This anthology starts slow but ends well. Ironically, I'd say the stories advertised on the back of the novel are some of the weaker stories. However, in just a few pages, most of these stories deliver fully dimensional characters, original steampunk worlds, and poignant scenes. Several have "surprises" that are not really that surprising but are still very enjoyable reads. The "romance" runs the gamut from femme fatales who get their comeuppance, to a vague kind of UST, to tragic love. Nothing is particularly "hot and steamy" and the book was diverting but hardly something that left a powerful impression on me. For me, despite some excellent contributions, this collection of stories was something you read once and easily forget.

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I found these stories flat and rather uninteresting. Not only that I would classify one or two as romances, many of these stories seemed to simply have a male and a female protagonist, no romance or even a hint of interest between the characters. More often than not the two protagonists didn't even ride off into the sunset together. A very disappointing read. The only saving grace is that a few of the stories did have a new twist on the steam-punk trope but other than that there was little to redeem this anthology.

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