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Brilliant Devices

door Shelley Adina

Reeksen: Magnificent Devices (4)

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9311289,076 (4.13)2
A lady of resources has the power to change the world - if she can stay alive long enough to do it. Lady Claire Trevelyan had been looking forward to glittering balls, congenial society, and relief from pursuit during her stay with Lord and Lady Dunsmuir in the Canadas. Well, perhaps not entirely. Being pursued by a handsome airship captain is rather diverting, especially when it appears her erstwhile employer, Andrew Malvern, is becoming much too distracted by a certain blond mechanic. But a shot fired in the night puts an end to such diversions, and instead plunges her and her orphaned band of children into a fight for their very survival. Between secret conversations at the highest levels of society and skullduggery in the diamond mines, Claire must discover who is behind a series of alarming attempts on her friends' lives-before her mother is compelled to make funeral arrangements yet again.… (meer)
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1-5 van 10 worden getoond (volgende | toon alle)
I really like the tone of these books--they're just what YA needs. The tongue in cheek action kept me smiling throughout. I hope they start to reach a longer audience.

A definite B ( )
  jazzbird61 | Feb 29, 2024 |
Magnificent Devices is a steampunk series centered around seventeen year old, Claire Trevelyan who is about to graduate from school and make her societal debut. The series has inventions and villains and lots of strong women who are resourceful and resilient and content to make their own way in life.

Claire Trevelyan is one of the best heroines I've seen and definitely one of the most realistic. She doesn't start out perfect - she lacks confidence, she makes mistakes and she is unwilling to stand up for what she believes in for fear of her mother and the society she doesn't actually believe in. But over the course of the series, she grows. She learns, she adapts and she molds herself a spine, becoming a fierce, kind spirited and intelligent woman who works hard and fights for what she believes in. I really love this series. It's funny, quirky and has a lot of heart.

The "final" book in the Claire quartet starts with Lady St. Ives once again planning and attending a funeral that wasn't necessary. I kind of want a short story from her point of view of all Claire's "deaths".

Maggie laid a hand on Claire’s arm. “Yer mum’ll be happy to ’ear you ent dead again, Lady. Funeral or no funeral.” “She’s going to stop believing in reports of my demise after this, that is certain.”

Adina, Shelley. Magnificent Devices: Books 1-4 Quartet: Four steampunk adventure novels in one set (Magnificent Devices Boxset) (Kindle Locations 8830-8832). Moonshell Books, Inc.. Kindle Edition.


I mean it is starting to get a bit ridiculous.

There was a pounding in the corridor outside the salon and Willie burst into the room. “Lady!” He dashed over to Claire and flung himself against her skirts. “I knew you’d come back!” “Yes, I do seem rather like the proverbial penny. I’m very glad to see you, darling.”

Adina, Shelley. Magnificent Devices: Books 1-4 Quartet: Four steampunk adventure novels in one set (Magnificent Devices Boxset) (Kindle Locations 9121-9123). Moonshell Books, Inc.. Kindle Edition.


The romance in this series sucks. I hated James. I'm not particularly fond of Andrew. I don't care about Ian Holly at all. But what this series does really well, is female solidarity.

“Claire, please say I haven’t hurt you. I couldn’t bear it. It was so sudden, and— and it was my first time, and—”
“I know what you mean. Andrew was my first kiss, too.”
“We’ll have to form a club.” That startled her into a laugh. Rosie, who had settled onto the nightstand in sphinx-like repose, looked alarmed until Claire passed a soothing hand over her feathers.
“You have not hurt me. If anything, you’ve made me see something about myself that I hadn’t before.”
“And what’s that? We both have excellent taste in men?” Another smile.
“That … and the fact that we can admire the same man and still be friends.”
How was that possible? If the flickers were any authority to go by, they should hate each other. “That’s rather remarkable, don’t you think?”

Adina, Shelley. Magnificent Devices: Books 1-4 Quartet: Four steampunk adventure novels in one set (Magnificent Devices Boxset) (Kindle Locations 10344-10350). Moonshell Books, Inc.. Kindle Edition.


Other books, movies, tv shows, real life, show women clashing over men and jealousy and whatever else, but this series argues for women sticking together and it's totally #lifegoals. I love that Claire and Alice worry about each other first and foremost before concerning themselves with the romance. They do get jealous - but they also overcome it, rising above it to be better than that. And I loved every minute of it.

“I knew you would help me.”
“Didn’t you tell me once that we women must stick together?”

Adina, Shelley. Magnificent Devices: Books 1-4 Quartet: Four steampunk adventure novels in one set (Magnificent Devices Boxset) (Kindle Locations 10359-10360). Moonshell Books, Inc.. Kindle Edition.


The action was full on. Like the last book, it seemed very much a comedy of errors, going from one dangerous situation to the next. Alice is busy searching for her father. Davina and John are trying to get to their diamond mines to take a tour. There's balls and dresses and dinners and shootings and gambling. I love Claire clearing out the poker table and getting an escort. Poor George. He's having all his assumptions turned upside down.

