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The Explosionist #1
The Explosionist
The Explosionist (formerly known as Dynamite No. 1) is the story of a 15-year-old girl growing up in an alternate version of 1930s Edinburgh. There, the legacy of Napoleon's victory a century earlier at Waterloo is a standoff between a totalitarian Federation of European States and a group of independent northern countries called the New Hanseatic League. This world is preoccupied with technology (everything from electric cookers to high explosives) but also with spiritualism, a movement our world largely abandoned in the early 20th Century; Sigmund Freud is a radio talk-show crank, cars run on hydrogen and the most prominent scientists experiment with new ways of contacting the dead.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2008
About the author
Jenny Davidson
15 books33 followersJenny Davidson is a professor at Columbia University and the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. She is the author of the novel HEREDITY (2003); two YA novels, THE EXPLOSIONIST (2008) and INVISIBLE THINGS (2010); and several academic books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
February 10, 2017
Sophie is an intelligent and well-brought-up girl on the verge of taking her final exams in Edinburgh, 1938. In a world in which Wellington lost to Napoleon at Waterloo, there are many subtle differences from our world. In fact, it took me a few chapters of minor details that struck me as odd to be sure this was an alternate history. Sophie's Scotland hears rumors of the terrors enacted in Europe (which engulfed England long before), but they have thus far stayed resolutely politically neutral, while providing weaponry to the various warlike nations. Then Sophie stumbles across a plot to pull Scotland into the war, and not only does she have to uncover it, but deal with her increasing suspicions that her Great-Aunt's pet governmental project doesn't educate young women so much as brainwash them...
I really like Sophie, who has a distinct personality and is delightfully competent, while remaining totally believable as a 15 year old who's been somewhat sheltered. She figures out the main mystery not that long after I did (which was a relief--I hate stories where the solution is obvious but no one picks up on it). And I appreciated how many interesting adult characters there were with their own priorities and stories. (Personal favorite of course was her poised and mysteriously knowledgeable history professor, Miss Chatterjee.) I particularly loved discovering the differences between Sophie's society and my expectations. For instance, thanks to their isolation from trade and independence from England, Scotland developed rather different technologies, with greater emphasis on electrically-based tech than in reality. But there are still enough similarities (there's a running thread about the terrible food her boarding school and aunt's cook serve Sophie that I loved encountering--I'll never get tired of hearing about gooseberry fool and "shapes") and references to known historical personages (sometimes serving rather different roles than expected) that it still feels recognizable.
My only quibble with this book is that it's developed quite well and written at a good pace until the last few chapters, which both resolve too many things too swiftly, and set up a huge cliffhanger. I did not expect this to end in a cliffhanger, let alone such a huge one! I suppose I'll have to read the next book. I would have read it anyway, and now I'm a bit sulky that the author felt I needed to be coerced into doing so in such a hamfisted way.
I really like Sophie, who has a distinct personality and is delightfully competent, while remaining totally believable as a 15 year old who's been somewhat sheltered. She figures out the main mystery not that long after I did (which was a relief--I hate stories where the solution is obvious but no one picks up on it). And I appreciated how many interesting adult characters there were with their own priorities and stories. (Personal favorite of course was her poised and mysteriously knowledgeable history professor, Miss Chatterjee.) I particularly loved discovering the differences between Sophie's society and my expectations. For instance, thanks to their isolation from trade and independence from England, Scotland developed rather different technologies, with greater emphasis on electrically-based tech than in reality. But there are still enough similarities (there's a running thread about the terrible food her boarding school and aunt's cook serve Sophie that I loved encountering--I'll never get tired of hearing about gooseberry fool and "shapes") and references to known historical personages (sometimes serving rather different roles than expected) that it still feels recognizable.
My only quibble with this book is that it's developed quite well and written at a good pace until the last few chapters, which both resolve too many things too swiftly, and set up a huge cliffhanger. I did not expect this to end in a cliffhanger, let alone such a huge one! I suppose I'll have to read the next book. I would have read it anyway, and now I'm a bit sulky that the author felt I needed to be coerced into doing so in such a hamfisted way.
August 5, 2016
I'm not quite sure how to go about reviewing this book. It was one of the worst books I've ever read, with one of the most awful heroines I've ever had the displeasure of encountering. I'm completely baffled by the positive reviews on Amazon.com, and I have no idea how or why it was picked up by a major publisher (Harper Collins).
Basically, The Explosionist takes place in an alternate timeline in Scotland in 1938. The Battle of Waterloo had the opposite outcome, England was absorbed into mainland Europe, and Scotland became an isolated country with a successful munitions industry. Sophie Hunter, an orphan who lives with her Spiritualist great aunt in Edinburgh, must solve a mystery about the murder of a medium... before the government's IRYLNS program can get its hands on her and turn her into a man-serving drone.
My problems with this book were many. First, there were the characters. I could not identify with any of them. As the book went on, I kept shaking my head, wondering if the author had even been around other people, since she didn't seem to know how people were supposed to act. I think the author thought that 1938 was supposed to be a very sexist time for women. But the way she had her characters act often made no sense. There was a scene where Sophie was on the phone with her friend, Mikael, and Mikael made a comment about wanting to protect her from seeing something grisly because she was a girl. After Sophie hung up the phone, she sank to the floor and cried. Then the next time she saw Mikael, she apologized to him! I still can't figure out what she was apologizing for. Being a girl? I don't know.
Sophie was not the most consistent character. She was also rather dumb. She suffers from SNS to a horrible degree. But the author also withheld information from the reader... and that angered me far more. In the beginning of the book, Sophie has a crush on her chemistry teacher. Other than the fact that he has fair hair, we're not really told what he looks like. Later in the book, Sophie realizes that it's not her chemistry teacher she's in love with, but Mikael... who happens to be the teacher's younger brother. They apparently look so much alike that Sophie can transfer her affections from one to the other; but we're never told what Mikael looks like, so we don't have the opportunity to put the pieces together for ourselves. I felt cheated at that point, as if the author was trying to be mysterious and clever. But I guess if Mikael had been described, the reader might've been able to figure out the connection, and Sophie would have looked even dumber for not seeing it sooner. Sophie was also, ultimately, selfish.
That wasn't the worst of it, though. Sophie was just not written as a 15-year-old girl. At one point in the story, Sophie thought that someone was speaking to her as if she was "a mentally deficient ten-year-old". My first thought when I read that line was, "If you don't want to be treated like a mentally deficient ten-year-old, then stop acting like one!" All of Sophie's friends, as well, acted like little children, basically throwing hissy fits when something didn't go their way. Jean, in particular, came off as terribly immature. I found it difficult to believe that these girls were old enough to drive, a year away from finishing their schooling, and almost old enough to marry.
