Shelley Adina

Is it just me, or is the science in this a bit airy-fairy? I'm not a big reader of the steam-punk culture, but the gadgets and machinery in this world seem bordering on magical.

Also I found it a very big stretch to have Claire re-rig the automatons into the airship and control it by voice command all under duress and supposedly completed in a few hours.
Throughout the whole series, it was stated time and time again that Claire was a brilliant engineer. But apart from being able to mix up a show more few chemicals taught to her in school and offering up a few suggestions, I hardly see any evidence of this (remember the chicken coop was designed by the children with the help of another lady scientist, the power cell was also that scientist's invention, Claire only suggested that the coal carbonator needed to move but she didn't design the actual moving parts and her only skill was in playing poker).
But in this book, Claire's engineering and poker playing skills ramp up to nearly genius levels, although there was no strong evidence of this in previous books.

I've been constantly impressed by Shelley Adina's ability to write in unconventional ways; the plotlines in all her previous books have always swerved in surprising directions. But I find that in this book she has over-reached herself.
Being the last book in the series (at least in Claire's story arc), the story should be tying up loose ends, not introducing new story elements. Instead, we have new villains and new friends and completely new plotlines. And even these are not properly tied off. Jake flies off with Alice and Alice's father (and a whole village of Eskimos), Claire saves Count Zeplin but leaves Tig to save the Dunsmuirs.
I thought that the next book would be a continuation of Claire's adventure - it was the only way to explain how suddenly this book ends - but find that the next book picks up the storyline six years in the future.

I have suspended my disbelief and my scepticism for the whole series - were the unconventional plot lines and fantastical engineering feats a stroke of genius or a sign of someone who doesn't really know what they're doing? I think this last book has answered my question. I would not be continuing with this series. show less

This book (and the other books in this series) has got to be the hippest and most fun Christian YA book I have ever read. I read a lot of YA fiction, both Christian and mainstream, and it's interesting to see the different parallels between the two. Only recently has Christian YA fiction begin to branch out to reach the mainstream YA audience. This book definitely succeeds in being able to merge the two together.

The setting of the book takes place in a boarding school, which is the "in show more thing" for all current YA stories. The characters all act their age, there's pop culture references that are fresh, and just enough label dropping that teen girls will love but not feel like they are bombarded with. The book is written in a style that fans of Gossip Girl and the A-List will recognize. The IM chats at the end of the chapter are reminiscent of these books and give a shout out to all the teens that use this service. The main attraction of this series is that Adina is fully able to write in a modern teen's voice. She does not include over the top slang that shows she's trying to hard, but neither does she make the girls act like miniature adults. She shows the in crowd and how mean girls really can be. I also appreciated the multi racial cast of characters. I still cannot understand why YA seems to be the only genre in Christian fiction that regularly has multicultural characters that don't happen to be either adopted or immigrants. It's wonderful to read about different cultures and see a truly real cast of characters but it baffles me as to why this hasn't caught on in the rest of the Christian fiction world.

There may be critics of this book that say that teens girls (especially Christian girls) shouldn't be focusing that much on boys. However I will disagree because, being a former teen girl, boys are a part of a regular teen girls life and this book shows what really happens in relationships. While it is a Christian book, the book is not preachy at all. If a non Christian were to read this book, they were neither be offended or feel like they are getting a sermon preached at them. On the other hand, Christian teens who do read this book will enjoy having characters who are Christians but act just like they do.

This is probably the best YA series I've read this year and I'm really glad that it's having such a positive reaction to it. If you are a big fan of YA and would like to read a book that has all the drama, fashion and fun of Gossip Girl but without the sex, language and alcohol use, this book is for you. It's a wonderful edge step for Christian YA lit. VERY HIGHLY recommended. show less

Claire has finished the university and she is ready to begin her position at Von Zepplin’s dirigible works. And she has a wedding to plan to her fiancé, Andrew. The Mopsies are returning to school, everything is looking up

When Alice arrives who has lost everything – including her first mate Jake, and member of Claire’s extended family. He is being held prisoner by the Doge of Venice in what is little more than an extortion scheme. The politics of the situation are tricky and there show more are few people to intervene beyond Claire herself.

