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evamadera1's review
3.0
I added this to by "to-read" list when I first started using goodreads and tried to win some advance copies of books to review. While I took most of the others off my "to-read" list, this one and a few others stayed. I was intrigued by the concept and thought I'd give steampunk a go.
I'm not familiar with steampunk at all so I wasn't sure what to expect with it. After reading this novel (even though I rated it with only 3 stars) I find myself fascinated with the idea of steampunk and may do some investigation to find some good examples of steampunk. (The idea of "what if" and "anything goes" is quite appealing.)
This book however had high points and low points. The potential for a great story lay hidden beneath the surface for the whole book, never actually emerging. This potential kept me reading and it's lack of fulfillment left me disappointed with the book.
I appreciated the allusions to Twelfth Night (and am sure I would have appreciated the allusions to The Importance of Being Earnest but it's been a while since I read that). It wasn't until the latter portion of the book that I realized Rosen's play on the name Malvolio with Malcom Volio. Finding those "Easter Eggs" throughout the book enhances the enjoyment.
That being said, Rosen is no Shakespeare. Shakespeare's plays are full of what could be termed "objectionable elements" (violence, sexual allusions and etc) but he masterfully manipulates them to further the plot and the theme. Rosen is not as masterful. Some of the "objectionable elements" are well suited for their particular location and purpose. Others, however, are not. Much of the description of the interactions with Ashton and Antony are unnecessary. They do nothing to further the plot or enhance the theme.
I was also a bit disappointed with the one-dimensionality of the characters. Admittedly, Shakespeare had little room to spare in his plays for detailed character description and as such leaves fairly one-dimensional characters behind for authors to use as inspiration. Rosen on the other hand was not limited by time or audience attention span. He could afford to develop his characters in a believable manner. Another reviewer pointed out the incongruity of Mrs. Wilkes suddenly being able to invent a useful mechanical device after having shown no such propensities earlier in her life. I agree.
As to a recommendation? I'm torn. It's not an awful book so I wouldn't warn people to stay away. It's also not a great book, so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I guess I have to say "read at your own risk".
I'm not familiar with steampunk at all so I wasn't sure what to expect with it. After reading this novel (even though I rated it with only 3 stars) I find myself fascinated with the idea of steampunk and may do some investigation to find some good examples of steampunk. (The idea of "what if" and "anything goes" is quite appealing.)
This book however had high points and low points. The potential for a great story lay hidden beneath the surface for the whole book, never actually emerging. This potential kept me reading and it's lack of fulfillment left me disappointed with the book.
I appreciated the allusions to Twelfth Night (and am sure I would have appreciated the allusions to The Importance of Being Earnest but it's been a while since I read that). It wasn't until the latter portion of the book that I realized Rosen's play on the name Malvolio with Malcom Volio. Finding those "Easter Eggs" throughout the book enhances the enjoyment.
That being said, Rosen is no Shakespeare. Shakespeare's plays are full of what could be termed "objectionable elements" (violence, sexual allusions and etc) but he masterfully manipulates them to further the plot and the theme. Rosen is not as masterful. Some of the "objectionable elements" are well suited for their particular location and purpose. Others, however, are not. Much of the description of the interactions with Ashton and Antony are unnecessary. They do nothing to further the plot or enhance the theme.
I was also a bit disappointed with the one-dimensionality of the characters. Admittedly, Shakespeare had little room to spare in his plays for detailed character description and as such leaves fairly one-dimensional characters behind for authors to use as inspiration. Rosen on the other hand was not limited by time or audience attention span. He could afford to develop his characters in a believable manner. Another reviewer pointed out the incongruity of Mrs. Wilkes suddenly being able to invent a useful mechanical device after having shown no such propensities earlier in her life. I agree.
As to a recommendation? I'm torn. It's not an awful book so I wouldn't warn people to stay away. It's also not a great book, so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I guess I have to say "read at your own risk".
macthekat's review
DNF: Sally i fint like the voice of the book. I It felt rather old fashioned and a bit like a children's book - the way it explained how the characters felt, rather than letting the reader experiencing it for them self. Also I'm a bit wary of men writing women masquerading as men, it often feels a bit odd. I also think that invoking the tread of rape this early in the narrative was annoying. Why is the young woman worried if it's proper to talk a walk with a man and a bit worried for her safety, when she is planning to study with all these men as a man soon.
wealhtheow's review
2.0
Viola Adams has a gift for invention, and the best way to hone her skills is by attending the prestigious Illyria College. Illyria only accepts male students, so of course she masquerades as a boy to attend. While there, she runs into wacky professors, sinister clockwork automatons, and the far-too-sexy-for-her-good Duke. While she and the Duke battle their attraction for each other (he assuming she's a boy, she wanting to focus on her inventions), the Duke's ward Cecily falls in love with Viola. Meanwhile, one of Viola's fellow students plans to take over the world!
