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The Alexander Legacy #1
A Dodge a Twist and a Tobacconist
A literary dream team of crime fighters including characters from Dickens, Stevenson, Austen, Kipling, Doyle, and even a nod to some writers across the pond. Prowl the foggy alleyways on the track of a ruthless enslaver of souls. Travel the Thames in a Giant Catfish. Soar over London in a stealth glider, and witness the true redemption and restoration no one imagined.
"He's going to ram Twist's ship," Kera breathed. "They'll both crash into the house and Mrs. Rose just might have her bomb going off."
I ran along the edge of the roof as if I were looking for a shot. But I already knew my pistol was empty, useless, and the guard was trying to get around another gable to get a clear shot while staying behind cover. I had come to a conclusion a moment earlier that I dared not say out loud lest I be grabbed and thrown down on the roof by both women, but I knew what I had to do.
Just as the spy craft hove around the corner of the house, only a few feet away from the airship, I launched myself off the roof. The smaller ship disappeared and my heart leaped in panic at the thought of being sliced into quarters by the tail rotor. But my fingertips caught hold of a solid object. I found the fuselage of the spy ship and wrapped my legs around it. The thing slewed and spun and began to fall tail-first toward the green lawn.
"He's going to ram Twist's ship," Kera breathed. "They'll both crash into the house and Mrs. Rose just might have her bomb going off."
I ran along the edge of the roof as if I were looking for a shot. But I already knew my pistol was empty, useless, and the guard was trying to get around another gable to get a clear shot while staying behind cover. I had come to a conclusion a moment earlier that I dared not say out loud lest I be grabbed and thrown down on the roof by both women, but I knew what I had to do.
Just as the spy craft hove around the corner of the house, only a few feet away from the airship, I launched myself off the roof. The smaller ship disappeared and my heart leaped in panic at the thought of being sliced into quarters by the tail rotor. But my fingertips caught hold of a solid object. I found the fuselage of the spy ship and wrapped my legs around it. The thing slewed and spun and began to fall tail-first toward the green lawn.
302 pages, ebook
First published October 9, 2012
30 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
About the author
Sophronia Belle Lyon
11 books19 followersSophronia Belle Lyon grew up in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, reading HG Welles, Jules Verne and other classics. She dressed up and acted out scenes with friends much like Louisa May Alcott's beloved "Little Women," and got to be a cauldron spirit in Macbeth in fourth grade. She traveled to Italy by way of Iceland and Luxembourg. She's taken apart her share of clocks to study the gearworks and feels well-prepared to enter the Steampunk genre. Hundreds of cat friends informed her about Bagheera's attitudes and manners. Oliver Twist's oblivious, eccentric habits came from the Science-absorbed men in her life, and her love for weapons translated into the well-armed members of the Alexander Legacy Company. She travels widely, shoots when she can, collects swords and knives, but is so far too shy to be photographed.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 5, 2014
Fun mix of characters. Heavy Christian references, which is not mentioned in any of the reviews I read. Not sure if I liked that aspect or not, but is a big part of the story.
January 2, 2013
I very much enjoyed it. I'm going to be interviewing the author on my blog here before long - as soon as I get her the questions and she has time to respond, now that I'm done reading the book - and I'll also share a bit of a mini-review...but let me just say briefly here that I enjoyed the book and definitely recommend it.
I'll post my little mini-review below. This review first appeared in my blog where I had the privilege of interviewing the author, Sophronia Belle Lyon. To check out the full interview--which was a delight to conduct--here it is.
Ms. Lyon has gifted us with an exciting adventure that pairs beloved characters from Dickens, Alcott, Stevenson and more in a crime-fighting unit set in Victorian London with steampunk overtones. If you have no idea what in the world I’m rambling on about, let me assure you that A Dodge, A Twist and a Tobacconist may still be for you! I would hate for some potential readers to have doubts based on a word like steampunk, which may be unfamiliar, and pass up the rewarding and enjoyable experience of reading this book. It’s great fun to spend time with these familiar characters, but I believe that even readers unfamiliar with the original stories will get drawn in to the plot and the mystery contained within these pages.
I didn’t love everything about the experience. My biggest quibble—and it really is nothing more than a quibble, one that might not even faze many readers—were fairly frequent “reports” given by some characters that the author uses as an excuse to present certain scenes with first person narration by secondary characters. These are not presented, however, as dialogue by the characters involved, but rather as narration indistinguishable from the first person narration provided by Florizel, the narrator. In dialogue, these different characters maintain distinct personalities (indeed, the diction is sometimes so heavy as to make some dialogue difficult to follow), so it’s a bit perplexing why these “reports” all sound the same. In the course of the story, these little detours are presented as reports delivered by certain characters to the rest of the crime-fighting team at the heart of the story; however, they took me out of the story since they read as traditional narration rather than the situation reports they claim to be. A character giving a report on a crime scene would probably not spend time describing extraneous details like a witness’ dress or eye color.
