Lady of Devices: A Steampunk Adventure Novel (Magnificent Devices, #1)

by Shelley Adina

She wants to be an engineer, but her parents--and society--will never allow it. Until riots break out in steampunk London and she seizes her chance...
 
It's 1889, and Lady Claire Trevelyan is expected to do nothing more with her life than catch a rich husband. Unfortunately, her talents lie not in the ballroom, but in the laboratory, where her experiments have an embarrassing habit of blowing up. 

When her father gambles the estate on the combustion engine despite the fact that everyone knows the world runs on steam, Claire finds herself out in the street with nothing to her name but her steam landau and her second best hat. 

But the embarrassments of her old life might be the talents that save her now ... if she can stay alive long enough to barter her skills for a street gang's protection. It's not long before a new leader rises in the London underworld, known only as the Lady of Devices ... a double life Claire must keep secret if she is to achieve her dream and become the assistant to a world-renowned scientist ...

If you like old-fashioned adventure, brave women, clever children, and strong-willed chickens, you'll love the first book in the Magnificent Devices series. Fangs for the Fantasysays Claire is "a wonderful main character (one of my favourites in the genre)" and the series has "a great sense of Victorian style and language that's both fun and beautiful to read."

• ISBN10: 1463549997
• ISBN13: 9781463549992
• Publish Date: 31 May 2011
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 258
• Language: English

Reviews

Magnificent Devices is a steampunk series centered around seventeen year old, Claire Trevelyan who is about to graduate from school and make her societal debut. The series has inventions and villains and lots of strong women who are resourceful and resilient and content to make their own way in life.

Claire Trevelyan is one of the best heroines I've seen and definitely one of the most realistic. At the beginning of Lady of Devices she is a smart, kind girl who lacks confidence and refuses to upset the status quo - for all that she believes in intelligence being more important than blood. She has strong opinions but refuses to act on them for fear of her mother and the society she doesn't actually believe in. But, while she begins this way, circumstances lead her to adapt and mold herself into someone new. Throughout the first book she develops a spine - trying new things, overcoming her limitations and rising above what society expects. By the end of Lady of Devices she has started to embrace her role as "governess" and not only agrees to work with Andrew Malvern (which is what she wants to start with) but is willing to voice this in front of her peers.

I really love this series. It's funny, quirky and has a lot of heart. Claire's struggles can be frustrating at times but she approaches it with kindness and a fierce sense of morality. You know, except that time she accidentally killed Lightning Luke.

“I recommend we give your former leader a decent burial.” Claire took command of the situation before the tales got any taller. “Is there any among you who would like to say a few words?” No one moved. Evidently he was not held in high regard among his confederates. How did one go about burying the man one had accidentally killed? “Are we possessed of a shovel?”

Adina, Shelley. Magnificent Devices: Books 1-4 Quartet: Four steampunk adventure novels in one set (Magnificent Devices Boxset) (Kindle Locations 2127-2129). Moonshell Books, Inc.. Kindle Edition. I loved the relationships she begins to develop with the Mopsies and Willie and Snouts and Tigg and Rosie the Chicken. And...Jake.

Here Jake’s photographic memory proved invaluable— and it was he who, on the Wednesday after their arrival, finally returned her engineering notebook, her pencils, and dear Linnaeus to her.
“I figure you ent gonna cut out on us now, Lady,” he said gruffly as he handed them over.
“No.” She clutched the books to her chest, resisting the urge to check that no pages had gone missing. “I’m glad to see your confidence in my character is improving.”
He shook his head, and his chocolate-brown eyes met hers. “You either keeps yer word or I goes to the bobbies and tell ’em it was you what kilt Lightning Luke.”
Clearly she did not have to look as far as the road or the river for justice to be meted out to her. She was harboring it right here.

Adina, Shelley. Magnificent Devices: Books 1-4 Quartet: Four steampunk adventure novels in one set (Magnificent Devices Boxset) (Kindle Locations 2211-2217). Moonshell Books, Inc.. Kindle Edition. I loved that they become "flock-mates", determined to look after each other and work together to achieve their goals. It was also really nice to see Claire find somewhere to belong that doesn't mock or dismiss her ideas.

The world building was interesting and the science fascinating. This is a great book to recommend STEM industries to young girls. I'm not sure how much research the author did and how correct the science parts are - but it encourages curiosity and scientific inquiry and promotes the idea that girls can be not just interested in but accomplished at STEM industries. Claire is always busy asking why and it was perfection.

If there’s anything I hate, it’s someone telling me ‘don’t’ without saying why.”

Adina, Shelley. Magnificent Devices: Books 1-4 Quartet: Four steampunk adventure novels in one set (Magnificent Devices Boxset) (Kindle Locations 214-215). Moonshell Books, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Plus her thoughts on the role of women in society were divine.

“Little girls should be seen and not heard.” If Claire had heard that once, she’d heard it a thousand times, and every time it irritated her more. Girls should certainly be heard. It was their voices that the world was missing.

Adina, Shelley. Magnificent Devices: Books 1-4 Quartet: Four steampunk adventure novels in one set (Magnificent Devices Boxset) (Kindle Locations 2480-2482). Moonshell Books, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

I hated Lord James. He was a prat of the highest order. His dismissal and mockery of Claire's intelligence and his general comments about women were disgusting. I did like that Andrew rebukes him for it. But I didn't really like Andrew either. For all he seems to be open to the idea of female intelligence and curiosity - he still is carelessly dismissive of her theories - even if he manages to refrain from commenting in front of the children. Just because he has not come up with anything new - doesn't mean she won't. Honestly the hints of romance just irritated me. I'd prefer Claire finds her own way in the world without worrying about a man.

Overall this was well written, interesting and imaginative steampunk novel. It's a great addition to any young girl's library - or just any female. 5 stars.