I enjoyed this book but there were times that I felt like the story dragged a bit. I thought the characters were interesting and the story itself, kept me engaged. Constance is smart and opinionated and not afraid to do whatever she wants to do. Trusdale is American and a spy who gets dragged into Constance's world and even though she could bulldoze over just about anyone, he isn't afraid to challenge her. I really liked them together and thought Chatsworth did a great job of developing them separately as well as together.

There is plenty of action right alongside danger and interesting inventions so if you like the steampunk genre, you might enjoy this book. I'll be looking for more from Elizabeth Chatsworth in the future!

This is a fun, rollercoaster ride through an alternate Victorian reality. Lots of laughs, comic moments, and great worldbuilding. Pure escapist fantasy at its best.

After making it 25% through The Brass Queen it's time to call it quits. While I love steampunk fantasy, I couldn't get into this one. While the premise was great, I felt that there was too much emphasis on the action and adventure and not enough on the characters. I read for the character development, and while Constance and Trusdale had their funny moments, I felt that they were a bit one-dimensional. With the heavy focus on the plot rather than these two, this story fell flat for me.

I chose not to finish this book at the end of Chapter 5. I really liked the concept of this book, which I hoped would put a feminist twist on the steampunk genre and generally be an entertaining read. Unfortunately, I had a few issues with this book that stopped me from enjoying it as much as I wished:

- there are too many steampunk concepts and ideas thrown at the reader in the early stages. Everytime I thought I'd gotten my head around what was happening and the time period this book was set in, something else would be thrown into the mix. At nearly 20% of the way in, I was still struggling to see an overarching plot through all the chaos.

- the main character is insufferable. I don't necessarily need my MCs to be likeable, but i do need them to be compelling, and Constance was neither for me. I found her unnecessarily belligerent and rude, and she felt like a parody of a fiesty redhead rather than a real person with fleshed out desires and motives.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review.

5/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book puts the PUNK in steampunk! If you're looking for a standard romance with a straightforward boy meets likable girl in which a simple misunderstanding is overcome before a big movie kiss, MOVE ALONG, THERE'S NOTHING TO SEE HERE! The Brass Queen mixes numerous romance tropes of enemies to lovers, fish out of water, arranged marriage, handsome prince - basically all the things you'd expect in a Victorian romance - and turns them on their head. This book is set in an alternate dimension, which is so much not your great-grandmother's Victorian England. Mad science, politics, complex characters, selfish protagonists, comic side characters, family backstabbing, airships and corsets - it's all there in it's bold, brassy glory. It's frequently hilarious and full of surprises. 10/10 on the wanting more scale!

Set in an alternate Victorian era, this book was part steampunk, at times humorous and part adventure. But the characters didn’t really do anything for me.

Overall, there’s A LOT going on in this one. The initial plot spun off into something completely different. Constance is both intelligent but completely hard headed and doesn’t take advice. Our villain of the piece seems to be pretty one dimensional. The twist regarding the characters at the end of the book almost felt unnecessary and to me was one of many reasons why Constance and Trusdale just don’t work as romantic partners for me.

I’m sure others will like this more than I did, but I just couldn’t connect with the characters.

Ms Chatsworth, whom I virtually met on Litsy ages ago, knows how to write, and the ARC I read clearly showed all the hard work she has put into the book. It was relaxing to read something that had a well thought through timeline and plot, AND there were no inconsistencies whatsoever – something to bring out the champagne for, actually.

What’s the story about? The story is about Constance Haltwhistle, daughter of a baron who’s been absent from his estate for ages, and arms dealer to a company called Steamwerks. And Mr Trusdale, a Stetson wearing American who is and is not the person he pretends to be.

Although Constance lives in an alternate Steampunk Victorian age, she still can’t inherit her father’s estate. Since her father has been absent for a very long time, her uncle is threatening to seize the estate from under Constances bustle, if she can’t manage to snag a decent husband within the next week.

Her coming out ball is a big success until the three exo-suits that were meant as pure decoration start moving seemingly on their own accord and abduct three scientist friends of Constance’s. That’s when Constance decides that, although she is on the planning committee for the royal visit of the Queen, taking place in a few days, and actively looking for a husband, she needs to rescue her friends at all costs.

