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Magnificent Devices #5
A Lady of Resources
Book 5 in the Magnificent Devices series!
You can choose your friends, but you cannot choose your family ... or can you?
Now sixteen, the twins Lizzie and Maggie are educated young ladies who have not been called “the Mopsies” in years … except by their guardian, Lady Claire Trevelyan. With the happy prospect of choosing their own future, the girls can leave their dodgy past behind, and Lizzie can bury her deepest childhood memories where they can do no harm. Upon her graduation from school, Lizzie is awarded an enormous honor—but can she pay the price? Is she ready to be separated from Maggie and become the woman she believes she was meant to be—or will old habits tempt her into defiance and plunge her into disaster?
On a dare, Lizzie picks the wrong man's pocket and nearly loses her life. But these frightening events bear unexpected The dream Lizzie holds closest to her heart comes true in a most unexpected way. But this dream, too, comes with a price. Lizzie must decide whether her true family is the one she was born to … or the one she chose that long-ago day when the Lady of Devices steamed into their lives …
You can choose your friends, but you cannot choose your family ... or can you?
Now sixteen, the twins Lizzie and Maggie are educated young ladies who have not been called “the Mopsies” in years … except by their guardian, Lady Claire Trevelyan. With the happy prospect of choosing their own future, the girls can leave their dodgy past behind, and Lizzie can bury her deepest childhood memories where they can do no harm. Upon her graduation from school, Lizzie is awarded an enormous honor—but can she pay the price? Is she ready to be separated from Maggie and become the woman she believes she was meant to be—or will old habits tempt her into defiance and plunge her into disaster?
On a dare, Lizzie picks the wrong man's pocket and nearly loses her life. But these frightening events bear unexpected The dream Lizzie holds closest to her heart comes true in a most unexpected way. But this dream, too, comes with a price. Lizzie must decide whether her true family is the one she was born to … or the one she chose that long-ago day when the Lady of Devices steamed into their lives …
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2013
74 people are currently reading
800 people want to read
About the author
Shelley Adina
91 books628 followersShelley Adina is the author of 24 novels published by Harlequin, Warner, and Hachette, and a dozen more published by Moonshell Books, Inc., her own independent press. She writes steampunk and contemporary romance as Shelley Adina, and as Adina Senft, writes Amish women’s fiction. She holds an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania, where she teaches as adjunct faculty. She won RWA’s RITA Award® in 2005, and was a finalist in 2006. When she’s not writing, Shelley is usually quilting, sewing historical costumes, or hanging out in the garden with her flock of rescued chickens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
March 2, 2017
I liked A Lady of Resources, but I struggled a bit with Claire not being the main character anymore. Sure, I liked the Mopsies as side characters, but it was a lot different with them being center stage. Even though they had potential to be interesting as former thieves, they really weren't. Lizzie, the main POV in this one, was too focused on wanting to pretend to be a lady to allow time for antics. She was also kind of a brat. I think by the end I warmed up to the change, and to Lizzie, but it's a much more reluctant feeling than with the original story arc, which I simply inhaled.
Due to the passing of time and shift in POV, there was a lot of time spent on re-setting the stage. I found it a bit slow (again, unlike the original books). There was also less Steampunk engineering and less adventure, and I missed both. But since the action picked up towards the end, now I do find myself wanting to read the sequel. I'm hopeful that it will keep the pace now that we've been reintroduced to the characters.
So, I liked it well enough. It was a fast read, at least mildly entertaining most of the time. I'm just not as entranced as I was with the original series.
Due to the passing of time and shift in POV, there was a lot of time spent on re-setting the stage. I found it a bit slow (again, unlike the original books). There was also less Steampunk engineering and less adventure, and I missed both. But since the action picked up towards the end, now I do find myself wanting to read the sequel. I'm hopeful that it will keep the pace now that we've been reintroduced to the characters.
So, I liked it well enough. It was a fast read, at least mildly entertaining most of the time. I'm just not as entranced as I was with the original series.
July 1, 2018
Almost better than the first four.
June 6, 2019
Lizzie and Maggie are sixteen in this book and Lady Claire has just finished her degree. Lizzie and Maggie have been trying to find out more about their past life and what led them to living on the streets. Lizzie and Maggie are then recognized and sought out by what turns out to be Lizzie's father but his intentions for bringing them to his house are less then honorable and they find themselves having to escape for their lives.
This entire series is extremely good but if I absolutely had to pick one book that I liked less then the others, it would be this one. There's nothing wrong with it really, I just didn't care for some of the characters. Plus Lady Claire, who I really like, didn't play as big a role- the focus was more on Lizzie and Maggie.
