It’s been a long time since I recommended a book, hasn’t it? It’s not that I haven’t been reading. I actually have. Quite a bit, as it turns out. I just haven’t taken the time to stop over here and write reviews or recommendations.
So to make up for my negligence, I’m going to recommend not just one, not two, not three, but seven books.
More specifically, I’m going to recommend that you check out the Magnificent Devices series by Shelley Adina. There are seven of these fantastic steampunk books:
- Lady of Devices
- Her Own Devices
- Magnificent Devices
- Brilliant Devices
- A Lady of Resources
- A Lady of Spirit
- A Lady of Integrity
The series follows the adventures of Lady Claire Trevelyan, a young woman living toward the end of the nineteenth century. In the first book, Claire graduates from school, but rather than wanting to take her place in society, like her mother expects, Claire yearns to continue her education, to become an engineer, to contribute to the scientific advances of the British Empire.
She gets her wish in a very unusual way. One of her father’s financial plans explodes in his face, leaving Claire and her family destitute. This proves to be a blessing in disguise, because it allows Claire to start pursuing her dreams in ways she never expected. She falls in with a street gang, taking charge of a number of young children. She meets a scientist named Andrew Malvern. And Claire and her friends find themselves in adventure after adventure after adventure.
I got the first book a while ago (I don’t remember exactly when, but according to my Goodreads account, it might have been back in 2012 or 2013) and it sat on my Kindle for a long time. I finally decided it was time to read it. The moment I got done, I wound up binging on the rest of the series.
Adina’s writing is the reason why. She captures the voice and spirit of a steampunk London excellently. Lady Claire and her charges are a clever lot and the steampunk elements are woven seamlessly into the stories, but they don’t overwhelm the reader by any stretch of the imagination. If you’re worried about any sort of objectionable content, I didn’t really see anything that would upset anyone.
While there were a few hiccups in the series, I thoroughly enjoyed these books. I’m not normally the biggest fan of steampunk, but I may have to reconsider my opinion. Personally, I can’t wait for the next book in the series to come out. I want to keep traveling with the Lady and her compatriots!
[bctt tweet=”The Magnificent Devices series is a fantastic steampunk adventure! You should check them out!”]
Oh, yea! I actually have the first book on my kindle, but limited time and so many other books, I’ve never actually gotten around to reading it. I think I will bump it up on my to-read list. Thanks!