Kiss of Steel

Written by Bec McMaster

Narrated by Alison Larkin

Most people avoid the dreaded Whitechapel district. For Honoria Todd, it's the last safe haven. But at what price?

Blade is known as the master of the rookeries-no one dares cross him. It's been said he faced down the Echelon's army single-handedly, that ever since being infected by the blood-craving he's been quicker, stronger, almost immortal.

When Honoria shows up at his door, his tenuous control comes close to snapping. She's so...innocent. He doesn't see her backbone of steel-or that she could be the very salvation he's been seeking.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: May 13, 2013
• ISBN: 9781452682471

Reviews for Kiss of Steel

[thegenreminx · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When Nowhere Is SafeMost people avoid the dreaded Whitechapel district. For Honoria Todd, it’s the last safe haven. But at what price?Blade is known as the master of the rookeries—no one dares cross him. It’s been said he faced down the Echelon’s army single-handedly, that ever since being infected by the blood-craving he’s been quicker, stronger, and almost immortal.When Honoria shows up at his door, his tenuous control comes close to snapping. She’s so…innocent. He doesn’t see her backbone of steel—or that she could be the very salvation he’s been seeking.Synopsis via GoodreadsWhat first drew me to this book was the cover art, seriously is it not a gorgeous cover? I am a sucker for a cool cover! The second was the series title, London Steampunk, how could I not read this book. I was intrigued. I am so glad that I did read this book, soooo not disappointed. It has supernatural beings, paranormal romance, crime, mystery, ooh la la sexy times, and a disgusting villain.The setting: Set in London England in 1876 in the Whitechapel district. I will start by saying that is more of a paranormal historical fiction or urban fantasy book with steampunk elements woven here and there. Whitechapel district name just conjures up images of dark, gritty, and dangerous to me and set the book up nicely for the world building that the author intended. The world construction itself was okay. I think the intention was that you already would be familiar with ideas of what London would look like in that time setting and then the author just added elements to support the story.The plot: Woman meets man and wowzza! Kidding….Honoria Todd’s father, was a researcher/scientist on the hunt to discover a cure or vaccine for blue bloods and Honoria served as his assistant. Blue bloods belong to the Echlon, think elite upper class (mostly men), and they are offered infected blood (think virus that slowly turns them into a vampire) during blood rites when they turn fifteen. The upside to this is that:It puts them into the “it” crowdIt gives them extended life, increased speed and dexterity, makes them hard to kill.The downside is that over time they will “go to the fade.” What this means is that they will slowly turn into a vampire and not the sexy fae kind but the foul, maggoty, rotted kind. To prevent them from going full-blown vampire and killing all the humans, the blue bloods must be registered and when they start to show signs of going to the fade they are executed by chopping off their heads. Hmm, quite the downside, unfortunately when the “blue blood craze” started no one knew the long-term side affects, hence the research into a cure/vaccine. So why don’t the elite just stop taking the blood rites? These men just can’t seem to turn down near immortality with super man strength.The Todd’s patron, Lord Vickers, was a sadistic blue blood who’s experiments became so vile that Honoria’s father threw his support in with an opposing political faction. Danger ensued and he disappeared; Honoria and her siblings were forced to flee with only the research diaries in tow. In order to “disappear” they ran to the Whitechapel district (where only the poorest and downtrodden people lived), have been barely eeking out an existence and unable to use any connections they had before due to the bounty on their heads via Lord Vickers. Unbeknownst to Honoria, who has been going by the name of Miss Pryor, the blue-blood rouge (was infected without council approval) Blade, ruler of the rookeries, has taken an interest in her. Not an honorable interest of course, he wishes to find out why his enemy Lord Vickers is so intent on finding her and her family.After six months of watching Blade has finally sent for Honoria to inform her that as she is in his turf, if she wants to continue being “un-molested” then she needs to come to terms on a payment. She can pay (has no money), become his Thrall (think blood-donor who becomes addicted to the donation process), or trade protection for sex. What’s a girl to do? Honoria being quick thinking offers to teach him how to speak properly, as his cockney accent is atrocious, since her current job is essentially a speech therapist that also teaches manners. He takes her up on this offer but he does have ulterior motives and starts to pursue Honoria.This is where it gets mighty steamy. Blade becomes almost fixated on Honoria and what began as a ploy turned into a conquest, nice! Honoria on the other hand is terrified of Blade and although she has an undeniable growing attraction for him, she continues to distrust him. When her past catches up with her and conflicts arise in Whitechapel, the deaths start piling up. Honoria and Blade find themselves relying on each other and letting their guards down…and hello sexy times. This is a fast paced, action-filled, paranormal romance that will keep you turning the pages from beginning to end.What I liked: I found the blue blood/vampirism component extremely interesting. I enjoyed how the author used medical advances from the Victorian time period and applied them in this story. Blade, with his smoldering, burning, animalistic intensity just made the romance building very real and steamy. Honoria, her character was defiant, prideful and intelligent. She did not cower under Blade’s intensity and I liked how she did not run from a confrontation. The secondary characters were fleshed out, likable or vile, but very well done.What I didn’t like: The world construction left a bit to be desired. I would have liked a bit more background on the Whitechapel district, where the Echelon resided, and although the secondary characters were fleshed out in some cases their background stories were vague, I would have liked more. The “steampunk element,” there was steam-powered machinery, characters with mechanical modifications and metal guards etcetera but it was woven into the background like watercolors. If you are going to call it steampunk, give me steampunk. The cockney accent that the Whitechapel characters “spoke” with, although interesting, was at times difficult to decipher.Overall, I loved this book! I am pumped to continue the series and have a new author to fawn over. This book is intended for mature audiences, as the sexy times are very steamy. I recommend this book to those readers who like paranormal romances that have strong leads, lots of steam, supernatural sidekicks and villainous elitists.

