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All Men of Genius

by Lev A.C. Rosen (Goodreads Author)

3.71 of 5 stars 3.71 · rating details · 574 ratings · 197 reviews

Inspired by two of the most beloved works by literary masters, "All Men of Genius "takes place in an alternate Steampunk Victorian London, where science makes the impossible possible.

Violet Adams wants to attend Illyria College, a widely renowned school for the most brilliant up-and-coming scientific minds, founded by the late Duke Illyria, the greatest scientist of the Vi...more

Hardcover, 462 pages

Published September 27th 2011 by Tor Books

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Oct 16, 2011 All Things Urban Fantasy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-julia

Don’t make my mistake of picking up ALL MEN OF GENIUS when you’re on your way to bed. Hours later, bleary-eyed and sleepy, I was only halfway through the book and still fighting to keep reading, unable to put it down. Violet, Ashton, Jack and the befuddled Duke captivated me from the get go, and that was before the other Illyrian students even had a chance to win me over.

Even if I hadn’t fallen in love with the characters, I would have been a goner for the world-building. Rosen gives science the...more Don’t make my mistake of picking up ALL MEN OF GENIUS when you’re on your way to bed. Hours later, bleary-eyed and sleepy, I was only halfway through the book and still fighting to keep reading, unable to put it down. Violet, Ashton, Jack and the befuddled Duke captivated me from the get go, and that was before the other Illyrian students even had a chance to win me over.

Even if I hadn’t fallen in love with the characters, I would have been a goner for the world-building. Rosen gives science the same flash and dazzle as magic at Hogwarts, but with more adult consequences. Violet’s passion is machinery, but her best friend Jack is drawn to the biological sciences. “Animal testing” doesn’t even begin to cover the transplants and experiments that the students undertake. While Jack learns new and exciting things in college, he also comes to the realization that an idolized professor has no real empathy for the animals he augments.

Watching Jack find his own confidence was a subtle note in the background of Violet’s story, and one of many examples of how Rosen’s attention to detail manages to portray some incredibly realistic and important issues amidst all of the hilarity and science. Violet and her friends struggle with gender roles, sexual prejudice, and double standards galore. And while Violet’s crusade to enter the all-male Illyria College is a plan with a deadline (Violet is going to reveal her ruse at the end of her first year) her brother Ashton feels that he will always have to conceal his homosexuality from society and Miriam has no expectations that she’ll ever be able to marry the man she loves due to her dark skin and her religion.

ALL MEN OF GENIUS is a blend of adult issues and fairy tale optimism. The realistic issues that the characters face by no means drag down the tone of the book, but neither does Rosen pull any punches about these prejudices and obstacles. I hope so badly that ALL MEN OF GENIUS is going to be the first of many books in this parallel universe of magical science, as there are many more happy endings that I would enjoy reading.

Sexual Content: Kissing, references to sex, rape, prostitution, and a threesome.(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Sep 04, 2012 Katy Budget Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: magen

Magen says: All Men of Genius, by Lev AC Rosen, has got to be one of my favorite reads this year so far. Having delved into a few other sci-fi and fantasy novels recently and being sorely disappointed, I found this book to be an absolute joy to read. Besides, who can resist a tale of gender-bending subterfuge with a generous dose of steampunk to boot?

The characters were likable, the dialogue witty, and the juxtaposition of gender stereotypes between Violet and her brother Ashton was very well do...more

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Dec 20, 2011 Nafiza rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, 2011

I am not in the habit of mincing my words so I’m going to come right out and say it. Reading this was a painful experience. Not an impossible feat (like Shatter Me was but that’s another story) but very, very painful. But I persevered and completed it just so I can review it with a clean conscience.

I was sold on the book the moment I read the synopsis. I found the title to be particularly witty (All Men of Genius, only it’s a woman’s genius we are going to be seeing, get it?) and I thought that...more I am not in the habit of mincing my words so I’m going to come right out and say it. Reading this was a painful experience. Not an impossible feat (like Shatter Me was but that’s another story) but very, very painful. But I persevered and completed it just so I can review it with a clean conscience.

I was sold on the book the moment I read the synopsis. I found the title to be particularly witty (All Men of Genius, only it’s a woman’s genius we are going to be seeing, get it?) and I thought that the title reflected the content of the novel. So after lusting after the book for a week, I decided that eating was overrated and bought it. I needed to have it, okay? None of my libraries have it and none of them are considering getting it so…I had no choice. I’m telling you this so my review is framed in a way that will let you understand why I was so colossally disappointed.

