Hour of Mischief by Aimee HyndmanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
Hour of Mischief is a YA steampunk novel about seventeen year old, Janet Redstone. She has not had an easy life living in the slums of Fortuna with her mom. In a world ruled by the Clockwork Gods, Janet and a group of her friends (the Pendulum Thieves) earn a living by robbing their temples. They usually do a good job of getting in and out on a heist until one goes wrong that lands them in prison. Now, the only way to save herself and her team is to make a pact with the God of Mischief.
Janet Redstone is so freaking awesome! I loved that her temper was so short and she was always ready to punch someone with her left hand. Why the left hand? She has a prosthetic left arm, which makes for a killer punch. Janet is sassy, spunky, snarky, sarcastic and everything in between. Learning about where she was born and what her mother does tore me apart, but I like that she didn't allow it to hinder her. Janet seems to always have to look after herself and really doesn't know how to enjoy life. I like that she learned to relax and enjoy life within the small moments. Janet was seriously phenomenal character. Strong, brave and determined in all things. She always had a surprise up her sleeve.
Itazura, god of mischief, was absolutely enjoyable. I loved everything about him -- his witty remarks to his conceited attitude were just funny. It added to him being a god and his character in general. I love how strong and gentle he was. Being a god he wasn't aware of certain human emotions, but in being around Janet he was able to learn and he respected her. I'm curious as to what he omitted and what his sister, goddess of death, knew that Janet and Laetatia didn't.
The budding romance between Janet and Itazura was unexpected, but at the same time I was hopeful. I thought it would be Janet to initiate any romance between the two of them, but for it to have been Itazura made it much more fascinating. He truly has such a strong liking towards Janet. He never used his status as a god to "overcome" her. Things gradually grew between them over the course of their journey. I love that he saved her multiple times and I love that she wasn't scared to speak her mind to a god or let alone punch him -- several times. Absolutely beautiful.
Meroquio, god of Love, is a true douchebag. I can't believe how rude he is. The way he treated Janet pissed me off. His powers, thankfully, never got the best of her. I really do not like him. Laetatia, goddess of festivities, is such a joy! She was fantastic from beginning to end. She became friends with Janet and not to mention her daughter is Janet's bestfriend -- how cool is that. For the goddess of festivities, she can be downright brutal when she needs too. Kaval and Viden, twin gods of wisdom, made me smile because of how sweet and tender they were. I like that they never looked at Janet as if she was beneath them. I love that they accepted the chance to help Janet in saving humanity. The twin gods were pretty damn awesome. I enjoyed the incorporation of wendigos and shape shifters. It added some drama to the story.
Elder gods are the 4 seasonal gods. They had there powers taken from them and are now planning an apocalypse. The 12 clockwork gods, who came after the elder gods, have ignored the elder gods destruction to keep their powers. The minor gods are helping elder gods because they were promised power. The whole idea behind the elder gods and clockwork gods is absolutely ingenious. I enjoyed reading about the different gods and their domains. I did however find them to be lazy, weak individuals. They were just willing to let the elder gods destroy humans when they should have fought against them. I'm interested to see how things progress now that the word has spread about the apocalypse.
This was an absolutely amazing story. I'm looking forward to a sequel because I need to know what happens next for Janet and Itazura. I need to know if they save Sylvia. I also need to now what the clockwork gods do against the elder gods. Finally, I need to know what the hell is up with Itazura and what his sister was talking about in the Abyss. I need answers! I'm hooked.
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