But that was, as I say, a pretty minor complaint. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I recommend it whole-heartedly to readers who enjoy a variety of types of fiction. The inventions are fun, the characters memorable, the mystery engaging and the writing enjoyable. Additionally, A Dodge, A Twist and a Tobacconist is available in two forms: the standard version and a special illustrated edition full of vintage images and neat little Victorian touches. Both are perfectly affordable and both make a great read.
I'll post my little mini-review below. This review first appeared in my blog where I had the privilege of interviewing the author, Sophronia Belle Lyon. To check out the full interview--which was a delight to conduct--here it is.
Ms. Lyon has gifted us with an exciting adventure that pairs beloved characters from Dickens, Alcott, Stevenson and more in a crime-fighting unit set in Victorian London with steampunk overtones. If you have no idea what in the world I’m rambling on about, let me assure you that A Dodge, A Twist and a Tobacconist may still be for you! I would hate for some potential readers to have doubts based on a word like steampunk, which may be unfamiliar, and pass up the rewarding and enjoyable experience of reading this book. It’s great fun to spend time with these familiar characters, but I believe that even readers unfamiliar with the original stories will get drawn in to the plot and the mystery contained within these pages.
I didn’t love everything about the experience. My biggest quibble—and it really is nothing more than a quibble, one that might not even faze many readers—were fairly frequent “reports” given by some characters that the author uses as an excuse to present certain scenes with first person narration by secondary characters. These are not presented, however, as dialogue by the characters involved, but rather as narration indistinguishable from the first person narration provided by Florizel, the narrator. In dialogue, these different characters maintain distinct personalities (indeed, the diction is sometimes so heavy as to make some dialogue difficult to follow), so it’s a bit perplexing why these “reports” all sound the same. In the course of the story, these little detours are presented as reports delivered by certain characters to the rest of the crime-fighting team at the heart of the story; however, they took me out of the story since they read as traditional narration rather than the situation reports they claim to be. A character giving a report on a crime scene would probably not spend time describing extraneous details like a witness’ dress or eye color.
But that was, as I say, a pretty minor complaint. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I recommend it whole-heartedly to readers who enjoy a variety of types of fiction. The inventions are fun, the characters memorable, the mystery engaging and the writing enjoyable. Additionally, A Dodge, A Twist and a Tobacconist is available in two forms: the standard version and a special illustrated edition full of vintage images and neat little Victorian touches. Both are perfectly affordable and both make a great read.
November 6, 2012
Rose and the Campbell Clan the leaders of a secret society? Oliver Twist an eccentric inventor ahead of his time? Mowgli and Bagheera tracking a villain through the streets of London?
What if the characters from your favorite Victorian-era classics crossed paths with one another? What if the heroes from those books had to work together to defeat a singular villain from one of those books?
Such is the case with "A Dodge, A Twist, and A Tobacconist." Sophronia Lyon cleverly matches characters from the works of Dickens, Stevenson, Kipling, and even Alcott, all in the setting of a London "crime drama" that will have the reader guessing from the very start. Combined with a well-placed "steampunk" vibe, Sophronia maintains the integrity of these well-loved authors, while remixing them into an entirely new adventure in the high-action, well-developed style of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." She not only adopts the style of the authors, but continues their "legacy" of social and moral values. The issues raised in this adventure are treated with the same conviction as the ones who personally witnessed the corruption and wrote about it.
I adored the old books, and reading this one was like a reunion of them all. The original authors would be proud to see their characters treated with such tactful respect, in a novel that also deals with the same social evils the authors themselves tried to speak against.
Sophronia has begun excellently, and I look forward to a continuation of the series!
What if the characters from your favorite Victorian-era classics crossed paths with one another? What if the heroes from those books had to work together to defeat a singular villain from one of those books?
Such is the case with "A Dodge, A Twist, and A Tobacconist." Sophronia Lyon cleverly matches characters from the works of Dickens, Stevenson, Kipling, and even Alcott, all in the setting of a London "crime drama" that will have the reader guessing from the very start. Combined with a well-placed "steampunk" vibe, Sophronia maintains the integrity of these well-loved authors, while remixing them into an entirely new adventure in the high-action, well-developed style of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." She not only adopts the style of the authors, but continues their "legacy" of social and moral values. The issues raised in this adventure are treated with the same conviction as the ones who personally witnessed the corruption and wrote about it.