[blodeuedd_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The steampunk aspect, well there was not much mention of it, except for a mechanical spider or two. The paranormal aspect, oh yes, that was there, and because of the steampunk vibes it felt much darker than usual.

Honoria is hiding with her siblings in a part of London that is ruled by the mysterious Blade. The rest of London belongs to the vampire council. And they are not good guys. But then they are the rules of England. Vampire beings who keep humans as thralls to feed upon. And humans pay taxes in blood. It's a darker world. It's a good world, and interesting world to read about.

Honoria is kind, too kind at times, she wants the best for her poor siblings. I liked her, I felt sorry for her, and I could respect her too. She could take back. Blade, our vampire renegade hero was, well let's just say he was alpha. Tough, and doing all to protect those within his realm. They are not a couple that should be, him bloodthirsty, and she not wanting anything to do with that world. But we all know the old story, passion is a sure thing when they meet. Even if they try to fight it. Some should just be together.

An interesting world. A good couple and evil vampires that are rot in the end.

[dark_phoenix54 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I picked this book up at the library because of the steampunk aspects. It is set in a steampunk type universe- an alternate 19th century England which can’t be called Victorian because the queen is named Alexandra- with advanced medicine and mechanical men, but the steampunk aspects are definitely background, not the main event. It’s actually a paranormal romance between a human woman and a… well, not quite a vampire yet. In McMaster’s world, the need to feed on blood is caused by a virus. The infected can live for many years with accelerated healing and enhanced speed and strength, but ultimately they succumb to ‘the fade’, where they turn pale, lose their hair and also lose control of their minds. These demented monsters are what the people of this world call vampires. The upper class keeps tight control of the virus; they only allow members of the elite to become infected because of the advantages it provides for decades. The infected are known as ‘blue bloods’ because of the color their blood becomes after infection- a little play on our own use of the term! Blade is a rogue blue blood who runs the Whitechapel district, the part of London that is home to thieves, prostitutes, murderers and fugitives from the law. Honoria is one of those fugitives, running from an evil duke who basically feels he *is* the law. In addition to keeping herself hidden, Honoria has to protect and feed her younger sister and brother- a brother with a secret of his own. What happens between Blade and Honoria is fairly predictable: they meet; they are both disagreeable even though they are irresistibly drawn to each other sexually. But they aren’t childish about it, thankfully. They keep secrets from each other but not as badly as most romance characters. Their relationship makes progress throughout the book rather than waiting until the very end. And Honoria is honest with herself about how she feels, rather than going through 200 pages of denial. There is a lot of action and some unexpected events. The world building holds together. I enjoyed the book a lot, although I have to say that if I had read about what Honoria’s nipples were doing one more time I might have screamed. I will read the next in the series if I see it at the library. There is a LOT of sex in the book, but it’s pretty well done.

[jorgeousjotts · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this. Events and character choices generally made sense (though the heroine had a few daft moments). I liked the hero and heroine as people and as a couple. The world building was a nice balance of history and paranormal, and it had a nice cast of supporting characters. I hadn't read this author before, but I will definitely continue with this series.

