There was no love triangle, no angst, but there was clear romantic tension. There were three things that made this book stand out to me. There, she makes friends with the owner’s grandson, and when a tragedy shakes the theater, they end up needing to find the mythical “heart” of the theater, which could hold great power. She ends up working for a theater for the sake of her sister’s hopes and dreams of being a dancer. This gives her an advantage over others’ knacks, and because of that, others try to prey on her abilities, while some fear her. While she cannot control them, she can influence what they feel. She can give another person courage or make them fear. The main character, Leo, has the impressive knack of manipulating peoples emotions. This book has a clear steampunk feel, but there is also magic, where people are expected to each have a magical ability called a “knack.” So, like magic with steampunk characteristics.

(The other one I really enjoyed for its depth of subject matter and characters was Spice Bringer.)Īll right, back to Heart of the Curiosity. Some resonate with me more than others, and I really found this one to be one of her best.

Burke.A romantic slow burn, a sweet, clean romance, with action, adventure, and a Sherlock Holmes quality feel, this book is so worth it.Įvery book that I read by Burke is really a great novel. If the friends cannot recover the Heart in time, Leo and her sister will be cast out of the only home they’ve ever known, and the final curtain will fall on The Curiosity.Įnter a world reminiscent of The Greatest Showman, with a puzzle worthy of Sherlock Holmes and National Treasure, in this new Steampunk Fantasy from H. Mysterious figures, cryptic clues, and deadly traps hinder the search at every turn. While Leo and Paxton hunt for the Heart, the blackmailer’s threats loom larger. And Leo’s only friend Paxton, nephew of the theater’s stagemistress, is the key to finding it. The Curiosity’s sole hope lies in a mythical power source hidden beneath the maze-like passages and trapdoors of the theater-the Heart. A greedy businessman begins blackmailing Leo, and financial woes threaten to close the show forever. Then a tragic accident darkens the theater. The girls have a home for the first time in their lives. After escaping a cruel carnival, Leo secures her sister a place in the Curiosity’s chorus line, and herself a job as a professional audience member, swaying the crowd’s mood with her magic. Born with a magical knack for manipulating emotions, Leodora’s only dream is to ensure her talented little sister dances on the biggest, brightest stage in the Republic: The Curiosity, a grand old theater of tradition and innovation.

Heart of the Curiosity by H.L. Burke