[a:Bec McMaster|5763301|Bec McMaster|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1334926187p2/5763301.jpg] continues her genre blending London Steampunk Series with this solid and completely satisfying follow-up to [b:Kiss of Steel|13507512|Kiss of Steel (London Steampunk, #1)|Bec McMaster|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344055795s/13507512.jpg|19058959]. Lena Todd must navigate the ballrooms and predators of the Echelon while secretly working for an underground group of human rebels intent on destroying the reign of the corrupt vampire elite with the unwelcome protection of verwolfen Will Carver. But Will has his own battles to fight with a contingent of Scandinavian verwolfen at court to make peace or war and his problematic love/hate relationship with Lena. Readers of [b:Kiss of Steel|13507512|Kiss of Steel (London Steampunk, #1)|Bec McMaster|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344055795s/13507512.jpg|19058959](and if you're not, you should be) will be eager to see where Will and Lena's relationship goes after the flirtation in Kiss and they won't be disappointed. Lena has matured from the bratty younger sister to a cool aristocratic ice queen and watching Will melt her icy defenses to expose her vulnerabilities while helping her become a strong powerful woman is what makes this second series installment a match to the greatness of the first. I love everything about this series from the large cast of interesting characters that surface enough to hint at future storylines but not enough to overpower the featured couple to the fast-paced narrative and action sequences that keep me reading way past my bedtime. As a steampunk-paranormal-historical-romance this series has something for everyone and I can't imagine a fan of any one of these genres being disappointed.