[plunkinberry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don't recall how I ended up with this book and it's been on my shelf for a while. I was very pleasantly surprised and enjoyed this book and its characters thoroughly. The characters had depth and texture. The plot was interesting. I liked it enough that I will continue to pursue the series.

[samnreader · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The first part was easy to read and leave and then I got 50% and didn't want to put it down. Then I got 85% and just wanted it to end.

I enjoyed it enough, but not to unreservedly continue the series. I'm just not sure yet.

3.5ish.

[tldegray-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

One thing I particularly like about this series of books is the explanation of vampires. They're called blue bloods, not only for the color of their blood, but because they form the basis of the aristocracy. (At least in England. In France, the revolution and the guillotine, took care of that.) The blue bloods live and rule, and control the spread of the "craving virus" to ensure only male members of the right families get it, which they do with great ceremony when they turn 15. The craving virus ("CV") count grows higher as the blue blood ages, and when it becomes too high they enter "the Fade." At that time they begin the transformation to vampire, a mindless, rotting, killer. Traditionally they're killed when they reach the fade.

Blade is a blue blood who is not a member of the aristocracy and, naturally, though they seemingly have a wordless truce with him, they'd like to see him dead. Honoria and her siblings grew up serving one of the blue blood households, but had to flee after the death of their father. Now they're living in dangerous Whitechapel, where Blade becomes the only thing that can protect them.

It's paranormal romance. Of course Blade and Honoria are attracted to each other. Blade pivots about his control, wanting her but not wanting to frighten or harm her. Honoria, once she decides what she wants, goes for it, which I quite like about her.

The thing that cracked me up in this book was what I've taken to referring to as Bulletins from Honoria's Nipples. That woman's nipples are constantly tight, taut, or tingling, and she is always letting us know. I get that it signifies sexual arousal but it happened so often I started to look forward to it as if it were an in-joke: "We interrupt this important and frightening scene to bring you an update from Honoria's nipples. Nipples, how are you doing?"

[pnrlist · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

So much for only listening to the audiobook at the gym, I couldn't put it down! Onto the next

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kiss of Steel
4.5 Stars

Forced into the squalor of the East End following her father's death, Honoria Todd must swallow her pride and seek aid from the most notorious rogue in the city. Blade, aka The Devil of Whitechapel, rules the slums with a ruthless hand but finds himself unable to turn Honoria away.

Readers expecting a traditional Steampunk novel will be disappointed as these elements are quite minor and contribute very little to the overall world building, plot and characterization. Nevertheless, McMaster has created a detailed alternate world with compelling dystopian features and an original approach to vampirism. Moreover, the setting comprised of the rookeries of Whitechapel and the upper echelons of London society lends darkly sinister and gothic overtones to the story.

The characters are well-developed with intriguing backstories and the romance is intense both physically and emotionally. Blade is fiercely possessive and volatile hero who will stop at nothing to protect those he considers his own. Struggling against the darkness that threatens to consume him, Blade must reconcile with his traumatic past and accept that the person he has become is deserving of love and happiness.

Honoria is an intelligent and admirable heroine willing to sacrifice herself for those she loves. Her pride and stubbornness often lead her astray, but once she learns to love and trust, she does so with her entire heart and soul.

The plot does take a few chapters to get going, which is understandable given that this is the first book in a series, but once the stage is set, the story turns into a captivating page turner.

In sum, a well-written and refreshing take on traditional paranormal tropes, and I am eager to see what happens next for the characters and world McMaster has fashioned.

[shaunesay · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was a little confused at first with the vampires but not vampires Blue Bloods, but quickly sorted that out. I liked Blade and his motley crew of humans and not humans, who of course are all more noble and loyal than the actual Nobles. His cockney accent that appears and disappears depending on his mental condition was a little irritating, but overall Blade is the type of damaged, doomed hero that I just love. Honoria is a great character too, taking the weight of the world on her shoulders until it finally falls apart and she has no other choice than to ask for help. Of course she should have asked so much earlier, but then we wouldn't have the emotional story that we have that showcases our characters honorable to a fault, but afraid to trust because they've been hurt in the past, tendencies. Not to say that they don't have their wicked sides, we get to see plenty of that too. ;)

This was an enjoyable Victorian London, vampire romance with an interesting batch of side characters that I'm sure we'll see more of in the rest of the series. I'm looking forward to them!

