| Title | : | A Spoonful of Gunpowder (Steampunk Mary Poppins inspired Cozy Mysteries Book 1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 443 |
| Publication | : | Published October 1, 2022 |
A reimagining of Mary Poppins meets steampunk Victorian London...in a most delightful way!
Anna-Marie Pauper was perfectly practical in every way.
Or so she thought until a ragtag group of stolen orphans, a dangerously flirtatious criminal, and a beguiling airship captain soon had her emotions in an uproar, breaking down her carefully crafted barriers.
She rescues the girls only to place them into a new kind of prison, a beautiful prison she herself has lived in for five years. When the price for freedom to live their own lives is one stolen book, Anna-Marie didn't hesitate to accept the bargain...even though it means stealing from a queen.
A Spoonful of Gunpowder (Steampunk Mary Poppins inspired Cozy Mysteries Book 1) Reviews
-
I recieved an advanced copy of this thanks to @booksirens in exchange for an honest review.
I had no idea what to expect but the title of this book grabbed my attention and upon finishing I really love its choice! When it got to that time in the story and I put the two together I remember thinking - how clever!
Anna-Marie is an orphan who knows what ‘life is tough’ means and wants to change the story for those in her childhood shoes for things to be different. She is on a mission to right many a wrong in order to make this happen.. but is faced with hurdle after hurdle along the way - including a last request by ‘Uncle Ernest’. Anna-Marie is not deterred though.. she has learnt a lot over the years tinkering as an orphan and now slave as a thief and a spy and has a fire in her belly raring to go and many a trick up her sleeve (or in her pocket!) She reaches out to an old contact and despite his alterior motives for helping, the two set out to conquer and challenge all making the two in the one the same fight? Will they both succeed?! Or will she be forced to find yet another way?
This one really can be likened to a redo of Mary Poppins with a side of Dorothy from Oz. From carpet bags and never ending pockets, to flying umbrellas, special fancy red spiked shoes and the need to get away to find a better life.. you will see the resemblances throughout which I enjoyed. It was a flashback to stories I once knew from childhood.
‘For the love of tea and biscuits!’ Is a line that is almost overused but not quite. It’s a phrase as much as it is a form of expression highlighting the nuances and personality of leading lady Anna-Marie. She uses it mostly when frustrated but also when serving sarcasm and it becomes a known trait that we kinda see coming. I did like that it wasn’t swearing or another common term because it gives a sense of authenticity and elegance.
There is a lot of twisted connections and people being who you think they aren’t but it’s not predictable in that sense. I really liked the mystery element to the story and that too much wasn’t revealed until the ending. I must admit I had a feeling of Ahhh of course it is when I read who Jack is! As much as I found the character creepy I didn’t pick him for this!
It is heavily scripted around child exploitation and highlights the struggles of poverty in those times, especially the lengths people will go to ease hunger and loneliness. It was often references as being the driver of action in this read.
My least favourite character would have to be Vivian! She was whiney, entitled, annoying and sly! She treated everyone in her path disrespectfully, she was most untrustworthy and trouble followed her everywhere!
I did find some parts of this waffled on and my interest fading from time to time. Some scenes seemed to drag on forever, others were a touch repetitive but this didn’t deter me from wanting to keep reading. The ending kind of just stops unexpectedly and leaves you wanting more of an explanation but does reveal a book two is coming. Exciting!
One thing that I really struggled with was the constant nag in my head - are they on a boat or a plane?! The way it’s worded and described initially in first half of the story flips between suggesting either which I found hard to picture what was happening.. later on it’s referenced to an airship which makes sense!
Speaking of which, between airships, flying umbrellas and tinkering automatons - this would be a great one to turn into a mini series for all ages!
This was a real mix of magic, mystery, suspense and adventure. From literal rags to almost riches, Anna-Marie has managed to turn her life into something more and has become quite the keep you on your toes lady. I’m keeping my eyes peeled for the next instalment to see what happens next for both the moon book and the orphanage! -
DNF, getting out at 20% due to the self-involved pace.
The narrative is infatuated with itself. The result is a sometimes-excruciating slowness that Mary Poppins would never have put up with. -
If the title hasn’t clued you in, A Spoonful of Gunpowder is a steampunk homage to Mary Poppins, starring Anna-Marie Pauper as the umbrella-wielding heroine. Having escaped from an orphanage, Anna-Marie returns as an adult (having acquired certain skills and gadgetry through morally ambiguous contacts) to rescue the girls left behind and solve a spate of abductions across London.