I didn’t read this book expecting the worst. In fact, I began this book with a fervent hope that it would be insanely awesome.

Unfortunately, no one was listening to my prayers. The biggest obstacle I faced in my enjoyment to this novel was the writing. None of the characters are ever allowed to develop. The author either thinks readers are too dimwitted or he doesn’t trust our ability to decipher the subtext, that is, what’s happening between the lines. One of the greatest reasons I love reading is because while a good author builds the foundation for his/her story, the details are left for the reader to decode, interpret. You are allowed to draw what conclusions you will because that is what reading is. A personal affair. We are not given the chance to do so in All Men of Genius. The author insists on spelling out how each character feels, what his thoughts (and hence feelings may mean), his motivations, his dreams,every single thing. It’s like whatever free voice there may have been in the characters is choked off by the narrator’s (interfering and jarring) voice taking over. There is no subtlety and there is no flow to the narrative. And it pissed me off.

So, the writing was bad enough but couple that with flat, one dimensional characters (who aren’t able to be more because, well, the writing refuses to let them). They are not fleshed out, they are not interesting and they read more like representations of stock characters than original characters. Is this because this is a conflation of two different classic novels? I have no idea. I just know that any time an author uses “everyone laughs” or any other generalizing sentence, he/she kills whatever individuality that may have been present in the novel. If you want your characters to sound and act like real people, do not, seriously just don’t, lump them all together when narrating their reactions. Not all people will laugh and even if they do, you don’t need to say it because you risk your narrative sounding campy.

Moving on from the characters, let’s talk about the plot. Which is predictable and lacking twists. So this is a steampunk novel and I realize that you can’t be minutely versed in all aspects of mechanical engineering but if you are going to write about a genius, you should at least pretend in a sincere enough manner that your genius evinces her intelligence persuasively. The fact that she can make such complicated machines in so little time is not just improbable but also ridiculous and takes away from the believability of the novel. And the housekeeper becoming proficient at all things mechanical? Is it really that easy? It felt that the author did not do as much research on his topic as he needed to and usually, I don’t notice such things but when your subject requires a lot of jargon, or at least description of mechanical parts etc, you can’t help but notice the lack of it.

The romance. Oh. My. God. I think I mentioned that this book has the year’s worst love interest ever. Violet is, I believe, around fifteen years old. The love interest is no other than the “headmaster” of the school she is attending in disguise. He is also around thirty years old though he behaves like he is a hundred. A bare handful of meetings and Violet is falling in love. And oh dude, it is SO interesting that the narrative voice chimes in that “Violet doesn’t want to be in the company of other students because she doesn’t to feel attraction to them” or something to that effect. Or, on another occasion, insinuates that she can control whom she is attracted to because of course, with a college full of handsome men more her age, she is going to fall for the headmaster who is about as appealing as a turnip.

I was also, deeply, uncomfortable with the ease with which the casual killing of animals was related. They feel "sorry" about it but it’s for science so it’s okay. Um, no, it’s not. It felt vicious, callous and whatever little regard I had for the story, died along with the animals.

In conclusion, in case you haven’t figured it out by now and I need to spell it out (like the book does), I wouldn’t recommend this novel to you. I really wouldn’t. If you want to read steampunk, read The Spiritwalker Trilogy by Kate Elliott. Vastly superior in all ways that matter.(less)

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May 04, 2013 Elvira rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science_fiction

A story about a young woman, Violet, and her desire to prove herself worthy to pursue a college education, which is restricted to her based on the social convictions of the Victorian era. Her pursuit leads her to disguising herself as a man in order to enter the college under her twin brother’s name and begin her adventure in learning among some of the brightest and craziest young scientists in London. Violet will set on an adventure of discovery of herself and of other women around her who have...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Wealhtheow rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, victorian

Viola Adams has a gift for invention, and the best way to hone her skills is by attending the prestigious Illyria College. Illyria only accepts male students, so of course she masquerades as a boy to attend. While there, she runs into wacky professors, sinister clockwork automatons, and the far-too-sexy-for-her-good Duke. While she and the Duke battle their attraction for each other (he assuming she's a boy, she wanting to focus on her inventions), the Duke's ward Cecily falls in love with Viola...more Viola Adams has a gift for invention, and the best way to hone her skills is by attending the prestigious Illyria College. Illyria only accepts male students, so of course she masquerades as a boy to attend. While there, she runs into wacky professors, sinister clockwork automatons, and the far-too-sexy-for-her-good Duke. While she and the Duke battle their attraction for each other (he assuming she's a boy, she wanting to focus on her inventions), the Duke's ward Cecily falls in love with Viola. Meanwhile, one of Viola's fellow students plans to take over the world!