Aided by the cowboy Mr Trusdale, her coach man and her butler, Constance is on a mission to bring her big plan of rescuing her friends to fruition. Which means, the reader may settle in for a mad-cap ride through a well-designed and thoroughly thought out world-building with weirdly funny characters and excellent pacing.

DNF. Not really my cup of tea, though I'm sure others will like it. I found it too action oriented, without much character development. I honestly thought at the beginning that I was reading the 2nd book of a series because there was a lot of backstory just dumped on the reader, in the way a 2nd book might remind readers of what happened in the first. But no, not the case. The characters are 2 dimensional, and it's just action scene after action scene with many descriptions of steampunk tech, some of which was fun but others? A carriage that has a built in breakfast cooking... apparatus? Meh.

This cross-genre novel is a scintillating blend of historical fantasy, screwball comedy, romance, adventure, and satire. It's a witty British take on a steampunk world told from three points of view. There's our bold, brassy, hilarious heroine, Miss Constance Haltwhistle, who is trying to save her family estate by selling illegal weapons across the globe. She's not exactly a goodie two-shoes! Constance is a complex "grey" character, torn between good impulses and bad. She confidently strides in to take charge of any situation, which leads to conflict with her potential love interest, Trusdale. This American cowboy-turned-spy is both bewildered and intrigued by the fiery Miss Haltwhistle. He's struggling with his own identities and roles, and is something of a "grey" character himself.
Our third point of view character is a handsome prince who is mad, bad, and dangerous to know, but oh, how the ladies love him! This trio of characters' unique voices creates an immersive experience in this captivating world. It's science, not magic, that drives this fantastic universe that balances interdimensional travel with airships, elegant parties, side-splitting comedy, and sheer joy at the absurdity of life and love. I hope Constance sashays her way into a sequel soon!

Featuring a ruthless and deceptive cast of characters, set in the cutthroat world of the upper-class in a steampunk Victorian England, The Brass Queen is must read gaslamp fantasy. Full of witty banter and social faux-pas, you'll swoon you'll laugh out loud, you won't regret picking up this book.

3.5 stars

In this reimagining of Victorian England, a witty and unconventional young girl has to find a husband. Soon, otherwise her family's entire fortune goes to her detestable uncle. A chance encounter with a rugged american cowboy will unravel a conspiracy to depose the Queen herself.
I feel this book could have benefited from more editing, but the story is solid, the characters compelling, and the worldbuilding intriguing.

The writing - ⭐⭐
The story - ⭐⭐
Overall - ⭐⭐

This was my first time reading a Steampunk novel, and it could well now be my last. My hope is that this was just a poor choice for an introduction, because I couldn't even finish this one.

The main character is incredibly unlikeable, unbearably unlikeable and it made reading this an absolute slog, the style of writing is also not great, so I gave up pretty quickly.

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.

If you've never read a gaslamp fantasy/steampunk novel before, this book is a great place to start. The pace is fast, the characters are hilarious, and the steam-powered inventions are intriguing. There's biting satire about the British Empire, but that doesn't overshadow the charming interplay of characters at all levels of society. Constance and Trusdale's bickering is perfect, as is their comic ineptness at investigating the kidnapping of scientists, one of whom has accidentally invented an invisibility serum. Hijinks ensue at every turn, and our unconventional heroes somehow manage to reach an endgame that recalls Monty Python in its very British eccentricity. I look forward to reading the sequel!

A clever, atmospheric mystery full of fun and romance that keeps you enthralled until the very last page!

The Brass Queen is a steampunk romance in the style of Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate. Elizabeth Chatsworth writes with a frenetic pace, introducing new concepts on practically every page up until the last one. This breakneck style might work for many readers, but we found ourselves longing for a low-key, quiet scene to catch our breaths.

The plot: it's absolutely ludicrous - at its heart it involves an inheritance issue that requires our main character, Constance Haltwhistle, to marry by the end of the week in order to retain her ancestral holdings. However it grows tangentially to include an attempt on Queen Victoria's life with side stops in "the multiverse," illegal arms dealing, Scandinavian and American spies, and the strangest polo match you'll ever read. Convoluted and ridiculous plots aren't always a deal breaker, but they must be matched by strong storytelling in other parts of the novel.