As for the story itself, I did like the alternate timeline idea. I thought it was great that Scotland powered its cars with fuel cells (plausible, since they didn't have much access to oil and gas and would have had to, out of sheer necessity, come up with an alternate energy source). The fact that Spiritualism was a large part of this society was interesting, too. But the story, at times, got bogged down with way too many facts and implausibilities. The information dump near the end about the manufacture of nitroglycerin and dynamite read like the perseverating ramblings of someone obsessed with explosives. It's nice to have some details, but it is possible to go overboard.
I was also not impressed with the writing. It started out okay (aside from way too much telling and not enough showing) but, gradually, run-on sentences started to creep in. I think I have a fairly decent vocabulary, but I was constantly having to write down words to look up later (too much thesaurus use, perhaps?). The author also seemed to like the word "scruple", using it a number of times (both as a noun and as a verb). And some of the writing was just plain odd. I remember this simile clearly, because it was obviously mixed-up:
Mikael let himself be dragged into the storefront, where the smell of hot fat enveloped them like a cloak of invisibility.
Unless we're talking about a case of synesthesia, I don't see how a smell can be compared with invisibility.
Eventually, this dragged-out dystopian murder mystery ended, but with little resolution. It took more than 450 pages to "solve" the mystery, even though the actual whodunnit was solved about halfway through. This book is obviously leading to a sequel (which I have no intention of reading).
The only really good thing that I can say about this book is that the cover is lovely (even though the girl looks nothing like Sophie), and that I got it at a huge discount. Still, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't pay $1.67 to read it. It was that bad.
http://theladybugreads.blogspot.ca/20...
Basically, The Explosionist takes place in an alternate timeline in Scotland in 1938. The Battle of Waterloo had the opposite outcome, England was absorbed into mainland Europe, and Scotland became an isolated country with a successful munitions industry. Sophie Hunter, an orphan who lives with her Spiritualist great aunt in Edinburgh, must solve a mystery about the murder of a medium... before the government's IRYLNS program can get its hands on her and turn her into a man-serving drone.
My problems with this book were many. First, there were the characters. I could not identify with any of them. As the book went on, I kept shaking my head, wondering if the author had even been around other people, since she didn't seem to know how people were supposed to act. I think the author thought that 1938 was supposed to be a very sexist time for women. But the way she had her characters act often made no sense. There was a scene where Sophie was on the phone with her friend, Mikael, and Mikael made a comment about wanting to protect her from seeing something grisly because she was a girl. After Sophie hung up the phone, she sank to the floor and cried. Then the next time she saw Mikael, she apologized to him! I still can't figure out what she was apologizing for. Being a girl? I don't know.
Sophie was not the most consistent character. She was also rather dumb. She suffers from SNS to a horrible degree. But the author also withheld information from the reader... and that angered me far more. In the beginning of the book, Sophie has a crush on her chemistry teacher. Other than the fact that he has fair hair, we're not really told what he looks like. Later in the book, Sophie realizes that it's not her chemistry teacher she's in love with, but Mikael... who happens to be the teacher's younger brother. They apparently look so much alike that Sophie can transfer her affections from one to the other; but we're never told what Mikael looks like, so we don't have the opportunity to put the pieces together for ourselves. I felt cheated at that point, as if the author was trying to be mysterious and clever. But I guess if Mikael had been described, the reader might've been able to figure out the connection, and Sophie would have looked even dumber for not seeing it sooner. Sophie was also, ultimately, selfish.
That wasn't the worst of it, though. Sophie was just not written as a 15-year-old girl. At one point in the story, Sophie thought that someone was speaking to her as if she was "a mentally deficient ten-year-old". My first thought when I read that line was, "If you don't want to be treated like a mentally deficient ten-year-old, then stop acting like one!" All of Sophie's friends, as well, acted like little children, basically throwing hissy fits when something didn't go their way. Jean, in particular, came off as terribly immature. I found it difficult to believe that these girls were old enough to drive, a year away from finishing their schooling, and almost old enough to marry.
As for the story itself, I did like the alternate timeline idea. I thought it was great that Scotland powered its cars with fuel cells (plausible, since they didn't have much access to oil and gas and would have had to, out of sheer necessity, come up with an alternate energy source). The fact that Spiritualism was a large part of this society was interesting, too. But the story, at times, got bogged down with way too many facts and implausibilities. The information dump near the end about the manufacture of nitroglycerin and dynamite read like the perseverating ramblings of someone obsessed with explosives. It's nice to have some details, but it is possible to go overboard.
I was also not impressed with the writing. It started out okay (aside from way too much telling and not enough showing) but, gradually, run-on sentences started to creep in. I think I have a fairly decent vocabulary, but I was constantly having to write down words to look up later (too much thesaurus use, perhaps?). The author also seemed to like the word "scruple", using it a number of times (both as a noun and as a verb). And some of the writing was just plain odd. I remember this simile clearly, because it was obviously mixed-up:
Mikael let himself be dragged into the storefront, where the smell of hot fat enveloped them like a cloak of invisibility.
Unless we're talking about a case of synesthesia, I don't see how a smell can be compared with invisibility.
Eventually, this dragged-out dystopian murder mystery ended, but with little resolution. It took more than 450 pages to "solve" the mystery, even though the actual whodunnit was solved about halfway through. This book is obviously leading to a sequel (which I have no intention of reading).
The only really good thing that I can say about this book is that the cover is lovely (even though the girl looks nothing like Sophie), and that I got it at a huge discount. Still, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't pay $1.67 to read it. It was that bad.
http://theladybugreads.blogspot.ca/20...
November 29, 2008
This was an interesting and original counter-historical novel set in the 1930s in a world where Napoleon successfully established a pan-European empire. I liked the protagonist and found her and her alternate Scotland fairly believable. I would have given it four stars but for two problems I had with the book: 1) some of the plot elements and counter-factual history are never adequately explained (eg, so Napoleon won? Why does this make dynamite so important?) and 2) the ending, aka total LACK OF CONCLUSION. I also read this author's adult novel Heredity and have to say: Ms. Davidson, the ending is not a random point at which you get tired of the story and decide to stop writing. If that were the case, readers might as well stop at any point in the story without getting all the way through it. Being able to think of an original plotline is only half of authorship. Shame on your editor for not insisting that you finish your work.
July 7, 2017
Sophie lives in an alternate Scotland around 1935, in a world where Napoleon won at Waterloo, and Scotland and the Scandinavian countries have established a new Hanseatic League to resist being forcibly joined to the rest of Europe. Terrorist bombings are increasing, and the Scottish minister of public safety is calling for war. Spiritualism is very real, and consultations with the dead through mediums are common.