The steampunk technology in this alternate Victorian London was the most delightful part of the story. Lots of fun and surprising clockwork devices 🦾⚙️🌂. The plot confused me a bit and the action took a while to get going. But overall it was an entertaining yarn with “cozy” vibes (no dark themes or adult content to flag).
I received an advance copy of this book, and I am leaving a review voluntarily. -
“A Spoonful of Gunpowder “ (1st in series) by Katherine H. Brown ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Steampunk Cozy Mystery. Location: Frinton-on-Sea and London, England. Time: A steampunk 1851.
“Oh for the love of tea and biscuits!”
THE SERIES FOCUSES ON:
Anna-Marie Pauper, with her floating umbrella and spiked red boots. She prides herself on being perfectly practical in every way. An orphan who loves to tinker, she grows into a thief and spy by learning from and working for “Uncle Ernest”. Now she wants out.
THIS BOOK:
When his supply of London orphan girls runs low, Uncle Ernest wants to know why. So does Anna-Marie. She returns to London to find the orphan farm founder is dead. It’s time to make the new owner more accountable. After Anna-Marie rescues the missing girls, she flees London on an airship belonging to the orphan farm’s new owner. He adds complications to her life with impractical ideas of freedom and happiness. If she did one more job, stole one more thing, would she finally be free?
You’ll meet Anna-Marie, a steampunk combination of Mary Poppins and any Gail Carriger steampunk character, Bert who sings silly songs covered with coal dust, exuberant Captain Ambrose Banks, evil villains, loveable automatons and tiny children. You’ll love the street-smart Mary Poppins vibe.
It’s rollicking good fun and adventure, but exploitation of young children really was rampant in Victorian times, and author Brown doesn’t hesitate to point out the compelling forces of hunger and loneliness. Her book has an action-packed plot, introduces the characters for now and future reference, and spotlights a strong young woman who uses brains and skill to move out of poverty and support others.
It’s irritating that the cover features a girl in a mini dress when it takes place during England’s Great Exhibition of 1851. Nevertheless, I’m in love with Brown’s “Steampunk Mary Poppins” idea, so it’s 5 stars from me.🌵📚💁🏼♀️. Thank you to Book Sirens and Katherine Brown Books for this early copy. Publishes 10/1/2022. -
"For the love of tea and biscuits!"
I haven't really watched a Mary Poppins show/movie so I don't know what to expect.
But as I read this book, I quite enjoyed it. Especially with the steampunk vibes that it gives.
This book is clean, fast paced and action packed.
There were "I want more" moments. Whete I'd like the author to give out more details but as I found out, this is just the first book so I'm gonna let it pass (thus the four stars).
But this book would probably one of those I have read that I want to see be made real (automatons, airships, the Umbrella).
I wanted to read the next one. :)
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. -
A Spoonful of Gunpowder is an exciting "steam punk" novel with a strong badass female main character. Anna Marie is intensely likable and everything I like a main character to be. She is passionate, cares for others, and is a fighter -- able to care for herself after so many years as an orphan. Beware, this story ends way too early in my opinion. The author is clear that there is a second book on the way, which is awesome, but I was so sad when this book abruptly ended and will have a hard time waiting. I didn't feel like things were wrapped up and desperately wanted to keep reading. I will definitely be reading book 2!
I received an advance review copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. -
ASoG is a delightful blend of steampunk and mystery. I found the protagonist to be very interesting, smart and determined. She has quite an eventful and occasionally dangerous time throughout. The world and the amazing inventions added imagination to the storyline and I enjoyed it very much. I love that the author was talented enough to compose this entertaining novel without vulgarity. This is the first time I’ve read author Katherine H. Brown’s work but I sincerely hope it’s not the last. I’m looking forward to reading book 2 in this series.
Disclaimer: I received this ebook from BookSirens and this is my honest and freely given opinion. -
Received as a review copy from Booksirens, this is an honest review. A visual and immersive smart tale set in a colorful steampunk world. Really liked Ann- Make is because despite a rough start in life, she has a fiery attitude to have a better future. The mysterious circumstances surrounding the vanishings of orphan children in this Victorian London twists the story into something that allows the grimy, disturbing underbelly of the city to shine. Dark, lovely and a whole lot of fun. Highly recommended.
-
A Spoonful of Gunpowder is Book 1 in a new series by Katherine N Brown. I thought this was a whimsical book along the same lines as Mary Poppins. Anna-Marie Pauper returns to the Pauper House for Girls and takes over as the overseer. Girls are missing and the ones left are without hope. I enjoyed this story and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.
-
Katherine Brown is an excellent writer. I've never read a steampunk novel before, so I can't really comment on how well this book fits into the genre.
