Lizzy Speare and The Cursed Tomb by Ally Malinenko is a young teen read that in some aspects is a lot of fun.  That’s saying something since, this particular writer, reader, and reviewer, doesn’t particularly like Shakespeare.  At all.  In fact, my personal opinion is that he’s shoved down our throats so much from middle school, high school, and college, that you just want to find every work he’s ever done and burn it so that no one else will ever be subjected to it again.  Once a person is introduced to Shakespeare academically he always seems to come up again.  So it’s refreshing to see Shakespeare in a new light, with a modern twist, and a unique way to draw readers in.



"MEET LIZZY SPEARE…

…a normal twelve year old girl with a talent for writing, who has a very not normal family secret. And when Lizzy’s father vanishes, that secret will change her life in ways unimagined. (Spoiler Alert! It turns out that Lizzy, or Elizabeth S. Speare, is the last living descendant of William Shakespeare. Shhh! Don’t tell anybody!)

Then Lizzy and her best friend Sammy are kidnapped, awakening in the faraway land of Manhattan. Their host is Jonathan Muse, whose job is to protect Lizzy from becoming the latest victim in a family feud nearly five hundred years old. Could that be why the mysterious, eye patch-wearing Dmitri Marlowe is after her? (Spoiler Alert 2—he’s the last living descendant of Christopher Marlowe, a friend and rival of Shakespeare’s. But keep it to yourself!) Is Marlowe after Lizzy’s family fortune rumored to be kept in Shakespeare’s tomb? Does he seek artistic immortality? Or Revenge (with a capital R) for a death long, long ago?

In a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, Lizzy and Sammy are thrust into the realm of the mythical and fantastic—from satyrs and Cyclopses to Middle Eastern cab drivers and Brooklyn hipsters—in what is truly “an improbable fiction” as the Bard himself once wrote"

-Ally Malinenko

That being said, while it’s meant for a younger group of readers, in some aspects I think that the author would have done better by showing instead of telling.  There’s an overabundance of pronouns in some areas of he did, she did, they did – that could have been revamped into a bit of showing that wouldn’t make it so repetitive.  Is a middle school kid likely to pick up on this? Probably not.  They may well be too engrossed in the story to notice, and the story is worth picking up – especially if you’re a Shakespeare fan.

It’s an easy read, and doesn’t go too overly in depth – which makes it perfect for that young teen and tween.  I give Lizzy Speare and The Cursed Tomb by Ally Malinenko three stars, for a unique twist on Shakespeare, and an easy read that a lot of kids will enjoy. 

 

For more information on Ally Malinenko and her Lizzy Speare's books you can visit her website at: http://allymalinenko.com/

Twitter: @AliMalinenko

I am an avid Steampunk fan.  It’s unique, it’s fresh, it adds elements of science, history, and supernatural all rolled into one.  Gail Carriger opened my eyes to this world with her Parasol Protectorate series.   After that I started scouring for books that were in the same genre, but not the same story.  When I got my new Kindle I started downloading freebies by the dozen.  The Lady of Devices by Shelley Adina was one of them and among the first that I read. 

Lady of Devices

Magnificent Devices Book One

London, 1889. Victoria is Queen. Charles Darwin's son is Prime Minister. And steam is the power that runs the world.

At 17, Claire Trevelyan, daughter of Viscount St. Ives, was expected to do nothing more than pour an elegant cup of tea, sew a fine seam, and catch a rich husband. Unfortunately, Claire's talents lie not in the ballroom, but in the chemistry lab, where things have a regrettable habit of blowing up. When her father gambles the estate on the combustion engine and loses, Claire finds herself down and out on the mean streets of London. But being a young woman of resources and intellect, she turns fortune on its head. It's not long before a new leader rises in the underworld, known only as the Lady of Devices.

When she meets Andrew Malvern, a member of the Royal Society of Engineers, she realizes her talents may encompass more than the invention of explosive devices. They may help her realize her dreams and his . . . if they can both stay alive long enough to see that sometimes the closest friendships can trigger the greatest betrayals . . . (Shelley Adina)

Like most Victorian based Steampunk novels, people had certain expectations of women in society. They were to be married to a well off family, and of course run the household, provide heirs for their husband, make sure they saved face in public so as not to ruin their social reputation, and more.  Lady Claire, however, likes to be heard, use her brain, and delve into the science aspect of the world. 

Though she was born to privilege, her word is torn asunder after her father loses all of their money and then proceeds to kill himself – in the middle of what is basically Claire’s coming out party.

Family in ruin her mother moves to their home in the country, and Claire is left behind to wrap up a few things before following.  However, her life is quickly put in danger by a mob that believes her family owes them for the money they lost.  Out on the street and turned away from those she once thought of as friends, Claire’s misadventures don’t end there.  After being robbed, she sets out after those who took her last precious items, and finds a new family in them.

Over all, the story was good, it was a fun read, but I think the character development could have gone a little deeper.  The Mopsies were perhaps my favorite, and I’m hoping in the next installment Claire’s personality expands a bit.  She’s a well thought out character, but there’s still room for development, and I think perhaps she fell back into the lap of luxury a bit too easily, but we’ll see how it goes, as I fully intend to pick up the next installment.

Would I recommend this book for any Steampunk enthusiast?  Absolutely.  Though I think the audience is more geared towards women.  

The Lady of Devices gets three stars for me.  It was cut two stars because after Lady Claire went to such lengths to keep her identity a secret, it was very easily given away, and because I would have liked to see a bit more of the other characters as well.