It's a bit like Twelfth Night mixed up in a blender with the Importance of Being Ernest, except without the transversive sexual tension of the first or the humor of either. The world building is odd--I could never tell exactly when it was supposed to take place. Judging from Ada Lovelace's age, it should be 1882, but it never felt like it, not even close. All historical details are kept very vague, which is frustrating to someone like me when reading an alternate history. I want to know exactly what's alternate about it! The steampunk feels pasted on, and it works like magic, not science. For someone supposedly obsessed with mechanical devices, Viola certainly thinks about them very little. She doesn't seem to learn a thing at Illyria, either--she spends all her days working on her own project, without needing professors' help, and her nights drinking with friends. Why then go to such effort to attend the college? She's never challenged, never has to study hard or singe her fingers on a mis-wired fiddly bit. Her inventing feels like a set piece, or like a randomly assigned character trait.
(One big point in this book's favor: it would have been very easy for Viola to be the Sole Exceptional Woman, but in fact she's surrounded by other women, from the girlish chemist Cecily to the sensible prostitute Fiona. There were, if anything, *too many* characters, but a good number of them were women.)
The plot is silly, like the professors are silly, in this very consciously twee style that apes Lemony Snicket's without approaching his light touch. There's no narrative tension, and the pacing is soooo slooooow. I really, really wanted to like this book, but the construction was just too lightweight and slapdash. I'd love to read a silly book with gender play and marauding robots, but with characters that read more genuinely, and humor that actually works.
It's a bit like Twelfth Night mixed up in a blender with the Importance of Being Ernest, except without the transversive sexual tension of the first or the humor of either. The world building is odd--I could never tell exactly when it was supposed to take place. Judging from Ada Lovelace's age, it should be 1882, but it never felt like it, not even close. All historical details are kept very vague, which is frustrating to someone like me when reading an alternate history. I want to know exactly what's alternate about it! The steampunk feels pasted on, and it works like magic, not science. For someone supposedly obsessed with mechanical devices, Viola certainly thinks about them very little. She doesn't seem to learn a thing at Illyria, either--she spends all her days working on her own project, without needing professors' help, and her nights drinking with friends. Why then go to such effort to attend the college? She's never challenged, never has to study hard or singe her fingers on a mis-wired fiddly bit. Her inventing feels like a set piece, or like a randomly assigned character trait.
(One big point in this book's favor: it would have been very easy for Viola to be the Sole Exceptional Woman, but in fact she's surrounded by other women, from the girlish chemist Cecily to the sensible prostitute Fiona. There were, if anything, *too many* characters, but a good number of them were women.)
The plot is silly, like the professors are silly, in this very consciously twee style that apes Lemony Snicket's without approaching his light touch. There's no narrative tension, and the pacing is soooo slooooow. I really, really wanted to like this book, but the construction was just too lightweight and slapdash. I'd love to read a silly book with gender play and marauding robots, but with characters that read more genuinely, and humor that actually works.
krickster's review
3.0
This book really makes me wish that Goodreads allowed half-star ratings, because it's really somewhere between a three and a four for me. I found it quite engrossing and sometimes quite funny, and the plot and characters were definitely interesting. However, at times the problems with the writing and/or the science were so severe that they were laughable. Rosen has serious trouble ending scenes--often they run on for several sentences beyond their natural end point, and an inordinate amount of the time, they end with a character going to bed. Regarding the science: while I am perfectly willing to suspend my disbelief on many matters--such as the idea that you could perform whole-body skin transplants from one species of animal to another without at least some impressive immunosuppressants--I draw the line at the idea that transplanting a voice-box from one animal to another would allow the recipient to instantly make all the sounds (even words learned by a sea-faring parrot) that the donor was capable of making. However, I did enjoy the book overall, and the ending was satisfying.
pianofortea's review
5.0
Oh my goodness, I don't even know where to start!
First of all, it's set in England during the turn of the century (which is only MY FAVORITE TIME PERIOD EVAAAAR), it is steampunk (which I love when done right and I was SO HAPPY that it was done right) AND it's a creative mix of two plays, Twelfth Night (One of my favorite Shakespeare plays) and The Importance of Being Earnest (which I hear is also quite awesome).
WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR?
First of all, it's set in England during the turn of the century (which is only MY FAVORITE TIME PERIOD EVAAAAR), it is steampunk (which I love when done right and I was SO HAPPY that it was done right) AND it's a creative mix of two plays, Twelfth Night (One of my favorite Shakespeare plays) and The Importance of Being Earnest (which I hear is also quite awesome).
WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR?
sarahjsnider's review
3.0
I appreciate that the author shot for the moon and landed in the upper stratosphere. He seemed to have his hands more than full, which meant that some plots got dropped and picked up again at odd places. Or, all of a sudden 3/4 of the way through the book, he'll decide to throw in some character development for one of the professors. It's a fine read, and a Shakespeare fan might find the Twelfth Night connection fun, but I never got that feeling like I couldn't wait to read this one.
jeberiswill's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A good debut novel. There were moments when the author tried to be overly clever and lost the thread of the story. Some pacing difficulty but the characters are winsome.
romanagiulia's review
4.0
Delicious romp with memorable characters! I highly recommend it to all. #twosentencereview
sarahsponda's review
3.0
Good fun, albeit predictable at times -- although some parts were rather unbelievable, so maybe it all balances out?
The world was a nice blend between historical and fantastical, with just the right amount of clockwork.
The world was a nice blend between historical and fantastical, with just the right amount of clockwork.