This entire series is extremely good but if I absolutely had to pick one book that I liked less then the others, it would be this one. There's nothing wrong with it really, I just didn't care for some of the characters. Plus Lady Claire, who I really like, didn't play as big a role- the focus was more on Lizzie and Maggie.
April 7, 2014
While it could be easy for me to say that I didn’t like this entry in the series as much as the others because of the time skip and the change in focus, that’s actually the one thing that I didn’t mind in this book. I actually do think it’s a good idea for a series to change things up as it goes, especially when the author explores other characters. The reason why I didn’t like this book as much as I was hoping to is that there were some plot points that didn’t really work for me, and the revelations didn’t quite hold up for me as well as they did in some of the other books.
The six year time gap between the events in this and Brilliant Devices is a risky choice, plot-wise, but I think Adina handles it well here. One of the things that I do like about the time jump is that Claire’s problems haven’t been magically solved off-screen in the intervening years, and she still faces immense societal pressure to get married and give up her career in favor of motherhood and running a household. It’s still not wrapped up by the end of this book either, but I do like that this is addressed instead of being brushed over completely. (Although given Captain Hollys’ insistence that Claire do what’s right and give into society’s demands, I have a feeling that Andrew is due to make another onscreen appearance so that Claire can finally choose who she loves more.) I also liked that we don’t get to see Lizzie or Maggie’s entire six years of growing up and going to school; we really don’t need it for this story, and I think the amount of backstory that we get here covers the reader well enough.
I do really like Lizzie’s plotline. While it may seem out of character for her to suddenly want to go to boarding school and become a proper lady, it does actually make sense from what we see in this and some of the previous books. Lizzie has always been a little envious of Claire and her upbringing, plus given the fact that Lizzie and Maggie have been most likely surrounded by titled classmates throughout their school (and once you factor in the British class system), I can see why Lizzie wants to wipe her growing up in Whitechapel and become proper. At the same time, I also understand why she’ll be defensive of that past when someone (say, Tigg) would confront her on it. I get her frustration with this duality, and it does actually work for me.
Unfortunately, the whole plot with de Maupassant doesn’t completely work for me. Not the fact that Lizzie and Maggie turned out to be titled all along (although I was expecting that to be a complete ruse), but rather why Charles Seacombe nee de Maupassant went so far out of his way to try to kill Lizzie. Lizzie doesn’t start to remember anything about the night her mother died until she meets Seacombe at her graduation, and even then she doesn’t understand why he makes her feel uneasy. And the fact that Seacombe came to her graduation with the express intent of killing her right there, especially since the whole of society had assumed Lizzie and Maggie to have been dead for years. If there was a specific piece of information that Lizzie had that Seacombe needed, I could see that, but the entire plot of the book was “Oh, well, your repressed memories can prove that I am a traitor to the Crown and I killed your mother over it. And even though these memories didn’t surface until I put myself in your life again, I’m going to force them out and kill you because I can.” Seacombe pretty much shoots himself in the foot by inviting Lizzie into his home and revealing her past, because I’m certain that he could have gotten away with his plot. (Lizzie’s upbringing notwithstanding. I don’t think he would have bothered to notice Lady Claire’s other lifestyle—or cared—but in light of the plot of this book, it really doesn’t make sense.)
(Also, I kinda didn’t like that Lizzie and Maggie had already picked out the last name de Maupassant for themselves. I can see it in trying to fit in at school, but really Trevelyan makes much more sense for them. Because when the first reveal comes, the choice of last name feels more “Oh, what a completely random happenstance!”)
It’s not to say that this book was bad, but I think the plot was way too underdeveloped for its intended effect. It does work more as an interesting character study for Lizzie, and if Adina had left out both assassination plots or had focused on something different, I think the book would have succeeded better. The big reason why this series works for me, even if I don’t necessarily like the plot lines, is because of the character development, and I am interested in what happens next with these characters. The plot may not make sense, but Lady Claire and her flock are still interesting me with their various exploits.
The six year time gap between the events in this and Brilliant Devices is a risky choice, plot-wise, but I think Adina handles it well here. One of the things that I do like about the time jump is that Claire’s problems haven’t been magically solved off-screen in the intervening years, and she still faces immense societal pressure to get married and give up her career in favor of motherhood and running a household. It’s still not wrapped up by the end of this book either, but I do like that this is addressed instead of being brushed over completely. (Although given Captain Hollys’ insistence that Claire do what’s right and give into society’s demands, I have a feeling that Andrew is due to make another onscreen appearance so that Claire can finally choose who she loves more.) I also liked that we don’t get to see Lizzie or Maggie’s entire six years of growing up and going to school; we really don’t need it for this story, and I think the amount of backstory that we get here covers the reader well enough.