In these turbulent times, Sophie wants nothing more than to go to university and study science after leaving her girls' boarding school. Instead, she fears she'll be forced to join IRYLNS, a governmental agency which trains young women as personal assistants to male government officials, and perhaps does more than simply train them, as Sophie finds out when she visits with her aunt. And when a medium at her aunt's house delivers a frightening prophecy to her and then is murdered, Sophie and her friend Mikael must unpick a tangled web of lies, violence, and political intrigue.
I liked Davidson's taking-off point for her alternate history and the idea of the New Hanseatic League, and I thought she created a believable political world. She's rather too prone to drop famous names into the narrative, arbitrarily changing their professions and lives -- for example, there's a reference to "the theology of Count Tolstoy, the novels of Richard Wagner, the verse of Albert Einstein, or the operas of James Joyce" -- which I found distracting at first and then just annoying. I can see how this might be hard to resist, but I would much rather have read more about how the political history of the world had developed.
I quite liked clever, scientifically-minded Sophie herself, and I liked her complex relationship with her aunt (and how her aunt, who feels that emotion is bad, tries to deal with her love for Sophie) and with her friends at school. The understated romance is handled nicely, and also Sophie's schoolgirl crush on her chemistry teacher, with its attendant awkwardness and misery.
Davidson does a good job in adding detail and complexity to the plot slowly, so that Sophie's race to solve the mysteries becomes more and more tense. I wish I had known in advance that a sequel is in the works, as I found the ending overly abrupt. Still, I'll definitely be reading the sequel.
In these turbulent times, Sophie wants nothing more than to go to university and study science after leaving her girls' boarding school. Instead, she fears she'll be forced to join IRYLNS, a governmental agency which trains young women as personal assistants to male government officials, and perhaps does more than simply train them, as Sophie finds out when she visits with her aunt. And when a medium at her aunt's house delivers a frightening prophecy to her and then is murdered, Sophie and her friend Mikael must unpick a tangled web of lies, violence, and political intrigue.
I liked Davidson's taking-off point for her alternate history and the idea of the New Hanseatic League, and I thought she created a believable political world. She's rather too prone to drop famous names into the narrative, arbitrarily changing their professions and lives -- for example, there's a reference to "the theology of Count Tolstoy, the novels of Richard Wagner, the verse of Albert Einstein, or the operas of James Joyce" -- which I found distracting at first and then just annoying. I can see how this might be hard to resist, but I would much rather have read more about how the political history of the world had developed.
I quite liked clever, scientifically-minded Sophie herself, and I liked her complex relationship with her aunt (and how her aunt, who feels that emotion is bad, tries to deal with her love for Sophie) and with her friends at school. The understated romance is handled nicely, and also Sophie's schoolgirl crush on her chemistry teacher, with its attendant awkwardness and misery.
Davidson does a good job in adding detail and complexity to the plot slowly, so that Sophie's race to solve the mysteries becomes more and more tense. I wish I had known in advance that a sequel is in the works, as I found the ending overly abrupt. Still, I'll definitely be reading the sequel.
November 8, 2012
Reviewed by Amber Gibson for TeensReadToo.com
In a world where Europe is split into two competing factions on the brink of war, the 1930s are dominated by the Enlightenment principles of science and reason. The basis of this parallel universe is that Napoleon defeated Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Jenny Davidson skillfully incorporates elements of historical research, science-fiction, and the paranormal to create a world utterly unrecognizable to readers in the twenty-first century. With her clever plot and vivid descriptions, Davidson prevents readers from becoming confused and overwhelmed by the drastic differences of her imaginary world.
Fifteen-year-old Sophie Hunter is living in Scotland, a member of the New Hanseatic League, and attending an all-girls preparatory school with hopes of a university education. However, her future hangs in jeopardy due to the threat of war between the New Hanseatic League and Europe. Terrorist attacks by the Brother of the Northern Liberties are all too common, and the mood throughout the country is tense. In the event of war, all of Scotland's young women would be called upon to serve the country in various national agencies, dashing Sophie's dreams of becoming a scientist.
Sophie's already turbulent life becomes even more confusing after she attends one of her great-aunt Tabitha's seances. The medium delivers a shocking anonymous message to Sophie, insinuating that she will encounter great danger. When the medium is murdered shortly thereafter, Sophie knows that the prophecy is not to be taken lightly. She vows to uncover the mysteries behind the tangle of Scotland's political web, to save herself and her friends from a disastrous fate.
As fate would have it, war might soon be upon them. Sophie plans on joining IRLYNS, serving her country as is her duty if the unthinkable should occur. Short for the Institute for the Recruitment of Young Ladies for National Security and pronounced "irons," IRLYNS aims to train intelligent young women to be personal assistants to Scotland's most powerful government officials. Great-aunt Tabitha, Sophie's guardian since the death of her parents many years ago, is actually one of the founders of IRLYNS, and Sophie expects her to be proud of her noble intentions. However, great-aunt Tabitha strongly discourages her niece from joining IRLYNS, and Sophie's curiosity is piqued. Could the secrets behind IRLYNS be in any way connected to the precarious state of the country?
Although she lives in a bizarre world, readers will surely be able to relate to Sophie's idealism and youthful exuberance. A loyal friend with strong morals, readers will find Sophie very likable. Her crush on her chemistry teacher, Mr. Peterson, is reminiscent of Hermione's infatuation with Gilderoy Lockhart. Thankfully, Mr. Peterson is infinitely more worthy of admiration. Then there is Sophie's amusing relationship with Mikael, her best guy friend from Sweden. Slowly, Sophie discovers what readers will see all along, that Sophie harbors more than feelings of friendship for Mikael.
Davidson skillfully tempers suspense and danger with laughter and good times, creating a magical world that defies genre stereotypes. Deeper than a typical adventure story, THE EXPLOSIONIST challenges readers with questions of ethics and the rightful boundaries of the government. Insightful readers will explore their own political beliefs, and even draw parallels from Sophie's world to current events of today. Davidson's abrupt ending will surely leave readers hoping for a sequel!
In a world where Europe is split into two competing factions on the brink of war, the 1930s are dominated by the Enlightenment principles of science and reason. The basis of this parallel universe is that Napoleon defeated Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Jenny Davidson skillfully incorporates elements of historical research, science-fiction, and the paranormal to create a world utterly unrecognizable to readers in the twenty-first century. With her clever plot and vivid descriptions, Davidson prevents readers from becoming confused and overwhelmed by the drastic differences of her imaginary world.
Fifteen-year-old Sophie Hunter is living in Scotland, a member of the New Hanseatic League, and attending an all-girls preparatory school with hopes of a university education. However, her future hangs in jeopardy due to the threat of war between the New Hanseatic League and Europe. Terrorist attacks by the Brother of the Northern Liberties are all too common, and the mood throughout the country is tense. In the event of war, all of Scotland's young women would be called upon to serve the country in various national agencies, dashing Sophie's dreams of becoming a scientist.
