*Book Blurb*
In this final installment of Cherry St. Croix's adventures, only one thing could compel the disgraced countess to return to Society—the threat of immortality.
All is not peaceful in the wake of the Midnight Menagerie's ruin. Although the Karakash Veil has been forced to flee its stronghold, the mysterious head of the criminal organization is not content to fade away.
Above the foggy drift, a priceless diamond vanishes. In the dangerous Underground, a murderous rampage demands retribution. The hunt for the mastermind behind these misdeeds sends me back to Society—and into the unforgiving embrace of the world I'd left behind.
Nothing is what it seems. Enemies, allies—and a man who struggles with a nature even devotion cannot tame. Torn between the scars of the past and fragile new beginnings, I must create balance in the world I have chosen—and with the people I have come to love. The game has changed; should the Veil achieve the immortality it craves, I will have nowhere left to run.
*My Thoughts*
Transmuted, the sixth and final novel in The St. Croix Chronicles, finds Cherry facing the remnants of the Karakash Veil who want their own form of vengeance, while also retrieving a stolen diamond for Lady Rutledge that disappeared from Her Majesty's vaults. This leads Cherry and her allies to the Underground where they face new enemies, and some interesting twists. With two devastating powerful and handsome men at her side, what could possibly go wrong?
Cherry St. Croix is the daughter of a madman, widow of an earl, a student of alchemy under Oliver Ashmore, and for the past 6 years, a professional collector which has taken her to the lowest parts of London, while facing dangerous men like the former Ringmaster of the Menagerie, Micajah Hawke. As the only female collector of lost things in London, she has also collected a group of friends who have become like family to her, and now they are in danger because of the Veils desire for revenge.
Transmuted is very typical Cherry story. There are situations to be dealt with, enemies that make things interesting, lives hang in the balance, and relationships that are so strong that you hope that everyone will somehow manage to survive until the final page. Cherry's challenges, not including the Veil, or finding the Diamond, or deciding who really owns her heart, are extensive and really shows how much growth she's experienced since the arrival of Ashmore.
If you haven't read this series before now, I do encourage you to do so. I adore that this series takes place in a steampunk, historical London where danger lurks around every corner. I love the relationships that Cherry has with Fanny, Mrs & Mr Booth, Levi, Maddie Ruth, Zylphia, Piers Compton, and Ishmael Communion. I love the fact that the story focuses on Cherry as the only female collector, and one that has had a very interesting life all before turning 21.
I applaud Carina Press for allowing Cooper to finish writing The St. Croix Chronicles and not dumping it because of sales. Cooper sends Cherry off into the sunset in such a way that she definitely deserves and we would never have reached this point were it not for Carina's patience. I would like to see other publishers follow Carina's lead and not just cut their loses and screw over readers by dumping a series before we know what happens to our favorite characters.
In the end, Transmuted manages to wrap things up in such a way that left me comfortable and not uptight and out of sight. I enjoyed the banter between Ashmore, Hawke, and Cherry. I loved seeing Cherry show her skills and abilities while not being a weak character who needs to fall back on bad habits now eradicated. I agree with the final decision as to who has Cherry's heart, but also agree that the three are truly inseparable after everything they've experienced.
Author - Karina Cooper
Title - Transmuted
Series - The St. Croix Chronicles # 6
Published by Carina Press
Release Date: January 26, 2015
Genre: Historical, Romance, Steampunk
Format: E-Book
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