The Lazarus Machine

October 1, 2012
A series opener, Crilley's steampunk adventure follows an unlikely duo to the underworld of Victorian London. Coldly rational and from the bad part of town, Tweed is 17 when his father is kidnapped. Headstrong and highborn, Octavia is about the same age, only her mother has been missing a year, so she has had more time to gather facts on the likely culprits. A nebulous Ministry is at the center of their suspicions, as are the resurrected characters of Professor Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes and a nefarious mastermind. Octavia's father turns a blind eye to her comings and goings, and Tweed has no mother, but the two receive help from a mildly entertaining couple Tweed and his father know. This seemingly low-bred pair of lovebirds adds one of the few human touches to a story that is too full of gadgets and machinations for most readers to keep track of. The primary action of the book is a break-in at the Ministry beneath London that Tweed and Octavia execute with success, only to find all is not what they expected. Though the style of writing is simple and engaging enough, the story itself goes in too many directions to follow, leaving open too many loose ends for readers to know exactly what they are looking for in the next installment. Too complicated to engage. (Steampunk. 12 & up)

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March 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-This steampunk novel, set in an alternate version of 1895, features characters from the classic Sherlock Holmes tales. Sebastian Tweed and his con-man dad live on the fringes of society until his father is abducted. Sebastian realizes that the rumors are true; Professor Moriarty and his gang are back in London. Octavia Nightingale also suspects that Moriarty is linked to her mother's disappearance and has dedicated herself to gathering information ever since. The two form a partnership after Tweed is referred to Nightingale in his search for answers. The protagonists escape assassination attempts and look for clues while utilizing Tesla-powered computers and automatons powered by the souls of deceased humans. What they uncover is a Frankenstein-inspired plot to take over parliament and incite a world war. With Nightingale's mother still missing and the queen putting the pair on retainer, a Tweed & Nightingale series is clearly in the works. While the setting and themes of this book will be well recognized, interesting characters, well-written dialogue, and a fast-paced plot keep it from feeling like a predictable collection of cliches. Some classic mystery fans may be put off by the prevalence of steampunk terminology, but sci-fi and fantasy readers will likely be drawn to this fun, genre-bending novel.-Sunnie Sette, New Haven Public Library, CT

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January 1, 2013
Sebastian Tweed and Octavia Nightingale team up to stage a rescue for their kidnapped parents. Literary allusions and steampunk paraphernalia set the tone in an alternate late-nineteenth-century London, where their sleuthing soon demands chase scenes, disguises, and dangerous incursions. Although lively and peppered with witty dialogue, the novel suffers from a predictable and half-completed conclusion that begs a sequel.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)