[b.j.o. · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

4.5 "An Unlikely Hero in a New Vampire World" Stars for the story and 4 Stars for the narration!If you enjoy a variety of different romance sub-genres, and are looking for something new, Kiss of Steel and the London Steampunk Series may just be the answer. A hybrid between a historical, paranormal, and a science-fiction romance, Steampunk Romance combines the best of many of the romance sub-genres that I enjoy, with the added benefit of bestowing it all in one convenient package.Of course, the London Steampunk genre's primary unifying characteristic is that the world contains steam-powered machinery, in this case somewhat akin to fighting robots, and is set in an alternate version of the 19th Century British Victorian era. However, for Steampunk afficionados, I will note that in Kiss of Steel I found the use of steam powered steel robots to be more of a background element than a central focal point. Instead, Ms. McMaster's writing is much more focused on the individual characteristics and personalities of these dynamic characters in this brave new world.Also, please note that this series, like many paranormal based series, is meant to be read in order, as the underlying world continues to evolve over each sequential read. That said, the primary political and suspense filled battle and the romance between the main hero and his heroine is satisfyingly resolved, so you are not left with a cliffhanger feeling--just a desire to move on to the next chapter in this alluring series.Honoria Todd is desperately trying to keep her younger siblings in hiding. Having lived among the Echelon (the rich and powerful, upper class, who rule this world), something happened in her past and she and her siblings are in hiding from a rich and powerful "Blue Blood." They have sought their anonymity in the dreaded Whitechapel district (the slums of this world were the poor and powerless live). Scraping every penny to get by, Honoria is finally at her at last straw, when she is summoned to the "master of the rookeries," Blade, the monstrous rogue, blood-craving leader of the Whitechapel district."Blue Bloods" have superhuman strength and healing abilities and are very difficult to kill. Only sons of royal Blue Bloods are typically approved by the Council of Dukes to be infected with the "craving virus" which turns a human into a Blue Blood. However, Blade was infected notwithstanding his seemingly less than royal blood lines. The downside of the virus is that, at its extreme, it can turn a Blue Blood or rogue, like Blade, into a vampire. Vampires are not good beings in the London Steampunk world. Instead, vampires lose all rationality and only know an insane craving for blood. Blue Bloods who reach this level are usually exterminated, so maintaining an optimal level of the craving virus without letting it overtake you, is of paramount importance in this world.Given his ruthless reputation Honoria is scared to meet Blade, and yet she knows that she can and must do anything to survive--as well as help her little brother who is showing signs of blood craving virus. So Honoria does the "honorable" thing and delivers herself to Blade's doorstep knowing that he will likely use her for her blood, and may very well die in the process.Blade, however, is surprised at the unique affect that Honoria has on him. He seems to have no control when it comes to her. And yet, he can't get enough of her. So unusual is this connection that at first they strike a unique bargain, but as each's situation becomes more dire, they will each need to decide whether Blade is the "monster" with teetering control that everyone claims he is or whether salvation lies in love.For the most part, I found Alison Larkin's narration to be enjoyable. As you can imagine, given the London world, many of the characters have British accents, which Ms. Larkin performs well. Ms. Larkin also delivers the story with good pacing and her tone matches the mood of the scenes well.The one area, that I will note will either work for you or not, is Blade's parts. In that regard, Blade has a somewhat unusual and very distinctive sound to him (somewhat akin, but not in its sound, more just in it's uniqueness, to Tavia Gilbert's rendition of Bones, from the Night Huntress Series by Jeaniene Frost). Adding further difficulty to this role is Ms. McMaster's writing in an accent that varies (depending on his grasp of control on his humanity) from his more typical cockney accent to at other times a more upper class sounding accent. All of these factors, render Blade's role a very tough one to nail and definitely a very different sounding hero which may not be to everyone's taste. Therefore, while I enjoyed the audio, I highly suggest that you sound sample this audiobook before determining what format to enjoy the story in.All in all, Kiss of Steel was a fantastic start to a very promising series, and I can't wait to dig in to book 2, Heart of Iron.Source: Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

[minakelly_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book surprised me: though I liked Honoria and Blade separately, I never bought into their romance. It consists mostly of lust and a need for security, but never really has any depth to it. In a paranormal romance, you'd expect this to kill the book, but the world building was unusual and interesting and I kept reading to find out more about how the characters interacted with it. I'd be interested in reading more books in the series if they focus on other characters, because I want to see more of the world, especially outside of London (and the UK in general).

