annakim's review
3.0
This is an enjoyable steampunk mashup of William Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde. The characterization is a bit uneven, however, with the antagonists very obviously the bad guys, almost to the point of being one dimensional. The resolution, while unsurprising, came on a bit suddenly compared to the rest of the action in the novel.
The blatant rip-off of the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde (or even the Hulk) is also quite obvious, especially at the end. I'm not sure what this added to the story, but I guess Rosen felt the need to make sure all of his scientists had some sort of quirk.
The blatant rip-off of the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde (or even the Hulk) is also quite obvious, especially at the end. I'm not sure what this added to the story, but I guess Rosen felt the need to make sure all of his scientists had some sort of quirk.
biblialex's review
5.0
Funny that I read this book right after another that I criticized for being too derivative, because All Men of Genius is a steampunk mashup of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. In this case I really enjoyed the playful and inventive take on two great plays.
Violet Adams and her twin brother Ashton (Viola and Sebastian) are the center of the novel. Viola is a talented engineer who decides to disguise herself as Ashton in order to attend the elite all-male Illyria College. (And what recourse does a young women lacking twin brother have when she wishes to attend an all-male school?) She sets out to prove her worth as a scientist, but of course also attracts the attention of Ernest, Duke of Illyria ("Ernest" Worthing/Orsino), and his ward Cecily (Cecily Cardew/Olivia), a budding scientist herself. Of course, knowing the Twelfth Night, I knew how Violet's romantic entanglements would be resolved, but it was still so much fun getting there.
The novel has an amazing cast of characters with parallels from both plays. (An especially amusing example: Professor Bunbury, who actually *is* injured and must be visited in the hospital. Also Ada Lovelace as... herself.) Violet holds her own very well, but the varied cast enriches the story and highlights some of the societal issues at play in the Victorian world. Violet is the only character actually in disguise, but identity is a major issue for many of the others as well. I liked that Violet's story went beyond fear of discovery and misplaced affections and explored her struggle to grow both as a woman and a scientist.
Overall, great fun. Satisfying as a standalone, but some elements were open ended enough that I wouldn't be surprised to see a sequel.
Violet Adams and her twin brother Ashton (Viola and Sebastian) are the center of the novel. Viola is a talented engineer who decides to disguise herself as Ashton in order to attend the elite all-male Illyria College. (And what recourse does a young women lacking twin brother have when she wishes to attend an all-male school?) She sets out to prove her worth as a scientist, but of course also attracts the attention of Ernest, Duke of Illyria ("Ernest" Worthing/Orsino), and his ward Cecily (Cecily Cardew/Olivia), a budding scientist herself. Of course, knowing the Twelfth Night, I knew how Violet's romantic entanglements would be resolved, but it was still so much fun getting there.
The novel has an amazing cast of characters with parallels from both plays. (An especially amusing example: Professor Bunbury, who actually *is* injured and must be visited in the hospital. Also Ada Lovelace as... herself.) Violet holds her own very well, but the varied cast enriches the story and highlights some of the societal issues at play in the Victorian world. Violet is the only character actually in disguise, but identity is a major issue for many of the others as well. I liked that Violet's story went beyond fear of discovery and misplaced affections and explored her struggle to grow both as a woman and a scientist.
Overall, great fun. Satisfying as a standalone, but some elements were open ended enough that I wouldn't be surprised to see a sequel.
tallytune's review
5.0
Only two things are required for me to give a book 5 stars, and this book did both. 1. It must make me never want to put it down. 2. It has to leave me thinking about it and wanting more even after I finish.
The characters were perfect. The story was interesting, romantic and exciting. The writing though, that was what truly won me over. The writing was just beautiful. Rosen has a magical way with words and a poetic style that is perfect for the genre in which he writes.
The characters were perfect. The story was interesting, romantic and exciting. The writing though, that was what truly won me over. The writing was just beautiful. Rosen has a magical way with words and a poetic style that is perfect for the genre in which he writes.
hoperu's review
4.0
An enjoyable steampunked version of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, also a mash-up of Oscar Wilde and Harry Potter. There is some interesting gender play and commentary here as well. I'd actually give it 3.5 stars, because it was a bit slow to get into the heart of the story, and it took me quite a while to get fully engaged with the story.
pollyroth's review
4.0
This book needs a cover remodel. It looks like animation straight out of Jimmy Neutron! It totally disguises the amazingness of itself!
lindacbugg's review
4.0
Look for my shelf talker after I figure out how to encapsulate how great this was in a very short space! Exciting story, setting, loved the main character and the secondary characters too. Not the most exciting tag but...