Sophie's already turbulent life becomes even more confusing after she attends one of her great-aunt Tabitha's seances. The medium delivers a shocking anonymous message to Sophie, insinuating that she will encounter great danger. When the medium is murdered shortly thereafter, Sophie knows that the prophecy is not to be taken lightly. She vows to uncover the mysteries behind the tangle of Scotland's political web, to save herself and her friends from a disastrous fate.
As fate would have it, war might soon be upon them. Sophie plans on joining IRLYNS, serving her country as is her duty if the unthinkable should occur. Short for the Institute for the Recruitment of Young Ladies for National Security and pronounced "irons," IRLYNS aims to train intelligent young women to be personal assistants to Scotland's most powerful government officials. Great-aunt Tabitha, Sophie's guardian since the death of her parents many years ago, is actually one of the founders of IRLYNS, and Sophie expects her to be proud of her noble intentions. However, great-aunt Tabitha strongly discourages her niece from joining IRLYNS, and Sophie's curiosity is piqued. Could the secrets behind IRLYNS be in any way connected to the precarious state of the country?
Although she lives in a bizarre world, readers will surely be able to relate to Sophie's idealism and youthful exuberance. A loyal friend with strong morals, readers will find Sophie very likable. Her crush on her chemistry teacher, Mr. Peterson, is reminiscent of Hermione's infatuation with Gilderoy Lockhart. Thankfully, Mr. Peterson is infinitely more worthy of admiration. Then there is Sophie's amusing relationship with Mikael, her best guy friend from Sweden. Slowly, Sophie discovers what readers will see all along, that Sophie harbors more than feelings of friendship for Mikael.
Davidson skillfully tempers suspense and danger with laughter and good times, creating a magical world that defies genre stereotypes. Deeper than a typical adventure story, THE EXPLOSIONIST challenges readers with questions of ethics and the rightful boundaries of the government. Insightful readers will explore their own political beliefs, and even draw parallels from Sophie's world to current events of today. Davidson's abrupt ending will surely leave readers hoping for a sequel!
June 28, 2009
I really wanted to like this; and in some ways I did. It's set in a very interesting alternate history, and the details about this alternate world's politics, technology, and philosophy appeal enormously to my geeky side. Not to mention that it also contains elements of mystery and boarding-school story. Ultimately, though, the book's problems made more of an impression on me than its merits.
Some of those problems are structural. The writing is a bit on the clunky side, particularly when it came to exposition; there are quite a few points where the heroine's speech or thoughts sound unnaturally didactic. Also, the parallels with today's politics (suicide bombers, warmongering) and the moral lessons are quite sledghammery, despite the author's clear attempts to inject some complexity with characters like Great-Aunt Tabitha.
I was particularly frustrated by the ending, which manages to simultaneously remove the main character's agency in a Big Reveal/deus ex machina in which Everything Is Explained to her, AND at the same time leaves the reader with a major lack of resolution that is a definite set-up for Book #2––annoying, since from the packaging the novel looks like a stand-alone.
For all the trappings of mystery/detective story, it really wasn't that difficult for the characters to figure out what was going on.
And as intriguing as the world-building was, at times it felt not fully fleshed-out. For instance, the back-and-forth on the status of spirtualism (séances, etc.) felt inconsistent: is it a resectable science or a fringe belief? The novel seemed to be trying to have it both ways. Meanwhile, having famous figures from our world crop up as well-known in alternative areas was cute at first, but as the book went on it got to be wearing and implausible.
Overall, this is a book with some very interesting ideas that could use more in-depth development of its characters, plot, and world (and a little more attention to style.) If the second book improves on the first it could end up being really good.
Some of those problems are structural. The writing is a bit on the clunky side, particularly when it came to exposition; there are quite a few points where the heroine's speech or thoughts sound unnaturally didactic. Also, the parallels with today's politics (suicide bombers, warmongering) and the moral lessons are quite sledghammery, despite the author's clear attempts to inject some complexity with characters like Great-Aunt Tabitha.
I was particularly frustrated by the ending, which manages to simultaneously remove the main character's agency in a Big Reveal/deus ex machina in which Everything Is Explained to her, AND at the same time leaves the reader with a major lack of resolution that is a definite set-up for Book #2––annoying, since from the packaging the novel looks like a stand-alone.
For all the trappings of mystery/detective story, it really wasn't that difficult for the characters to figure out what was going on.
And as intriguing as the world-building was, at times it felt not fully fleshed-out. For instance, the back-and-forth on the status of spirtualism (séances, etc.) felt inconsistent: is it a resectable science or a fringe belief? The novel seemed to be trying to have it both ways. Meanwhile, having famous figures from our world crop up as well-known in alternative areas was cute at first, but as the book went on it got to be wearing and implausible.
Overall, this is a book with some very interesting ideas that could use more in-depth development of its characters, plot, and world (and a little more attention to style.) If the second book improves on the first it could end up being really good.
May 30, 2011
Aaaaaaah this was awesome. It does some things that are technically Not Allowed in alternate history (such as having real-world historical figures who were born decades after the point of divergence), but I find that easy to forgive, because one of the main points of alternate history is to comment on Actualfax History, and any truly rigorous hard AH would a) be pretty much impossible to create, given that all reference materials refer to Actualfax History and b) end up so different as to be useless for commenting purposes.
The world is fascinating - it's built with the sure hand of someone who knows her way around SF, but it also feels fresh and unlike anything else I've read. Partly it's that the heroine spends most of the book in a boarding school, but mostly it's just that original. It's a kind of dystopia that I really like - at first everything seems pretty ordinary, if allohistorical, but gradually you realise, along with the heroine, that you're in a subtle but hideous dystopia, a self-consciously modern and liberal Enlightenment society that takes Rousseau as its founding document rather than Mill. Any political setup, in order to be stable, has to have a significant class of people who get along all right and don't categorise their society as a dystopia -- *we* live in a horrible dystopia without thinking much about it unless it's forced on our notice -- and characters who have enough freedom of action to make suitable protagonists tend to come from the Getting Along Classes, all of which makes the world of The Explosionist that much more convincing.
But what gets it five stars (I wavered between four and five based on one or two awkward sentences, and would probably give it 4.5 if I could) is the main character and her delightfully matter-of-fact narrative voice. Sophie's brave, smart and determined, but not at all the usual YA heroine: she's serious, academic, introverted and desperately unsporty. I have never felt so represented. (I also love that I have absolutely no idea what she looks like, except for a vague notion that she probably looks like the -- also excellent -- cover art. Refreshing!)