It's a bit like Twelfth Night mixed up in a blender with the Importance of Being Ernest, except without the transversive sexual tension of the first or the humor of either. The world building is odd--I could never tell exactly when it was supposed to take place. Judging from Ada Lovelace's age, it should be 1882, but it never felt like it, not even close. All historical details are kept very vague, which is frustrating to someone like me when reading an alternate history. I want to know exactly what's alternate about it! The steampunk feels pasted on, and it works like magic, not science. For someone supposedly obsessed with mechanical devices, Viola certainly thinks about them very little. She doesn't seem to learn a thing at Illyria, either--she spends all her days working on her own project, without needing professors' help, and her nights drinking with friends. Why then go to such effort to attend the college? She's never challenged, never has to study hard or singe her fingers on a mis-wired fiddly bit. Her inventing feels like a set piece, or like a randomly assigned character trait.

(One big point in this book's favor: it would have been very easy for Viola to be the Sole Exceptional Woman, but in fact she's surrounded by other women, from the girlish chemist Cecily to the sensible prostitute Fiona. There were, if anything, *too many* characters, but a good number of them were women.)

The plot is silly, like the professors are silly, in this very consciously twee style that apes Lemony Snicket's without approaching his light touch. There's no narrative tension, and the pacing is soooo slooooow. I really, really wanted to like this book, but the construction was just too lightweight and slapdash. I'd love to read a silly book with gender play and marauding robots, but with characters that read more genuinely, and humor that actually works.(less)

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Dec 21, 2011 Kelsey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, gaslamp

I am still pretty new to the steampunk genre, and I am still not sure how I feel about it. My first foray - Johannes Cabal the Necromancer - was not a success. But I am happy to report that this title has done considerable work to repair the damage the necromancer book did to my feelings about the genre.

All Men of Genius tags itself as a kind of steampunk-feminist blend of The Importance of Being Earnest and Shakespeare's Twelfth Night - which means you can pretty much guess the plot. Significa...more I am still pretty new to the steampunk genre, and I am still not sure how I feel about it. My first foray - Johannes Cabal the Necromancer - was not a success. But I am happy to report that this title has done considerable work to repair the damage the necromancer book did to my feelings about the genre.

All Men of Genius tags itself as a kind of steampunk-feminist blend of The Importance of Being Earnest and Shakespeare's Twelfth Night - which means you can pretty much guess the plot. Significant differences include our Violet *cough*Viola*cough* is not shipwrecked by an actual ship, but instead by the suffocating culturally entrenched sexism of the Victorian era. Ernest/Jack has been merged with the Duke Orsino as the Duke of Illyria, Cecily and Olivia have combined themselves so as to occupy the same space in the plot. Other characters also appear in strange combinations, named entirely to tickle fans of the plays, I'm sure.

But despite the fact that you will most likely be able to guess the plot from start to finish, its still an enjoyable romp to get there.

Some people will note that I said Feminist in addition to the steam punk. If this worries you, it probably shouldn't. In essence, this is like a Victorian novel without all the casual racism, sexism, homophobia or general moralizing tsk tsk noises over how ankle exposure is ruining the concentration of young men everywhere (You are not totally free of somewhat maudlin romance. I think it comes part and parcel with the territory). If you really miss any of those things you can probably go read Wuthering Heights again. This book is feminist also in that ~~Viola~~ Violet's thesis for her gender swapping experiment is basically a feminist one - that your reproductive organs are not an indication of total ability. There is a secondary thesis that said organs should also not dictate your lifestyle, and place in society. Its pretty non-judgemental, overall. This is about as non controversial as feminism gets in my opinion.

So Yeah, I liked it. Its a good comedy of errors style romp with some shiny brass cogs and a healthy dose of self awareness. Its heavy on the cheese, but did you really expect it not to be?
(less)

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Dec 21, 2011 Sarah Sullivan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: slatebreakers, young-adult

This is a Steampunk retelling of both Twelfth Night and The Importance of Being Earnest set in a London boarding school. Obviously my expectations were high, and those expectations were met. Loved Violet, and the supporting characters, thought the details in the retelling and the way the 2 stories wove together and a new story was created was pretty masterful. Full review available on Slatebreakers at http://slatebreakers.com/2011/12/13/s...