I adored the old books, and reading this one was like a reunion of them all. The original authors would be proud to see their characters treated with such tactful respect, in a novel that also deals with the same social evils the authors themselves tried to speak against.
Sophronia has begun excellently, and I look forward to a continuation of the series!
June 14, 2014
Leaving the mock-Victorian pen name aside, this book seemed an interesting idea on the description but the amateurish writing and overblown attempt to mimic Victorian English gives the impression that it is more a failed attempt to join in the Steampunk craze.
Where it goes wrong is in mixing accents across classes and American spelling to the extent that it's impossible to miss the fact that it's imitation by someone unfamiliar with actual English cultural idioms. The setting could be described as Alternative Victorian, but I wouldn't call it Steampunk.
There is a lot of info dumping. The plot is rather dull and a lot of dialogue goes by without anything happening for long periods of time.
The story isn't marketed as Christian Fiction but rather obviously is.
All things considered, it was an interesting idea but I think the writer should stick within their own culture or those she has at least experienced first hand. On a positive note, the editing was meticulous and I think the writer could develop with more practice.
Where it goes wrong is in mixing accents across classes and American spelling to the extent that it's impossible to miss the fact that it's imitation by someone unfamiliar with actual English cultural idioms. The setting could be described as Alternative Victorian, but I wouldn't call it Steampunk.
There is a lot of info dumping. The plot is rather dull and a lot of dialogue goes by without anything happening for long periods of time.
The story isn't marketed as Christian Fiction but rather obviously is.
All things considered, it was an interesting idea but I think the writer should stick within their own culture or those she has at least experienced first hand. On a positive note, the editing was meticulous and I think the writer could develop with more practice.
January 30, 2020
Facile religious nonsense
An otherwise pleasant and harmless piece of steampunk writing is made unreadable by the fundamentalist Christian preaching of the author.
Not just the usual fairy tales of organised religion but the full-blown bigotry of the American backwoods version, even arguing for the stupidity of an earth just a few thousand years old.
Poor writing is one thing - unmitigated ignorance quite another.
An otherwise pleasant and harmless piece of steampunk writing is made unreadable by the fundamentalist Christian preaching of the author.
Not just the usual fairy tales of organised religion but the full-blown bigotry of the American backwoods version, even arguing for the stupidity of an earth just a few thousand years old.
Poor writing is one thing - unmitigated ignorance quite another.
July 23, 2014
I’ll be honest, Steampunk is not my go-to fantasy genre, especially after a particularly disastrous foray with a series that has been put in my ‘Never to be Named’ pile. However, I find the idea of a Christian Steampunk version of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen intriguing. And this book was certainly interesting.
Plot – Grade A
The prime focus of this book is on establishing the crime-fighting gang and going after the criminal organization run by a man only known as “Dodge.” What makes this book fun is how many secondary/background and lesser known main characters are the featured heroes. I think the only well-known characters people will recognize right away would be Oliver Twist and Mowgli although Austen enthusiasts will no doubt be quite cheered to see someone other than Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet joining the ranks. The crime organization has been exploiting the poorest of the poor, the orphans, pickpockets, prostitutes, and slaves to pull off a rather complex plot and it takes the heroes piecing together the varied clues and desperately hunting for the “Dodge” before they start to realize there’s even more at stake here than they originally thought. There is a twist near the end of the book that was somewhat expected from my perspective but I thought it was handled well as it also set up the next book quite nicely.
Content – Grade A-
Okay, I struggled with how to rate the content on this one. It wasn’t so much the meat of the content that was occasionally troubled me as it was the execution of the content. This book addresses the various issues associated with human trafficking in a very blunt manner. Lyon does not shy away from the darkness of this practice, which is good, but at times it seems too in your face, so to speak. In particular, toward the last quarter of the book, one of the main characters is attacked and sodomized. What troubled me was the fact that our narrator and the doctor can’t bring themselves to say “sodomy” out loud but then every character save the one who was victimized began talking about it to the extent it felt as though they were harping on it. It went from we can’t say it out loud, which would have been more than efficient to communicate what happened and why the character reacts the way he does in the aftermath, to everyone is harping on the fact that the boys captured in the human trafficking rings often killed themselves to avoid being sodomized and the character was sodomized and so on and so forth. This may not bother some readers or they will instead appreciate the way Lyon doesn’t shy away from being so very blunt about the evil and traumatizing results of sodomy, but others like me may feel the handling this particular situation could have been presented just a little differently and still achieve the emotional impact.
