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Katherine Macdonald
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A Rose of Steel: A Steampunk Beauty and the Beast Retelling (The Mechanical Kingdoms Quartet Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Katherine Macdonald (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 49 ratings
His touch reminded her of champagne, of something decadent and glistening. She was reminded of other things, too, summer rain, hot coals, the smell of dust and heat. And yet his scent slashed through her, cutting her to the core, whispering to her of something far more ancient than flimsy memories of a former life; something older than her body, older than earth, something written into her DNA from the start.

It was nonsensical, irrational, unscientific. Her mind was splintering into fragmented poetry, lines of lust and ardour. Every rule she’d held irrefutable transmuted itself into insubstantial rumour, the rest of her following. She knew she still had a body because it was falling to crumbs in his hands, but the world was spinning around her at a speed akin to madness, and direction and gravity were lost to her.

Surviving an assassination attempt, Dr Asami Thorne is saved by a mysterious “beast”—a former soldier left disfigured by the very government trying to kill her. Escaping to the underground beneath the great clockwork city of Petragrad, Asami refuses to spend the rest of her life in the abandoned railroads. She works alongside Beast to uncover the truth behind the experiments that destroyed his life and threaten hers.

But untold horrors await the both of them, and Asami risks far more than losing her life when she finds herself falling for her mysterious saviour...

A dark, sumptuous steampunk tale set in the far-off dystopian future.

Includes scenes of a sexual nature.
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  1. Book 1 of 2
    The Mechanical Kingdoms Quartet
  2. Print length
    305 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    August 26, 2021
  5. File size
    8.4 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09BCHQ5TG
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 26, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 8.4 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 305 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 2 ‏ : ‎ The Mechanical Kingdoms Quartet
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 49 ratings

About the author

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Katherine Macdonald

Katherine Macdonald

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Born in Redditch, England, to a solicitor and an ex-military man, one of Katherine "Kate" Macdonald's earliest memories was of watching her parents disappear behind the pages of a book and wanting to follow them. For her, books were little pocket dimensions that could be carried about, and the safest way to have a very real adventure.

Rather than rebel during her teenage years, she spent most of them locked up in her room, furiously writing down the hundreds of stories filling her head. Her little sister Kirsty served as her primary audience, and first fan. Without her, Macdonald would never have continued to write.

After completing a BA in English and Creative Writing at Lancaster University, she moved to Exeter to train as an English teacher, and then to Kent to start her career. It was only after surviving a year of parenthood and a full-time job on less than six hours a night that she finally gained the courage to publish her most recent work, "The Rose and the Thorn" a retelling of Beauty and the Beast inspired by a dream of a girl surrounded by snow in a field of flowers.

At her heart, Macdonald is storyteller, and it is her dream to inspire others in the way that she has been inspired.

She currently lives in Devon with her manic 2-year-old, in a cabin in the woods.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
49 global ratings

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Just buy it already 😉
5 out of 5 stars
Just buy it already 😉
I'm in love with this steampunk retelling of the tale as old as time! Asami and Beau are both wonderful characters that contrast and complement one another so well. I mean, come on it's Beauty and the Beast! ❤️ The dialogue was tight and the wit made me laugh out loud at times. The world building was amazing; enough detail to set the stage without taking over the book. The plot was well balanced between action and romance. I simply can not wait for the next book in the series If you love a slow burn friends to lovers story this is the book for you! Disclaimer: Although I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, I loved it so much that I bought a physical copy. I think that says a lot about the book in itself.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • ncGentry
    5.0 out of 5 stars Just buy it already 😉
    Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I'm in love with this steampunk retelling of the tale as old as time! Asami and Beau are both wonderful characters that contrast and complement one another so well. I mean, come on it's Beauty and the Beast! ❤️ The dialogue was tight and the wit made me laugh out loud at times. The world building was amazing; enough detail to set the stage without taking over the book. The plot was well balanced between action and romance. I simply can not wait for the next book in the series If you love a slow burn friends to lovers story this is the book for you!

    Disclaimer: Although I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, I loved it so much that I bought a physical copy. I think that says a lot about the book in itself.
    Customer image
    ncGentry
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Just buy it already 😉

    Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2021
    I'm in love with this steampunk retelling of the tale as old as time! Asami and Beau are both wonderful characters that contrast and complement one another so well. I mean, come on it's Beauty and the Beast! ❤️ The dialogue was tight and the wit made me laugh out loud at times. The world building was amazing; enough detail to set the stage without taking over the book. The plot was well balanced between action and romance. I simply can not wait for the next book in the series If you love a slow burn friends to lovers story this is the book for you!

