Aside from being a fast paced Steampunk mystery, The Lazarus Machine by Paul Crilley is a who’s who of Victorian England. As a young adult novel, it is packed with enough action and creativity to draw in new readers and introduce them to Steampunk. The plot is well constructed and the setting has just enough historical accuracy to maintain believability. But it is the resourceful use of the characters where Crilley’s talent truly shines.
Sebastian Tweed is a confidence man, a talented protégé to his father, Barnaby, who swindles people into believing they can talk to their deceased friends and relatives. But just when the young man is convinced he can turn his father’s wicked ways around, the elder Tweed is kidnapped by a man thought to be dead. The resulting search for his father opens up a world of global importance and mad science. With the help of the equally resourceful Octavia Nightingale, who is in search of her kidnapped mother, the two are drawn into this fast paced mystery.
This story is not over-saturated with gadgets and pageantry, but the occasional automaton, steam coach, and mask-wielding bad guy gives it just enough Steampunk flair to establish the wonder of the genre. Sure there is the life-making Lazarus Machine itself, but that is more of an instrument of paranormal properties rather than a creation of industrialization. Crilley remains loyal to the period though by including the desperation-filled streets of London as the battle for supremacy between the Crown and the Ministry rages on.
Literary setting aside, The Lazarus Machine relies heavily on remarkable characters such as Carter Flair and Jenny Turner. The odd couple are tricksters, long time friends of Barnaby Tweed and eventual accomplices to young Sebastian in his adventures. Their blasé reaction to the excitement around them has a tendency to slow the action down — in a good way — and allow the reader to appreciate the complexity of the story. Just as enlightening is the eleven-year-old Stepp Reconer, a punch card altering expert equivalent to today’s computer hackers. As powerful as this story is, these three characters alone are strong enough to garnish their own adventures in separate works if Crilley so desires.
Along with historical political figures like Prime Minister Balfour, Russian Tsar Nicholas II, and of course Her Majesty the Queen, there are some interesting nods to other powerful contributors of the time. The genius of Ada Lovelace, Charles Babbage, and Nikola Tesla play an important role in the story. But literary characters like Sherlock Holmes and his arch nemeses Professor Moriarty are key participants as well as the legend of one Viktor Frankenstein. If anything, the story gives younger readers a wonderful initiation to key figures of history.
The Lazarus Machine is a complex adventure built around a brilliant cast of characters. Paul Crilley leaves a lot of room for further installments, but as long as the historical tone remains intact, the true characters provided throughout history should grant the author plenty of material. The world of Steampunk will thrive with this brilliant new series.