There is violence in this book, but it was handled well and the most graphic description was the characters’ reactions to a horrifyingly grotesque facial injury (if it makes a doctor and a former mercenary cry out, you know it’s bad). Language is hinted at but all cursing takes place off-screen with one of the good guys reacting by squirting the cursing minion in the mouth with soap. I will admit that I found several of the good guys annoying and I did not connect with them at all. But, the worst offender was the “fearless lady leader” Mrs. Phoebe Moore-Campbell…she was too perfect and practically worshipped by all the other characters. She was perilously close to being a “Mary Sue” with a near-perfect halo, especially when she seems to provide the most spiritual wisdom. It was a bit odd how Phoebe and her spiritual nuggets came across as more preachy than the minister and his sermon, but I think it was a matter of execution. I hope that improves as the character is dealt with more and is rounded out a little more through other narrators’ eyes. Evangelism is a VERY big part of this book as well, which I don’t mind except when it feels a little too contrived and there was one instance where the evangelism did feel almost too convenient, especially when you already had one minion turn ally and become a Christian and then oh, there’s another one. Yes, it can and does happen in real life but it felt contrived in the story.
There is also romance within this book. However, the romance subplots weren’t as well-developed as I would have hoped. The main romance subplot I knew was going to happen as soon as she’s introduced and that’s okay. It was a little weird when she kept calling him her “father in Christ” even as he develops feelings for her and she develops them for him, but they did seem to go together. What confused me was when he professes his feelings for her and calls himself old while she’s young, because I thought he was either right on the cusp of 30 or just past 30 while she’s in her early 20s. But then she says “I will kiss your graying head” and some other stuff that would have been very romantic if I hadn’t been too busy going “Huh? Wait, is he older than I thought or is she a lot younger than I thought?” The second romantic subplot felt like a case of insta-love or at least insta-crush on her part. The character kisses her twice and she loves him and apparently he loves her even though he wasn’t interested in love at all just a chapter or two ago. I couldn’t decide if more time passed than I thought (weeks instead of days) or if it really was just days between their first meeting and “oh, we’re getting married.”
Technical – Grade B
This book does have some typos, but they’re not plaguing every page or every paragraph. The first true typo didn’t appear until about halfway through the book. However, there are two places where the narrative abruptly switched midsentence from first person to third person. There are also some places where it feels as though it’s a first person narrative trying to be a third person narrative.
The handling of accents varies from author to author and the style, such as whether it’s written out in an exaggerated manner or merely hinted at with a specific accent-flavored word or two, also varies. Lyon opted to write out her characters’ accents. I personally would have preferred it if she had only one main character and then a handful of secondary characters with very short speaking parts with these written out accents but between Sluefoot Sue and the cockney accents of many of the other Londoners, it was painful for me to read. Sluefoot Sue’s southern/western accent (“Ah” for “I” is very southern for me) was perhaps the most painful but when she was holding a conversation with someone with a cockney accent…I couldn’t understand what they were saying and, consequently, kept having to re-read a piece of the conversation to figure out what in the world they just said. The Russian character’s accent was the most legible of these written out accents. I hope the accents are somewhat toned down and tweaked in further books since they can make it very difficult for anyone who has dyslexia or other reading difficulties.
The phrasing and pacing of the book was rather clunky in the beginning and didn’t flow well. For example, even though this is a first person narrative, the narrator twice describes someone staring into his gray eyes. I think Lyon was probably trying to avoid the mirror trick for describing her narrator but how often do you go through the day thinking about what color your eyes are when you’re not being asked about the color? Ironically, a little bit later in the chapter, the character’s sister is described as having the family gray eyes, which is where I would have put in the little addendum that the trait is shared with the narrator if I had been tackling a similar scene. If I hadn’t been scheduled to review this one, I probably would have stopped before I finished Chapter 7 since it still hadn’t grabbed my attention. However, once we do get to chapter 8, things pick up and I was intrigued by the plot and how were things going and when would a specific character realize that “Dodge” is who I know he is among other things.
Final Grade – a B or 4 Stars
The plot intrigued me, even though it took a while for it to start really building up steam, and I appreciated how faith was woven into a Steampunk novel (a rare occurrence). I am interested in finding out how the plot twist at the end is handled in the second book so it will be in my To Read pile. However, due to the content dealt with, I would recommend this book for mature Christians and add that parents need to read the book in order to discuss the issues raised with their older teenagers. Recommended for ages 17 and up.
*Please note I was provided a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not paid to provide a positive review. My opinions are my own.