4.5
All Men of Genius
by
Lev A.C. Rosen
An alternative Steampunk
Victorian London, where
science makes the
impossible possible
is the setting for
this fun, funny and
charming debut novel.
Violet Adams - genius - wants
nothing more than to go
to Illyria College, the
brilliant school for
up-and-coming
scientists. But can
she keep her secret
identity as "Ashton"
for a whole school year?
I loved this book!!!!
4.5
All Men of Genius
by
Lev A.C. Rosen
An alternative Steampunk
Victorian London, where
science makes the
impossible possible
is the setting for
this fun, funny and
charming debut novel.
Violet Adams - genius - wants
nothing more than to go
to Illyria College, the
brilliant school for
up-and-coming
scientists. But can
she keep her secret
identity as "Ashton"
for a whole school year?
I loved this book!!!!
vanessa_issa's review
4.0
Reading Challenge 2017 - A Steampunk novel
Foi um dos itens que mais gostei do desafio, pois me levou a uma leitura que normalmente não teria chamado a minha atenção, mas que gostei bastante!
"Steampunk é uma ficção científica ou especulativa, que ficou conhecida no final dos anos 80 e início dos 90. Trata de obras ambientadas no passado, no qual os paradigmas tecnológicos modernos ocorreram mais cedo do que na realidade, mas foram obtidos por meio da ciência já disponível naquela época - como, por exemplo, computadores de madeira e aviões movidos a vapor."
Esse livro também pode ser considerado como uma obra feminista, já que toda a trama gira em torno da luta de Violet para realizar o sonho de estudar na faculdade de Illyria, onde apenas garotos eram aceitos.
Para poder se candidatar, ela finge ser Ashton, seu irmão gêmeo, e assume a identidade dele por completo. Encara o desafio e demonstra ser um ótimo aluno, dedicando-se bastante aos seus projetos e invenções. Enquanto isso, o irmão passa um tempo em Londres, dando total cobertura para que ela possa estudar sem que o pai saiba o que está acontecendo.
No meio disso, há também a discussão sobre a troca de gêneros e como isso é visto pela sociedade. O tempo todo há a preocupação de que alguém poderia descobrir seu segredo e puni-la pelas mentiras.
"Society was not forgiving of trespasses like gender reversal. Society was only forgiving of reversals of fortune, and then only when the rich became poor, because that made excellent gossip. To have the poor become rich was rather distressing, and to have a woman become a man was perverse."
O lado romântico da história é bem interessante também. No caso de Violet, ela não tinha a intenção de trocar sua orientação sexual. Ela apenas se vestia de menino para poder estudar, mas continuava sentindo atração por homens. Jamais pensou que se apaixonaria pelo duque Ernest, que acreditava trocar cartas com Violet e apenas conversar com "Ashton" pela faculdade. E também não podia prever que Cecily - prima do duque, única garota que tinha permissão para frequentar as aulas - também iria se apaixonar por ela, sem nem desconfiar que ela era uma menina, na verdade. Violet só queria estudar e ser uma cientista, nada mais havia sido planejado.
O final, embora possa ser um pouco previsível, me agradou bastante. É um livro longo, com bastante detalhes, mas que flui rapidamente quando você entra no ritmo da história.
Foi um dos itens que mais gostei do desafio, pois me levou a uma leitura que normalmente não teria chamado a minha atenção, mas que gostei bastante!
"Steampunk é uma ficção científica ou especulativa, que ficou conhecida no final dos anos 80 e início dos 90. Trata de obras ambientadas no passado, no qual os paradigmas tecnológicos modernos ocorreram mais cedo do que na realidade, mas foram obtidos por meio da ciência já disponível naquela época - como, por exemplo, computadores de madeira e aviões movidos a vapor."
Esse livro também pode ser considerado como uma obra feminista, já que toda a trama gira em torno da luta de Violet para realizar o sonho de estudar na faculdade de Illyria, onde apenas garotos eram aceitos.
