This was a refreshingly well rounded short story with underpinnings of steampunk woven throughout. Despite being a companion novella to Steam and Sorcery, which I haven't read yet, Pape does a wonderful job keeping the story rooted in the here and now. Other then a few throw away comments to the adventures of Merrick and Caro (from the aforementioned book), there was no sense of confusion or as if I had missed something crucial.

Kendall and Amy were straight forward and far more sensible than most romantic couples I've encountered. Kendall acknowledged that Amy was the grand-niece of a highly influential man, but he didn't harp on about it. Amy, to her benefit, recognized that marriage was not in the cards for her, so why not just do what feels right? Before anything went on they calmly talked about consequences and such. Not terribly romantic, but I appreciated the fact that Pape didn't have them completely lose their heads. They were both practical people who thought things through. They didn't allow their attraction to rule their every breath.




While I guessed the nature of the curse, or at least what was causing it if not whom at first, I was taken back by the sudden change. In hindsight I could see that Pape gave plenty of clues leading up to the revelation, but I was so caught up in the romantic progression I paid the clues little mind.

Caro and the brood of children were funny and charming. They were all introduced in Steam and Sorcery, but the quick backstory didn't take much time. A few lines at most. I thought they were fun and am looking forward to a longer sojourn with them in their own novel.

The world intrigued me. Some of it is vague--historical events are referenced (though I couldn't tell you how accurately, British history isn't my forte), but there is very little said about the current time so there's no definitive way to contrast the alternate history vs. our own. There are plenty of mechanical wonders--from the steam powered tram to the dirigibles and the Sergent's own mechanical arm--but very little is said of the world itself. This could possibly be because its only meant as a companion to the larger novel (a sampling of what to expect) however and not a defect in the story itself. Mildly irritating, but not anything to worry over.
( )

In book 2 in The Gaslight Chronicles, photographer Amy Deland is in dire straits. In some of the photos she’s taken, a mysterious shadowy snake has appeared around some of her clients, and those clients later died. So she contacted her great-uncle, a powerful sorcerer and a man she’s never met, for help.
Lord Kendall Lake, a Knight of the Order of the Round Table, accepts the mission. Though he expected the lady photographer to be matronly, Amy is anything but. Attraction sizzles, but he’s determined to never marry, and she’s equally determined to maintain her independence and continue her art.
I love Victorian Steampunk stories. Both Kendall and Amy are great characters. While they didn’t technically fall into insta-love, they did fall fairly quickly, after twenty-four hours.
This story is the first I’ve read from Ms. Pape and I’d like to read more.
4 Stars ( )

Good steampunkish fantasy!
Photographs & Phantoms
By: Cindy Spencer Pape
Narrated by: Kate Reading
A female photographer, in a world where women normally didn't work, called her noble uncle for a problem she was having with her pictures. She was finding a snake wrapped around subjects and that subject died the next day! Her uncle sent a handsome man from the Court of the Round Table. A great mystery and a touch of romance!
Good narration. ( )

This was okay but not nearly as good as the first book in this series. I enjoyed the creepy mystery surrounding the strange shadows showing up in Amy's photography. However, the relationship between her and Kendall was very insta-love.

I did enjoy the cameo made by Caro and crew. This story is a fun diversion and I enjoyed it, even if it wasn't anything all that special.

This is also a very short read (I listened to it on audiobook and it was only a couple hours long).

Overall this was an okay addition to the series but could probably be skipped since it stands alone. I plan on reading the next story in the series to see if that one continues like the first book or is like this shorter novel. ( )

a fun and interesting steampunk/historical/fantasy/romance series. Looking forward to more! ( )