[calum7iain · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book (volume one in the London Steampunk series) appeared unannounced on my kindle one morning. Given that it looked suitably trashy and never having read a book from the “steampunk, paranormal romance” genre I decided to dive in. Set in an alternative Victorian London ruled over by evil aristocratic vampires, the beautiful and feisty Honoria Todd, for a number of complex reasons, has to flee into the rookeries of the dreaded Whitechapel area. The rookeries are ruled over by the fearsome but sexily-dashing outcast vampire, Blade. It’s pretty obvious where things are going to end up between Honoria and Blade, but the getting there is reasonably well-handled despite some abject silliness. What is really impressive about the book, however, is the clever and unobtrusive, yet highly memorable world-building. The London steampunk setting of palaces, rookeries, razor gangs and blood-factories is excellently done as are the integration of the Victoriana and paranormal elements. There are some odd plotting issues, there is a reasonably high cheese factor and the final resolution is odd to say the least, but overall “Kiss of Steel” is an inventive and engrossing read with a great mix of steampunk, paranormal, vampires, verwulfen, Victoriana, danger and romance (oh, and splashes of hot, steamy sex). Can’t believe that I actually enjoyed this and can’t quite believe I’m contemplating reading the sequel….!

[ladydarbanville · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A nice steampunk setting and overall solid story; enjoyable but nothing particularly special. I liked Honoria but I thought Blade was a rather stereotypical romance novel character and I wasn't overly fond of him. If you're looking for a romance with fantastical elements, you can do far worse than this one. It was a quick read (or would have been if real life hadn't interfered so often) and I give it a rating of 3+.

[bugetta-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a great book! I loved the world building and Honoria and Blade were a great couple.

[aryadragon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

4 1/2 stars

Really liked this. This is my first steampunk I've ever read. The only problem I really had was how long their heroine held out on the hero. Agree telling him her deepest secrets she still acted funny about it. I've heard of caution but that was a little to much.

[hoosgracie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While it has some elements seen in other books, I enjoyed this London based Steampunk fantasy immensely. Honoria is struggling to survive, along with her sister and brother, in the Rookery, which is ruled by Blade. 6 months ago, they lived in the house of one of the Blue Blood Dukes of the Echelon and then her father died. When Blade summons her, the sparks fly between them. I particularly liked the two protagonists and the secondary characters were well developed. I look forward to reading the second book.

[krau0098 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love steampunk books, especially those set in London. So I had been looking at reading this series for a while. This ended up being a very well done romance with a decent plot that supports the romance well. There really isn't a whole lot of steampunk in here though. Honora has had to scrap out a living as a language teacher in order to support her sister and chronically ill brother since the death of their father. Honora and her family are also in hiding from one of her father’s enemies. All this makes Whitechapel district the perfect place for Honora and her family to live and hide. The problem is Whitechapel is run by a fierce man named Blade and he likes to have some leverage on anyone living in his district. When Blade finally meets Honora he agrees to trade lessons from her in exchange for protecting her family. They both find they are strangely drawn to each other in a way that neither one wants. Honora can’t help but admire Blade’s commitment to protecting his people and Blade admires Honora’s commitment to her family coupled with her innocence. When a rogue vampire tears a bloody path through Whitechapel they end up having to work together to take it out.This story is definitely heavy on the romance. There really isn’t much steampunk in here at all. Honora uses an awesome gun and there is some talk of genetic manipulation in this Victorian world but that is pretty much it. I guess there was one character with mechanical lungs too, so that is pretty steampunky. I felt like there was a good world here, but it just needed to be filled out a bit more.The romance between Honora and Blade however was absolutely excellently done. It was very steamy, there is a lot of tension, and you feel like the two characters are better people when they are together. They build a relationship over time and take the time to learn to trust each other. There are scenes between them that took my breath away and I loved how they each admired the other for their strong qualities and took the good with the bad.There are also a lot of very well done side characters that I would love to read more about. It does look like the next book in the series, Heart of Iron, features Honora’s sister and one of Blade’s men. So this looks like it is one of those series where each book focuses on a different couple, but the main world and story around that couple are a spin-off of the previous book.There are vampires and werewolves in the plot as well, pretty typical paranormal stuff. The vampires are interesting though because they are a bit different. Vampires start off as Blue Bloods and as the amount of virus in their system grows over time they transitions into raging vampires. It is interesting because a lot of the Blue Bloods are basically ticking time bombs.The book reminded me a lot of Kate Locke's Immortal Empire series, which I liked a lot better than this book because that series has more action and world building. It also reminded me of Kristen Callihan's Darkest London series, which I liked just as much as this book. So if you are looking for a historical paranormal fantasy that is heavy on the romance this is an excellent choice.If you are looking for more of a steampunk read with romance woven throughout, I would look elsewhere. Check out Meljean Brooke's Iron Seas series which has an absolutely stunning steampunk world as well as some romance.Overall an excellent romance with heavy paranormal and lighter steampunk elements. The characters are excellent and the romance between Honora and Blade is just perfection. However the world-building is a bit weak, there are hints of an awesome world here but it wasn’t explored as much as I had hoped. Additionally the plot was well done, but there were times where it took a backseat to the romance. I will probably read the next book in the series when I am in the mood for a heart-pounding romance...however I won’t be looking to this series for a good steampunk fix. For my steampunk reads with some romance I will stick to Brooke’s Iron Seas series which just has a fantastic steampunk world.

