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    Gilded: The St. Croix Chronicles
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    Gilded: The St. Croix Chronicles
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    Gilded: The St. Croix Chronicles
    Ebook390 pages5 hours

    Gilded: The St. Croix Chronicles

    By Karina Cooper

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    In the gleaming heights of Victorian London, a world of deception awaits an unconventional Society lady whose taste for adventure makes her a most formidable adversary . . .

    Though Society demands that I make a good marriage, I, Cherry St. Croix, have neither the time nor the interest. I am on the trail of a murder with no victim, a mystery with no motive, and the key to an alchemical formula that could be my family's legacy.

    Yet the world is not so kind as to let me pursue simple murder and uncomplicated bounties. Above the foggy drift, an earl insists on my attention, while my friends watch my increasingly desperate attempts to remain my own woman. From the silken demands of the Midnight Menagerie—to whose dangerously seductive ringmaster I owe a debt—to the rigorous pressures of the peerage, all are conspiring to place before me a choice that will forever change my life.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateDec 26, 2012
    ISBN9780062127679
    Unavailable
    Gilded: The St. Croix Chronicles
    Author

    Karina Cooper

    Born from the genetic mash-up of lesser royalty, storytellers, wanderers and dreamers, Karina Cooper was destined to be a creative genius. As a child, she moved all over the country like some kind of waifish blonde gypsy and learned how to adapt to the new cultures her family settled in. When she (finally) grew up, she skipped the whole genius part and fell in love with writing Paranormal Romance because, really, who doesn't love hot men and a happy ending? When she isn't writing about things that go bump in the night, Karina designs Steampunk and neo-Victorian couture for gentleman hobbyists and ladies of questionable reputation. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with a husband, three cats, one rabbit and a passel of adopted gamer geeks.