I do really like Lizzie’s plotline. While it may seem out of character for her to suddenly want to go to boarding school and become a proper lady, it does actually make sense from what we see in this and some of the previous books. Lizzie has always been a little envious of Claire and her upbringing, plus given the fact that Lizzie and Maggie have been most likely surrounded by titled classmates throughout their school (and once you factor in the British class system), I can see why Lizzie wants to wipe her growing up in Whitechapel and become proper. At the same time, I also understand why she’ll be defensive of that past when someone (say, Tigg) would confront her on it. I get her frustration with this duality, and it does actually work for me.
Unfortunately, the whole plot with de Maupassant doesn’t completely work for me. Not the fact that Lizzie and Maggie turned out to be titled all along (although I was expecting that to be a complete ruse), but rather why Charles Seacombe nee de Maupassant went so far out of his way to try to kill Lizzie. Lizzie doesn’t start to remember anything about the night her mother died until she meets Seacombe at her graduation, and even then she doesn’t understand why he makes her feel uneasy. And the fact that Seacombe came to her graduation with the express intent of killing her right there, especially since the whole of society had assumed Lizzie and Maggie to have been dead for years. If there was a specific piece of information that Lizzie had that Seacombe needed, I could see that, but the entire plot of the book was “Oh, well, your repressed memories can prove that I am a traitor to the Crown and I killed your mother over it. And even though these memories didn’t surface until I put myself in your life again, I’m going to force them out and kill you because I can.” Seacombe pretty much shoots himself in the foot by inviting Lizzie into his home and revealing her past, because I’m certain that he could have gotten away with his plot. (Lizzie’s upbringing notwithstanding. I don’t think he would have bothered to notice Lady Claire’s other lifestyle—or cared—but in light of the plot of this book, it really doesn’t make sense.)
(Also, I kinda didn’t like that Lizzie and Maggie had already picked out the last name de Maupassant for themselves. I can see it in trying to fit in at school, but really Trevelyan makes much more sense for them. Because when the first reveal comes, the choice of last name feels more “Oh, what a completely random happenstance!”)
It’s not to say that this book was bad, but I think the plot was way too underdeveloped for its intended effect. It does work more as an interesting character study for Lizzie, and if Adina had left out both assassination plots or had focused on something different, I think the book would have succeeded better. The big reason why this series works for me, even if I don’t necessarily like the plot lines, is because of the character development, and I am interested in what happens next with these characters. The plot may not make sense, but Lady Claire and her flock are still interesting me with their various exploits.
August 17, 2015
Lady Claire was a naive young debutante when her family lost all money and reputation and she was left on the street with nothing but a high school level understanding of chemistry and an unbreakable will. She rapidly lept up the ranks of London's criminal underbelly, until she controlled it using a lightning gun, homemade bombs, and her very own airship. Claire, known to the underworld as "the Lady of Devices," was not content with this, and eventually invented artificial intelligence and achieved her highest ambition: to be named one of the Society of Engineers.
This book follows Lizzie, last seen as a frightening young child member of Claire's gang. Claire provided Lizzie with years of schooling and love, and now Lizzie is ready to make decisions about what kind of adult she will be. Unfortunately, she's rather taken with the idea of being a Society lady...I worried about Lizzie's priorities and shook my head at her choices, but they are perfectly believable for her, and in the end it all escalates into assassination attempts foiled by antigravity corsets, so I was left quite happy. This series is a huge amount of fun, and I love that the main characters are ladies but also scientific, imaginative, empathetic, honorable, and above all, brave.
This book follows Lizzie, last seen as a frightening young child member of Claire's gang. Claire provided Lizzie with years of schooling and love, and now Lizzie is ready to make decisions about what kind of adult she will be. Unfortunately, she's rather taken with the idea of being a Society lady...I worried about Lizzie's priorities and shook my head at her choices, but they are perfectly believable for her, and in the end it all escalates into assassination attempts foiled by antigravity corsets, so I was left quite happy. This series is a huge amount of fun, and I love that the main characters are ladies but also scientific, imaginative, empathetic, honorable, and above all, brave.
January 19, 2016
The Mopsies, Lizzie and Maggie take centre stage in book 5 of the Magnificent Devices series. On a dare Lizzie picks the pocket of Charles Seacomb and bites off a little more than she can chew. She finds herself dragged into nefarious schemes, discovers things about her past and her long lost parents and has to foil a plot that will topple governments.
