Single Sundays: Cogling by Jordan Elizabeth Mierek

Single Sundays: While this blog may be focused on reviewing book series as a whole, we can’t forget about the good ole’ standalone novel! On Sundays, I will review a novel that is considered to be a standalone novel. Here is this week’s offering:

Synopsis for Cogling (from Goodreads):
When fifteen-year-old Edna Mather tears an expensive and unfamiliar pocket watch off her little brother’s neck, he crumbles into a pile of cogs right before her eyes. Horrified, Edna flees for help, but encounters Ike, a thief who attempts to steal the watch before he realizes what it is: a device to power Coglings—clockwork changelings left in place of stolen children who have been forced to work in factories.

Desperate to rescue her brother, Edna sets off across the kingdom to the hags’ swamp, with Ike in tow. There, they learn Coglings are also replacing nobility so the hags can stage a rebellion and rule over humanity. Edna and Ike must stop the revolt, but the populace believes hags are helpful godmothers and healers. No one wants to believe a lowly servant and a thief, especially when Ike has secrets that label them both as traitors.

Together, Edna and Ike must make the kingdom trust them or stop the hags themselves, even if Ike is forced to embrace his dark heritage and Edna must surrender her family.

Author: Jordan Elizabeth (Mierek)
Genre: Young Adult, Steampunk, Science Fiction, Magic, Romance
Heat Rating: cool
Point of View: Third Person, Multiple
Publication Date: January 25, 2016
Source & Format: Author–eARC

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

I read Jordan Elizabeth’s Escape from Witchwood Hollow earlier this year and enjoyed it for its unique story. I had never read a YA novel like that before–I tend to stick to the romances and that book definitely lacked one.

So I was curious to see what she would do in the world of Steampunk. I’m a sucker for a good steampunk novel. I pretty much read or TBR anything with the word steampunk in its description.

What drew me to this one was the premise. Automations impersonating people of power is something I’ve come across in steampunk before but I was curious to see what would happen with the addition of hags and other magic.

The Concept / The World:

First, the world was really cool. Like most Steampunk novels, this one has a unique spin to how the world operates. The use of “hags” (kinda like witches) was a neat approach and one that works well. But there are other creatures you get introduced to and Jordan Elizabeth does a good job of describing everything in a way that is easy to visualize.

The Plot:

I don’t really enjoy adventure novels too much; I find them very slow. And this novel was definitely more in that vein. Which is totally fine, I just found that it had its slower parts.

I also think the synopsis is a little misleading and a bit of a spoiler. The whole bit about them impersonating “nobility” doesn’t get touched on until later and I think it would have had more of an impact if I didn’t know. (Perhaps it did get mentioned earlier and I just missed it…that happens sometimes too.)

But where that mystery is lacking, there are plenty of other great twists along the way. There were definitely some things I never saw coming that kept me reading this story to see how it all played out.

The Characters:

Everyone is pretty straight forward here. Some of those twists I mentioned do have to deal with the characters which gives them a little depth; but otherwise they are all solid characters who help carry this story.

The Romance:

You really only get a dash here and there. It never distracts from the story at hand which is refreshing.

My Rating: 3/5

This was on the slower side for me so my attention waned at times. But there was always a great twist that kept me going forward. I think this is a great Steampunk novel for teens who want to explore more of this world!

Read if You Like: adventures, little romance, steampunk
Avoid if You: want a faster story, want more romance

• Lumiere by Jacqueline Garlick (Illumination Paradox Trilogy #1)
• 27 Days to Midnight by Kristine Kruppa

Connect: