The Captain’s Log – the cogsmith’s daughter (Kate M. Colby)

Ahoy there me mateys!  This novel was a super fun read and a big ole’ mess.  The beautiful cover and that fact that it was free drew me in:

This is steampunk fantasy and apparently the author’s debut.  I was looking for a silly book that was a quick read.  I found it but a lot of me enjoyment was in how clueless our heroine was.

Aya Cogsmith life was ruined once her father died.  He was murdered and she wants revenge.  So when a member of the king’s court offers to help her for their mutual benefit, she agrees.  Aya is snarky and that was what I loved about her character and was in the mood for.  Otherwise she (and the plot) are disasters.

It is obvious who the bag guys are.  I mean really someone should have known they were bad.  I couldn’t help but be amused and horrified at how stupid everyone was.  The “reasons” behind the evil were just so ridiculous.

It is obvious who Aya’s love interest is to everyone but her.  And its insta-love.  She is supposed to be independent and strong-willed but seems to go along with almost everything without thinking things through.  She just seemed lost.  Plus her feminine wiles are what is supposed to help her get revenge and her technique as it were was ridiculous.

And yet I couldn’t help but want to know what happens next.  Despite the one-dimensional characters, despite the lack of major world building, and despite the absurdities of the plot.

To be fair the concept of the world having been a desert with little water where once huge steamships sailed the seas made me happy.  I liked a lot of the concepts but not the execution.  For example I thought the cogsmith’s daughter would have awesome cogsmith skills and somehow use them to save the day.  Alas!

Oh and characters were introduced because something was needed and then dropped out again conveniently.  Aya also does nothing to help her supposed best friend who is in a crappy situation.  I guess that was so book two can be about her.

Would I recommend this novel to anyone?  I don’t think so.  But I certainly was amused by it . . .

The author’s website has this to say about the novel:

In a desert wasteland, one king rules with absolute power and unquenchable lust, until the cogsmith’s daughter risks everything for vengeance.

Two-hundred years ago, the steam-powered world experienced an apocalyptic flood. When the waters dried up, the survivors settled around their moored steamship in a wasteland they named Desertera. Believing the flood and drought were caused by a scorned goddess, the monarchs demanded execution for anyone who commits the unforgivable sin—adultery.

Today, King Archon entraps his wives in the crime of adultery, executing each boring bride to pursue his next infatuation. Most nobles overlook King Archon’s behavior, but when Lord Varick’s daughter falls victim to the king’s schemes, he vows revenge.

When Aya Cogsmith was a young girl, King Archon had her father executed for treason. Orphaned and forced to turn to prostitution for survival, Aya dreams of avenging her father’s death. When Lord Varick approaches Aya with plans for vengeance, she agrees to play the king’s seductress—even though it puts her at risk for execution.

Packed with high-society intrigue, dappled with seduction, and driven by revenge, The Cogsmith’s Daughter is a steampunk fantasy novel with the perfect mixture of conspiracy and romance.

To visit the author’s website go to:

Kate M. Colby – Author

To buy the e-book go to:

the cogsmith’s daughter -Book

To add to Goodreads go to:

Yer Ports for Plunder List