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Aug 15, 2011 Lexie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: autographed, genre-steampunk, genre-historical, review-blog

Prelim Review: As a big time fan of both Twelfth Night and The Importance of Being Earnest, plus steampunk, this was a natural fit for me to enjoy. I had met the author at BEA this year during a double signing with Edward Lazellari for TOR (my publisher for life), but knew nothing about the book. However soon as I began walking away from the table I looked at the backcover and was like 'HOW COULD I NOT KNOW OF THIS?' and almost turned around to fangirl at Rosen just on the grounds of what the bo...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Tiffany rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-lead-s, feminist, female-character-i-loved, steampunk

I loved it! A fun homage to your classic comedy of errors! Plus its a steampunk novel which involves a cross-dressing female protagonist- what can be better!?

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Jan 16, 2012 Heidi Ward rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, adventure, victoriana, academics-or-schools, london-and-england, 21st-century, 19th-century, books-about-books-or-writing, romance, comedy-of-manners, alternative-history, own

All Men of Genius is a charming foray into a developing genre that might be called "whimsical adult fiction." (See also Gail Carriger, Lev Grossman, etc.) Drawing on both Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde for tone and characterization, Lev AC Rosen’s debut novel is a sparkling Victorian steampunk concoction of romance, intrigue, cross-dressing, mistaken identity and lots and lots of moving parts – some of them quite dangerous.

When Violet Adams, a talented and visionary young scientist, applies to the...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Justin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-debut, steampunk, 2011-release, read-2012, macmillan

http://staffersmusings.blogspot.com/2012...

I had a bit of frustration with Lev AC Rosen's debut novel, All Men of Genius, and I recognize it may be a controversial one as it has nothing to do withhis talent as a writer or the quality of his novel. In fact, the novel's voice is great, using third personomniscientthat strikes a perfect balance of authentic Victorian and modern convention. The tagline on the dust jacket calling it inspired by Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and Wilde's The Importance o...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Julia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, steam-punk, arcs

ALL MEN OF GENIUS provides the playful wonder of a Harry Potter book with the adult themes of troubled Victorian society. Gender, sexual, and racial discrimination abound, and not all of our heros are guaranteed a happy ending. Rosen does a wonderful job making the science labs of Illyrian as magical as any Hogwarts lab, and adds a sexual spice that never quite broke the mold of polite society (though Mrs. Wilde's mail order business came close). The story did lag a bit for me in the middle, if...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Annelise L'Estrange rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: alternative-universe, historical, m-m

This was the best book that I've read this year. I can't say I wasn't expecting the end, but the ways that lead the story to it surprised me a lot and in a very good way!

(view spoiler)...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Ollie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: back-in-the-day, steampunk, true-lol

So some may pick this off the shelf and say "Bleh, another shakespeare parody." That, my friend is exactly what it is, to the nth degree of creativity. I don't know how he did it, but the formula of Shakespearian drama, true steampunk, and a pinch of tela novella drama completely worked. Completely. And I was laughing the whole way through.

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Mar 26, 2013 Sara rated it 2 of 5 stars

This came highly recommended, so I was especially disappointed in it.
We begin with the extremely hackneyed theme of 'I'm going to dress as a boy so I can go to school since women aren't allowed in schools.' Not to say this can't be interesting, but Rosen did nothing new at all. Then the heroine, who is supposed to be a genius, somehow has plotted this whole plan out without realizing she'll have to dress, walk, and talk like a man, until her brother mentions this to her offhandedly on the carria...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Lou rated it 3 of 5 stars

Once in awhile I like to read a book outside of the romance genre. All Men of Genius was a fun and addictive read, though, the development of the characters didn’t go very deep. It’s also not a YA, which I was mistaken about when I tweeted about it!

The heroine, Violet Adams, is a young scientist but she’s forced to create her work in her own basement because society doesn’t allow for females to be scientists. Even the servants of the household do not approve of Violet and whisper about her mad a...more Once in awhile I like to read a book outside of the romance genre. All Men of Genius was a fun and addictive read, though, the development of the characters didn’t go very deep. It’s also not a YA, which I was mistaken about when I tweeted about it!

