Prah, Constantine and Baryeh Review: Treasure Darkly #Review #Steampunk

Check out the new logo! I am the newest member of the review team. As you may recall, I guested last month and we had so much fun that we agreed to make this a more permanent arrangement.


I won't lie. Finding time to read this month has been tough, since things have been busy in my day job and my daughter demands the rest of my time. Had it not been commitment to this group, I'd have read half a book in April and called it a day.

So for April, we decided to read Treasure Darkly by Jordan Elizabeth, which is my introduction into the world of steampunk. 

Let's start with...

The Blurb

Seventeen-year-old Clark Treasure assumes the drink he stole off the captain is absinthe… until the chemicals in the liquid give him the ability to awaken the dead.

A great invention for creating perfect soldiers, yes, but Clark wants to live as a miner, not a slave to the army—or the deceased. On the run, Clark turns to his estranged, mining tycoon father for help. The Treasures welcome Clark with open arms, so he jumps at the chance to help them protect their ranch against Senator Horan, a man who hates anyone more powerful than he.

Sixteen-year-old Amethyst Treasure loathes the idea of spending the summer away from her bustling city life to rot on her father’s ranch, but when a handsome young man shows up claiming to be her secret half-brother, her curiosity is piqued. He’s clever, street smart, and has no qualms jumping into the brawl between the Treasures and Horans. Caught in the middle, Horan kidnaps Amethyst, and all she gets is this lousy bullet through her heart.

When Clark brings her back to life, however, the real action starts, and Amethyst joins him in his fight against the Horan clan—whatever the cost. Defeating the Horans may seem easy at first, but going up against men with the same fighting vengeance as Clark, and a Senator with power he’s obtained by brainwashing the masses?

Well, Amethyst’s boring summer at home has turned into an adventure on the run, chock full of intrigue, danger, love, and a mysterious boy named Clark.

My Impressions
Treasure Darkly took me into a new world with a historical and futuristic feel all wrapped together. Chapter one is an attention grabber for sure. As a hero, Clark is interesting. Having grown up poor and then as a fugitive made for an interesting background.

The heroine, Amethyst is spoilt rich girl whose raison d'être is to party and whine about anything that doesn't go her way. She's not the most likable heroine, but her character grows as the story progresses - I guess dying and being resurrected has to count for something.

As a romance, I feel the author did a good job of setting up the hero and heroine and giving them enough page space to convince a reader of their love. However, I felt that the secondary plot (Clark on the run) was just as important as the romance. Unfortunately, while it runs through the story, it is unresolved and makes the ending feel abrupt.

The book has an array of interesting secondary characters who could have benefited for a little more attention and I feel a little more drama would have given it a little extra oomph. Things happen too smoothly. (SPOILER ALERT) e.g. when the heroine kills someone, she doesn't seem as affected by it as I would expect and that whole angle of the story seems to fizzle out of focus. Also, the hero is on the run but aside from the end of chapter one, there is no sense of that suspense. Instead, he is welcomed with open arms by the Treasures. Even those who don't warm up to him do not make it a point to investigate him.

On the whole, I enjoyed the read and I would take a chance with Book 2 in the hopes that some of the secondary issues get resolved there.

Okay, so that's my review. Check out reviews by Nana Prah and Cathrina Constantine. 
Have you read the book? What did you think?

DisclaimerI got this book for free although not from the author, and I haven't received any payment (or request) from the author to write a review.