Para poder se candidatar, ela finge ser Ashton, seu irmão gêmeo, e assume a identidade dele por completo. Encara o desafio e demonstra ser um ótimo aluno, dedicando-se bastante aos seus projetos e invenções. Enquanto isso, o irmão passa um tempo em Londres, dando total cobertura para que ela possa estudar sem que o pai saiba o que está acontecendo.
No meio disso, há também a discussão sobre a troca de gêneros e como isso é visto pela sociedade. O tempo todo há a preocupação de que alguém poderia descobrir seu segredo e puni-la pelas mentiras.
"Society was not forgiving of trespasses like gender reversal. Society was only forgiving of reversals of fortune, and then only when the rich became poor, because that made excellent gossip. To have the poor become rich was rather distressing, and to have a woman become a man was perverse."
O lado romântico da história é bem interessante também. No caso de Violet, ela não tinha a intenção de trocar sua orientação sexual. Ela apenas se vestia de menino para poder estudar, mas continuava sentindo atração por homens. Jamais pensou que se apaixonaria pelo duque Ernest, que acreditava trocar cartas com Violet e apenas conversar com "Ashton" pela faculdade. E também não podia prever que Cecily - prima do duque, única garota que tinha permissão para frequentar as aulas - também iria se apaixonar por ela, sem nem desconfiar que ela era uma menina, na verdade. Violet só queria estudar e ser uma cientista, nada mais havia sido planejado.
O final, embora possa ser um pouco previsível, me agradou bastante. É um livro longo, com bastante detalhes, mas que flui rapidamente quando você entra no ritmo da história.
abigailbat's review
4.0
Genius inventress Violet Adams wants nothing more than to be admitted to Illyria College, a the most prestigious scientific school in Victorian London. The problem? They don't admit women. Undaunted, Violet disguises herself as her twin brother Ashton and is admitted. However, keeping her secret proves even harder than she'd imagined with love affairs blossoming all around her and the discovery of strange leftover science experiments in the basement of the school.
I thoroughly enjoyed this imaginative novel. The characters are well developed and I always enjoy a women-disguised-as-man story. There's plenty of humor and romance, but also some creepy bits. The plot's fairly action-packed, though I did feel it was a bit too long. Though it's published for adults, this one will have loads of crossover appeal and I'd recommend it to high schoolers who have enjoyed Phillip Pullman's The Golden Compass, Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan, or Tamora Pierce's Lioness books.
http://www.abbythelibrarian.com/2011/11/crossover-all-men-of-genius.html
I thoroughly enjoyed this imaginative novel. The characters are well developed and I always enjoy a women-disguised-as-man story. There's plenty of humor and romance, but also some creepy bits. The plot's fairly action-packed, though I did feel it was a bit too long. Though it's published for adults, this one will have loads of crossover appeal and I'd recommend it to high schoolers who have enjoyed Phillip Pullman's The Golden Compass, Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan, or Tamora Pierce's Lioness books.
http://www.abbythelibrarian.com/2011/11/crossover-all-men-of-genius.html
nizharu's review
3.0
This was a fun and weird read.
The pace is all over the place but in reality it isn't, is a weird mixture of genres and the plot advance without stopping once because at the same time is an adventure book, is also a romance and slice of life one... is weird.
This reminds me to the last "What a Beautiful" VN that was licensed recently because of the mood and certain aspects of the setting, which is very good.
I liked a lot the prose, the style it tries to imitates is very well done and the core concept of the ancillae white fantasy of the 80's (which it's not the same at the style it tries to imitate) is mixed very good with the more open minded ideas of today, like how sexually open this book is... in more than the het way.
If you're looking for a book with paused slice of life scenes, mad science, adventure, mystery, charismatic characters interacting with each other constantly and a lot of good low fantasy, this is a book for you.
The only negative note it's the lack of Oppai Misairu.
...
Yes, that's was a Mazinger Z reference.
averywindyday's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of All Men of Genius by Lev AC Rosen through a giveaway hosted by Goodreads.
For the most part, I enjoyed the novel. The references to The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde and Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare were especially interesting facets of the novel. However, the lack of development of the minor characters was a tad bit disappointing.
For the most part, I enjoyed the novel. The references to The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde and Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare were especially interesting facets of the novel. However, the lack of development of the minor characters was a tad bit disappointing.