I was pulled into this story because of the fairy tale retelling - although I can't say it is my favourite story I found I am fascinated by components of the story that I very seldom see in stories - the normalizing of a non monogamous relationship and the use of the fe/fer pronoun used by entire group of people. I also was interested in many of the themes of family, multiple loves, friendship vs romantic love as well as colonialism, racism and what is evil.

3.5 stars

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. It answers my questions leftover from [b:Mechanica|13455099|Mechanica (Mechanica, #1)|Betsy Cornwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1456503194s/13455099.jpg|18982957] and give me more. It seemed to lack the awesome inventinions and cool problem solving. I felt like the prince almost died way too many times.

Make sure you have read Mechanica, Betsy's imaginative, steampunk retelling of Cinderella, because Venturess is a tale you do not want to miss. It is full of adventure, suspense, and beauty and has an aura of fairy tale nostalgia. Imagine adding characteristics of Peter Pan and Avatar to the story of Cinderella and you will find Venturess.

Venturess will not only continue the story from book one, Mechanica, but it will take you on a new journey. Venturess holds the struggles between right and wrong, humanity and the hunger for power, and imagination and banality. Venturess will find that magical place in your heart, that you never knew needed to be filled, and will nestle itself there.

I could not put this one down! This sequel to Mechanica was everything I expected it to be and so much more! The story continued with the amazing friendship between Nicolette, Caro, and Fin that I absolutely adore, and kept me on my toes with some unexpected twists! I found intrigue in the airship travel, and Captain Wheelock, and felt like the journey to Faerie was a self discovery quest for Nicolette. Faerie felt so real to me and I fell in love with the Fey leader, Talis, and the Fey people. My heart broke toward the end when I learned the truth about the Ashes that powered the automatons, but I felt that ending of the book was fitting and heartwarming!

Definitely a must read for fairy tale lovers! This sequel to Mechanica will not disappoint. Venturess will be one that stays with you always.

A very special thank you to Tara in Digital Marketing and Publicity Specialist with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers for allowing me access to this Advanced Reading Copy of Venturess!

Uniquely done

The first book in the series is a Cinderella twist, but this book is all it’s own. I liked seeing the fey world and how the relationships grew.

This is gorgeous; heavier than the first one. Nick & Caro & Fin are more established in a way that's truly original in YA and fairy-tale remixes, and those sections were beautiful.

The pacing is... off. I can't tell how much of that is from time since I read book 1 or actual wordcount allocation weirdness, it just rushes and hangs at weird times, eliding months in a sentence and spending chapters on single hours.

The culture of Faerie is fascinating and, again, stunningly progressive - pronouns and family structures and the entire society, all built on trust. Plus magic. Of course.

Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...

*I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review*

VIDEO REVIEW: https://youtu.be/kjOdBBziVmo

4.5 Stars

Such a great sequel! The friendship between Nicolette, Caro and Fin was even better than the previous book. The storytelling was more vibrant and action packed and I loved the new setting of Fairie! There were a lot of twists and turns I didn't see coming which I really enjoyed!

In Mechanica we were introduced to a complex world with the kingdoms of Faerie and Esting so different from each other and so intriguing. The folk from the Faerie kingdom are re-imagined in a way that shows them as distinctly nonhuman, however humanoid their appearance can be. The magic of Faerie and the mechanical, gear-driven inventions of Esting are as unlike as their creators. And there is Nicolette, our heroine - intelligent, inventive, and so lonely and mistreated since the deaths of her parents. Our hearts can't help but long for her success and happiness.

Now we have Venturess, the second of Nicolette's adventures. After the events in Mechanica, Nick moves from her childhood home and into the city. She lives near her friends Fin and Caro and has a workshop of her own to make her inventions and sell them. When Fin's father agrees to an attempt to negotiate a peace with Faerie, Nick and Caro climb aboard the airship with Fin and set off for the land across the sea. Incredible sights await them, along with discoveries about Nick's past, but so do danger, treachery, and battle. Can their love and friendship see them through all these hazards and into a future where the two realms are at peace?

The wonderment of all the mechanical gadgets (clockwork and otherwise), and the magic of Faerie will dazzle the imaginations of readers. Familiar characters from the first novel such as Fitz, Bex, Lord Alming, and Mr. Candery appear, along with our trio of heroes and Nick's trusty steed Jules. New personalities include the airship's crew, its captain (Wheelock), and the Faerie ruler Talis. Questions of loyalty, duty, love, friendship, and the meaning of family are all addressed by Nick and her companions, and readers will ponder them as they enjoy the story. After all, every good fairy tale has something to teach us.

I highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys fairy tale reworkings, mixtures of magic and mechanics, and young adults who are brave enough to reach for their dreams.

The publisher was kind enough to supply a galley for me to read and review.

I loved this book even more than I loved [b:Mechanica|40963299|Mechanica (Mechanica, #1)|Betsy Cornwell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1532734417l/40963299._SY75_.jpg|18982957]... and I loved Mechanica! It just... ahhhhhh... the characters, the setting, the plot, the Fey! This is the kind of book that enthralls you the entire time, leaves you both sad and satisfied when it's over, and keeps you thinking about it all night long.

Let's start with the Fey, because I absolutely love the concept. They're magical, elegant, and caring. And, they don't have genders! They all use fe/fer pronouns. It sounds weird out of context, but I love creative uses of pronouns, and I was a huge fan. I also think their family structures are really cool: family units all have multiple parents, and they wish a child into being together. (Obviously that doesn't work at all scientifically, but they're magical! What can I say?)

I also continued to love all the machines. I love steampunk of all types, as well as magic that has limitations and doesn't overwhelm. This book had both! I was fascinated by Jules (the mechanical horse) and the buzzers (clockwork insects) and the sewing machines and darning thingamabobs and the glass slippers (with gears) and all. the. things.

And the awesome characters! And their weird but cool relationships! And their compassion toward other awesome characters! And their distinct personalities even in the minor characters! (Sorry, I just... er... love this book.)

The entire world was also really cool, especially Faerie. The descriptions were wonderfully evocative, like the honeycomb cities, dense jungles, and pure blue oceans. (Not that I'm doing the actual descriptions justice.)

Oh, and did I mention the plot? It was delightfully twisty, with lots of secrets and little clues that came back later to surprise and amaze you. In the end, everything worked out to make sense; no little things left hanging. Although...

Spoiler

I'm still not entirely sure of the meaning of the Fey leader's story. Hmm...

As anyone who's read my reviews before knows, I find it much easier to write about all the things I didn't like about a book than the things I did. So you'll be surprised to know that I can't come up with a single thing to complain about in this book!

Seriously. Read this.