The world is fascinating - it's built with the sure hand of someone who knows her way around SF, but it also feels fresh and unlike anything else I've read. Partly it's that the heroine spends most of the book in a boarding school, but mostly it's just that original. It's a kind of dystopia that I really like - at first everything seems pretty ordinary, if allohistorical, but gradually you realise, along with the heroine, that you're in a subtle but hideous dystopia, a self-consciously modern and liberal Enlightenment society that takes Rousseau as its founding document rather than Mill. Any political setup, in order to be stable, has to have a significant class of people who get along all right and don't categorise their society as a dystopia -- *we* live in a horrible dystopia without thinking much about it unless it's forced on our notice -- and characters who have enough freedom of action to make suitable protagonists tend to come from the Getting Along Classes, all of which makes the world of The Explosionist that much more convincing.
But what gets it five stars (I wavered between four and five based on one or two awkward sentences, and would probably give it 4.5 if I could) is the main character and her delightfully matter-of-fact narrative voice. Sophie's brave, smart and determined, but not at all the usual YA heroine: she's serious, academic, introverted and desperately unsporty. I have never felt so represented. (I also love that I have absolutely no idea what she looks like, except for a vague notion that she probably looks like the -- also excellent -- cover art. Refreshing!)
July 28, 2011
Blech. What a terribly dull book. The murky setting is obviously an alternate history but it takes the author forever to spell that out, leaving the reader annoyed and confused since the cover makes it look like a straight-up historical. The protagonist Sophie is the most unlikeable and uninteresting Mary Sue I've ever seen outside of fanfic. It was hard to care about her pain since she never seemed to really defend herself against her friends, teachers, and crazy aunt.
The mystery has too many twists, not enough substance and I kept reading in hopes that a good conclusion would redeem it. Alas no. The ending ties some things up in little boxes that are just too neat but leaves the actual fates of the characters as one big question mark. So basically you wade through almost 300 pages of boring characters, confusing settings, irregular pacing, and reader apathy only to be rewarded with a big ole let down ending. Honestly, don't waste you time.
The mystery has too many twists, not enough substance and I kept reading in hopes that a good conclusion would redeem it. Alas no. The ending ties some things up in little boxes that are just too neat but leaves the actual fates of the characters as one big question mark. So basically you wade through almost 300 pages of boring characters, confusing settings, irregular pacing, and reader apathy only to be rewarded with a big ole let down ending. Honestly, don't waste you time.
April 28, 2009
Another tale mired in the morass of books found to be intolerable. It started off well enough, with the intriguing notion of an alternate Europe forever changed by Napoleon's (and not Wellington's) victory at Waterloo, but it swiftly went downhill with a convoluted plot, a heroine more annoying than relatable with her tedious crush on her teacher and her friend, Mikael, was of precious little use. And the IRYLYNS was just creepy and not really explained and did I mention CREEPY? The Aunt was a rank Hypocrite and there was not one character than I cared about one way or the other. The politics were a mess. So what? Chucked it into the The Bog, but not the rubbish pile because I honestly did not read it from start to finish. I managed close to two hundred pages, skipped to the last few chapters and then could not stand to read the remainder.
January 2, 2009
I had a hard time getting in to this book. I probably should have put it down, but the story was intriguing. If I had known nothing would be resolved by the end setting it up for a sequel, I would probably had stopped reading.
March 4, 2019
An enjoyable YA read, the setting is Scotland - mostly Edinburgh - in an alternative history world. I will need to read part two of the series now.
May 9, 2016
5/5
I am truly appalled by the mixed reviews on this book because I really enjoyed it. I had never seen nor heard of The Explosionist, but I saw it at my public library, liked the cover, thought the blurb sounded interesting, and picked it up completely on a whim. Never did I expect to be so enraptured by it! Where to begin... firstly, I was very intrigued by the setting. I love historical fiction but I don't recall reading many alternate historical settings (i.e. in this novel, Napoleon won the battle of Waterloo). Because of this, 1930s Scotland (and the rest of the world) are quite different from how one might think, and I was afraid getting into this book that I wasn't enough of a history buff to follow along. Needless to say, I found the history talk was very digestible and not at all confusing. I also found the combination of science and the supernatural in this novel to be very compelling. We hear as much talk about chemistry and explosives as we do seances and ghosts, all of which linked so beautifully to the mysteries and dark secrets that are at the heart of the plot.
Beyond all of this I ADORED Sophie, our protagonist. She was written just as a fifteen-year-old girl should be (something that is painfully lacking in many teen and YA books). She wants to be taken seriously and be seen for her mind, not whatever may be holding her back (such as her age or gender- both of which, as she regularly reminds people, are not hindrances to her potential). Sophie is generally quite likable throughout the novel- I found her reactions to different situations and people quite reasonable and realistic, which is so refreshing in a YA book. I loved her friends- Mikael, as well as her roommates (though I wonder if the second book addresses Jean being in love with Priscilla because.... don't try to convince me otherwise)- and even the relationships she had built with her teachers.
I think my few complaints would be that the ending so clearly is there to set up a sequel (so much so that the last page is mostly just a series of questions that sounds like the ending of an old fashioned cartoon serial, I half expected the story to end with "find out next time!"), and that the second book has a title and cover that seem virtually unrelated to this book. And not even for the better. This cover is lovely, and the second looks so generic. But I will 100% be trying to get my hands on it and then likely devouring that one the way I did the first.
So overall I would say: if you think there's something intriguing about this book but you're wary because of some bad reviews, DON'T LISTEN. Please pick it up yourself and give it a try.
I am truly appalled by the mixed reviews on this book because I really enjoyed it. I had never seen nor heard of The Explosionist, but I saw it at my public library, liked the cover, thought the blurb sounded interesting, and picked it up completely on a whim. Never did I expect to be so enraptured by it! Where to begin... firstly, I was very intrigued by the setting. I love historical fiction but I don't recall reading many alternate historical settings (i.e. in this novel, Napoleon won the battle of Waterloo). Because of this, 1930s Scotland (and the rest of the world) are quite different from how one might think, and I was afraid getting into this book that I wasn't enough of a history buff to follow along. Needless to say, I found the history talk was very digestible and not at all confusing. I also found the combination of science and the supernatural in this novel to be very compelling. We hear as much talk about chemistry and explosives as we do seances and ghosts, all of which linked so beautifully to the mysteries and dark secrets that are at the heart of the plot.
Beyond all of this I ADORED Sophie, our protagonist. She was written just as a fifteen-year-old girl should be (something that is painfully lacking in many teen and YA books). She wants to be taken seriously and be seen for her mind, not whatever may be holding her back (such as her age or gender- both of which, as she regularly reminds people, are not hindrances to her potential). Sophie is generally quite likable throughout the novel- I found her reactions to different situations and people quite reasonable and realistic, which is so refreshing in a YA book. I loved her friends- Mikael, as well as her roommates (though I wonder if the second book addresses Jean being in love with Priscilla because.... don't try to convince me otherwise)- and even the relationships she had built with her teachers.
