Tinker by Wen Spencer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The science of magic! This is the stuff!
My cousin recently introduced me to Wen Spencer via A Brother’s Price, and a friend of hers said she’d also liked this series. I adore the fusion of science and magic, and also adored the fusion of two worlds, a Pittsburgh that, via an interdimensional gate, exists in the realm of Elfhome except for one day out of every thirty, when it is back on Earth. It did start out a bit confusing, but I soon settled in and was pulled right along.
The only thing that didn’t ring solid was the romance between Tinker and Windwolf. I felt instructed by the author that they’re a thing, and they’re in love, so okay, they’re a thing and they’re in love, but I didn’t feel it at all, especially with so little interaction between them. Pony, on the other hand…! I am also a little confused as to the apparent smooshing of Asian cultures – Japanese mythology is used, such as oni and tengu, but there are also Foo dogs, and the country in question is named as China. Is that another creative fusion that will be explained later in the series?
Overall, a fun read. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
99 Monkeys 