This series isn't particularly original but the stories are well told and the characters are likeable. That makes up for the lack of originality and I found myself loving this book.
This series isn't particularly original but the stories are well told and the characters are likeable. That makes up for the lack of originality and I found myself loving this book.
February 27, 2016
Lizzie takes centre stage in this book, 5 years on from the end of Brilliant Devices. Her and Maggie's graduation from the school in Munich they've been attending brings an unexpected surprise: A man claiming to be the long-lost father Lizzie and Maggie can't even remember makes an appearance, issuing an invitation to his castle in the Cotswolds and turning everything the Mopsies ever thought they knew about themselves and their lives on its head. But all is not as it seems, and the apparent dream come true slowly but surely turns into a nightmare...
As much as I love Claire, I really liked the idea of moving forwards in the timeline and having the next books focus on other characters for a change. Nevertheless, somehow it felt like there was something missing in comparison to the first four books, though I can't quite put my finger on what. I did enjoy the book a lot, just not quite as much as the previous ones. Let's see how it works out with the next part.
As much as I love Claire, I really liked the idea of moving forwards in the timeline and having the next books focus on other characters for a change. Nevertheless, somehow it felt like there was something missing in comparison to the first four books, though I can't quite put my finger on what. I did enjoy the book a lot, just not quite as much as the previous ones. Let's see how it works out with the next part.
November 27, 2025
Years have passed in the lives of our friends in the Magnificent Devices series. Lady Clare is graduating from university, Lizzie and Maggie have finished their schooling, and everyone is looking toward the future...but the past is about to catch up with the Mopsies, and it will take everything they've learned to survive.
A Lady of Resources is packed full of friendships, adventures, genius mastermind plans, and action that we've come to love.
The characters are getting older and developing their own lives, but Adina masterfully brings them back into play.
Clare has always, and now Lizzie and Maggie, all personify outstanding young women. Shelley Adina creates superior female heroines, heroines we'd like to be role models for our girls. Even when they make bad decisions, they choose to face the consequences and move on. It is refreshing to find such a riveting series, with strong but genuine, wholesome, smart, witty, female characters.
I highly recommend this series and can't wait to see where it goes next.
A Lady of Resources is packed full of friendships, adventures, genius mastermind plans, and action that we've come to love.
The characters are getting older and developing their own lives, but Adina masterfully brings them back into play.
Clare has always, and now Lizzie and Maggie, all personify outstanding young women. Shelley Adina creates superior female heroines, heroines we'd like to be role models for our girls. Even when they make bad decisions, they choose to face the consequences and move on. It is refreshing to find such a riveting series, with strong but genuine, wholesome, smart, witty, female characters.
I highly recommend this series and can't wait to see where it goes next.
January 22, 2014
Another delightful reading!!! As expected, Shelley Adina, wrote another amazing and intriguing adventure on Magnificent Devices Series! The Mopsies are a grown-up girls and even more smarts and clevers! I really love to read about their strong bound to The Lady! Together they're amazing strong independent women!! More we can learn about the Mopsies past and even with so many incredibles twists, they can always count on each other. A Lady of Resources is another story with more discovery, new friends and crazy villains! I had sooo much fun reading the book! It's never dragging, everything happens fast and it's totally like a non-stop reading!! For me, Steampunk is very cool and interesting reading and Shelley Adina in an expert about this theme! Can't wait for the next!
November 15, 2024
(I "read" the Audible edition.)
July 7, 2020
So I have been revisiting some old friends (rereading books and continuing series where I left off many years ago) and so far, out of all the re-acquaintanceship only one had been pleasant. This is not that one.
I really loved the first three books of the series to the point I was sure Shelley Adina had to be one of my favourite authors. Lady of Devices was among the first steampunk, if not the first, that I ever read and the fact it was set in Victorian London was a big bonus. But then book four came along and the point of view was shifted away from Lady Claire and it just did not feel as fun anymore. It took five years for me to finally pick up the fifth book and that generally isn't a good sign.
Despite the rating, I probably enjoyed this book a bit more than the fourth book. But memory is a fickle thing so I will leave the rating as is (for now). Claire is still just a side character in this and for a brief duration I was tricked into thinking that this was Lizzie's story instead of her twin, Maggie's. And Maggie has a different view of what constitutes her happiness so she is making a different plan for the future, which may take her away from the twin with whom she has never been separated from - she wants to go to the finishing school and becomes a proper lady.