The heroine, Violet Adams, is a young scientist but she’s forced to create her work in her own basement because society doesn’t allow for females to be scientists. Even the servants of the household do not approve of Violet and whisper about her mad and unsavory creations. Violet knows that life on the marriage mart is somewhere she cannot be. She wants to attend Illyria College, where the brightest of scientists are admitted to learn and improve in their chosen crafts; Violet is a craft-master at machines and steam engine contraptions. There’s one issue and that is Illyria College does not allow females to attend–only men. This is unacceptable to Violet so she hatches up a plan with her twin brother, Ashton. Violet will send an application to Illyria in the disguise of her brother, Ashton. It’s a risky and dangerous plan as it could land Violet in jail for impersonating a man, and it will ruin the reputation of the family.

What I liked so much about All Men of Genius was the messages littered throughout the novel–and through Violet as a character–acknowledging the inequalities that women faced. Violet was a great character who was unapologetically super-smart, and her cross-dressing made for some very fun reading. I don’t often read books by male authors, but I’ll definitely be reading more books by Lev A.C Rosen who is a very talented writer. Whilst I loved some parts of the book, I thought that some aspects of the book were weak.

The plot of the book didn’t have a strong main hook. The baddie turned out to be somewhat of a caricature, and I didn’t feel there was any strong or impending doom or danger. The beginning made for very slow reading, and it took awhile for Violet to reach the college. I also didn’t like the romance because the characters weren’t developed and everyone was quickly paired off in a romance which came off as quite contrived. The book also has middle book syndrome where the middle seems to run on and on.

I didn’t particularly have very strong feelings for Ernest, and I wasn’t that invested in his romance with Violet. The biggest problem I had was that not enough characters were developed enough to really understand them, and there were too many characters introduced. Ernest’s ward, Cecily, I found to be annoying rather than sweet and cute.

What I hated in the book was the science experiments on animals, and it was abhorrent what the scientists did to the poor animals. I couldn’t find much humour in the talking rabbit who swore like a sailor.

All Men of Genius ended up being a mixed bag for me. I wanted a stronger plot, but the middle and end didn’t really engage me and hook me. Violet’s charade is quickly revealed and concluded at the end of the book which seemed a tad rushed. But I loved Violet and she was the star of the book for me.

I give All Men of Genius a C(less)

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Jan 28, 2013 Claire rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-fairs-spring-2013, gay-interest, gay-lesbian-characters, gms-spring, high-school-and-beyond, high-school-fairs, notre-dame, steampunk

An amusing farce set in an steam and gear driven Victorian London. Violet and her twin brother Ashton, the children of a controversial and brilliant astronomer see a rare opportunity to pursue their passions when Father goes off to America for a year long conference and tour. Violet wants to study science and Ashton the arts and hopefully, romance. Each twin understands each day that their talents and interests fly in the face of Victorian convention and to truly investigate and grow into who th...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio-book, steampunk

I picked this up off of the new audio books shelf at my local library. I got a recommendation as I was checking it out. “You will love the humor” was the comment. They were right. As I listened to the book I had many laugh out loud moments. Violet, Ashton, Jack Cecily, Miriam, Drew, Toby, The Duke, and Fiona along with all of the other side characters were wonderful.

I did have to suspend disbelief when reading that Violet managed to pass as a man for an entire school year but that was part of th...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Malakalima rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, ya-fiction, science-fiction

The last quarter was fantastic. Absolutely hilarious. I could barely keep from guffawing as I was reading it in the library and other public places.
I was very disappointed with the first 3/4, to be frank. It isn't written very well, and I found it a bit tedious. I also intensely disliked how the author switches from viewpoint to another in the same scene without even a paragraph break or marker to help the reader know the view has changed. I have no problem reading from different perspectives, b...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Victoria Gaile rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Geek girls & women, steampunk fans

Shelves: steampunk, feminism, science-fiction

This was delightful. In terms of basic flavor, think Tamora Pierce's Alanna books (Alanna: The First Adventure), but transposed to a steampunk Victorian London and a cast of college-age characters. (And without the eventual corruption of the twin brother into a villain, thank goodness.)