Plot – Grade A
The prime focus of this book is on establishing the crime-fighting gang and going after the criminal organization run by a man only known as “Dodge.” What makes this book fun is how many secondary/background and lesser known main characters are the featured heroes. I think the only well-known characters people will recognize right away would be Oliver Twist and Mowgli although Austen enthusiasts will no doubt be quite cheered to see someone other than Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet joining the ranks. The crime organization has been exploiting the poorest of the poor, the orphans, pickpockets, prostitutes, and slaves to pull off a rather complex plot and it takes the heroes piecing together the varied clues and desperately hunting for the “Dodge” before they start to realize there’s even more at stake here than they originally thought. There is a twist near the end of the book that was somewhat expected from my perspective but I thought it was handled well as it also set up the next book quite nicely.
Content – Grade A-
Okay, I struggled with how to rate the content on this one. It wasn’t so much the meat of the content that was occasionally troubled me as it was the execution of the content. This book addresses the various issues associated with human trafficking in a very blunt manner. Lyon does not shy away from the darkness of this practice, which is good, but at times it seems too in your face, so to speak. In particular, toward the last quarter of the book, one of the main characters is attacked and sodomized. What troubled me was the fact that our narrator and the doctor can’t bring themselves to say “sodomy” out loud but then every character save the one who was victimized began talking about it to the extent it felt as though they were harping on it. It went from we can’t say it out loud, which would have been more than efficient to communicate what happened and why the character reacts the way he does in the aftermath, to everyone is harping on the fact that the boys captured in the human trafficking rings often killed themselves to avoid being sodomized and the character was sodomized and so on and so forth. This may not bother some readers or they will instead appreciate the way Lyon doesn’t shy away from being so very blunt about the evil and traumatizing results of sodomy, but others like me may feel the handling this particular situation could have been presented just a little differently and still achieve the emotional impact.
There is violence in this book, but it was handled well and the most graphic description was the characters’ reactions to a horrifyingly grotesque facial injury (if it makes a doctor and a former mercenary cry out, you know it’s bad). Language is hinted at but all cursing takes place off-screen with one of the good guys reacting by squirting the cursing minion in the mouth with soap. I will admit that I found several of the good guys annoying and I did not connect with them at all. But, the worst offender was the “fearless lady leader” Mrs. Phoebe Moore-Campbell…she was too perfect and practically worshipped by all the other characters. She was perilously close to being a “Mary Sue” with a near-perfect halo, especially when she seems to provide the most spiritual wisdom. It was a bit odd how Phoebe and her spiritual nuggets came across as more preachy than the minister and his sermon, but I think it was a matter of execution. I hope that improves as the character is dealt with more and is rounded out a little more through other narrators’ eyes. Evangelism is a VERY big part of this book as well, which I don’t mind except when it feels a little too contrived and there was one instance where the evangelism did feel almost too convenient, especially when you already had one minion turn ally and become a Christian and then oh, there’s another one. Yes, it can and does happen in real life but it felt contrived in the story.
There is also romance within this book. However, the romance subplots weren’t as well-developed as I would have hoped. The main romance subplot I knew was going to happen as soon as she’s introduced and that’s okay. It was a little weird when she kept calling him her “father in Christ” even as he develops feelings for her and she develops them for him, but they did seem to go together. What confused me was when he professes his feelings for her and calls himself old while she’s young, because I thought he was either right on the cusp of 30 or just past 30 while she’s in her early 20s. But then she says “I will kiss your graying head” and some other stuff that would have been very romantic if I hadn’t been too busy going “Huh? Wait, is he older than I thought or is she a lot younger than I thought?” The second romantic subplot felt like a case of insta-love or at least insta-crush on her part. The character kisses her twice and she loves him and apparently he loves her even though he wasn’t interested in love at all just a chapter or two ago. I couldn’t decide if more time passed than I thought (weeks instead of days) or if it really was just days between their first meeting and “oh, we’re getting married.”
Technical – Grade B
This book does have some typos, but they’re not plaguing every page or every paragraph. The first true typo didn’t appear until about halfway through the book. However, there are two places where the narrative abruptly switched midsentence from first person to third person. There are also some places where it feels as though it’s a first person narrative trying to be a third person narrative.
