Darrell Pitt

5/10, I wanted to read this for a while and I saw it in one of the two libraries I go to, the former had this and the latter didn't and I didn't know what to expect at first considering I've never read from this author before but once I saw this had a low rating I lowered my expectations, even still this underwhelmed me so where do I even begin? It starts with the main character Blake Carter and he lives a few centuries into the future, I expected some high-tech city, instead, I saw a city called Neo City which was just overcrowded and that's about it. This story did not capture my attention at all and it was a struggle to get through, the only reason I finished this book was through my perseverance otherwise I would have given this a DNF. All the characters were quite flat, and the villain, who was the universe's greatest criminal, was just an evil genius and that's it. The story itself was rather boring, it was just the main character going from place to place and meeting a lot of forgettable characters, and it was dragged out even more by the unnecessary editor's additions, and I'm not even sure if the villain even got caught. If you want an action-packed sci-fi adventure, skip this one and try Dune instead of this.… (meer)

I enjoy steampunk as a genre. Such a fun way to escape day-to-day realities! In The Firebird Mystery, Pitt pays homage to the Sherlock Holmes novels I enjoyed reading in my youth, and in true steampunk fashion, spins the concept on its head by creating a fun mashup character in the rather eccentric Ignatius Doyle. Even Doyle's lodgings on the top floor of 221 Bee Street excite imagination, filled to the rafters with curiosities, including a tarantula named Bertha and a personal steamship parked on the roof. Filled with Nazies, MI5, a secret society, and a nefarious character in Professor M, Pitt keeps the plot moving forward at a good clip. The historical fiction reader that I am enjoyed all the references to Leonardo Da Vinci's works and seeing General Winston Churchill as a character, strutting across the pages. I like that Pitt has created in Scarlet a feisty young suffragette to match wits with Jack. The world build is also pretty good. I really liked the idea of the metrotowers and all the various methods of travel. A possible downside of the book for me was that the characters came across to my adult reading mind as rather flat and flimsy, lacking complexity or development. As the first book in a planned series, it is hoped that the characters will further develop in future books. The story also takes on a 'telling' rather than 'showing' approach that made it come across less vividly to me, but that probably does not matter for a younger reading audience.

Overall, this is a fun bit of YA adventure reading and may appeal to readers who enjoy Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan trilogy.

A copy of this novel was provided courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.… (meer)