The Lazarus Machine

( 4 )

Overview

Steampunk adventure for fans of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Who
An alternate 1895, A world where Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace perfected the Difference Engine. Where steam and Tesla-powered computers are everywhere. Where automatons powered by human souls venture out into the sprawling London streets. Where the Ministry, a secretive government agency, seeks to control everything in the name of the Queen. It is in this claustrophobic, paranoid city that seventeen-year old ...

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The Lazarus Machine

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More About This Book

Overview

Steampunk adventure for fans of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Who
An alternate 1895, A world where Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace perfected the Difference Engine. Where steam and Tesla-powered computers are everywhere. Where automatons powered by human souls venture out into the sprawling London streets. Where the Ministry, a secretive government agency, seeks to control everything in the name of the Queen. It is in this claustrophobic, paranoid city that seventeen-year old Sebastian Tweed and his conman father struggle to eke out a living. But all is not well. A murderous, masked gang has moved into London, spreading terror through the criminal ranks as they take over the underworld. As the gang carves up more and more of the city, a single name comes to be uttered in fearful whispers.Professor Moriarty.
When Tweed's father is kidnapped by Moriarty, he is forced to team up with information broker, Octavia Nightingale, to track him down. But he soon realizes that his father's disappearance is just a tiny piece of a political conspiracy that could destroy the British Empire and plunge the world into a horrific war.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher
"Crilley's newest is a wild ride....Even the setting is intriguing: an alternate 1895 complete with computers, automation and a super-secret government agency. You'll love the quirky one-liners and the nonstop action."
-RT Book Reviews, Compelling- Page-turner)

"At times witty and snarky as well as suspenseful and terrifying, this story grabs readers immediately and propels them along the streets of London in what is an alternate 1895. Automatons, computers and steam engines give this book a feel both futuristic and fantastical. The instant connection between Tweed and Nightingale is believable and the reader will eagerly await the sequel to see what is in store for these two. …Even those readers who do not embrace the steampunk genre will love the pacing and mystery of this story. Highly recommended for ages 12 and older."
-SWON Libraries, ROYAL Reviews

"An excellent steampunk YA adventure novel.... If you like your action/heist tales dressed up in goggles and greatcoats, this is a perfect choice."
-Steampunk Canada

"If you're a fan of mysteries, science fiction, and witty dialogue you'll definitely want to pick up a copy of The Lazarus Machine!"
-Literary Exploration

"One of the richest Steampunk stories I have read, period."
-Justin's Book Blog

School Library Journal
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 clichés. 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
Kirkus Reviews
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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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781616146887
  • Publisher: Prometheus Books
  • Publication date: 11/6/2012
  • Series: Tweed & Nightingale Series , #1
  • Pages: 280
  • Sales rank: 291,498
  • Age range: 13 - 17 Years
  • Product dimensions: 5.80 (w) x 8.80 (h) x 1.20 (d)

Meet the Author

Born in Scotland in 1975, Paul Crilley moved to South Africa when he was eight years old. He was rather disappointed to find out that Africa was not at all like the Tarzan movies he watched on Sunday afternoons and that he would not, in fact, have elephants and lions strolling through his backyard. He now now lives in a small village on the east coast of South Africa with his family.
 
He also wrote the Invisible Order books, and penned the upcoming humorous Middle Grade zombie series, Deadbeat Diaries. When not writing novels he works in South African television. He also freelanced on the MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic and recently wrote a comic miniseries for IDW Publishing.
 
Visit him online at wwwl.paulcrilley.com, at www.facebook.com/paul.crilley, and on Twitter @paulcrilley

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 4 )
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Sort by: Showing all of 4 Customer Reviews

  • Posted November 19, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    Tweed & Nightingale: Adventure in a Steampunk Mystery

    London in 1895, filled with steam and Tesla powered technology, never seemed so believable until Paul Crilley's Lazarus Machine. The first Tweed & Nightingale Adventure is everything one would expect from a science-fiction mystery: intriguing, speckled with humor, and riddled with danger for its endearing detective duo. Sebastian Tweed and Octavia Nigtingale are a force to reckon with and though they come from different backgrounds, their chemistry is undeniable and fun to see come to realization.