She has never abandoned her flock in danger



It’s another swashbuckling adventure for Lady Claire and her flock, the excellent Alice, Elizabeth, Maggie, Tigg and Andrew

And I think that’s the first thing I want to praise about this – I like most of the flock. Most of the characterisation has fallen on Claire, Lizzie and Maggie, of course, since they’ve been the main protagonists but every character has had some characterisation. Even though she’s the protagonist, Claire doesn’t exactly eclipse those around her.

The world setting has expanded nicely – we’ve already seen adventures in North America and some insight into France and Germany, while this book moves to Venice with some nicely original ideas and concepts. I like that even when we don’t look in great depth at the politics of all the places Claire has passed through, there is a sense that a full system has been developed (even if it is not info-dumped on us).

The adventure itself is fun, lots of action and plotting, some plans that go awry, many members of the party using their talents, their intelligence and their creativity to cobble together success as nothing quite goes to plan. It was a fun romp in which Claire and her flock got to remind us just how awesome they are on a regular basis. I won’t say the story was especially twisty or nuanced or complex – but it was fun, a nice adventure story we kind of knew how it was going to end, but it wasn’t any less fun because of that

Like the rest of the books in this series, Lady of Integrity contains a lot of challenges to sexism that is both accurate to the period and still very much in evidence today

I also really liked the direct challenge to the idea that a man wants to keep his beloved woman safe because he worries for her – throwing back the equal challenge that women worry about the safety of their beloved men as well, but everyone expects them to deal with it. If Andrew wants to keep Claire safe out of fear for her and he couldn’t bear to lose her, why shouldn’t Claire feel the same about Andrew? It’s a common excuse but it’s a weak one.


We also have numerous male characters completely speaking over Claire, refusing to listen to her input or allow her to be involved and, ultimately, making an utter pig’s ear of things and leaving Claire and the rest of her flock to try and sweep up afterwards.

Ok, there are a few female lead steampunks now, we’ve certainly read a few, where the kind of overt, very period-defined (though far from limited to the period) “marry a rich husband, have lots of kids and don’t do any of that tricky thinking, you pretty little thing” sexism is challenged a lot (which is nice to see). But Lady of Integrity takes it beyond challenging this – by addressing the idea of a woman having to choose between her career and her family (which is overwhelmingly prevalent – as even full time employed women are expected to be full time child carers and home makers as well).

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Two of my favorite genres, clean mysteries and steampunk, magically meld in The Clockwork City, and I am so here for it! This novel is oozing charm and imagination and has been so fun to read! I love a good mystery, and when you add steampunk it takes things to a whole other level.

At the beginning of the novel we find Lady Georgia Burnel emerging from her year of mourning, after the death of her abusive husband, and she is ready for rest and relaxation. With her Aunt Millie, Georgia embarks show more on an Italian getaway that ends up being anything but relaxing. There are a lot of names thrown at you at the beginning of the story, making the start a bit mirky, but the narrative flows so naturally that it’s not long before you’re completely immersed in this world, seeing it all through the eyes of these multifaceted characters.

The overall pace is brisk, but has a certain lightness to it, though there is a darkness that lingers just below the surface. All of the characters are great, but Cora and Marcus, the two adolescents who aid in the sleuthing, bring a sweetness that won me over. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Mr. Seacombe when he was first introduced, but as the story went on, and he continued to offer his quiet strength to Georgia and Millie, I found myself enjoying his Texican charm. Georgia and Millie were marvelous, and are the perfect pair that compliment one another nicely.

I’m not normally one for stories of fantasy, but there is something about steampunk that vibes with me. I love the uniqueness this genre brings, especially in details of the town, and the kraken. There is so much imagination that really brings a unique facet to an otherwise ordinary mystery.

This novel kicks off the new Lady Georgia Burnel Mysteries series and I am so excited to see what adventures Georgia will embark on next! The tinge of romance, the support of friendship, and the thirst to find the truth makes for quite an enjoyable read.

*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher through JustRead Tours. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own. show less