Gr 10 Up—Sedia has created a story replete with often-absurd adventure and excessive complication. Sasha Trubetskaya develops from a 10-year-old girl in 1852 looking forward to her debut in St. Petersburg to a university student who is determined to stop a war among three powers. One of a few women invited to attend, she suspects that they have been set up to fail to prove that women are intellectually inferior, and she is determined to succeed. Sasha's friendship with Chiang Tse and other Chinese students explodes into a life of intrigue and danger for her. Jack Bartram, an English student, becomes a principal player in the story, but, as with so much else in the novel, he is not always what he seems. Sasha is amazed by the supernatural abilities he uses to save her from harm when a Chinese club is invaded by the secret police. Sedia's writing style is rich and colorful and many of her characters are well developed, but the plot is confusing and rambling. The second half of the story concentrates on Sasha's arduous journey to China with Jack. They travel on the trans-Siberian railroad, a Chinese airship, and a submarine to deliver a message that she hopes will result in an alliance between Russia and China against Britain. The author has jammed far too many events and ideas into this sometimes riveting steampunk novel that combines realism with fantasy. Though readers might be compelled to plod through the confusing plot, many of them are likely to give up along the way.—Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ
