Tuesday, December 13, 2011

MEN in YA: The Magnificent Steam Carnival of Professor Pelusian Minus by Sean Hayden and Connor Hayden (Review)

Genre:Young Adult, Steampunk
Publication.Date  March 15th 2011
Pages:?
Published By:  Echelon Press
WebsiteSean Hayden

First Flight.- Goodreads
My review copy:Review copy received from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Where to get: Amazon




      When Professor Pelusian Minus' steamsmith dies, he needs another one quickly. He sends his giant henchman out to complete the task. The professor is not at all happy when Abraham Lincoln brings back two small twin babies. Soon though, he discovers they are just what he needs; he just has to wait for them to grow up.

For years, the twins, Dade and Paige, have been slaves to Professor Minus and his carnival. Now, the professor wants them to build him an army of minions, they just want to escape. With some clever planning, they build what the professor wants–kinda.

Then, Dade finally comes up with a plan for their escape. They think they have it all figured out. But things go terribly wrong and now Dade has to put aside the escape to save his sister's life. Has Professor Pelusian Minus finally found a way to keep Dade and Paige at his Magnificent Steam Carnival?
(goodreads.com)




He thought about punching a rather large hole in the top of his desk when the door flew open. Nobody had even knocked. He spun in his chair and watched Abraham enter carrying a blanket wrapped bundle.
"Here you go, Professor. I bringed two for you."
"Brought, you knucklehead. What did you bring?" He stood as Abe set the bundle on the desk. Crying filled the wagon. Minus had a very bad feeling.
Dade looked over at Minus and saw the man drooling over Shminion. It gave him a worse feeling than before. Minus was up to something, Dade just didn't know what.
"Good plan," Paige said and returned his smile.
"Of course it was. It was mine."


    
      OMG!!! Seriously?! Before I write a proper review can I just quickly tell you how extremely happy I am to discover this wonderful new series?!!! Sean Hayden and his son, Connor, totally rocked my world! The Magnificent Steam Carnival of Professor Pelusian Minus is, like, the most fantabulous steampunk story ever! The moment I finished it, I had this uncontrollable urge to sit down and re-read it! It's sooooooo good! Seriously!!! Here, take a look, this is how these three short stories made me feel:



Not convinced yet?! Well, read on!

     The collaborative effort from Sean Hayden and his son, Connor, is a fabulous, imaginative and explosive treat for all steampunk lovers! It's a wonderful, charming, heart-warming and extremely mesmerizing tale of sibling love, faith, friendship and all things clockwork! A touching and spellbinding journey to freedom that will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, and absolutely fascinated by the marvellous world building. Don't just sit there, go get yourself a copy!
"Abraham, think for a moment, my large, fat friend. How are children, babies in fact, supposed to work on the carnival machinery?"
"You buy'em tiny tools?"
      Professor Pelusian Minus is a wicked, old man. He's greedy and ruthless, and he will do everything in his power to attain his evil goals. After his stemsmith dies, he finds him self in need of a replacement. He sends his loyal (but not exactly bright) henchman to find one. What he gets, though, is not one but two steamsmiths. Siblings that are just babies at the time they're brought in to join Minus' carnival. These two will grow up to be one of the most talented steamsmiths in the history and they will spend every minute of their life planning their escape, trying desperately to free themselves from the despicable Professor "Shminus"!
Few people enjoyed a good thunderstorm like steamsmiths. Power was their life, and the power in the air like food to them.
     Honestly, I was blown away. I didn't quite know what to expect when picking this up. This series of short stories was recommended to me by the fabulous Rusty Fischer (a total fangirl moment now: Rusty, I love you! *blows kisses*), and since I trust Rusty completely, I knew this was going to be good. But I never expected to fell in love. And I most definitely didn't anticipate it to be so mind blowing! I was impressed with the sparkling world-building. It was rich in details and, well, steamy! Kind of dazzling, too, with all the zesty little bits and bobs that stole my heart and made me gasp in amazement! This was a truly remarkable read. One of my top favorite steampunk pieces ever.

"Maybe we find one a little younger this time?"
"I hope so, you moron." Minus strode across the plank floor and kicked open the door of the tiny wagon. "Get the tracking gear. There has to be another smith in Boston, somewhere. Find him and bring him to me."
"Yes, professor. I find him, good."
"You're an idiot."
     The characters were just so alive, so colorful and three-dimensional. And genuinely hilarious! Even the evil Professor Minus had a certain charm to him. I laughed real hard at the interactions between Shminus and Abe. Abe was so totally clueless! And the way he spoke, with his broken English, had me constantly cracking up. Paige and Dade were adorable. It was very touching to see them always looking out for each other! Their dedication was heart-warming and I really cheered for them. Plus they were absolutely brilliant, talented, extraordinary! Like some insanely awesome clockwork whisperers! SO COOL!

