Paranormal Romance Pick of the Week: Riveted
As an avid reader of unorthodox love stories, I get tired of seeing the same themes pop up in paranormal romance over and over again: Werewolves, vampires, ancient magical families torn apart by centuries of civil strife, more werewolves, more vampires... If, like me, you crave a side of fresh ideas with your steamy fiction, try adding Riveted to your must-read list.
The story told here is that of Annika, an engineer on the airship Phateon, and a vulcanologist named David. Both are consumed by their own personal quests which are derailed by disaster when they become stranded together on a glacier and are forced to work together to survive.
This tale brings so much more to the table than your average piece of genre fluff, from a smoldering male protagonist whose body is a bio-mechanical patchwork quilt to a vast world of madmen and female-driven societies. Add to that a genuinely engaging – and moving – romance and you've got an absolute page turner.
Riveted is actually the third book in a series of Steampunk romance novels (dubbed The Iron Seas) by MelJean Brook, but I personally believe it to be the best. It also stands alone quite beautifully, so you can skip right to it without feeling like you're missing much of anything.
Photo courtesy of diasp.org.