But I can say that her writing is excellent. It was a pleasure to read, with plenty of humour and interesting characters inhabiting a fascinating world.
Keep writing, Katherine. Your work is of a high standard, making it both easy and interesting.
So why only 3 stars?
As I began the book I anticipated being torn between leaving a 4 or 5 star review. The quality of the writing and characterisation was excellent.
But as I progressed, I became increasingly dissatisfied. The writing remained excellent, but what of the plot? What was going on, exactly?
While the author evoked a believable alternative world, and drew me into it, she failed to connect me with the plot. This wasn't a page-turner for me.
There were hints and suggestions, but not enough to be compelling.
I also felt the pacing was inconsistent. It opened at a good rate, but some sections dragged. There was simply too much detail.
There were some interesting characters, but I didn't feel they were developed enough.
Final disappointment came at the end, when I realised this was Book 1 in a series - somehow I'd missed that. There were too many loose ends to be truly satisfying.
I wasn't entirely sure of the intended audience for the book. Young adult?
The language is very clean, except for the occasional use of 'bloody' as a swear word. I fear that as an American writing about Victorian England (a steampunk version), Katherine has made the mistake of assuming that it's not offensive. To many British readers, looking for a clean read, it will be.
I don't want to take anything away from Katherine's writing - it's excellent and she's a very good storyteller. I'd be happy to read something more from her in the future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. -
What a trip! I received a complimentary ARC of this excellent steampunk novel from BookSirens and the author Katherine H. Brown. I have read this work of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend Katherine H. Brown to friends and family. She writes an interesting tale. A Spoonful of Gunpower is the first of a series. Although the conclusion of this particular batch of worries is resolved, I didn't feel real closure and that's the reason this is not rated as a *****.
Anna-Marie is a woman raised in a London girls' home for orphans and at 17, pushed out into the cold world. She is 'adopted' and moved north to work at Foxhill Manor in Frinton-on-Sea by the man she called Uncle Ernest, a man who tinkers with all sorts of mechanical things - his specialty is clockwork objects - and he teaches Anna-Marie his tricks, which added to those she had worked out in her own, make her an awesome fabricator of all things steampunk. She eventually heads out to the big city to rescue the children still trapped in the care of a drunken masochist who spends the grocery money on booze and rents the children out to work, just as he had when Anna-Marie was under his care. Only four of those children she knew are still at the home, but the eldest, Vivien, will be no help with rescuing the very young girls under the care of the orphanage though Temperance and twins Patience and Prudence offer great assistance. Added to that number will be a group of kidnapped street girls Anna-Marie finds she must rescue as well, bringing the number of children to 23 which far exceeds the funds she has saved for this mission. Anna-Marie finds a ride for them all on an airship under the new ownership of Ambrose Banks, son of the pinchpenny sponsor of the orphanage, that will take them directly to Frinton-on-Sea and back to Foxhill Manor, not her original plan but she knows Uncle Ernest we make sure these girls too will be fed and schooled there as she was in her time.
And an Airship! Worth her savings just for the experience. Perhaps.
Reviewed on October 1, 2022, at Goodreads, BookSirens, Barnes&Noble, and BookBub. Not available for review on AmazonSmile or Kobo. -
I love England, I enjoy books set in the Victorian era, I enjoy a good detective story, I enjoyed the original Mary Poppins stories, and I enjoy steampunk settings (though I wouldn't call it a "love" just yet). A Spoonful of Gunpowder is an enjoyable mash-up of a Mary Poppins-like orphan girl who having come of age arrives back to her London orphanage with the intention of looking after the remaining girls. Things go quite awry quite soon, though, setting the girls and our protagonist off on a quest to solve a mystery.
The writing is engaging and fun, with lots of action throughout. There are a couple good twists at the end, that one would hope for in a mystery, and an unsolved mystery that is promised to be continued in the next novel, which I will be reading. Our hero, Anna-Marie Pauper, is a great protagonist, with whom I think many readers will be able to identify or at least empathize. She's kind, giving, generous, and self-less, but also strong, determined, and unwilling to let those in her care be harmed. Meeting the queen was a bit of a surprise, that I did not see coming, but allowable because it is within the realm of possibility that an orphan girl could find herself in the right time and the right place to interact with the queen. How she behaved at her meeting with the queen, whilst probably the right thing to do in the circumstances, might have seemed a bit far-fetched, however. But I don't demand that everything in a novel be reproducible IRL, so I can let it go.
In all, a fun and fairly quick read, worth the time for those into the aforementioned subject areas. I am looking forward to the next novel in the series, and hope that Ms Brown is able to continue the series after that as well. She's onto something, for sure.