The handling of accents varies from author to author and the style, such as whether it’s written out in an exaggerated manner or merely hinted at with a specific accent-flavored word or two, also varies. Lyon opted to write out her characters’ accents. I personally would have preferred it if she had only one main character and then a handful of secondary characters with very short speaking parts with these written out accents but between Sluefoot Sue and the cockney accents of many of the other Londoners, it was painful for me to read. Sluefoot Sue’s southern/western accent (“Ah” for “I” is very southern for me) was perhaps the most painful but when she was holding a conversation with someone with a cockney accent…I couldn’t understand what they were saying and, consequently, kept having to re-read a piece of the conversation to figure out what in the world they just said. The Russian character’s accent was the most legible of these written out accents. I hope the accents are somewhat toned down and tweaked in further books since they can make it very difficult for anyone who has dyslexia or other reading difficulties.
The phrasing and pacing of the book was rather clunky in the beginning and didn’t flow well. For example, even though this is a first person narrative, the narrator twice describes someone staring into his gray eyes. I think Lyon was probably trying to avoid the mirror trick for describing her narrator but how often do you go through the day thinking about what color your eyes are when you’re not being asked about the color? Ironically, a little bit later in the chapter, the character’s sister is described as having the family gray eyes, which is where I would have put in the little addendum that the trait is shared with the narrator if I had been tackling a similar scene. If I hadn’t been scheduled to review this one, I probably would have stopped before I finished Chapter 7 since it still hadn’t grabbed my attention. However, once we do get to chapter 8, things pick up and I was intrigued by the plot and how were things going and when would a specific character realize that “Dodge” is who I know he is among other things.
Final Grade – a B or 4 Stars
The plot intrigued me, even though it took a while for it to start really building up steam, and I appreciated how faith was woven into a Steampunk novel (a rare occurrence). I am interested in finding out how the plot twist at the end is handled in the second book so it will be in my To Read pile. However, due to the content dealt with, I would recommend this book for mature Christians and add that parents need to read the book in order to discuss the issues raised with their older teenagers. Recommended for ages 17 and up.
*Please note I was provided a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not paid to provide a positive review. My opinions are my own.
December 7, 2016
I liked the concept of this book - a variety of characters from literature (e.g. Oliver Twist, Edmund Ferrars, Wild Bill Cody, Mowgli, and more) form a league in order to work together to solve crime. However, the writing just did not live up to the premise to me.
The story has a definite Christian angle, so if reading passages which describe dinosaur fossils as being placed on earth 4,000 years ago by God might annoy you - do not read this book.
Religion is a major theme in this book. There are constant reminders of biblical texts and stories. Whenever a bad guy is caught, all the good guys have to do is start preaching, and the bad guys instantly repent and change their ways. The only reason the story lasted as long as it did is because it took so long to catch the "big bad" - if they had caught him in the beginning and preached at him, the story would have been over by chapter 3.
This book is the first in a series, and can be read as a standalone adventure.
The story has a definite Christian angle, so if reading passages which describe dinosaur fossils as being placed on earth 4,000 years ago by God might annoy you - do not read this book.
Religion is a major theme in this book. There are constant reminders of biblical texts and stories. Whenever a bad guy is caught, all the good guys have to do is start preaching, and the bad guys instantly repent and change their ways. The only reason the story lasted as long as it did is because it took so long to catch the "big bad" - if they had caught him in the beginning and preached at him, the story would have been over by chapter 3.
This book is the first in a series, and can be read as a standalone adventure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2012
Leaping Catfish! This is an adventurous tale that fills you with wonder and excitement in this Victoria era story. There are flying coaches and sinister plots creeping around every corner. Your favorite characters, both young and old, from all around the world, join with together with their families in a mysterious hotel to fight for God's truth and justice while basking in wonders and beauty unknown to the rest of the world.
I am visually overwhelmed when I am reading this story. It is exciting and there is always something happening on every page. I do forget who is who and why they are there. I do admire the the fact that you have chosen to make them all Christians and they show how Christians can work together to fight for justice, truth and bring peace to others.
I am visually overwhelmed when I am reading this story. It is exciting and there is always something happening on every page. I do forget who is who and why they are there. I do admire the the fact that you have chosen to make them all Christians and they show how Christians can work together to fight for justice, truth and bring peace to others.
December 26, 2012
Before I read A Dodge, A Twist and a Tobacconist, I had never read any steampunk, maybe because I had never even heard of the genre. So it took me awhile to get into this book.
Somewhat inspired by A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Sophronia Lyon combines characters from classics of literature from the 1800s, challenging them with a mysterious enemy. Halfway through the book I found myself engrossed in the story, and after I finished, found myself wondering what will happen in the next installment of the series. I'm looking forward to reading that one soon!
This is a delightful addition to the body of Christian fiction, and will be a very fun read for anyone who enjoys that genre.
Somewhat inspired by A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Sophronia Lyon combines characters from classics of literature from the 1800s, challenging them with a mysterious enemy. Halfway through the book I found myself engrossed in the story, and after I finished, found myself wondering what will happen in the next installment of the series. I'm looking forward to reading that one soon!
