The Twins on Thursday: Steel Lily by Megan Curd
Avery knows she's a victim of an unfortunate tragedy, but Dome Four seems to claim otherwise. Especially when she's the strongest elementalist who supplies more than her share of steam in the Dome. Avery might get a better lifestyle than the others, but she isn't treated differently as opposed to a machine. She dreams of a better life, of life outside the Dome and when an opportunity actually rises up and with it a chance of a different life, Avery thinks that it might not as bad as the treatment she gets from the Dome. But this dome that gathers gifted individuals might have an ulterior motive in mind.
Truthfully, we're not exactly sure what to think about Steel Lily. It's like your typical dystopian - a world in ruins, run by an overbearing government. But we're not exactly sure what's going on. It's got fantasy and steampunk - sort of - and an amalgam of other things with romance and a love triangle thrown in for added spice.
We're not much of a fan of the characters and there's not much to say about the cast. Avery, the main character, is just your typical YA heroine, spunky, smart, pretty and somehow more powerful than the rest of the plebes. Jaxon, the male lead, is a bit of a jerk, but that's because his mood is dictated by how his father treats him most of the time. He was a bit of a weird one at first, but Jaxon's snark grows on you, and that's what happened with us.
The world-building, while inspired, does lack a bit of convincing. There are domes, sure, but we did find it quite hard to believe that Avery's dome didn't seem to have plans of getting her back. She provides more than her own share of steam for the dome, so why would they just let someone tht important slip through their fingers? Avery is an exceptional asset who could probably be enough to wage war over!
While Steel Lily does fall short on some areas, it does have an interesting promise.
