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A review by sherwoodreads
Arabella of Mars by David D. Levine
I read this book in draft, and loved it before the professional editors got to it and gave it its extra polish.
Intrepid Arabella spent enough time running about with her Martian friends on Great Britain's Martian colony to feel the constraint of female social expectations when she is shipped off to England to be prepared for the marriage hunt. While staying with her obnoxious aunt and cousins, she overhears something from a one of those cousins to make her believe that her brother--heir to the estate on Mars--is in danger.
What is an intrepid heroine to do?
Why, disguise herself as a boy, join a naval ship and work her way to Mars to warn him!
Clockwork automatons, tall ships, and science fictional trips to Mars blend here in a delightful tale of adventure, heroism, and imagination. Levine does a convincing job here with his ships that sail between planets, creates colorful characters, and never lets the adventure flag, ramping up to a nail-biting conclusion when they get to Mars.
Here, Arabella's childhood experiences prove to be just what a young heroine needs, in this romantic adventure whose tone gives a nod to the old-fashioned tales of Jules Verne. It should also appeal to readers who enjoy Naomi Novik's Temeraire stories and Patrick O'Brian.
Intrepid Arabella spent enough time running about with her Martian friends on Great Britain's Martian colony to feel the constraint of female social expectations when she is shipped off to England to be prepared for the marriage hunt. While staying with her obnoxious aunt and cousins, she overhears something from a one of those cousins to make her believe that her brother--heir to the estate on Mars--is in danger.
What is an intrepid heroine to do?
Why, disguise herself as a boy, join a naval ship and work her way to Mars to warn him!
Clockwork automatons, tall ships, and science fictional trips to Mars blend here in a delightful tale of adventure, heroism, and imagination. Levine does a convincing job here with his ships that sail between planets, creates colorful characters, and never lets the adventure flag, ramping up to a nail-biting conclusion when they get to Mars.
Here, Arabella's childhood experiences prove to be just what a young heroine needs, in this romantic adventure whose tone gives a nod to the old-fashioned tales of Jules Verne. It should also appeal to readers who enjoy Naomi Novik's Temeraire stories and Patrick O'Brian.