This is a delightful addition to the body of Christian fiction, and will be a very fun read for anyone who enjoys that genre.
June 22, 2014
All in all, a fun and enjoyable steampunk adventure from an author strongly influenced by the classics she grew up with and who successfully translates these characters into another world inspired by her vivid imagination.
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July 19, 2022
Good story
It was a good story, that's what saved it from a one star rating.
There was way too much religion in it. It even included some bible lessons.
It was a good story, that's what saved it from a one star rating.
There was way too much religion in it. It even included some bible lessons.
dnf
July 19, 2021Chapter 3 introduced like 10 new characters before I got to know any of the older ones and they were all supposed to be important and different in some ways? I don't have that much attention to spend on this kind of storytelling at this moment. Also, it's in 1st person POV and it got confusing whether he was narrating the current events or something else at one point.
August 5, 2021
Not an enjoyable read to me at all.
May 15, 2015
This was a LibraryThing Member Giveaway.
I'm not going to rate this. I often do rate even books I've been unable to finish – but this one has me puzzled. First of all: great title, although it felt like the author stretched a bit for it. The writing isn't bad, for the most part. I really like the idea – it's The League of Extraordinary (Ladies and) Gentlemen (the author says so). The book description – based on which I requested it – sounded good. ...
The rest of this review can be found here, on Booklikes, and here, on my blog. However, I will no longer be posting reviews on Goodreads, due to its recent changes to terms of service and, far worse, the boneheaded and incomprehensible way it is proceeding with the new policy. Deleting content, almost randomly, and without warning (whatever they may have said) is wrong, and a half-hearted apology later doesn't make it all better. Failing to provide a sitewide announcement is wrong. Failing to address users' very legitimate concern over the situation is wrong.
I'm not going to leave GR while I have good friends remaining here, but I will no longer perform librarian functions, nor will I post anything but links for reviews.
I will also be posting the gist of this message on my blog, on LibraryThing, on Booklikes, and anywhere else I can think of. And when I review for Netgalley from now on I will state that I no longer post reviews on GR, and why.
It may not affect the situation here – but in good conscience I can't do anything less.
My friends list will be seeing this message a lot over the next days and weeks. Sorry.
I'm not going to rate this. I often do rate even books I've been unable to finish – but this one has me puzzled. First of all: great title, although it felt like the author stretched a bit for it. The writing isn't bad, for the most part. I really like the idea – it's The League of Extraordinary (Ladies and) Gentlemen (the author says so). The book description – based on which I requested it – sounded good. ...
The rest of this review can be found here, on Booklikes, and here, on my blog. However, I will no longer be posting reviews on Goodreads, due to its recent changes to terms of service and, far worse, the boneheaded and incomprehensible way it is proceeding with the new policy. Deleting content, almost randomly, and without warning (whatever they may have said) is wrong, and a half-hearted apology later doesn't make it all better. Failing to provide a sitewide announcement is wrong. Failing to address users' very legitimate concern over the situation is wrong.
I'm not going to leave GR while I have good friends remaining here, but I will no longer perform librarian functions, nor will I post anything but links for reviews.
I will also be posting the gist of this message on my blog, on LibraryThing, on Booklikes, and anywhere else I can think of. And when I review for Netgalley from now on I will state that I no longer post reviews on GR, and why.
It may not affect the situation here – but in good conscience I can't do anything less.
My friends list will be seeing this message a lot over the next days and weeks. Sorry.
July 28, 2013
Think along the lines of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, just with different characters drawn from Victorian fiction. This time, there's Prince Florizel, Oliver Twist, Pecos Bill, Mowgli, and other characters brought together in the Alexander Legacy Company to fight evil. This first in the series is written from the perspective of exiled Prince Florizel of Bohemia, whose throne was stolen when he was a young adult by his nefarious uncle. They are fighting their arch-nemesis, known only as Dodge, who seems to control all of the criminal activity in London and perhaps even elsewhere. There is a very strong Christian element to the characters' work, much saving of souls and winning people over to Christ.
The premise of this book is a good one. However, I felt that there wasn't enough explanation as to why these particular individuals were chosen. For example, there are several mentions that Prince Florizel, after leaving Bohemia, fought against evil forces, but it is never made clear exactly what that meant. What exactly did he do that brought him to the attention of the Alexander Legacy Company? The addition of a decided steampunk element (Oliver Twist is a genius inventor, and of course, there are automatons involved) was a nice touch. The novel contained an excerpt from the second in the series, which is written from Oliver Twist's perspective. Just reading that excerpt got me incredible confused having just read over 300 pages from Florizel's perspective, but perhaps by the time I read the second novel that will have worn off.