I think my few complaints would be that the ending so clearly is there to set up a sequel (so much so that the last page is mostly just a series of questions that sounds like the ending of an old fashioned cartoon serial, I half expected the story to end with "find out next time!"), and that the second book has a title and cover that seem virtually unrelated to this book. And not even for the better. This cover is lovely, and the second looks so generic. But I will 100% be trying to get my hands on it and then likely devouring that one the way I did the first.
So overall I would say: if you think there's something intriguing about this book but you're wary because of some bad reviews, DON'T LISTEN. Please pick it up yourself and give it a try.
July 19, 2009
I knew The Explosionist would be good after reading the first chapter that was all about dynamite and explosions. Stupid reason, I know, but what can I say? Dynamite is exciting.
But the dynamite wasn't the only good thing about the book. Sophie, the main character, dealt with the many, many, events in a good way. I've read some books where the main character doesn't want help solving his/her problems or doesn't want to do any work at all or stand up for themselves so he/she just goes along with everyone else says, but such was not the case with Sophie. She actually had people help her but still managed do some work and have input too.
I think what really made the book work was the setting. I loved the setting. How could one not love a book set in alternate universe 1930s Scotland where the country is on the brink of war all because of politics and a single day's events? And where technology and psychics are put into play? (Not like computers technology and telling the future psychic, but electric cookers technology and talking to spirits psychics.) I don't think the book would have been as great if it was set in another place or time, or even in the real universe. Jenny Davidson really did a good job making the alternate universe and incorporating it in the story.
But I have a couple complaints. One being that it seemed as though there was too much going on. There was the talking to spirits stuff, Sophie's crush on her teacher, the explosions, the murder of a medium (the murder was one of the high points of the book. Adds a whole lot of mystery to the overall story), the "school" place that turns girls into zombies, the country being near war, and so much more. It was all exciting and interesting, but there was just a little too much of it. It hurt my brain slightly.
The other the complaint would be: WHERE IS THE SEQUEL? Seriously. One of the characters dropped a bomb (no pun intended) 30-40 pages before the end, and then the book stopped a really really good part. I want a sequel. Now.
But the dynamite wasn't the only good thing about the book. Sophie, the main character, dealt with the many, many, events in a good way. I've read some books where the main character doesn't want help solving his/her problems or doesn't want to do any work at all or stand up for themselves so he/she just goes along with everyone else says, but such was not the case with Sophie. She actually had people help her but still managed do some work and have input too.
I think what really made the book work was the setting. I loved the setting. How could one not love a book set in alternate universe 1930s Scotland where the country is on the brink of war all because of politics and a single day's events? And where technology and psychics are put into play? (Not like computers technology and telling the future psychic, but electric cookers technology and talking to spirits psychics.) I don't think the book would have been as great if it was set in another place or time, or even in the real universe. Jenny Davidson really did a good job making the alternate universe and incorporating it in the story.
But I have a couple complaints. One being that it seemed as though there was too much going on. There was the talking to spirits stuff, Sophie's crush on her teacher, the explosions, the murder of a medium (the murder was one of the high points of the book. Adds a whole lot of mystery to the overall story), the "school" place that turns girls into zombies, the country being near war, and so much more. It was all exciting and interesting, but there was just a little too much of it. It hurt my brain slightly.
The other the complaint would be: WHERE IS THE SEQUEL? Seriously. One of the characters dropped a bomb (no pun intended) 30-40 pages before the end, and then the book stopped a really really good part. I want a sequel. Now.
November 28, 2008
I have only fifty pages to go in The Explosionist and I don't see how Jenny Davidson is going to finish the story in so few pages. I'm really liking this and am hoping it doesn't end with a cliffhanger, forcing me to wait for a sequel in order to satisfy my curiousity.
In The Explosionist Davidson presents an altered world, one in which Napolean won at Waterloo. As expected, the world is quite different. Our main character, Sophie, lives in Scotland, a country that belongs to the New Hanseatic League. (I had to consult wikipedia to find out what the original Hanseatic League was---thanks, crappy Arizona public school education!) Scotland is a major gun and bomb producing nation, and terrorists constantly attack. The year is 1938 (I think) and Scotland is on the verge of war. In the first chapter a bomb explodes at Sophie's elite private school. Then Sophie attends a seance at her great-aunt and guardian's home and realizes she has an affinity for contacting departed spirits. In this world, everyone understands that the departed are not truly departed and Sophie uses her love for science to investigate a mystery after the medium at the seance is murdered, her throat slashed in a hotel. Soon Sophie's being followed by dodgy characters, and then she uncovers a national secret of chilling proportions--and realizes her great-aunt is involved in what amounts to human experimentation.
The world Davidson has created is very fun to read. Many teen readers and possibly adult ones won't recognize the changes. Famous writers in our world are scientists in Sophie's, for example. I have a feeling I am missing a lot (see crappy Arizona public school education above.) Nonetheless, readers will enjoy this. No sex or foul language for smothering parental figures to object to either. This book can be considered historical fiction (of a sort), mystery, and sci-fi light. I need to go read fifty more pages now!
In The Explosionist Davidson presents an altered world, one in which Napolean won at Waterloo. As expected, the world is quite different. Our main character, Sophie, lives in Scotland, a country that belongs to the New Hanseatic League. (I had to consult wikipedia to find out what the original Hanseatic League was---thanks, crappy Arizona public school education!) Scotland is a major gun and bomb producing nation, and terrorists constantly attack. The year is 1938 (I think) and Scotland is on the verge of war. In the first chapter a bomb explodes at Sophie's elite private school. Then Sophie attends a seance at her great-aunt and guardian's home and realizes she has an affinity for contacting departed spirits. In this world, everyone understands that the departed are not truly departed and Sophie uses her love for science to investigate a mystery after the medium at the seance is murdered, her throat slashed in a hotel. Soon Sophie's being followed by dodgy characters, and then she uncovers a national secret of chilling proportions--and realizes her great-aunt is involved in what amounts to human experimentation.
The world Davidson has created is very fun to read. Many teen readers and possibly adult ones won't recognize the changes. Famous writers in our world are scientists in Sophie's, for example. I have a feeling I am missing a lot (see crappy Arizona public school education above.) Nonetheless, readers will enjoy this. No sex or foul language for smothering parental figures to object to either. This book can be considered historical fiction (of a sort), mystery, and sci-fi light. I need to go read fifty more pages now!