    Seventeen year old Tweed's father, a conman, is kidnapped in the middle of their latest job. The biggest suprise for Tweed is not that his father is taken, but that he's taken by a most feared criminal, Professor Moriarty. Moriarty was last heard of when he fell from Reichenbach Falls with the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, but he left behind a reputation for being a murderous criminal mastermind. On the posh side of town, Octavia, also known as Songbird, restlessly searches for her mother, who has been missing for a year. She focuses on finding out any and all information related to Moriarty which inevitably leads her to intersect paths with Tweed. Tweed and Songbird meld almost seamlessly into this evenly matched partnership to search for their missing parents. Their friendly bantering is natural and will make readers feel at home in their world. Tweed's mind is conditioned for deductive reasoning and compliments Songbird's knack for research and creating distractions.They make the most dangerous of tasks feel like exciting adventures as they delve deeper into what reveals itself to be a plot against the Crown, organized by the most powerful government agency - the Ministry.

    Usually when I think of steampunk, my first thought is: limited technology. Novels like The Lazarus Machine prove that a story set in a steam era doesn't always reflect a primitive lifestyle. Octavia admires the renowned Ada Lovelace, who's work with Charles Babbage is held in high esteem. Tesla towers are scattered all througout London powering computers and buildings. Crilley's most unique contribution to the steam era, though, is the streamline automata powered by human souls. The mechanics involved with the automata is out of this world and definitely not something I've read before. The ingenious creations don't stop there and as the story builds in action and discovery, the inventions become more ethically challanging and original.

    Crilley's fresh take on an alternate era will keep readers furiously flipping the pages and never knowing what's around the corner. The story progresses at just the right pace to keep you in the dark while cleverly developing in mystery. The direction of The Lazarus Machine is truly surprising and I love it's unexpected plot twists. I went from just enjoying the story to becoming entirely invested in its outcome and what's next for Tweed and Nightingale. The Lazarus Machine is the beginning of an exciting and adventurous series that will rock your perception of mystery and steampunk!

    *Copy of book provided via publisher in exchange for an honest review*
    Also posted on Lovey Dovey Books

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted May 14, 2013

    more from this reviewer

    ¿The Lazarus machine¿ by, Paul Crilley It¿s 1895 in a steam

    “The Lazarus machine” by, Paul Crilley




    It’s 1895 in a steampunk London. Sebastian Tweed and Octavia Nightingale have grown up in very different circles but when Sebastian’s father and Octavia’s mother are kidnapped the teen’s worlds collide. Professor Moriarty is loose in the city and he has a group of masked thugs at his disposal. Knowing they can only count on themselves, Tweed and Nightingale team up to find their lost parents and put a stop Moriarty’s nefarious plans.




    “The Lazarus machine” is so much fun. I loved reading it and here are some reasons why:
    *Sherlock Holmes and Professor James Moriarty are characters in this book. That automatically makes this story about fifty percent more fun because they are such great characters. (Love them)
    *Sebastian Tweed. What a lovely, awkward, and funny young man. I fell in love with him immediately and I wanted to be the one on the adventure with him. 
    *Octavia Nightingale. She is smart, sassy, and very brave. She doesn’t take crap from anyone and she is the perfect partner for Tweed. 
    *Some of my favorite quotes:
    1. (“Are you drunk?” he shouted.
    She glanced back at him. “What? No. Don’t be absurd.” She grinned again. “Why? Are you offering?”)
    2. (“Spinsterhood is still an acceptable alternative. Lots of free time to play with cats, I imagine.”)
    3. (“Nobody likes a smart aleck, Tweed,” she snapped.
    “Is that so?” said Tweed, distracted still peering into the alley. “Is that why you have no friends?”)
    4. (Tweed was silent for a while. Then he asked, “Should we get something to eat?”
    “Are you paying?”
    “No. I’m poor. You can pay.”
    “Fine. But I get to pick where we’re going.”
    “Nowhere fancy. I don’t think I want to be surrounded by other people like you.”
    “How dare you…”)
    5. (“Tell me, do you think the only way I can distract a man is by acting hysterical? Is that what you think of women? I’m surprised you didn’t just tell me to undo a few buttons and flash my cleavage at him. Would you like me to do that, Sebastian Tweed? Hmm?”)
    *This book read like a dream. I think that anyone who reads it will love it and I can’t wait for the second book to be released.   

