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Inspired by two of the most beloved works by literary masters, All Men of Genius takes place in an alternate Steampunk Victorian London, where science makes the impossible possible. Violet Adams wants to attend Illyria College, a widely renowned school for the most brilliant up-and-coming scientific minds, founded by the late Duke Illyria, the greatest scientist of the Victorian Age. The school is run by his son, Ernest, who continues his father's policy that the small, exclusive college remain male-only. Violet sees her opportunity when her father departs for America. She disguises herself as her twin brother, Ashton, and gains entry. But keeping the secret of her sex won't be easy, not with her friend Jack's constant habit of pulling pranks, and especially not when the duke's young ward, Cecily, starts to develop feelings for Violet's alter ego, "Ashton." Not to mention blackmail, mysterious killer automata, and the way Violet's pulse quickens whenever the young duke, Ernest, speaks to her. She soon realizes that it's not just keeping her secret until the end of the year faire she has to worry about: it's surviving that long.
Publication Year: 2011
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ALL MEN OF GENIUS provides the playful wonder of a Harry Potter book with the adult themes of troubled Victorian society. Gender, sexual, and racial discrimination abound, and not all of our heros are guaranteed a happy ending. Rosen does a wonderful job making the science labs of Illyrian as magical as any Hogwarts lab, and adds a sexual spice that never quite broke the mold of polite society (though Mrs. Wilde's mail order business came close). The story did lag a bit for me in the middle, if only because I was so anxious to see how everything would work out in the end. I hope Rosen returns to this fabulous alternate world in the future, and even if he doesn't, I'll be sure to pick up whatever he writes next.
Full review at All Things Urban Fantasy.
Sexual Content: Kissing, references to sex, rape, and prostitution.