[yuki.takano · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really liked this book. However, I have some difficulty in making a review.I loved the love story, the characters and adventures. In this sense it had everything I like in a book, well developed and able to captivate us from beginning until the end. The audiobook was excellent.However, I cannot fit this book in the steampunk genre. To me, this book is a paranormal historical romance in a steampunk setting. I don't advise the steampunk avid readers to try to read it. They will be disappointed.But if you like the genres mentioned above and you would like to try reading something where all the genres are joined, it will be an excellent option. As for me, I loved romance.

[randommichelle · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Please note: THIS IS A BOINKING BOOK.

You have been warned.

[mlleehreen · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An interesting mash-up of familiar vampire/paranormal tropes that turned out to be nothing special.

Our heroine, Honoria Todd, is a scientist's daughter. Her father had been working on a cure for vampirism, but he was murdered while on the verge of a major breakthrough. Only Honoria, who worked closely with him and knows the secret to his coded diaries, can discover the secret now...but there's a price on her head. A big one.

So she's gone into hiding. She's gone to ground with her young sister and brother in Whitechapel, a rookery in a Victorianish, steampunk London. And the master of the rookery, the vampire Blade, thinks it's time she paid him a visit.

I really liked the setup, but KISS OF STEEL turned out a little softer/sweeter/milder than I'd been hoping for. The worldbuilding has tons of potential, and I would have liked to hear more about how Bec McMaster's version of vampirism works--the 'virus' manifests in three distinct phases, an initial 'craving' stage, a 'romance novel' stage with good looks and superpowers, and a 'horror novel' stage with decay and insanity--what the political landscape of this altered Europe looks like, what kind of scheming the ruling council of vampire Dukes get up to.

But instead of focusing on the worldbuilding or the story, both of which are full of potential, mostly we've got Blade and Honoria deciding whether or not to love and trust one another. The plot makes brief appearances, mostly to give our hero or heroine reason to make sexual demands/refuse sexual demands/offer liberties. Basically, instead of veering toward the 'urban fantasy' side of the genre, McMaster settles firmly into the 'paranormal romance' pool.

A lot of stuff disappointed me. Example: Blade is a vampire who drinks a LOT of blood. He initially draws a firm line in the sand between his sexual desires and his bloodlust. He doesn't have sex with most of the people he takes blood from, there's a difference between food and feelings, etc., etc. But soon enough, whenever he starts showing signs of bloodlust we're meant to read them as signs of arousal, as a COMPLIMENT rather than a threat, and, surprise surprise, when he's lost to hunger only the power of love can call him back to himself. I dunno...yawn? This book could have been so much more interesting.

Likewise, Honoria started out as a really self-possessed, independent woman. She carries a gun. She's not afraid to use it. She's smart, determined. She supports her family. She escapes the authorities. She's awesome!

...for about a hundred pages.

Once Honoria starts to trust Blade, her character arc takes a turn for the limp and dull. Her big moments are varying flavors of passive--she pleads for help, she leaves the room when told, she sacrifices herself, she stands back and lets the men fight over her. Sometimes she wields the power of love, which is...nice. But I preferred it when she wielded a pistol, and her wits.

I did finish the book. But this is not the series to rope me back into paranormals.

[vanianunes-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I confess that at first I was a bit lost with the author's explanations regarding the blood-craving. A virus that infects and transforms the host and, so far, has no cure. But the worst is that this virus can continue its transformation causing the person a skin and hair whitened and go crazy, finally becoming what they define as "vampire".Blade is a hero without being so. He looks good, but carries within something terrible. He can not read, unless his name and numbers. His way of speaking is virtually "rustic". It has a sexy way, stripped and somewhat debauched. But he leads and protects the residents of Whitechapel with an iron hand. The protection comes at a price: loyalty to him and human blood.With rates (taxes) charged by the rulers, people sell blood in order to survive.When Honoria finds him and asks for his protection, at first she did not want to be one of the blood donors (thrall), but despair spoke louder. But beyond the blood, she would teach Blade to speak properly.Honoria is a girl in her 20s, who defends her family the best she can, even if it means starving and hiding from her siblings some truths about their father.If this was the author's debut, she started on the right foot.Characters well constructed. The pace of the story is good. There are many scenes that make you stay glued to the page, wondering what comes next.Really enjoyed it.5 STARS!!!!

