Book Review & Giveaway: Arcadia Snips by Robert Rodgers

**UPDATE: The author says he is working on a sequel, but it won't be printed unless sales improve for this book! If you're interested, please buy the book by clicking here! I promise you'll be glad you did!

I was asked by Robert Rodgers to read his book, Arcadia Snips and the Steamwork Consortium. This was, without a doubt, the BEST book I have read in quite some time!

To imagine the incredibly unique world in which this story is set, you must think "steampunk". Imagine gears and cogs and all manner of mechanical objects. The whole world is operated by machines, and at the center of it all is the Steamwork. Arcadia Snips, professional thief, has been asked to assist in the murder investigation of one Basil Copper, scientist and Steamwork employee. From the outset, you become immersed in two separate storylines, one occurring twenty years in the past that has led to the other, which is set in the present. You meet all manner of characters, from the feminist Miss Primrose to the dastardly Von Grimskull.

In Arcadia Snips and the Steamwork Consortium, Snips helps a pair of investigators as they research the "accidental" death of Basil Copper. Little do they know, their investigation is stepping on the toes of a very powerful organization that isn’t in the mood to tolerate their nosing about! This book runs the gamut of mad science scenarios, from tea with pigeons to Armageddon scenarios! In the book, you follow the process of the investigation and slowly learn the full story behind what has taken place.

Arcadia Snips was a fun and relatively quick read! It certainly was the most unique story I have ever read! I particularly loved the interactions between characters. The mannerisms and dialogue is witty and amusing. The book is full of mad banter and some of the characters obviously have a few screws loose. Snips puts it best when she says, "I'm fluent in crazy." The wide variety of characters make for unusual and humorous conversations that on more than one occasion caused me to laugh aloud! I was so entertained that I don’t think I’ve ever smiled so much while reading a book!

The book flows incredibly well, considering you are frequently jumping between storylines. The author involves the reader in every aspect of the story. The book spends time in both the present and the past, allowing you to gain the back-story by jumping back twenty years to where it all began. In the present, the story branches once again, so you are witnessing events from the perspective of Snips, as well as following the actions of the villains. I love that there are also numerous illustrations throughout the book which provided a visual for situations taking place.

One suggestion I must make to readers is that reading the chapter titles is critical! It is very easy to get lost in the mess of who is who, when is what, so forth and so on. I quickly learned that I had more success with keeping track of everything going on if I read the chapter titles. This book has very long chapter titles, however they set the stage for what is happening. For example, chapter 1 is titled, "CHAPTER 1: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO OUR TALE OCCURRING 20 YEARS PRIOR, WHEREIN PIGS TAKE FLIGHT, FOOLS TAKE NOTE, AND A GRAND PARTNERSHIP IS PROPOSED". Intriguing, is it not?

I absolutely recommend this book for anyone who enjoys action, comedy, science fiction, a smattering of romance, or alternative history scenarios! The book is incredibly well written and won't disappoint! I will definitely be watching to see if the author writes any more Arcadia Snips adventures!


And now, for the giveaway!

Win a copy of Arcadia Snips! Entering is easy! All you have to do is post a comment! The giveaway ends on Dec 31st and the winner will be announced Jan 1st! (U.S. Only please!)

For extra entries, post about this giveaway (in your blog, Facebook, Twitter, Digg, etc) +1 entry per post! Please leave separate comments for each, providing a web address so I can see your entry!

I'm trying something a bit different this time around (taking a page out of Jaime's book over at Revenge of the Book Nerds)- I am not requiring anyone to follow my blog to win! However, I will not be contacting the winner! You have to check back to see if you've won! Therefore, following would probably be to your benefit, but it's not required. Winner will be announced Jan 1 and will have 48 hours to contact me before I pick a new winner!

**Don't forget to check out the other giveaways currently running in the right sidebar!**

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