4 out of 4 stars
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Juanita was cruelly abandoned by her mother as a baby. Now almost sixteen years old, she discovers a special ability that will change her life forever. Labelled a mystic traveler, Juanita is able to communicate with her dead ancestors and act as a bridge between the living and deceased worlds. She learns of the hidden brutality carried out in murderous asylums; and that she could have been a victim of this herself had her great-grandmother not saved her. Juanita knows she must stop the asylum trains to prevent further loss of innocent lives. Can she trust the spirit ancestors to help her, even though some appear to have immoral pasts themselves?
I found The Engine Woman's Light to be a highly entertaining read. From the expertly crafted settings, to the brilliantly thought-out story line, this book had everything to keep me reading till late. When you add the marvelously detailed characters, the story proved to be a huge success.
It was a challenge to find many faults with the book, which is a testament to its quality. However, there were a few chapters in the middle that I struggled with. We were introduced to a new group of inhabitants helping Juanita. I failed to connect to most of these characters, and the story seemed to be aimlessly wondering without direction. Thankfully, this section was short lived and my enjoyment soon returned. It also took me a while to fully appreciate the settings and the story world, as I found it all a bit implausible at first. Juanita being able to travel between worlds, and witnessing Moses parting water seemed far-fetched. But as I read more, I found myself drawn into this mystical setting, and it all tied in delightfully.
The book contains descriptions of violence, sex and the psychological trauma of a character being raped. There is also infrequent use of bad language, which does not blemish the reading experience and is not out of context. The book would not be suitable for younger readers.
I especially appreciated the quality of the main characters. Reading the book gave an immense sensation of being inside the characters skin; seeing and living the story alongside them. They all had individual quirks, weaknesses, and were brilliantly developed throughout. It was a real coming of age tale for Juanita, and her agonizing love dilemma was constantly felt until the end. The alternative nineteenth century California setting worked like a dream, and was integral to the appeal of the book. The combination of an actual historical location coupled with the surreal mystical steampunk background, painted an enormously vivid image for the reader. This was aided by fantastically creative writing displayed by the author, which was extremely descriptive and detailed. The dialogue was always relevant and progressive, and even shifted between first and third person narrative when the story required it. This was done superbly.
Overall, The Engine Woman's Light has been an absolute joy to read, and is a story I will highly admire for a long time. I give the book 4 out of 4 stars as it surpassed my expectations and exuded quality. I would strongly recommend giving the book a try. This magical mystical world had me captivated.
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The Engine Woman's Light
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