[rabidreads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Reviewed by: Rabid ReadsFrom the very first page of Kiss of Steel I was swept away by Bec McMaster’s lovely writing style; her three dimensional characters, stunning dialogues and surreal universe are so brilliantly executed that I’m giving this book a 5+ star rating.This is a story about vampires but McMaster does such a brilliant job of claiming them as her own that they almost felt new again. There are three different subgroups to the vamps in her lore and I really enjoyed the way that we get glimpses into each of their lifestyles. They live in a tiered society so life’s very different in the rookeries compared to the Echelon. The amount of detail that Bec put into this book is staggering; her vampires don’t even feed like typical blood suckers! The minutia is evident in her world building as well; I loved stepping into McMaster’s London Steampunk universe! I lost myself for hours in her descriptions of the gritty city streets and feminine petticoats.At first I wasn’t a fan of Blade but he quickly grew on me once he started to open up to Honoria. I loved his constant inner struggle with his Blue Blood half; it added an element of vulnerability to his otherwise tough guy exterior. Blade’s scary as hell not because he’s a straight up badass but because he’s barely holding on to the reigns of his sanity! His dialogues were some of the most entertaining parts of this book; McMaster does a phenomenal job of portraying his street accent. I think this would make a great audiobook with the right narrator!Honoria’s side of the story is an emotional upwards battle from page one. Fallen from her privileged life, she finds herself barely making ends meet and desperate times call for desperate measures. Blade is her absolute last resort but as her situation becomes direr she’s forced deeper into the master of the rookeries dept. Just when you think that Honoria can’t possibly get knocked down again, she does. I really felt for her and by the end of this book I was so happy that she had Blade looking out for her. Miss Todd’s growth as a character is remarkable; I especially enjoyed watching her realize that some of her founding principles were wrong. It’s not easy to change the way you think but love is a powerful thing.The ending is HEA perfection; Blade saves Honoria and she saves him in return. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! Kiss of Steel is steampunk at its best; I’ll definitely be buying Heart of Iron when it hits shelves tomorrow!*I want to thank Amber I. from Awesomesauce Book Club for another stellar recommendation! She’s 2-for-2 so far!

[readsalot81 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have to admit, I'm pretty much vampired out so to speak.. but I REALLY enjoyed this book. I loved the romance between Honoria & Blade and the steampunk elements. :)

[lauriebrown54 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I picked this book up at the library because of the steampunk aspects. It is set in a steampunk type universe- an alternate 19th century England which can’t be called Victorian because the queen is named Alexandra- with advanced medicine and mechanical men, but the steampunk aspects are definitely background, not the main event. It’s actually a paranormal romance between a human woman and a… well, not quite a vampire yet. In McMaster’s world, the need to feed on blood is caused by a virus. The infected can live for many years with accelerated healing and enhanced speed and strength, but ultimately they succumb to ‘the fade’, where they turn pale, lose their hair and also lose control of their minds. These demented monsters are what the people of this world call vampires. The upper class keeps tight control of the virus; they only allow members of the elite to become infected because of the advantages it provides for decades. The infected are known as ‘blue bloods’ because of the color their blood becomes after infection- a little play on our own use of the term! Blade is a rogue blue blood who runs the Whitechapel district, the part of London that is home to thieves, prostitutes, murderers and fugitives from the law. Honoria is one of those fugitives, running from an evil duke who basically feels he *is* the law. In addition to keeping herself hidden, Honoria has to protect and feed her younger sister and brother- a brother with a secret of his own. What happens between Blade and Honoria is fairly predictable: they meet; they are both disagreeable even though they are irresistibly drawn to each other sexually. But they aren’t childish about it, thankfully. They keep secrets from each other but not as badly as most romance characters. Their relationship makes progress throughout the book rather than waiting until the very end. And Honoria is honest with herself about how she feels, rather than going through 200 pages of denial. There is a lot of action and some unexpected events. The world building holds together. I enjoyed the book a lot, although I have to say that if I had read about what Honoria’s nipples were doing one more time I might have screamed. I will read the next in the series if I see it at the library. There is a LOT of sex in the book, but it’s pretty well done.