      The Magnificent Steam Carnival of Professor Pelusian Minus is a delightful collection of short stories! The characterization is skillful, plotting - excellent and addictive. It's a real page-turner that will leave  you wishing there was more! The Hayden father-and-son duo did a fabulous job capturing the essence of this genre and I honestly think it's a must-read for every stempunk fan!


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Second Chance
Professor Pelusian Minus has moved the carnival to Chicago. Using the twins, he plans to replace all of the carnival workers with a clockwork force designed and built by the young brother and sister. The twins know it is wrong and they stall as long as possible in hopes of escaping from the professor and the carnival that has been their home for most of their lives.

Things seem to be getting better as the twins make a new friend. If only everything was as it seemed. Paige's life is still in danger and they have not found the one thing that could save her. Is there plan to get even with Professor minus too outrageous? Things take a turn for the worse as a horrible accident befalls them and an old friend comes to their rescue!

Follow along as outsiders start to wonder about The Flying Twins. Will the US Marshal Vance Tucker find them before it's too late? Will the twins find a way to free Paige from her deadly device? Will Minus' evil plans come really happen? You'll have to read to find out.
 Third Time
Dade and Paige have learned the meaning of defeat the hard way. An accident that almost cost Paige her life, has given her a fear of flying she may never overcome. The ever demanding Professor Minus doesn't care. The show must go on. Held prisoner by the evil professor, the twins must come up with a new way to entertain the carnival guests and stay alive in the process.

To make matters worse, the Professor has discovered a new form of mechanical being he must have. He demands that the twins create him an army of automatons. The professor learns quickly that the price of his army is more than he is willing to pay, but not steal! Find out what happens when he forces Dade to break into the New York Historical Society Museum. Will Dade get caught? Or worse yet, will he succeed and give the professor the means to replace all of the workers of the Magnificent Steam Carnival.

Will the twins ever find a way to rid Paige of the explosive collar holding them prisoner? Will they ever escape the evil clutches of Professor Minus? Come find out!
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Thanks to the fabulous:
Sean Hayden
I have a prize pack consisting of the first three stories: First Flight, Second Chance and Third Time up for grabs!
The giveaway will be posted tomorrow, together with the author interview!!!
Don't forget to stop by and enter! 
TRUST ME, YOU WANT THESE!!!


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This review is posted as a part of the MEN in YA event (Nov 20th - Dec 20th)
For more awesomeness (reviews, interviews, giveaways, guest posts) please click the banner below!


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About the Author
Evie is the Blogger behind Bookish. She enjoys reading many different genres, especially YA, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction and Fantasy.
She loves talking to authors and is always happy to welcome them for interviews, and guest posts. She also likes spreading the love for awesome books and  chatting with fellow book-worms.
You can find Evie here: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Shelfari | The Library Thing

58 comments:

mimz said...

Omg, those sound like such awesome books! I have to admit I was drawn by the long title, it sounded very mysterious. And the covers are amazing!<3

Michelle @ Book Briefs said...

Oh wow, you totally piqued my interest! I have not read much steampunk and i've been looking for some other good ones to pick up! I have to give these books a try!

Thanks for pointing me in the direction of some new books! I love it when that happens :)

Bookluvr Mindy said...

I love a good book that gives me those type of emotions!! Great review!

Magical Urban Fantasy Reads
bookluvrmindy

Evie said...

@mimz The covers are truly fantastic! Just them alone was enough to spike my interest, but the writing inside.. OMG! You gotta read it!

Evie said...

@Michelle *hugs* I'm sure you will LOVE it, these three short stories are just adorable and super, SUPER imaginative!

Evie said...

@Mindy Thanks so much for stopping by hun! :)

Two Bibliomaniacs said...

These books sound fantastic! I've never read anything steampunk, but my curiosity is peaked. I think it's time to cut my teeth...

It's already been said in the comments, but I love the cover art!

roro said...

These books sound fantastic

druidgirl said...

These books are awesome, the covers are wonderful

Asheley T. said...

these sound fantastic, but i would've never found out about them had i not been keeping up with this event!

first of all, rock on rusty fischer!! recommendations are so awesome, especially from trusted sources.

secondly, i love steampunk, but i never seem to have enough to pull from. so i'm glad to have this recommendation from a trusted source. i just added it to my goodreads. yay! sounds really fun.

also, this may sound silly - but i love anything to do with twins since i have 8-year-old twin girls. i know, i'm a dork. :)

thanks evie!