    Disclaimer: Although I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, I loved it so much that I bought a physical copy. I think that says a lot about the book in itself.
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    2 people found this helpful
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  • Ryan Turk
    4.0 out of 5 stars Worth a Read
    Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    All of Katherine's books are written with beautiful imagery and well developed characters. From the first page, I found myself transported.
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  • Emily G
    5.0 out of 5 stars Jack-of-All-Trades! A Dystopian Fantasy Adventure Romance Mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2021
    Holy moly - I enjoyed this story immensely! I have read all of Katherine Macdonald's fairytale retellings to this point - this one is both nothing like the others and exactly like the others at the same time!

    How it's the same:
    - BEAUTIFULLY developed characters with realistic human emotions, relationships, and reactions. Beau and Asami are heartwarming, broken, lonely, kind, and protective. I adored them both and the way their lives weave together.
    - I don't know how she does it, but Ms. Macdonald pulls me in from the very start of each story. I read a lot of books and I find that I can quickly get bored with a story in the first 4-7 chapters if there is too much explaining before the plot gets interesting. Here, and in all the other stories I've read by Macdonald, our 2 main characters meet right at the end of chapter 2 and we jump right into the action.

    How it's different:
    This is the first I've read that was set in a dystopian world. If I was concerned (and I'll admit I was a wee bit!) that the world would be too harsh and could overwhelm the characters themselves, I was worried for no reason. The emotions shone through the harsh environment and the characters are still the stars of the story.

    This is primarily the story of a doctor and scientist, Asami, who works in the "Clockwork City" of Petragrad and Beaumont, an outcast soldier previously employed by said city. Beau, "Beast", has suffered deformities from scientific experiments done on soldiers by an evil doctor. The 2 are thrown together when Asami digs into scientific research records that don't seem right to her. The 2 are forced to remain outlaws as they work together to expose the work that has been done on innocent soldiers, including Beau, research to find a cure, all while they grow a beautiful friendship and then romance.

    There is plenty of action here with adorable side characters - Ash, Snowdrop and the rest of the Rebellion crew, and of course the adorable pup Pilot - and unexpected twists aplenty. While I guessed a few of the plot twists, there were definitely still surprises along the way. This story is part one of a of a duology so it ends with more story to tell.

    My favorite things:
    - I love how Asami admits readily to seeing Beau's imperfections, but just states that they do not bother her. That is an important differentiating statement - she doesn't pretend they are invisible, because they certainly are not to Beau.
    - I loved the reality of Beau's difficulties to accept his own disfiguration. While Asami accepts his imperfections, it is still insurmountable until Beau can accept them as well. This was the most realistic emotional journey of the story to me.

    I highly recommend this story for those who love sweet and kind characters who are drawn to each other, and those who enjoy dystopian worlds!

    I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Spades
    4.0 out of 5 stars Gears, Gadgets, and Gob smacking good tale as old as time...
    Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2022
    This book had me at Beauty and the Beast... Then tossed in the steamiest steampunk notes I never knew I needed.

    For starters, I have to get it out of the way that when I saw the name of one of the main characters, my mind immediately drew up the image of Asami Sato from the Avatar universe, and it never quite let go of that. So I had a fairly decent mental image of this character throughout the book, even if it wasn't exactly correct.
    I, of course, related to the character right from the start because... Well, what introverted, bookish lass wouldn't relate to a Belle character? The world? Built wonderfully, true to fashion for this author from what I've seen. That character development? Chef's triple kiss. Obviously, Bella nor her beast were perfect people. They had their flaws and, as in the original story, Asami and Beau are no different.
    [Side note: This story gave a Beauty and the Beast meets Phantom of the Opera feel for a bit, which I was ok with.]

    Overall, a wonderful rendition of a tale as old as time, reimagined with the panache I'm coming to associate with a wonderful author.

    [I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.]
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Emma
    5.0 out of 5 stars interesting take on beauty and the beast
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 2, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I really enjoyed this retelling of beauty and the beast. The main characters were likeable and the world building was great. The rebellion definitely has my sympathy and the villain is chillingly horrible. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.
    Report
  • Emma Bradley
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sequel. Now!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 8, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I'm still reeling, but this is such a beautiful story, reminds me a bit of the Wool trilogy but with so much emotion and KMD's trademark beautiful writing <3
    Report

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