There are two contrasting viewpoints here. At one side are women who want to be given all the chance at education a man gets and at the other side is someone like Maggie. I personally think that both viewpoints are valid. There were even a couple of instances where Maggie manages to point out that a woman who takes more conventional role (of being a mother, a nurturer, and in this case a lady and successful hostess) is no less able to contribute to the society than a woman who dabbles in the field of physics and engineering. Unfortunately however, for the most part Maggie is shown as a selfish girl who disregards other people's advice and opinion, and even the feelings of people who should be important to her because they are practically her family. Annoying. It made me wonder if the author did not subscribe to Maggie's view.
Not that it mattered either way. Because a bigger question has appeared and that is the revelation that Maggie still has a father and Lizzie isn't actually her twin but her cousin. The latter part is quite reminiscent of the first three books which makes this book rather bearable. But it beggars the question how many times more are we going to have this repetitive revelations that these street children are actually from a 'nobler' background? Because in previous books we learned that Willie was actually a literal aristocrat, the son of a Duke or something who had gone missing, and now we learn that Maggie and Lizzie are from some middle class nouveau riche family. Really?
I don't know if I will continue with the series. Apparently Claire returns to being the main character in book eight but I'm not sure if I have the forbearance to claw through the next two books to reach there.
I really loved the first three books of the series to the point I was sure Shelley Adina had to be one of my favourite authors. Lady of Devices was among the first steampunk, if not the first, that I ever read and the fact it was set in Victorian London was a big bonus. But then book four came along and the point of view was shifted away from Lady Claire and it just did not feel as fun anymore. It took five years for me to finally pick up the fifth book and that generally isn't a good sign.
Despite the rating, I probably enjoyed this book a bit more than the fourth book. But memory is a fickle thing so I will leave the rating as is (for now). Claire is still just a side character in this and for a brief duration I was tricked into thinking that this was Lizzie's story instead of her twin, Maggie's. And Maggie has a different view of what constitutes her happiness so she is making a different plan for the future, which may take her away from the twin with whom she has never been separated from - she wants to go to the finishing school and becomes a proper lady.
There are two contrasting viewpoints here. At one side are women who want to be given all the chance at education a man gets and at the other side is someone like Maggie. I personally think that both viewpoints are valid. There were even a couple of instances where Maggie manages to point out that a woman who takes more conventional role (of being a mother, a nurturer, and in this case a lady and successful hostess) is no less able to contribute to the society than a woman who dabbles in the field of physics and engineering. Unfortunately however, for the most part Maggie is shown as a selfish girl who disregards other people's advice and opinion, and even the feelings of people who should be important to her because they are practically her family. Annoying. It made me wonder if the author did not subscribe to Maggie's view.
Not that it mattered either way. Because a bigger question has appeared and that is the revelation that Maggie still has a father and Lizzie isn't actually her twin but her cousin. The latter part is quite reminiscent of the first three books which makes this book rather bearable. But it beggars the question how many times more are we going to have this repetitive revelations that these street children are actually from a 'nobler' background? Because in previous books we learned that Willie was actually a literal aristocrat, the son of a Duke or something who had gone missing, and now we learn that Maggie and Lizzie are from some middle class nouveau riche family. Really?
I don't know if I will continue with the series. Apparently Claire returns to being the main character in book eight but I'm not sure if I have the forbearance to claw through the next two books to reach there.
September 21, 2021
Series Info/Source: This is the fifth book in The Magnificent Devices series. Right now there are 22 books in this series. I borrowed a copy of this audiobook through Audible Plus.
Audiobook Quality (4/5)3: This audiobook series continues to be pleasant to listen to and I enjoy the narration.
Thoughts: This book jumps us forward in time quite a bit. Maggie and Lizzie are now 16 and trying to decide if they want to go to college or finishing school. Claire is finishing up her studies and ready to embark on a career as a scientist. That is until Lizzie’s past comes back to haunt them all.
This was another decent story in this series. I like these books but I never really love them. I think that the situation never really gets all that dire. Everyone is so nice to each other all the time and even the bad guys aren't horribly bad. There just isn't much to propel the story forward for me and the story is never all that exciting.
It was nice to read a story that is mostly from Lizzie's POV, although we hear from Claire as well. Lizzie was a bit more fun as a character because she is not as absolutely perfect as Claire is.
I am not sure I will continue on with this series since I just don't find these books all that exciting or entertaining. They are nice and have some good steampunk elements but aren't great.
