at least 15 times and just makes no sense at all.

"Shindig? She considered whether it was worth the effort to ask Trusdale to make a formal request using the proper vocabulary. But if she started down that conversational road now, the entire day could disappear into a tautological nightmare of explaining what words he could officially use according to Babett's definition of decorum. Even the very thought of trying to educate him to all the nuances of the English language tired her."


Banter can be so much fun when it's truly witty.
When it's annoying, childish, … and doesn't add any chemistry between the characters nor substance to the story, it's just page-filling.

"Since when does violating a government facility require a chaperone?"
Her eyes widened. "Don't be absurd. I'm a single lady under thirty, and from your consistently poor choices in attire, I assume you're a single gent. So, to avoid any suggestion of impropriety between us, we must have a chaperone. Babett's Modern Manners is quite explicit on the point."


Last but not least, the balance between action and description isn't well maintained.
Page-filling descriptions of non-important things make the reader's attention wandering off.
Despite being 'the brass queen' it must be said that Constance Haltwhistle apparently has never heard of Chekhov's gun.


*Thanks to NetGalley and CamCat Books for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a bit slow to start and has a lot of information in the beginning, Once the action starts, it's non stop! I would maybe recommend to a friend who likes steampunk.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.