Although it doesn't really have the feel of a science fiction book, I decided to shelve it as SF also because, along with the plot, character development, period manners, and steampunk tropes, this book also eloqu...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Vanessa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk

The irony of the title of ALL MEN OF GENIUS by newcomer Lev A.C. Rosen is that the main character is 17-year-old Violet. While not exactly a tomboy, she's a scientist at heart and isn't afraid of the grime, oil, and dirt involved in her love of making machines. Unfortunately for her, the exclusive London-based science university, Illyria, doesn't accept women. Violet, however, is reckless enough to concoct a scheme that allows her to attend the university--posing as her twin brother Ashton.

ALL M...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Lisa Shafer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk

I found this novel while searching for YA steampunk, and it kept me riveted for hours. Truly!
I absolutely loved how Rosen worked in the elements and characters of 12th Night, The Importance of Being Earnest, and even a touch of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. However, the plot was so intricate and well-paced, and the characters were so well-developed that I think a reader with no real familiarity with the older works would still enjoy this tale.
It is steampunk. It is feminist. It is funny. It is touch...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Wordwizard rated it 2 of 5 stars

Really should be three stars, but for the unrealized potential. This is a cool idea, but I think it would have been better realized by dropping some of the Importance of Being Ernest and Twelfth Night parallels and just telling the story. I don't know Twelfth Night very well, but I do have a slight familiarity with IoBE, and a lot of little in-jokes or references were made that seemed strained (Jack's obsession with muffins, the references to baby carriages and novels, etc.).

Furthermore, while...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Fade rated it 2 of 5 stars

The prose is bland as water. Which I might mind less if it had an engaging voice, but instead it's all narrated in bland omniscient. There's no sense of personality to the narration, which moves freely from one head to another so that half the time I was confused to who was observing what. The protagonist is a moron, and appears to have been written by someone who doesn't speak with women very often. (I have a hard time believing that a young lady with a "womanly figure" would have to be informe...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Bayla rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: shakespeare-related, alternate-history

This book was a sort-of retelling of Twelfth Night and The Importance of Being Earnest, and some mad science, with a school-story aspect thrown in. If you've read and liked Twelfth Night and The Importance of Being Earnest, you'll probably enjoy the references and jokes about them -- I know I did. However, though I enjoyed it, I had a few problems with this story:

As some other reviews have mentioned, the characters are somewhat flat and typecast. Even the Malvolio character (Malcolm Volio) who,...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Marsha rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction-speculative-fiction, young-adult

I found myself of two minds while reading this novel. Mr. Rosen’s book is a clever pastiche and homage to other writers. The literary sources serve as a backdrop to a colorful story about mad science, romance and adventure (okay, perhaps there’s a little bit of Girl Genius in it, too). However, the nudge-nudge-wink-wink aspect of the literary references at times overwhelmed the story. At times, I caught myself rolling my eyes and smirking at their obviousness instead of being caught up in the ev...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Laurie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Seventeen year old Violet Adams’s greatest desire is to attend Illyria College, the premiere institution of science, but the college only admits men. She’s not about to let this stand in her way, though. She has a male twin brother, and their father is going away to America for a year, so she submits her application to the college in her brother’s name, cuts her hair, binds her breasts and takes some of her inventions to the interview at the school. Accepted as Ashton Adams, she packs her things...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Stacey O'Neale rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review was completed by Amanda Harbin, staff reviewer with the YA Fantasy Guide.

When Simon Cowell was on American Idol and a contestant would get up on stage and attempt to belt out a Whitney or a Mariah song they were almost always given the same criticism, if you’re gonna sing a legends song then you better be prepared to sing like a legend. These were my first thoughts when I heard about All Men of Genius An author who takes on the ambitious task of paying tribute to literary icons such...more This review was completed by Amanda Harbin, staff reviewer with the YA Fantasy Guide.

When Simon Cowell was on American Idol and a contestant would get up on stage and attempt to belt out a Whitney or a Mariah song they were almost always given the same criticism, if you’re gonna sing a legends song then you better be prepared to sing like a legend. These were my first thoughts when I heard about All Men of Genius An author who takes on the ambitious task of paying tribute to literary icons such as William Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde in the same novel while creating something entirely unique, is either a sadist, a genius or a little bit of both. Having never conversed with Mr. Lev Rosen, the author of All Men of Genius I can only assume that he must be a little bit of both.

This novel is not for beginners or for anyone looking for a mindless read. This book is meant to be savored slowly over time. The complex layering of fascinating characters, plots, recognition of some of the more subtle Shakespearean and Wilde elements require the reader to allow the story to digest little by little. Don’t be misled into thinking that this is a difficult read, it is not. But it is a treasure chest of imaginative story-telling, the likes of which you won’t want to miss a single morsel.