Barbara E. said...

I love steampunk and I'm always happy to learn of new stories. I enjoyed your review, especially how excited you were about the stories, it's got me excited too!

Christie Cote said...

this series sounds really interesting and I can tell you loved it! That is a great sign! I love discovering new books! awesome! this will go on my TBR list! great review!

Farah said...

This book is interesting. I ought to give it a try.

Jessica ( frellathon ) said...

This last year has introduced me to Steampunk which I have fallen for and not after this review I'm excited to get my hands on more steampunk. Must check some of the TBR list next year.

Oana H. said...

The first steampunk book that i read was Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare.Since then i'm thinking about reading more steampunk books.Now that i saw your review i will add this book to my "to read" list because from what i read it seems very interesting.

Ning said...

I've never read steampunk before, but this just got added to my list. I love the quotes. They're hilarious.
ah but my to-read list just keeps growing.

Pam said...

The enthusiasm you have for the book is certainly infectious. :) After reading your review it makes me want to read the stories even more!

Pam

Bex said...

Wow! This one sure sounds great. I hadn't even seen it before but you definitely got my attention now. o: I'll have to take a closer look, no doubt! Great review.

Anonymous said...

Sounds great! I haven't read many short stories but this collections sounds like a lot of fun. The characters sound very interesting.

Suz said...

Great review! I am new to steampunk and looking for more books in this genre to read so was happy to read your comments and how much you liked these books! Will add them to my TBR list!

susanw28 (at) mindspring (dot) com

Andreea C. said...

I'm new to the whole steampunk stuff, but I really enjoy it. Plus, I heard about those books, but I never got to actually read something from them since there are a lot of books that are never published in my country.

TayteH said...

"Good plan," Paige said and returned his smile.
"Of course it was. It was mine."
FUNNY! And the cat pic was hilarious! I never heard of this series, but I'm glad that I know now. :D Thanks!

Amanda Nicole said...

These sound super fabulous and fun, I can't wait to read them! :) I'm really intrigued by steam-punk, though I admittedly don't know much about it. Nonetheless, I've added these to my TBR list.

Aaa said...

Honestly I have never heard of the series before but I am super attracted by the book covers !! And since you're so excited with the book , I am totally convinced and I will find a chance to purchase it soon :)

Kelly said...

I haven't really read any Steampunk, but you definitely made me want to read this! What a well-written, colorful, insightful review.

Anonymous said...

I love when authors write with their kids. It's always such an interesting outcome! It's like they're bringing back their inner-child to help them out ;D

mk said...

Well that certainly sounds interesting and I would love to read the books if I get the chance. I haven't read that many Steampunk books so it's not a surprise that I haven't heard of this series but they are definitely going on my to-read list!
Thank you for the review.

Patricia said...

I hope this is the correct place to comment on 'First Flight'!
Well, here goes....
I do not honestly know what qualifies as Steampunk, but after reading your review, I would guess it makes you smile! Yes? No?
Your review gives energy to the characters, and does intrigue me to read the book!
Thank you, Evie!
Patricia
madley (AT) cogeco (DOT) ca

Stella Chen said...

Oh man! I've been wanting to find a good steampunk series for FOREVER now! Great review! It just makes me want these books now. NOw!

giddusadik said...

This book sounds very interesting. And your review really convinced me to put this book on my to-read list!

Lulu (The Bookworm is Here!) said...

I have to admit - I've never heard of First Flight before. Sounds like I have missed out! WOW! Rich characters (not to mention funny - I laughed hard at that first quote), a great story, a great villian, a not very bright henchman, and two loyal talented siblings? I'll read that! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, its so nice to hear when someone finds a book that blows them away :)

Sharmaine Chan said...

Actually, I have never encountered this book/series, EVER. But after reading your wonderful review about it and checking it out in Goodreads, it made me interested in this book.

In Julie's Opinion said...

Wow! Now THAT'S what I call a review! I hadn't really had this book on my radar before, but I LOVE steampunk, and after hearing you say that it is "the most fantabulous steampunk story ever!", I am definitely putting it at the top of my must read list! I love that this is a collaboration between a father and a son - it just adds an extra layer to the story in my opinion :) Thanks for the awesome review and for bringing to my attention a new (for me) series to add to my list!!
Julie Witt

Lolawid said...

