Ironskin by Tina Connolly has been compared to Beauty and the Beast and Jane Eyre. It has also been called steampunk. I don’t believe it is any of these, simply the best fantasy novel I have read in quite some time.
Jane Eliot is known as an Ironskin because she wears an iron mask to protect against the curse of rage that she received during the war against the fey. There is a mix of technologies in this book, which is why some people consider it steampunk, but unlike steampunk, there is no real emphasis on this mixture. The reason for it is the war with the fey. Since most advancements were bought from the fey they are no longer available, and most people have been forced to return to horse-and-buggy and candlelight.
Jane comes to work for Edward Rochert as governess for his little girl Doria. Instead of having a curse, she seems to have some fey powers which she cannot control. It is Jane’s job to stop her from using them so she can develop the use of her hands.
Edward is a widower and an artist. As in Jane Eyre, he is looking for a wife and Jane starts to develop a crush on him. Unlike the Bronte novel, rather than a mad wife locked in the attic, Edward keeps secret the origin of his daughter’s power, as well as his true profession. Little by little, Jane begins to understand what these secrets mean and fears for her safety and that of her charge.
This was a book that flowed excellently and I did not want to put down. A very good choice for a Nebula nominee. The winner must have been very special to have beat this one out.