The characters: they are all drawn in the broadest of strokes. Constance is hardheaded, aristocratic, intelligent, and beautiful. She takes no shit but also takes no advice, either. Truesdale (first name in question) is American - and if you've read steampunk or historical romance, you know what that means: he's convinced of his own infallibility, doesn't care about social conventions, is supremely competent at his job, and is super patriotic. Finally our villain is so ridiculously villainous that he's not content only to hatch a plot to depose the queen - he also has his former lovers (and their new lovers) killed, backstabs all of his allies, and can't wait to debauch Constance before he kills her.

The politics: this is perhaps the portion of the book that was most confusing. Victoria's British Empire is parodied as a structure in place simply to bring the best of the world's food to Britain. Constance is a gifted weapons maker who sells her creations to the highest bidder and doesn't seem to make the connection between the constant worldwide conflict and the product she provides. Trusdale is out to save America, but once he realizes that Britain is no threat, he has no care for the rest of the world. And of course, the fact that there are multiverses out there that could destabilize reality added the threat of total annihilation on top of everything. We were not sure how we were meant to feel about these issues. Was Constance a moral person at heart? Is Victoria's empire a stabilizing force in the world? Although enjoyable, it was also nonsensical to the point of detracting from the story.

All of these points aside, if you are a fan of the OTT Steampunk AU, you'll probably enjoy checking this one out.

This objective review is based on a complimentary advanced reader copy provided by NetGalley and and CamCat Publishing.

I generally do not read much from the romance genre, but thought this might be a fun change of pace. Set in an alternate reality where Queen Victoria had set out to greatly expand the British Empire. Since the book only deals with aristocrats, all we see of this is the availability of various foodstuffs coming and going throughout the novel -- there is no discussion of the impact of war on the everyday man, nor of the fact that the heroine of the novel is an arms dealer.

The writing itself is quite good, and the plot is fun if you are willing to suspend your disbelief and allow yourself to be swept along. If you read romance for racy sexy bits, you will be disappointed. This is not that kind of book. Flirtation and flashes of petticoats is all you will find here.

Spoiler: My quibble with this book and the reason behind the reduction of one star is that it is left until the very end to reveal the true identities of both of the romantic leads to each other. Trusdale is masquerading as his brother, and Constance is hiding the fact that she is an arms dealer. They both find these things out about each other at the very last minute and it doesn't seem to affect the way they feel about each other. Those feelings barely seemed to make sense anyway; they seemed to be built more on attraction and convenience than anything else, so it seems a bit of a stretch to expect them to also survive fairly substantial lies/misinformation about identity with nothing more than a bat of an eye.

I feel that I really should have liked this book much more than I did. It has so many raving reviews I was so excited to read it. Maybe the humor just isn't my style. I also didn't like Constance Haltwhistle at all. she was rude, condescending, and had no people skills what so ever. She runs all over Trusdale, has him arrested for no reason then blackmails him. His response is to just roll over and take it, I just think this book wasn't for me.

The Brass Queen is a thoroughly delightful steampunk romp with loads of witty banter and endearingly quirky characters. Constance Haltwhistle is a kickass heroine who designs lethal weaponry while still trying to adhere to proper etiquette according to her trusty copy of Babett's Modern Manners. J.F. Trusdale is the mysterious American who becomes her reluctant ally in a quest to find three kidnapped scientists. Imaginative and amusing, it kept me entertained to the very last page. Truly, a fun, escapist read! I'm already looking forward to next book in this enchanting series.

The Brass Queen by Elizabeth Chatsworth is an excellent historical fiction/science fiction/romance/fantasy novel that gives the Steampunk genre a whole new gleam and shimmer.

I loved all of the facets that this book possessed: action, adventure, fantasy, romance, complex and fascinating characters, a great plot, and is a great book all around. It was fun, addicting, playful, sassy, and serious all at the same time.

This is a new author for me, as well as a dabble into a genre that I am only just starting to really get into and enjoy. A lot of other books have quite a bit to live up to after reading this one, however. I was thoroughly engrossed with this story and loved the interplay, chemistry, banter, and wit between Miss Constance Haltwhistle and J. F. Trusdale.

I was surprised when I finished this book in less then two days...that is most certainly a compliment. If you are looking for a great and epic adventure, you need to read this one.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and CamCat Books for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication on 1/12/21.