My Summary (3/5): Overall this is another decent addition to this solid YA steampunk series. This series is perfectly nice and I have trouble pinpointing why I don’t like it more than I do. There are adventures, steampunk devices, and solid characters but it all feels a bit shallow to me and everyone is so nice to each other that there isn’t much to drive the story forward. It’s just a nice story but not all that exciting or mysterious. I keep saying nice but that word always pops into my mind when I listen to these...I always think “Well that was nice, not very memorable, but nice.”. I don’t plan on continuing the series at this point because I would really rather read something that grabs my attention that I love.
Audiobook Quality (4/5)3: This audiobook series continues to be pleasant to listen to and I enjoy the narration.
Thoughts: This book jumps us forward in time quite a bit. Maggie and Lizzie are now 16 and trying to decide if they want to go to college or finishing school. Claire is finishing up her studies and ready to embark on a career as a scientist. That is until Lizzie’s past comes back to haunt them all.
This was another decent story in this series. I like these books but I never really love them. I think that the situation never really gets all that dire. Everyone is so nice to each other all the time and even the bad guys aren't horribly bad. There just isn't much to propel the story forward for me and the story is never all that exciting.
It was nice to read a story that is mostly from Lizzie's POV, although we hear from Claire as well. Lizzie was a bit more fun as a character because she is not as absolutely perfect as Claire is.
I am not sure I will continue on with this series since I just don't find these books all that exciting or entertaining. They are nice and have some good steampunk elements but aren't great.
My Summary (3/5): Overall this is another decent addition to this solid YA steampunk series. This series is perfectly nice and I have trouble pinpointing why I don’t like it more than I do. There are adventures, steampunk devices, and solid characters but it all feels a bit shallow to me and everyone is so nice to each other that there isn’t much to drive the story forward. It’s just a nice story but not all that exciting or mysterious. I keep saying nice but that word always pops into my mind when I listen to these...I always think “Well that was nice, not very memorable, but nice.”. I don’t plan on continuing the series at this point because I would really rather read something that grabs my attention that I love.
August 8, 2017
Shelley Adina has created a wonderful alternative reality in her "Magnificent Devices" series and populated it with some memorable - and strong - female characters.
Two of them - the orphaned pre-teen twins Elizabeth and Margaret (Lizzie and Maggie to their friends) - take center stage in this, the fifth novel in the series. It's been five years since they first encountered Lady Claire Trevelyan when they and other members of their street gang helped steal her steam landau. They didn't know who they were messing with at the time, but they soon learned when "The Lady" not only got her vehicle back but took over the gang. Over the course of those five years Lizzie and Maggie have traveled widely and been involved in some truly amazing adventures. Now, at age 16 and about to graduate from a topflight German school, they are rapidly coming to a point at which they will have to make decisions about their lives.
That's trying enough but there's a new wrinkle: A mysterious Englishman who just might be their father appears.
I won't go deeper into the plot than that because to do so could spoil the fun for those that haven't yet read this novel. I will say that, in typical Adina fashion, there is an airship load of adventure in the telling of this Steampunk tale.
Adina has a gift for writing adventure novels that not only keep readers fully engaged but also carry strong anti-bias messages. She tackles gender bias, racial prejudice, class prejudice, human rights, and other relevant social issues in the pages of her books and - most importantly - does so in the context of the story. The result: She gets her message across without preaching and that's a major plus.
If you like Seampunk - and I certainly do - I think you'll enjoy this installment in the series as much as I did.
Two of them - the orphaned pre-teen twins Elizabeth and Margaret (Lizzie and Maggie to their friends) - take center stage in this, the fifth novel in the series. It's been five years since they first encountered Lady Claire Trevelyan when they and other members of their street gang helped steal her steam landau. They didn't know who they were messing with at the time, but they soon learned when "The Lady" not only got her vehicle back but took over the gang. Over the course of those five years Lizzie and Maggie have traveled widely and been involved in some truly amazing adventures. Now, at age 16 and about to graduate from a topflight German school, they are rapidly coming to a point at which they will have to make decisions about their lives.
That's trying enough but there's a new wrinkle: A mysterious Englishman who just might be their father appears.
I won't go deeper into the plot than that because to do so could spoil the fun for those that haven't yet read this novel. I will say that, in typical Adina fashion, there is an airship load of adventure in the telling of this Steampunk tale.
Adina has a gift for writing adventure novels that not only keep readers fully engaged but also carry strong anti-bias messages. She tackles gender bias, racial prejudice, class prejudice, human rights, and other relevant social issues in the pages of her books and - most importantly - does so in the context of the story. The result: She gets her message across without preaching and that's a major plus.
If you like Seampunk - and I certainly do - I think you'll enjoy this installment in the series as much as I did.