Minor complaint: better editing would have caught about five or six uses of "phase" when "faze" was meant, and one use of "lude" for "lewd".
(FTC disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.) -
I absolutely loved this book! Katherine H. Brown creates a marvelous alternate London set in the Victorian period, and it’s a good representation of the steampunk genre. There are hat tips to Mary Poppins everywhere, from Anna-Marie’s souped-up umbrella to Bert, the amiable coal deliveryman, and so many more.
Anna-Marie was a very likable protagonist. She cares about the girls she left behind at the orphan home and wants better for them. She uses her common sense to solve problems, and she isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty (literally or figuratively). She doesn’t shy away from difficult situations, and she’s teaching the girls in her charge to do likewise.
Anna-Marie’s attraction to Captain Ambrose Banks, and his to her, is delightful. Ambrose’s general attitude toward life is so joyful, Anna-Marie can’t help but warm to it. But if she wants to gain her freedom from Uncle Ernest’s employ, she’ll have to find a way to do one last job for him. Can she complete the task and find unexpected happiness with an unexpected man? Read and find out!
The orphan girls – I want to hug them all and feed them and give them a safe place to live. Brown pens a realistic portrayal of the hard lives they led in 19th-century London, and the jobs they might find themselves pressed into with no family to be concerned about them. It wasn’t pretty, even in an alternate universe.
The ending of the book makes it clear that this is not the end of the story. Things aren’t tied up in a tidy package, so if loose ends damage your calm, you’d best brace yourself. I, however, am here for it. The cliffhanger ending has me clamoring for more!
A Spoonful of Gunpowder is an engaging story and a great start to a new series. Five stars from me!
Disclaimer: Thanks to BookSirens and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like. -
At first I wasn't sure how a steampunk inspired retelling of Mary Poppins would go down, but I was pleasantly surprised!
I genuinely enjoyed reading this cozy, easy to read steampunk slice of London, a mystery with a dash of friendship, with the overarching cares and motivations of a big sister trying to keep her family safe.
Steampunk London was a treat, and I especially appreciated the crafty nod to Mary Poppin's umbrella, and Anna-Marie's fervent dedication to tea. The writing was done well, the story told easily and naturally. I appreciated the characters and the setting, and found it easy to imagine such a story in this fantastic, mechanical world.
While the story progressed quickly, I still felt kept in pace, and the motivations for Anna-Marie's character were not forced or spurred on for the plot's sake, but rather seemed appropriate for the stakes at hand. Excellently done!
I really enjoyed Cyrus' character. Not because he was obviously cast as the tall, dark, handsome stranger, but because of his intelligence, humour, and an obviously long-standing business friendship with Anna-Marie that seemed to carry more stories of interest. I felt he had a lot of potential as more of a main character, which I love to see expanded!
I also appreciated Ambrose's character and his hilarious frankness, and the friendship between Ambrose and Anna-Marie was done well (if however a tad cringe-y at times, seeming as they only knew each-other for a few days).
The end was upon me before I even realised it, and I felt a tad surprised, but not disappointed.
The only thing I found confusing was the motive and means of the antagonist, but I suppose we shall find that out in the next book! I look forward to the next installment.
[I received a free copy of this book from BookSirens in return for an honest review] -
Favorite quotes:
“Two sets of footprints sounded behind her. For the love of tea and biscuits, could the dratted man not take a hint?”
“Insufferable man” she huffed as she tugged on her overcoat. “Ungrateful woman” Ambrose grinned unrepentantly and held out an arm.
“Though his words and manor were all joking, his eyes searched hers intently. His smile remained as glib as ever, but he held her as if he were holding a lifeline, and her breath caught.”
Red flags:
None
Summary:
Anne-Marie Pauper, an orphan, who tends to be a perfectly practical, spy and thief. Anne-Marie sets out on a dangerous mission to find out where the missing orphan girls are, which in turn means saving the girls lives. Enters Ambrose, the relatable and lovable captain, who desires to help Anne- Marie in her mission to save the girls.
Review:
This is my first steampunk novel, and I loved the modern day twist with a Mary Poppins vibe! I fell in love with the relationship and banter between Ambrose and Anne-Marie. Katherine Brown’s writing is beautiful and engaging! She weaves together the twists and turns, with smooth transitions. I began to read this novel with reluctancy, I had mixed emotions. However, Brown pulled me into her engaging plotline and hooked me pretty quickly. Why four star and not five? I am not much for cliffhangers… I’m too impatient, but that said, I am very much looking forward to the next book!