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    Reviews for Gilded

    3.5/5

    28 ratings9 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Great stem punk with mystery, romance and a strong female lead.
    • 1/5
      The writing style of this story was not great to begin with, and certainly not accurate to the implied period. Despite this fact the author seemed to have no problem using contemporary racial slurs and bias. All in all, the story really was not good enough to forgive this. I honestly would not have finished this book if I had not used a book credit on it.
    • 4/5
      I have picked up "Tarnished" on recommendation from Book Chick City, and I am glad I did.The book is set in the steampunk version of Victorian London, where the rich live above the toxic fog while the poor struggle for survival below. Our heroine, Cherry St. Croix, is a daughter of a mad scientist, and as such is only barely accepted in society above. Cherry moonlights as a 'collector' (basically, a bounty hunter) below, to feed her opium addiction (in that, she reminded me a bit of Chess Putnam from Stacia Kane's Downside series). Then are men Cherry is attracted to (darkly hansome Micajah Hawke below, a blonde mysterious earl above), a mystery to solve (someone is killing prostitutes and now is trying to kill Cherry, too), and memories of her past to deal with.Warning: "Tarnished" is book one of the series, and is not meant to stand alone. While we learn a few things, mostly one gets the feeling that everything is getting set up for the events in the next installment, "Gilded" (which I promptly requested from the library as soon as I was done with "Tarnished").
    • 3/5
      While I love Steampunk, UF, and a good suspense story, this book failed to fill the need. Despite reading the book till the very end (cause of course I had to know the why),it failed to entertain and drag me completely into the story. I often found myself distracted while reading it. There were too many details in the Steampunk world building and the scientific world. The character descriptions often made me NOT care about them though I wanted to. I think this book would have benefited greatly with more romance sprinkled in. It had the potential to be a great recipe but the ingredients just did not jell for me.* * *
    • 3/5
      I liked this book. I liked it a lot. From the unique setting of a London above and a London below, to a heroine that is complex and problematic, Tarnished has some very unique qualities that set it apart and make me interested in what happens next to its main protagonist, Cherry St. Croix.The world Cooper created here is fantastic. This is a steampunk Victorian London where the city is divided in two – London above and London below. Due to industrial development, the polluting fog created by factories became a nuisance to London’s wealthy. The answer? Build a London above the fog, or the drift, so that those with money could live above it all. A city built on stilts and flying machines that travel in between is the London in the world of Tarnished. And there is definitely a difference between the two – above is wealth and privilege; below is poverty, thick pollution and crime. This world is so richly imagined that it wasn’t hard to picture it as I was reading. There is also a definite social, and, it seems, racial divide. The rich above, the poor below; white above and color below. It makes me wonder if Cooper plans on exploring this racial divide in future installments as several of the characters here are people of color and they seem to play important roles in Cherry’s life below. Although those roles are a bit stereotypical, I do hope future installments add some depth to them. However, I appreciate the multicultural feel in Tarnished that you don’t often get in other books of the genre.Cherry St. Croix is also a complicated heroine. She’s an orphan whose parents died tragically and mysteriously; her childhood was rough and fueled by opium which has led to a lingering addiction; she has a mysterious absent guardian she rarely sees yet fears as he controls her inheritance. This forces her to maintain the façade of the perfect mannered lady. You see, Cherry straddles two worlds. In one, she is the wealthy young woman hovering on the outskirts of polite society. In the other, she has a life fueled by opium and adventure. She works as a collector (kind of like a bounty hunter) for the likes of the Karakash Veil, the organized Chinese crime syndicate that basically runs London below the drift. Cherry enters into this dangerous profession because she has expensive habits – opium and science. She likes to dabble in inventions. And she needs opium to sleep.I loved how Cherry was very much of these two worlds. She enjoys the comfort of her wealth in the London above but fits into the dangerous world of the London below. The fact that she so obviously has a drug problem was also an added layer to a unique and flawed heroine. Cooper also hits the perfects notes with Cherry’s voice in that she gets that “period” feel without it seeming forced or inauthentic. One issue I do have is that while Cherry says she dabbles in science and inventions, you don’t actually see any of that. These activities are what supposedly eat up her monthly stipend but other than the goggles and special corset she wears below the drift, I don’t understand what else she’s created. What other experiments has she done? It seemed that the money she earns as a collector is really to pay for an opium habit though I’m not sure that’s what the author intended us to believe.There is also the beginning of a love triangle. Both of Cherry’s choices are definitely interesting and both represent the two worlds she has a solid foot in – Lord Compton, the son of a wealthy society family, versus Micajah Hawke, the ringmaster of the Midnight Menagerie, the Veil-run adult pleasure garden and all that implies. What I do appreciate about this triangle is that both men have something a little unknown and mysterious about them. Compton, I think, is hiding something and Hawke, well, there is definitely something different about him. The Veil and the Menagerie understand Cherry has found herself in the center of a mystery that has something magical and dark at its roots. This is hard for Cherry’s scientific mind to accept. And while Cherry believes in the power of science, Micajah obviously believes in the magical and it’s this friction that makes their connection a bit more interesting. That and the fact that Micajah is sexy and mysterious and dangerous.I can’t write this and not at least mention one quibble I have with regards to the romance in the story…there is a steamy scene with Micajah and Cherry that seemed like exorcism by orgasm. It made me laugh but I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the intended reaction by the author.Finally, Tarnished does a great job of crossing genres. It’s steampunk and fantasy and romance and mystery all rolled up into one. It’s really the mystery that’s at the center of this story. Something or someone is killing women below the drift. Cherry is charged with discovering the murderer. And the revelations here are big and tragic. While one mystery is solved, several are left open. Who is the mystery man? What is Micajah? Who the heck is her guardian? And how will she pay her debt to the Karakash Veil? I’ll have to read the next one in the series to find out!
    • 5/5
      what great fun! a totally fun and exciting read. ready for the next installment!
    • 4/5
