New Review! The Heart Collector (Auckland Steampunk #1) by Barbara Russell 4 Cranky Stars

The Heart Collector by Barbara Russell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 Cranky Stars


I love the Steampunk genre and have read quite a few books, but this one is a wonderful departure from the norm. Isabel is a Duchess and also a Supernatural. Her parents were the founders of the MIlitary Intelligence Seventh Division, MI7, a crime fighting squad run by Supernaturals.

A serial killer dubbed the Heart Collector starts slaughtering Supernaturals, cutting out their hearts and stealing their powers. Isabel begs to be allowed to help with the case, but little does she know that her life will be in danger, along with her heart (for love, that is).


Isabel is an empath, so she senses other people's feelings. When she meets the enigmatic Murk, she isn't able to read his feelings, but she starts to have very strong feelings for him.


I will admit that in the first part of the book when Isabel met Murk and her thoughts were completely focused on her blooming feelings (read "lust") for him, I almost tossed in the towel. I was afraid that the book was going to turn into another YA heart throb book ala Twilight, etc. And, of course, you had a love triangle that I find to be a little trite after so many books have been written with this in mind. Maybe I'm just getting too old for that type of thing! However, I'm glad that I stuck with it, because it turned out to be so much more.


There was plenty to like about this book. It had a strong steampunk element with the clothes, gadgets, and Victorian vibes that any Steampunk lover has come to expect. But, it also had a Dickensenian feel to it in the characters of Murk, Frog and Trigger. These three boys who grew up on the streets definitely gave the book a lot of humor and pathos.


Also, the added element of supernatural powers added a bit of Urban Fantasy to the tale. Powers ranging from invisibility, superhuman strength, freezing things with a touch, being able to divide yourself in half and many more were great fun to read about.

Then, you have the mystery element as Isabel and her crew try to figure out who is committing the murders and trying to track him down before he can kill again.

After thinking that this was just another YA love triangle, the author took the flavor of the book in a completely different direction. The concept of a sex club where anything goes in a Victorian-type society was definitely not YA. Also, eventually there are some pretty steamy scenes between a couple of the characters that kind of threw me off the tone of the book.


The characters were fairly well developed and engaging, the descriptions were wonderful, and the story was action packed. The dialogue was often amusing, especially when Trigger was involved.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book:
"It's easier to wear men's clothes than a tight bodice and bustle."
"Stop ogling like that. If Aunt Ermintrude sees you, she'll lock you in the nearest convent."
"Always better than a horse carriage. They're the most uncomfortable things after a corset."
"Bang up the elephant." "He means perfect."
"The things the ladies shouldn't hear are always the most interesting."
"Nothing I'll see can change my mind about who you are. I know your heart. That's enough."
"Theory and practice are two different things."

I would have given this book a 5 star rating, but the confusion I felt at direction the author was going made me give it a less than perfect review. I would have been happier if the book had stuck more to the mystery, steampunk and Supernatural aspect and less to the romance and steamy sex. But, that is just my humble opinion and I would definitely recommend this book to fans of the steampunk genre. I will be on the lookout for more books in this series and I am sure that the author will continue to write more great books.



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