This book is for people who like to sip their tea…after they’ve spiked it with a bit of whiskey! Rosen perfectly marries Shakespeare and Wilde in a sophisticated but edgy voice that still makes the reader feel as if they are reading a piece of classic literature.

This was one of the most enjoyable books I have read in quite some time. It was energetic, adventurous and uplifting. The prose and action play out in such a way that the reader often finds themselves visualizing the story as production. This will be especially true for anyone familiar with Oscare Wilde and/or William Shakespeare.

You don’t have to be a Shakespeare addict to appreciate this novel. Steampunk fans will be equally engaged in watching each piece of the story fall into perfect place just like the ever moving gears within the walls of Illyria. All Men of Genius gets a standing ovation from this reviewer! Well Done! Bravo!(less)

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Jan 22, 2012 Nonny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books, 5-stars, gblt, steampunk

This is one of the most excellent steampunk novels I've read in quite awhile. Hell, novels, period. I just spent three days in a power outage reading this by candlelight (as it's a library copy) instead of reading something on my much-more-brightly-lit Nook Color.

I described this book to my husband as Harry Potter meets Tamora Pierce's Alanna quartet meets steampunk. I admit, I have a particular love for girl-disguises-self-as-boy-and-proves-everyone-wrong storylines, so if that's really not you...more This is one of the most excellent steampunk novels I've read in quite awhile. Hell, novels, period. I just spent three days in a power outage reading this by candlelight (as it's a library copy) instead of reading something on my much-more-brightly-lit Nook Color.

I described this book to my husband as Harry Potter meets Tamora Pierce's Alanna quartet meets steampunk. I admit, I have a particular love for girl-disguises-self-as-boy-and-proves-everyone-wrong storylines, so if that's really not your cuppa, you might not enjoy this.

I loved the characters. Violet was incredibly relatable to me as a fellow geeky girl, and I loved the presence of so many other strong women characters. Something that has often annoyed me about many books of this particular trope is that frequently, because the girl has to disguise herself as a boy, the only other characters you see are male. Even Tamora Pierce's fantastic Alanna books suffered this in the first two books of the quartet, until Alanna completed her training and revealed herself as a woman (although Eleni and Rispah were awesome, they were not frequently on screen).

In addition to Violet, there are Cecily and Miriam, Fiona and Ada (SQUEE -- Ada fucking Lovelace, hellyeah!), and even Mrs. Wilkes is a strong character in her own right. All of them were well characterized and had depths of their own.

I also especially liked that there were many openly gay characters. The heroine's twin brother is gay, and it's not really made a big deal of. I mean, it is Victorian England based, so it's... not spoken of, generally, but the heroine certainly didn't think less of anyone for it, nor did her friends seem to.

My one complaint about the book is that the villain is not as well fleshed out and is very one dimensional. The secret society that he is supposedly part of also doesn't really play into things. I honestly felt that the villain plotline could have been left out entirely (at least in its entirety; the first part of the story made sense, but the rest felt superfluous to me), because there was PLENTY of conflict just with everything else. It annoys me that so many authors seem to feel that they have to include a world-domination-inclined evil villain, and they really don't.

However, that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. It would've been better served without it, but frankly, I loved this story.(less)

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Dec 13, 2011 Nathan Alderman rated it 3 of 5 stars

Proof that a high concept can sometimes trump a shaky execution. Rosen has a bad habit of telling you exactly what his characters are thinking and feeling, and why they do what they do. Sometimes that can be nicely done, as in his brief but poignant character sketch of train designer Matthias Forney, but mostly it comes across a bit amateurish and inelegant. Some of the writing and characterization also seems to echo the weaker, chums-at-school aspects of the Harry Potter books. And if you think...more

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About Lev A.C. Rosen

LEV AC ROSEN grew up in Manhattan. He attended Oberlin College and received his MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence. His work has been featured in Esopus Magazine and on various blogs including Tor.com. He lives in lower Manhattan.

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Quotes from All Men of Genius

“I don’t recommend emulating the behavior of any of the characters contained within. They’re all quite mad.
The truth is, I have no idea what I’m talking about.
Except about love. We all know a little about that. Or nothing at all. In any case, we’re all on equal footing." (Author’s Note)” — 3 people liked it

“Spinsterhood didn’t matter much to her; she was already married to science.” — 2 people liked it

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