November 30, 2024
Some time has passed since the last book in the Magnificent Devices series. Claire has graduated from university and is ready to embark on her exciting new career working as an engineer for the Zeppelin Air Works. The Mopsies, now 16, have both graduated from school with a strong education and ready to take on the world. Once they decide exactly how they want to do, that is.
In A Lady of Resources we begin following the secondary characters from the earlier Magnificent Devices books. The characters are growing up, dealing with more adult problems and the social constraints and expectations of a Victorian society.
At her graduation Lizzie wins a prize sponsored by a mysterious man who claims she is his daughter. I thought Lizzie was so obnoxious in this book. I wanted to smack her several times for carelessly hurting Maggie and Lady Claire. Fortunately and expectedly, she redeems herself in a thrilling conclusion.
I am totally committed to this highly entertaining series. They are all fun, fast paced, adventure stories with a string of engaging, feisty, characters. "A Lady of Resources" is an excellent introduction into a new chapter in the Magnificent Devices series, showing that world can continue even with Lady Claire taking a back seat.
In A Lady of Resources we begin following the secondary characters from the earlier Magnificent Devices books. The characters are growing up, dealing with more adult problems and the social constraints and expectations of a Victorian society.
At her graduation Lizzie wins a prize sponsored by a mysterious man who claims she is his daughter. I thought Lizzie was so obnoxious in this book. I wanted to smack her several times for carelessly hurting Maggie and Lady Claire. Fortunately and expectedly, she redeems herself in a thrilling conclusion.
I am totally committed to this highly entertaining series. They are all fun, fast paced, adventure stories with a string of engaging, feisty, characters. "A Lady of Resources" is an excellent introduction into a new chapter in the Magnificent Devices series, showing that world can continue even with Lady Claire taking a back seat.
January 8, 2018
This latest instalment in the series is the tale of the Mopsies' discovery of their true history - and the ensuing chaos! A wonderful story full of romance, action, adventure, skulduggery, attempted Regicide, steampunk elements, Victorian society, airships, munitions, what it means to be a family... And, of course, devices! I highly recommend this series for all lovers of steampunk adventures, whatever your age!
I also loved listening to the audiobook of the story, and with Fiona Hardingham narrating again it was, of course, full of character and really brought the story to life. I'd definitely recommend it to all Magnificent Devices fans.
I also loved listening to the audiobook of the story, and with Fiona Hardingham narrating again it was, of course, full of character and really brought the story to life. I'd definitely recommend it to all Magnificent Devices fans.
January 31, 2022
I started out loving these books and I ignored the cheesiness if it because the stories were fun and steampunk and intriguing. Howev, this book paled. The ending bit things picked up ans fot more interesting, but it still wasn't the best book. Lizzie was kinda horrible until her father betrayed her and then she realizes the family she has is her real family. It doesn't matter your blood relations but the family you make. Great message. The back story is very dramatic and I find the author is going to make each background slightly larger than life and that's a little cringe, yet I'm still going to continue the series.
P.s.: Tigg and Lizzie? Kinda cute.
P.s.: Tigg and Lizzie? Kinda cute.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2017
Somewhat more than four years having passed. Lady Claire is about to graduate from her engineering course at Munich University and the twins from their Lycee fifth form. They have been staying with the von Zeppelins, the Landsgraf having sponsored Claire. The protagonist in this volume is Lizzie, who learns about her parentage and her actual relationship to Maggie.
The threat this time is more domeestic - to the household of the Prince of Wales, no less - and the Lady of Devices has a part to play in the confounding of their enemies.
Splendid stuff - long may this series continue.
The threat this time is more domeestic - to the household of the Prince of Wales, no less - and the Lady of Devices has a part to play in the confounding of their enemies.
Splendid stuff - long may this series continue.
September 26, 2022
The main character shifts in this, book 5. One has to be in love enough with Lizzie, but also willing to fall in love with this vision of her as a teen. My struggle was in accepting and reconciling this version to the one I had in my head from previous books. There was plenty of speculative tech for fans of that. Overall the book felt short and read a bit like setup for the next phase in the series. Also huge reveals and changes, which are always tricky to write in a way that brings fans along for the journey.
January 3, 2019
I quite liked this book, which is the first in the series to focus on Lizzie, rather than Claire. Although the plot was a bit contrived, I enjoyed the fact that five years had passed since the previous book. I’m looking forward to the next book, which will focus on Maggie. I think that as the focus shifts from Claire to her wards, the stories will also develop more deeply. This was a great start to a new turn in the series.