[sunnysd_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

With her father dead and her position tenuous at best, Honoria Todd is hanging on by bare wits and gumption, keeping her younger brother and sister safe and fed. Unfortunately, she's come to the attention of the Devil of Whitechapel, and all the lies she's told and the secrets she's keeping are about to come back to haunt her...Steampunk set in 19th century London's seamy underside. Gutsy, human, likeable characters and a fast moving plot. This was an impulse grab at the library, but I'm glad I did - I'll be tracking down a copy for keeps, and the second installment, too!

[thebumblegirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I honestly don't know where to start, this book really exceeded my expectations. The author was able to uniquely combine quite a few genres - a paranormal, romantic, historical fiction with a few steampunk elements to it! I was blown away with Bec McMasters writing, unique characters and vampire...Kiss of Steel takes place in the dark streets and mysterious fogs of London, where the poor are ruled by the blue-blood royals (humans infected with the vampire virus) and pay their taxes with pints of blood.Honoria Todd is doing her best to keep her secrets and her little family together, but as hard as she tries to, she knows that her time is limited and that eventually her secrets will be discovered, and the enemy who hunts her will find her. Honoria is not a 'damsel in distress' by choice - she is strong, smart and very capable - but without her former social status, money and the proper care for her 'sick brother' - so when the local master, Blade, sends one of his people knocking on her door to bring her in for questioning, she has no choice but to go and hope that things work out, to her favor. Blade, at first sight, looks brutal and there is no doubt as to why he is so feared. But Honoria does something to him that he has never felt in his whole existence. And he is determined to not only find out why, but wants to protect her... and, in his words, "make her mine." The connection between Honoria and Blade is almost an instant kind of love, I say almost because of the pace of the story, not because of the typical 'light-switch' we see often. Every scene between these two was mesmerizing and entertaining, the banter was comical at times, and the attraction was steamy and written quite tastefully - definitely an adult read! The story is told from both Honoria's and Blade's perspectives, it was so well written that you barely noticed the transition, you always knew who was speaking and thinking... though bits of the story were predictable, close to the end, there is a surprise and then things were left in the most perfect way! No loose ends, but with the possibility of a second book. Can't wait!

[capnrandm · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.allthingsuf.comKISS OF STEEL reimagines our world with an aristocratic vampire class as the lynchpin that changes everything familiar. People pay their taxes in blood, medicine strives to discover more about this all important virus, and weaponry scales up to combat a different class of powerful superhumans. Though there are certainly flavors of steampunk in the alternate history, KISS OF STEEL feels much more like a well written paranormal romance to me.But while advanced gadgets doesn’t get much pagetime, McMaster does explore the medical developments of the time. Calling the ruling class “vampires” is an oversimplification, and is actually incorrect by the mechanics of this world. I loved the intricacies of blue bloods and vampires, the infected and the changed, all the different permutations of a virus that society doesn’t entirely understand. And despite the fact that Honoria and Blade are drawn together by a classic, paranormal romance “inexplicable physical attraction”, McMaster provided growth and emotional connection to support turning that sexual chemistry into something more lasting. There were a few instances where the plot stumbled, mostly concerning the supporting character Barrons, his relationship with Honoria’s father, and his enmity for Vickers. Those missteps bumped the series from “pre-order” to “wait and see”, if only because Barrons’s murky motivations made me less interested in him as a future hero.Even with Barrons low on my list, there are still plenty of intriguing characters I’m hoping to see again. If the sexually conflicted Will, the duchess of Casavian, or the human queen held captive by her vampire consort are in staring roles, London Steampunk #2 will go to the top of my To Be Read list. Those characters may also be living in a changed landscape, as the culmination of KISS OF STEEL seems like it would send ripples throughout the blue blood world. A fun romance with interesting world building, I’m looking forward to seeing where London Steampunk goes next.Sexual Content: Several sex scenes.

[vampiregirl76 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Honoria and her siblings have gone into hiding in Whitechapel. In hopes of staying out of reach of Vickers. This act lands her straight into the path of the vampire Blade. No one crosses him and his protection comes with a price. Honoria is not sure she's willing to pay the price.Steampunk and I are not the best of friends. There have been a few stories I've enjoyed, but for some reason I've had a hard getting into the genre. But with Kiss of Steel the story clicked with me. I loved the mixture of the steampunk and paranormal elements. I enjoyed the setting and was absolutely charmed by the hero and his "accent". I liked McMaster's take on vampires. Kiss of Steel is a wonderfully paced world that is delectable and dangerous. Fans of both genres will enjoy this one.