The premise of this book is a good one. However, I felt that there wasn't enough explanation as to why these particular individuals were chosen. For example, there are several mentions that Prince Florizel, after leaving Bohemia, fought against evil forces, but it is never made clear exactly what that meant. What exactly did he do that brought him to the attention of the Alexander Legacy Company? The addition of a decided steampunk element (Oliver Twist is a genius inventor, and of course, there are automatons involved) was a nice touch. The novel contained an excerpt from the second in the series, which is written from Oliver Twist's perspective. Just reading that excerpt got me incredible confused having just read over 300 pages from Florizel's perspective, but perhaps by the time I read the second novel that will have worn off.
June 29, 2016
I didn't finish the book. I stopped reading almost two years ago at 18%, picked it up again two days ago with the thought I might not have given it a fair shake, made it to 28%, and decided to call it "done."
I should have liked it. I enjoy the concept of famous literary characters getting together (I liked it in the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, too). But when I get introduced to, I don't know, 20 different people in one scene (all of them happily married) and they all have something to say, I'm apparently done. It was like a Babylon 5 monologue scene in front of every set extra in costume, except all the extras also get their 5 minutes in the spotlight. It was too much, too confusing, and unnecessary. I also got tired of all the gadgets: the mini-video camera, the mechanical leg, the spectaculars. I suppose that's what makes it steampunk, but, again, it was too much too fast.
The phonetic dialogue was great. The research into these fictional characters was also solid. There were just too many of them with nothing to do except show off their fictional-ness. Had it been broken into a serial of novellas with cameos, I may have liked it more.
I have no idea how this book made it into my Kindle TBR. A FB Friend must have recommended it. I think I even paid money, but two years ago I was more into the "free" books than I am now, so it might have been a free promo weekend or something.
I should have liked it. I enjoy the concept of famous literary characters getting together (I liked it in the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, too). But when I get introduced to, I don't know, 20 different people in one scene (all of them happily married) and they all have something to say, I'm apparently done. It was like a Babylon 5 monologue scene in front of every set extra in costume, except all the extras also get their 5 minutes in the spotlight. It was too much, too confusing, and unnecessary. I also got tired of all the gadgets: the mini-video camera, the mechanical leg, the spectaculars. I suppose that's what makes it steampunk, but, again, it was too much too fast.
The phonetic dialogue was great. The research into these fictional characters was also solid. There were just too many of them with nothing to do except show off their fictional-ness. Had it been broken into a serial of novellas with cameos, I may have liked it more.
I have no idea how this book made it into my Kindle TBR. A FB Friend must have recommended it. I think I even paid money, but two years ago I was more into the "free" books than I am now, so it might have been a free promo weekend or something.
January 13, 2013
This is the first book I've read in this genre. I downloaded it as a freebie and am not disappointed. It was slow at first and I found myself distracted by many different first person point of views, however, I kept reading because I understood the author was trying to build the story. The author did an excellent job of describing her characters, so even if you aren't familiar with all of them, you can still get into this story. All the expectations I had going into this adventure were realized, plus more. I'm loving the ending as it makes me now want to read the next book in the series, so all I have to say now to the author, if she reads this, is get writing please. Great job!
August 10, 2015
I've never before read a 'Christian Steampunk' book. I liked the book the fact that it was filled with characters from or near the Victorian era. The story line was great and I'm looking forward to reading the other two books in the series. I have no problems with religion being in books however, I think that in this book it was over used. It seemed like every person they met they were attempting to convert (to what religion I have no idea) and it seemed like they were all converted. Again, I liked the book it just seems like sometimes Religion and Steampunk don't mix.
January 15, 2016
This book is written in the steampunk style, with plenty of characters and automatons alike. It follows Prince Floziel, who is cast from the throne of Bohemia by his power-hungry uncle, and his adventures with several heroes from other Victorian-era books, such as "The Jungle Book" and "Pride and Prejudice" and most notably "Oliver Twist." It had some great fun with the Campbell family while fighting off evil. I thought the strong morals and social justice conflict was well written and gives great insight into the darkness of the human heart.
May 26, 2013
I so did not like it that I didn't finish it. I was so disappointed!
September 7, 2016
A great idea and concept. As this series progresses, would love to see how this concept develops through the series.
September 21, 2014
Thoroughly enjoyed the story. A vivid work of imagination.
January 9, 2022
A good story, well set in its time period.
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