December 18, 2014
Alternate universe where Napoleon won at Waterloo, changing absolutely everything in the world, and set in 1938 on the brink of a very different World War II. It was nearly awesome. It's definitely the first in a series, although a book two isn't mentioned; the last page has Sophie listing out the various mysteries she hasn't yet solved.
It's a fabulous idea, no doubt about it. The writing is pretty strong and it's action packed and very interesting. Some of it (IRYLNS, omg) was utterly horrifying. But the world building needed to be a LOT stronger. The author's note, explaining where the universe diverged, needed to be a foreword or better integrated into the story. I have a stronger than average knowledge of European history and I didn't get the Napoleon bit for over 100 pages, and the ideals of each side never really gelled for me. The Hanseatic league (Medieval northern European trade alliance, it turns out) isn't something I'm really familiar with, wasn't really explained in the novel, but is important to the story. I also never really understand why so much changed. A different European federation, logical. Scotland and England divided, all right. The Victorian interest in the occult and seances never faded, why not. But spirits do exist and communicate through mediums, and it's a class in school? Oscar Wilde is a scientist, Freud is a crack pot radio host, Delaware seceded with the South so the North lost the Civil War? Just to name a few - I guess I prefer a more logical or explained procession.
I'm sure I'll read whatever comes next, but I will be hoping for improvements.
It's a fabulous idea, no doubt about it. The writing is pretty strong and it's action packed and very interesting. Some of it (IRYLNS, omg) was utterly horrifying. But the world building needed to be a LOT stronger. The author's note, explaining where the universe diverged, needed to be a foreword or better integrated into the story. I have a stronger than average knowledge of European history and I didn't get the Napoleon bit for over 100 pages, and the ideals of each side never really gelled for me. The Hanseatic league (Medieval northern European trade alliance, it turns out) isn't something I'm really familiar with, wasn't really explained in the novel, but is important to the story. I also never really understand why so much changed. A different European federation, logical. Scotland and England divided, all right. The Victorian interest in the occult and seances never faded, why not. But spirits do exist and communicate through mediums, and it's a class in school? Oscar Wilde is a scientist, Freud is a crack pot radio host, Delaware seceded with the South so the North lost the Civil War? Just to name a few - I guess I prefer a more logical or explained procession.
I'm sure I'll read whatever comes next, but I will be hoping for improvements.
June 5, 2009
Before I begin: I liked this, and I AM interested in reading the sequel that is obviously on its way. But so that others do not get confused when they begin to read this story:
The setting is Scotland in the 1930s. Only this IS NOT our version of history.
Napoleon WON at Waterloo, England has been taken over by France and Germany (and the current European "leader" apparently has a very familiar little mustache), and Scotland is a republic allied with nations of the old Hanseatic League.
Ibsen and Strindberg are writers of DRAMA, the phone is an invention of "Aleksandr Tolstoy Bell", and Sigmund Freud is expanding some weird psychological views via pirate radio.
Got all that?
Add an acceptance of mediums communicating with the dead, an evil institution that turns out Stepford Girls and occasional intervals of girls-at-boarding-school moments.
And put 15 year old Sophie, the heroine, into the middle of all of this and end the book in a way that leaves the plot half finished.
It's a mish-mosh. There's too much going on and Davidson doesn't coordinate things smoothly.
But I found myself so interested that despite the uneven plot, I kept reading.
The setting is Scotland in the 1930s. Only this IS NOT our version of history.
Napoleon WON at Waterloo, England has been taken over by France and Germany (and the current European "leader" apparently has a very familiar little mustache), and Scotland is a republic allied with nations of the old Hanseatic League.
Ibsen and Strindberg are writers of DRAMA, the phone is an invention of "Aleksandr Tolstoy Bell", and Sigmund Freud is expanding some weird psychological views via pirate radio.
Got all that?
Add an acceptance of mediums communicating with the dead, an evil institution that turns out Stepford Girls and occasional intervals of girls-at-boarding-school moments.
And put 15 year old Sophie, the heroine, into the middle of all of this and end the book in a way that leaves the plot half finished.
It's a mish-mosh. There's too much going on and Davidson doesn't coordinate things smoothly.
But I found myself so interested that despite the uneven plot, I kept reading.
January 18, 2010
While off to a very promising start -- an alternate universe in which Napoleon won the battle of Waterloo, and the Hanseatic League remains stalwart against the might of combined Europe while facing a second World War -- I found the ending to be completely . . . .
Well, completely pants.
It was sort of limp, left ALL the major questions of the book unanswered, and gave no clue as to whether the protagonist's action had made a damn bit of difference.
Here's the thing -- if you set up your protagonist as *essential* to solving a global political-military crisis, then by the end of the book they had better be a part of said solution. It's possible that this book is merely setting up forthcoming books; this does not excuse poor plot resolution. To end the first book in a series the protagonist must *solve* the questions and problems raised in the book in a way that generates further questions. (See the first Harry Potter for an example of how to do this well.)
Great set up, engaging characters, fascinating world and AU, great supporting cast, really crappy ending.
Well, completely pants.
It was sort of limp, left ALL the major questions of the book unanswered, and gave no clue as to whether the protagonist's action had made a damn bit of difference.
Here's the thing -- if you set up your protagonist as *essential* to solving a global political-military crisis, then by the end of the book they had better be a part of said solution. It's possible that this book is merely setting up forthcoming books; this does not excuse poor plot resolution. To end the first book in a series the protagonist must *solve* the questions and problems raised in the book in a way that generates further questions. (See the first Harry Potter for an example of how to do this well.)
Great set up, engaging characters, fascinating world and AU, great supporting cast, really crappy ending.
September 24, 2014
Most impressive! Sophie Hunter, our protagonist appears to be slightly trite occasionally, but that results more from a very direct writing style than from actual flaw of her character. The sense of Sophie being in love with without it engulfing the plot or making her prevaricate. The integrity of her characterization was marvelously well.
As in many alternate histories and steampunks, the setting is slightly convoluted and more could have been developed and made this an even better novel. The Hanseatic League idea was awesome, and I do wish that we'll see it developed in the sequel.
Furthermore, the cover is exemplary. Sophie is wearing corduroy! And there's such a pretty, quaint background too.
The writing style was exceptional and the world was well-made and original, excepting that in minutia it lacked solidarity. IRYLNS created tension and scariness, and although the ending was anticlimactic the sequel is promising.
Four stars.
N.B. And can you believe the inventiveness?
As in many alternate histories and steampunks, the setting is slightly convoluted and more could have been developed and made this an even better novel. The Hanseatic League idea was awesome, and I do wish that we'll see it developed in the sequel.
Furthermore, the cover is exemplary. Sophie is wearing corduroy! And there's such a pretty, quaint background too.