I received a free copy from the publisher and BookSirens for an honest review of the book. All opinions are my own. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -
You had me at Steampunk Mary Poppins.
ARC kindly provided from the author/publisher via BookSirens for an honest review. I wasn’t feeling any of the books in my TBR so I headed to booksirens where I stumbled on this one. Anna-Marie Pauper is an orphan, who returns to her old orphanage as an adult to rescue the last remaining girls there from the hands of the man running it. With the use of a gaggle of interesting characters and steampowered instruments they must escape both the orphanage and the men snatching up young girls in the streets, all the while never missing tea.
There is nothing like a good steampunk Victorian London novel, but one that is a homage to Mary Poppins!? I enjoyed every moment of this book. Anna-Marie is a spike booted, ass kicking, invention tinkering heroin. I loved the entire ride. As someone who loves a good steampunk book it ticked all the boxes for me, lots of fun adventure involving imaginative inventions, mystery and well-paced action/plot. This writing is clean and solid, the characters very nicely fleshed out and it all leaves you wanting to learn more about them and their future adventures. I was pleasantly pleased to see this is going to be a series. I have a feeling it will be one of the ones I come back to read again and again. -
Anna-Marie Pauper is practically perfect in every way! Inspired by Mary Poppins with a Steampunk twist, Anna-Marie goes on many intentional and unintentional adventures with the orphaned girls she has taken under her wing. She also enlists the assistance of a seedy criminal and a new airship captain in her endeavors.
I enjoyed every minute of this book! The steampunk element gave the story a sense of whimsical adventure. Anna-Marie is inspired by Mary Poppins but she is more clever and a mechanical genius. I appreciated the twists and turns the story took and did not anticipate, but was pleasantly surprised by the ending.
The writing style flowed very well and the end of each chapter left me wanting more. The other characters were also well developed, and you can’t help but appreciate how each characters story is woven into Anna-Marie’s. I am really looking forward to the next book!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. -
My gut reaction - give me book two immediately! I’ve recently started reading some steam punk themed novels. It’s one of the reasons why I wanted to review this book. It exceeded my expectations. I’ve always loved Mary Poppins, but this Poppins themed character was all that and more. Anna-Marie’s background and mysterious training is just so interesting to me. I love that she wants to take care of the girls at the orphan house. I liked the length of the book - it’s a fast cozy read but it’s not short on action and some plot twists. I guessed one of the plot twists, but I wasn’t sure exactly how the character would play out. Like I said, it’s pretty fast paced, so it kept my attention the entire time. This is a book I want in my book collection and I’m counting down the days for book two! I received this eArc from Book Sirens for free for an honest review.
-
I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I was very intrigued by the idea of this novel. I loved the setting and how descriptive the author was. The Steampunk aspect of this novel is something I have always been interested in. This is what drew me to the story in the first place. However, I wasn't a huge fan of the characters. I wasn't invested in them, as a reader should be. I don't feel as though a lot of their relationships with one another made sense all the time. I wish that we would have gotten more about Anna Marie's background to help the reader understand her motives for a lot of the events. I recognized not giving everything away or doing so in small instances, but it left me confused and unsure why the main character was the way she was. I would love to see more character development. I think there is so much potential here!
-
This is an absolutely delightful steampunk adventure! I love the premise of a steampunk Mary Poppins-esque character! Anna Marie Pauper is returning to the orphan home she grew up in determined to take over and take charge. What starts as an effort to better the lives of the girls in residence turns into a mission to foil a kidnapping plot. I couldn't put it down and would love to see more from this author! (I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)
-
Set in a steampunk world of automatons and air ships. Anna-Marie Pauper is spunky and daring and on a mission to save the girls she left behind at the orphans home where she grew up. With the help of a dashing airship captain she will lead the girls on a daring escape.
A romp of a read. Lot's of action and curious inventions combined with main characters who leap to life off the pages.
I thouroughly enjoyed this imaginative tale.
4 stars goodreads
I received this book free from Booksirens and provide a fair and honest review -
I didn't really know what to expect with this book. Steampunk...Mary Poppins? That sounds like a weird idea for a story. Indeed, it WAS a weird story. And I quite enjoyed it! The writing style was quirky and engaging, pulling me in to the main character's feelings and thoughts. I look forward to more weird adventures with these weird characters!
I received an e-ARC from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. -
Mary Poppins and Lara Croft combined in one person! What a practically perfect book!
I loved every word and can’t wait for the next book. I could clearly see every scene, person and situation as described . I can also imagine this book as a kickass movie blockbuster😬
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Loved the characters and the story… I want more!!!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