July 21, 2023
78%
A cool little sci-fi Adventure not much sci-fi but like whatever we got the steampunk at least there's a little bit of science inserted into this one and not so much freaking romantic nonsense.
Maybe this character won't be as ridiculous? We'll see this is a fast-paced book The Plot was quirky and funny I wonder if all of these adopted children are belonging to dukes and ladies cuz it's getting ridiculous haha
A cool little sci-fi Adventure not much sci-fi but like whatever we got the steampunk at least there's a little bit of science inserted into this one and not so much freaking romantic nonsense.
Maybe this character won't be as ridiculous? We'll see this is a fast-paced book The Plot was quirky and funny I wonder if all of these adopted children are belonging to dukes and ladies cuz it's getting ridiculous haha
January 2, 2020
This the fifth book in the series, sees the Mopsies receive awards from school and return to the UK for the summer. However some unusual news for Lizzie results in a trip to the Seacombes Manor for her and Maggie at least for a while. Will their friendship and sisterhood survive resurfacing memories and new relatives.
Well written - very very nice ending.
Well written - very very nice ending.
May 1, 2021
A simplistic and easy read. It's been four years, Claire is graduating and the Mopsies are sixteen and finishing one level of school. Most of the story is told from Lizzie's point of view, where she's decided to fit in to the high life and be a lady. Of course, adventure and mystery appear -- of most basic kind. Nothing at all special, but not bad.
November 28, 2021
Have never read a steampunk novel before so have no idea as to how it compares to others of the genre. I thought it was a wonderful story unique view of girl power and family. A perfect introduction to the genre. Strong characters and engaging story. Part mystery part adventure story, good series to spend the winter with.
March 12, 2017
I give 3.5 stars.
I love this series but I must say, I'm a bit disappointed with this book. It's not bad or anything, just lacking the brilliance of the first four.
Here is what I didn't like:
1) There are almost no devices. At the beginning the pocket watch, the dream device and later the telescope but not really anything else. And even these three are not really mentioned all that much and were not invented by any of my favorite characters.
2) As much as I love Lizzie and Maggie, I missed Claire's point of view. Yes, she still plays a part and some of the story is being told from her POV but only barely. She is the Lady of Devices, I want to hear from her!
3) I didn't like the time jump. The "twins" were just 10 years old in the last book and now they are 16. And Lizzie behaves like a whiny spoiled brat most of the time. Also the big revelation about Maggie and Lizzie rubbed me the wrong way.
4) What the heck happened to Rosie? She was mentioned so often in the other books that some of the other reviewers complained about it. I didn't because I love Rosie! And much to my dismay she wasn't mentioned once! I'm just guessing she's not alive anymore because it's 6 years later but still. Could've at least mentioned her!
Like I said earlier, it's still a decent book. I don't regret reading it and I will read the next one as well. Just compared to the first books it's not as good.
I love this series but I must say, I'm a bit disappointed with this book. It's not bad or anything, just lacking the brilliance of the first four.
Here is what I didn't like:
1) There are almost no devices. At the beginning the pocket watch, the dream device and later the telescope but not really anything else. And even these three are not really mentioned all that much and were not invented by any of my favorite characters.
2) As much as I love Lizzie and Maggie, I missed Claire's point of view. Yes, she still plays a part and some of the story is being told from her POV but only barely. She is the Lady of Devices, I want to hear from her!
3) I didn't like the time jump. The "twins" were just 10 years old in the last book and now they are 16. And Lizzie behaves like a whiny spoiled brat most of the time. Also the big revelation about Maggie and Lizzie rubbed me the wrong way.
4) What the heck happened to Rosie? She was mentioned so often in the other books that some of the other reviewers complained about it. I didn't because I love Rosie! And much to my dismay she wasn't mentioned once! I'm just guessing she's not alive anymore because it's 6 years later but still. Could've at least mentioned her!
Like I said earlier, it's still a decent book. I don't regret reading it and I will read the next one as well. Just compared to the first books it's not as good.
March 14, 2018
Fantastic love the first book about the Mopsies diving into the next.
September 1, 2020
Well, aren't the girls growing up quickly? It seems a few years have passed since the last instalment and 16-year-old mopsies are quite the handful.
A fun romp.
A fun romp.
May 22, 2021
On to book six
May 30, 2022
My favorite in the series so far! I loved finding out the “twins” beginning and real family. I hope we learn the past of all the people in the “flock”!
October 18, 2022
I love that we've moved to the next generation of Claire's children!
October 18, 2022
Delightful additional to the Magnificent Devices series. I enjoyed getting a backstory for Lizzie and seeing her mature.
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