The writing style was exceptional and the world was well-made and original, excepting that in minutia it lacked solidarity. IRYLNS created tension and scariness, and although the ending was anticlimactic the sequel is promising.
Four stars.
N.B. And can you believe the inventiveness?
September 11, 2015
The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson had a great synopsis. An alternate dimension based in the 1930's-ish, around the time of advances in technology in warfare. It alludes to espionage and thrilling conspiracies just waiting to unwind. In reality, I guess everything about this synopsis is true, except the thrilling part.
Let's start off with the plot. The synopsis was based around the "what-if" of a historical event, showing an alternate reality. I spent literally half the book just trying to figure exactly what that event was. Call me an ignorant American, but I'm not totally familiar with most of Europe's history. So I finally got to the end and realized it was the whole Napoleon thing that was the "Big Event". Besides that, the plot was just SO SLOW. It took half the book before anything happened besides swooning at the chemistry teacher.
This was just a huge letdown for me, and I didn't really even have any expectations whatsoever. It was just too annoying to read.
Let's start off with the plot. The synopsis was based around the "what-if" of a historical event, showing an alternate reality. I spent literally half the book just trying to figure exactly what that event was. Call me an ignorant American, but I'm not totally familiar with most of Europe's history. So I finally got to the end and realized it was the whole Napoleon thing that was the "Big Event". Besides that, the plot was just SO SLOW. It took half the book before anything happened besides swooning at the chemistry teacher.
This was just a huge letdown for me, and I didn't really even have any expectations whatsoever. It was just too annoying to read.
April 19, 2009
This book totally blew me away. I thought I knew what to expect, and it gave me something completely different and made me like it. A lot. The ending was weak, but leaves me in hope of a sequel. Too many unanswered questions.
February 16, 2009
Nothing is resolved at the end, which feels rushed. Definitely not a kind repayment of the forbearance I displayed reading it to the bitter dregs.
February 21, 2011
I'm still gathering my thought on it, review to come.
April 5, 2016
It was a nice read, i enjoyed it. But, i'm not really sure i ever found what Sophie was in danger from..or maybe it's just me
May 24, 2021
I loved the cool worldbuiding, even if it was introduced in a clumsy way in a number of points. Sometimes Davidson seemed to throw everything at the wall and hope something interesting will stick, which is why some things feel random and don't click. The steampunk is still on point and the dystopian horror brought something new to the table. The story and mystery was intriguing. The building dread stays throughout the entire story and keeps a great bit of tension.
Where the book struggled the most was with the plot itself. The romance stuff feels fine, but doesn't quite work in with everything else. It would work better at a later time. Too many plot points are going on at once, so it feels crowded. Like some of the world building, there's too much of everything trying to stick. As for characters, Sophie feels like every other YA female protagonist in this genre. She's nothing interesting or new, which means she's completely forgettable. I did not care about her at all.
Where the book struggled the most was with the plot itself. The romance stuff feels fine, but doesn't quite work in with everything else. It would work better at a later time. Too many plot points are going on at once, so it feels crowded. Like some of the world building, there's too much of everything trying to stick. As for characters, Sophie feels like every other YA female protagonist in this genre. She's nothing interesting or new, which means she's completely forgettable. I did not care about her at all.
December 19, 2017
Interesting premise, but the setting is better than the plot sometimes.
I kind of thought the author had given herself a bit too much to do....there are at least three major plotlines which very conveniently intersect in Sophie....and any of the plotlines by itself would have been enough for a satisfying book.
Quibbles: I felt the blockade of England would have affected Scotland more financially.
I thought the Spiritualism thing was a bit rushed and it was awfully convenient Sophie was able to be a medium.
Sophie has no power (at least in this book) to stop the awful IRYLNs group that makes obedient little mental slaves (and negative emotion absorbers) of girls....and nobody but Sophie seems to know or be shocked by it which didn't satisfy me much.
Not bad...but didn't always hang together for me.
I kind of thought the author had given herself a bit too much to do....there are at least three major plotlines which very conveniently intersect in Sophie....and any of the plotlines by itself would have been enough for a satisfying book.
Quibbles: I felt the blockade of England would have affected Scotland more financially.
I thought the Spiritualism thing was a bit rushed and it was awfully convenient Sophie was able to be a medium.
Sophie has no power (at least in this book) to stop the awful IRYLNs group that makes obedient little mental slaves (and negative emotion absorbers) of girls....and nobody but Sophie seems to know or be shocked by it which didn't satisfy me much.
Not bad...but didn't always hang together for me.
October 10, 2017
An exciting alternate history set in a world where Napoleon beat Britain. Britain is occupied, except for Scotland which is part of the Hanseatic League. It's the 1930s and it looks more and more like war is coming. This is a world where the main religion is spiritualism, people make contact with the dead. Early on Sophie receives a message through a medium foretelling that she will travel. She worries about what will happen to her after she graduates from school. Will she be able to go to university, or will she have to join IRLYNS a slightly sinister training program for young women.
October 12, 2017
1st of two in series. I read it so I would nknow whether to put it in historical or fantasy-scif - def. scifi!
Alternate history that proposes that Napoleon wins at Waterloo, and the divisions and rivalries that result. Has a compelling examination of the role of women, and the general attitudes about the weakness and 2nd-class citizenship of women.
Great story line, good mystery with red herrings and twists, I read the whole thing.
Alternate history that proposes that Napoleon wins at Waterloo, and the divisions and rivalries that result. Has a compelling examination of the role of women, and the general attitudes about the weakness and 2nd-class citizenship of women.
Great story line, good mystery with red herrings and twists, I read the whole thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2019
I absolutely adored this vision of a 1930s Edinburgh in which Spiritualism is the established religion of an independent Scotland which faces the prospect of war with a Federated Europe. It very successfully combines two genres, the school story and the alternative history, with hints of a YA romance as well. It reads as though a sequel was planned, but if so, I haven't yet tracked it down. I will definitely seek out some of the author's other books, however!
May 24, 2021
This is an interesting YA book set in a parallel universe where Napoleon won Waterloo. England is now French, but Scotland is independent and part of the Hanseatic League. Terrorist bombings are frequent and our young heroine is heading toward a huge choice as she is nearing the end of her schooling. Will she be able to go to university, as she desires, or will the government force her to join the ranks of female assistants to government officials?
December 23, 2023
2.5
Entretenido de a ratos, pero flojo. Nunca hay nada demasiado interesante que haga querer saber que va a pasar (poca cosa) y los personajes no me terminan de convencer.
Es un 2.5 que tira para abajo.
Entretenido de a ratos, pero flojo. Nunca hay nada demasiado interesante que haga querer saber que va a pasar (poca cosa) y los personajes no me terminan de convencer.
Es un 2.5 que tira para abajo.
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