      Second in a steampunk series that continues to grow on me more and more as I get my hands on them, Gilded is a nearly perfect follow-up to the oodles of fun and suspense that was Tarnished. As before, Karina Cooper's obvious talent for worldbuilding, setting, and for crafting real, complex characters rises to the surface and helps to make this one of the better steampunk novels I've read this year. I raced through and loved the first book earlier this year, and I can say that the months of expecting this sequel was more than worth the wait. The take on the steampunk aspect is still fresh, fun, and above all, wholly original in its execution; Cherry remains the same stubborn, clever, funny heroine she showed herself to be before. I've said it before, but I love how uniquely this author incorporates the steampunk aspect into her novel of murder and mystery. So many "steampunk" novels pay bare lip service to the label; supplying an airslip, clockwork or an automaton does not a steampunk novel make. Karina Cooper's version of a London split in two - Upper London, above the smog, and Lower London among it - merged with air canals and sky gondolas. In my review for the first I thought the concept made this London feel like a steampunk, if thoroughly English, Venice. It's creative, it's unique, and most importantly, Karina Cooper makes it work for her story and world. While the world itself isn't expanded too much from what was shown and revealed in the first novel, the solid foundation laid down in Tarnished continues to reap benefits in its direct sequel. This is how I want my retrofuturistic cities to be done - originally, with careful thought, and with relevance to the world it exists within.The cast of characters of the novel are another bonus. Cherry is just as lively and complex as she had been, but characters that I had been ambivalent towards before were fleshed out and more involved than before. I actually got a feel for Earl Cornelius Compton (who, honestly, I was rooting against in the love triangle for Cherry's attention), and for Cherry's previously aloof governess. The more time and attention spent on these secondary characters made it a more rewarding effort. The villain might have been a tad too obvious for my liking, but overall, was camouflaged well with Cherry's thoughts and through several clever, throughout-out red herrings.Fast-paced, action-packed, full of revelations and Society intrigue, Gilded is a quick and easy read. The pages really do fly by as Cherry maneuvers among the nobility and collects among the lower classes below the drift. I was never bored, and trying to keep one step ahead of this quick-thinking sleuth was hard to do. The ending was particularly well-done; I did not see that coming, and it throws the trajectory of the series into a new direction. Cooper is a deft and clever writer; one that is more than capable of lulling her readers into a false sense of security and then pulling the rug from under their feet. I was impressed, entertained, and always engaged with this novel.I must say, I am a fan of Karina Cooper and of this series. It's just that the plot of book two didn't grab me quiiiiiiite as much as the one for the first of the series, Tarnished. That one remains my favorite of the two, but Gilded is no slouch. There is plenty of action, several gamechanging (and very unexpected) plot twists that will keep readers engaged and continually guessing who will win in this deadly game Cherry has begun. Fans of steampunk, clever and capable heroines, and well-done plotting should really pick this series up and give Miss St. Croix a chance.
    • 5/5
      Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION’s Pack Alpha – Michelle L. Olson:I really enjoyed the first installment of Karina’s ST CROIX CHRONICLES, "Tarnished", but the sequel blew me away. My exact, 'first thought' words upon completion were: "Hells bells & damn Karina... You butter us up for a book & a 1/2 and then drop THAT on us!? Just wow. The series is getting better & darker & I want the next one now!"Once again we're immersed in a split world, that of London above and below, where the line between the classes is darkly drawn, and where Cherry is not quite completely a part of either.Gilded picks up where Tarnished left off with Cherry trying to fit in with the upper-crusters of London above, but continuing her work as a Collector below the drift as she tries to get over the ordeal she went through in Tarnished.Immediately upon starting out she's battling her demons, both real-world and inner, while trying to make her chaperone happy by entertaining the advances of Lord Compton and attending soirees. In true Cherry St. Croix fashion however, she remains outspoken and doesn't shy away from her love of science and the mystery therein, thereby shocking and scandalizing society and intriguing Lord Compton all the more. The heart of Gilded revolves around Cherry’s quest to solve Lady Rutledge's riddle about some mysterious murders of professors while still playing a game of cat and mouse with the mysterious collector who both hindered and helped her in Tarnished.Once again Karina weaves a wonderfully magical tale of Victorian Gothic literature using some of the best aspects of the classics we all know and love and gives us an utterly spell-binding read. Not only was the mystery amazing, the action was captivating, and that ending... holy cow! I said I wasn't going to forget Tarnished anytime soon, that goes doubly for Gilded. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!LITERAL ADDICTION gives Gilded 4 1/2 Skulls.
    • 1/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.Quick & Dirty: Woman on a mission to discover more about her father and circumvent the rules and regulations of her place in society lives two lives. But will she charm you?Opening Sentence: When I was ten years of age, Monsieur Marceaux’s Traveling Circus retained a new magician.The Review:Normally I don’t look at reviews prior to reading a book but this cover art had me very concerned. I get that the publisher was trying to visually display to the book buying public that this book is more gritty than your run of the mill romance. The only thing that it served for this reader was to bump it down to the “Must Be Read” category rather than “I can’t wait to read it” category.My intuition about this book unfortunately proved to be true despite the numerous glowing reviews I had read, I am in the camp that would be quite happy to never see another book from this series EVER.This story took an enormous amount of time to develop. In fact it was so long that there were points I literally decided that this was going to be the first book since I started reviewing book in January that I would not finish. Many of you will not know this but there are only a handful of books that I have in all my life ever not finished. Some have taken a while to draw me back but I finish books. This one nearly ended up on the infamous never to be finished list.Here is why besides the story being stuck in the fog, our heroine, Cherry St. Croix is a drug addict. This is the first female lead I have read that I wanted to reach into the book and strangle or would have been happy to see her get strangled by the two villains in this book. Her addiction to opium and laudanum are not unusual for the time but didn’t gel with the scientific side of her. What scientist fills themselves with so much pain medication that she is unable to think clearly? I know I can hear a few of you yelling about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, but neither of those stories have I been asked to review.Furthermore, this story is as confused as our heroine is when she is taking her drug of choice. I was unsure more times that I would like to recall whether this story is set in Victorian times or a future where we have resorted to Victorian methods as a way to cope with the future.The two men that star in Miss St. Croix’s story are too ephemeral to even warrant an entire paragraph for themselves. Both Lord Cornelius Kerrigan Compton and Micajah Hawke only serve as street lamps in this story, glimpsed but often lost in the fog of poor story telling. I’m still unsure about the exact relationship that Hawke and St. Croix had in the past, even after completing the book. While Lord Compton is the typical Victorian suitor, I struggle to see why he is so enamored with St. Croix other than her unwillingness to follow social guidelines.I have struggled with giving a rating for this book, which is typically the easiest part of the review process, but this was tough. In the end, I even revisited what my initial reaction was but after careful thought and even re-reading this review, there is but one answer that I can give with complete honesty. And if you haven’t guessed by this stage — this is a do not buy from me.Notable Scene:My maid hurried to catch up with my sudden frenetic pace. “What do you hope to find?”“Anything.” A clue. A sign that I was not the only body on this world who knew what went on in that tunnel. Perhaps a hint that the collector I hunted–the so-named sweet tooth Zylphia and her fellow sweets had hired me to collect–was still out there.I knew he was. He left me flowers for every successful assassination he answered on the collection board.He left them for me upon my windowsill, regardless of its height above the ground. Somehow, he knew who I was, and I only knew that he taunted me.Yet, even as I considered it, it occurred to me that I had not seen flowers for near a fortnight now. Perhaps he’d injured himself on a bounty?FTC Advisory: Avon provided me with a copy of Gilded. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review