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  • Posted March 5, 2013

    The Lazarus Machine is being hailed as ¿Doctor Who¿ meets ¿Sherl

    The Lazarus Machine is being hailed as “Doctor Who” meets “Sherlock” – and being the newfound BBC addict I am, I JUMPED at reading this one. I had these ideas that it would be full of a steampunk setting, with some historical fiction feel to it, little bit of sci fi, and just enough mystery to leave me guessing. Doesn’t that sound awesome?!




    And while I began reading it and found it a bit slow at first, by the latter half of the book I knew I’d found another winner. The Lazarus Machine completely delivered, notwithstanding its slow start and introduction to Paul Crilley’s new world.




    Reasons to Read: 




    1. A fascinating, alternate steampunk world:




    Admittedly, I’m a bit of a newbie to steampunk – and I’m sure some of you are too. So I feel like every time I read anything remotely a la steampunk it feels fresh and exciting to me. Maybe this is all fairly common among steampunk books, but I loved how central and influential Charles Babbage and ESPECIALLY Ada Lovelace were to this 1895 England. Plus, automatons with human souls? That’s just disturbing and creepy enough to be EXCITING. AND! There’s a secret government agency called The Ministry working for the Crown. I’m totally game for conspiracy theories.




    2. Sebastian Tweed as a misfit:




    First of all, bonus points for a great male hero. I think Sebastian is the type of character that a number of male (and female) readers will be able to relate to, and he takes so much after Sherlock Holmes. Brilliant, a little bit awkward at times, and kind of obnoxious... but in this devastatingly clever way that makes him endearing at the same time.




    3. Solid opposite-gender relationships:




    I need to comment on how much I loved the relationship between Sebastian and Octavia. It takes them a little while to warm up to each other, and I feel a little bit of romantic tension going on there, but they treat each other like equals. Deep down, there seems to be so much respect for each other and I loved that. And that’s extended to other couples in the book as well, even though none of them are flawless. But I love how respectful Sebastian is towards Octavia, and that he doesn’t for a minute see her as inferior. I think the inclusion of Ada Lovelace in society really helps with this idea.




    4. Spunky Octavia Nightingale:




    I love to read books with characters like Octavia. She’s so brave and quirky and INTELLIGENT. She’s witty and exactly the kind of woman I like to imagine myself being. She’s equally attractive as a character to both male and female readers, just like Sebastian. And although she isn’t the main protagonist, she’s an extremely significant part of the story all on her own.




    The mystery wasn’t nearly as predictable as it seemed at first glance, either. It is so much fun and such a pleasure to read, and one that I flipped through very quickly. I wish it had had a bit of a stronger start to really immerse me in the story, but it really is more of a slow burn for the first few chapters. Just stick with it! Trust me, it gets there.




    And if anything I wished by the end that it had been a bit longer to devote a little bit more time to the world building. What’s there is great, and very enticing, yet I wished there had been more because I think it’s one of the strongest features of the book.




    Review copy received from publisher for review; no other compensation was received. 

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 20, 2013

    Wow

    How long did it take you to write your comment?

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
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