I have just started reading Steampunk, and love it! I haven't heard of these before, and really want to read them now! Thanks for the great review!!

Violette said...

Sounds pretty fantastic! I've only recently gotten into steampunk and world-building is essential for me. I will definitely have to check this out.

Tiffany Holme said...

Steampunk is a genre that I am really coming to love. The covers tend to be awesome too. These aren't books I would have noticed tho without reading this review :) Thank you, you really brought the characters to life in your review alone!! I can't wait to read these books

Dani Cotton said...

This sounds like a really interesting series.
Definitely something I would read for a review on my blog :)

Your reviewing style is really different too. It's nice to see a truly unique review.

Dani (Pen to Paper)

DMS said...

I missed this giveaway- but this sounds like such an interesting book. The fact that you want to reread it again as soon as you were done says something! I think the cover is really uinque and it drew me in right away. I like that it is a series. Great review!

~Jess
http://thesecretdmsfilesoffairdaymorrow.blogspot.com

Ohana said...

Wow, sounds like a really great series..too bad I have to wait for it to be translated and released in czech republic

IdentitySeeker said...

Ooh! This sounds like a real gem. I haven't read a single Steampunk book, though, so I'm not sure if the genre is for me but the dialogue and characters certainly have piqued my interest. I've just added it to my to-read list. Thanks for sharing:)

Sarah Bibi Setar

Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer said...

I love steampunk and I think it's cool to see how much you loved discovering this series..I would have totally overlooked it by the cover...adding to my list.

Pao Martinez Parente said...

I'll added to my TBR right away. Thanks for the honest review!

Book Loving Mommy said...

I haven't even heard of this book before your review but it sounds so great! I love to find new series that blow my mind! Thanks for a great review :)

Sarah.S said...

I love steampunk and the book sounds incredibly interesting so ill be adding this to my TBR list. Thanks for such a good review!

Marieru said...

I haven´t read anything in the genre but since you insist (with your great review) now I must have them all (the three of them!).

Gaby Pendragon said...

I've always wanted to read a steampunk novel and this just might be the one I shouls start with! Nice review!

Didy_K said...

I haven't heard of this book before. Great review! :)

Cayce said...

This is a new book for me as well. :) I'm not a huge steampunk fan, but this books sounds fun. Loved this quote:
"Abraham, think for a moment, my large, fat friend. How are children, babies in fact, supposed to work on the carnival machinery?"
"You buy'em tiny tools?"

Thank you for the great review!

Niahara said...

I haven't heard of this book before, but it is no wonder seeing as all the good books arrive late in my country. I really liked your review, it made me curious about the book.

Carmen B. said...

This sounds like an awesome series! I'm glad I discovered it because I really want to read more steampunk stories and get into the genre. I'll definitely be picking this up :)

Kali Skittles said...

I've never heard/seen this series before now. It sounds pretty interesting, from the description it sounds like one of those books I'd either really enjoy or just kinda feel ehhh about. Your review though makes me want to read it asap! I love how excited you felt after reading it, I love when I feel like that with books. Sometimes books I read after that don't seem as good b/c they aren't AS good as the books I previously read..frig!

Thanks for the review!

Sana said...

Wow, the story would be awesome for a movie adaptation! =D

Patricia said...

Hi, Evie!

Just wondering who the fortunate person was that won this Giveaway?


Patricia

ZaraAlexis said...

Evie! I think I probably laughed just as hard as you did in reading "First Flight" as soon as I saw the picture of the hyperventilating kitten! I've never seen a cat get that WORKED up over some ribbons. But, heck, this is steampunk we're talking about, right?

I'll take your word for it when you say that the characters were colourful and genuinely hilarious! I'm always one to enjoy a good laugh!

Thanks,
Zara D. Garcia-Alvarez
zgarcia(dot)alvarez(at)gmail(dot)com
On Twitter: @ZaraAlexis

princesshoran said...

Aw, I really like steampunk themed books and this one looks really good! I actually wanted to read this before but I wasn't so sure, but I'll definitely check it out now!

Fenny Wong said...

Steampunk and your meme cat picture looks like an epic win! xD Will make sure to keep an eye on this.

Jaime Lester said...

You used a GIF? This must be an incredible series. I must say I absolutely love the cover. This sounds awesome. Seriously! I love steampunk, but it is so stinkin hard to find a book that is actually steampunk and doesn't just say it is and not deliver. I have to read this. Thanks so much for the review!

Anonymous said...

If it's Steampunk, than I'm there. Thx for the review, I'll do my best to buy these books, and read them. :D

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