Claire patted the rifle affectionately and holstered it. “Did you think it just for show?”
“I don’t make no assumptions about a man’s ordnance,” George said. “Guess there was a few I shouldn’t have made about a woman’s, neither.” He grasped Jake’s shoulder and shook him. “I’d best not find out that rock was meant for me.”
“Course not,” Jake said. “You stepped practically in its path. I were aimin’ at that miscreant, obviously, or I would’ve ’it you instead of ’im.”
“Do unhand my navigator, George,” Claire said.
“Navigator?” the man snorted.
“Assumptions, George,” she reminded him gently.
“Fine. Fine. You’re her navigator and—” He swung to Claire. “— you need about as much protection as a wolverine and—” He set off. “— I’m going to the Tiller right now and ordering up the biggest whiskey they got.”
“I shall stand you all the first round,” Claire called after him, and then pointed up ahead.

Adina, Shelley. Magnificent Devices: Books 1-4 Quartet: Four steampunk adventure novels in one set (Magnificent Devices Boxset) (Kindle Locations 9393-9401). Moonshell Books, Inc.. Kindle Edition.


My favourite part was the Meriwether-Astor airship - it was hilarious.

She lifted her chin. “I have stolen a coach and a scientist. It cannot be any more difficult to steal an airship.” * * * “You cannot mean to steal Meriwether-Astor’s ship.” Andrew’s eyes practically stood out on stalks. “Of course not. After Tigg has what he needs, I mean to steal the one with all the guns on it.”

Adina, Shelley. Magnificent Devices: Books 1-4 Quartet: Four steampunk adventure novels in one set (Magnificent Devices Boxset) (Kindle Locations 11995-11999). Moonshell Books, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
The only bit that might've been better was when Claire came up with the idea to modify the airship with voice commands via the automatons. (Although I'm definitely with Claire on them being creepy.)

Just because something had never been done did not mean that it could not be done.

Adina, Shelley. Magnificent Devices: Books 1-4 Quartet: Four steampunk adventure novels in one set (Magnificent Devices Boxset) (Kindle Locations 12093-12094). Moonshell Books, Inc.. Kindle Edition.


Honestly, I just adore this series. All the characters are fantastic. The female solidarity is inspiring. The flock is heartwarming. And the rest is hilarious. Even though the series continues, I love that this book is a nice stopping point and wraps up all the plot points and dramas. Claire's come a long way and I love that she's well on her way to achieving her dreams and goals and is surrounded by her flock. And I really love the focus on being a lady of resources, of intellect, of spirit. It's total girl power and I loved it.

It was an amazing offer— one prompted by affection as well as appreciation and faith. Faith, the substance of things hoped for. Claire could not remember anyone— save perhaps Polgarth the poultryman— ever having faith in her. And now look. She was rich in people who possessed it. The Mopsies. Andrew. The count. Alice. Perhaps even the Dunsmuirs, whom she hoped would regain their faith in her once the Meriwether-Astor affair was settled for good. She had been through some perilous times, it was true. She had learned and grown and was no longer that shy, unsure, untried girl she had been when Snouts had pulled her from her landau outside Aldgate station. She was a woman now. A lady of resources, of intellect— and of faith in herself and the ones she loved.

Adina, Shelley. Magnificent Devices: Books 1-4 Quartet: Four steampunk adventure novels in one set (Magnificent Devices Boxset) (Kindle Locations 12237-12243). Moonshell Books, Inc.. Kindle Edition.


A perfect end to the Claire quartet, Brilliant Devices wraps up the main part of Claire's story - leaving her on the verge of achieving her dreams and setting the stage for future adventures. 5 stars. ( )
  funstm | Dec 16, 2022 |
Series Info/Source: This is the fourth book in the Magnificent Devices series. Right now there are 21 books in this series. I borrowed this as an audiobook through Audible Plus.

Audiobook Quality (4/5): This continues to be a very well done audiobook series. The narrator is pleasant to listen to and does an amazing job with narration. I would definitely recommend listening to this series on audiobook if you listen to audiobooks.

Thoughts: This was another fun installment in this steampunk adventure series. This book takes us up into Canada, into a mining community. Alice is continuing to search for her father, while Clare and crew get embroiled in trying to unravel a plot that aims to assasinate a famous inventor.

These remain fun books with a lot of neat steampunk devices, a great adventure, and wonderful characters. I love that the characters are generally kind to each other. Watching both Claire and her wards mature and grow is also very fun. These are just such nice, fun, feel-good reads.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a wonderful addition to this steampunk adventure series. I continue to enjoy the world, the fun characters, and the mysteries. This is one of the best and most consistently decent YA steampunk series I have ever read and I am eager to continue it! ( )
  krau0098 | Aug 24, 2021 |
Is it just me, or is the science in this a bit airy-fairy? I'm not a big reader of the steam-punk culture, but the gadgets and machinery in this world seem bordering on magical.

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

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

I have suspended my disbelief and my scepticism for the whole series - were the unconventional plot lines and fantastical engineering feats a stroke of genius or a sign of someone who doesn't really know what they're doing? I think this last book has answered my question. I would not be continuing with this series. ( )
  vishae | Apr 29, 2021 |
Well, I don't know why I had the idea that this is not the last book of the series. It was. I liked the open ending, although there are some characters whose fate I would've like to hear more about. But it seems there might be something for future series there. ( )
  RankkaApina | Feb 22, 2021 |
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A lady of resources has the power to change the world - if she can stay alive long enough to do it. Lady Claire Trevelyan had been looking forward to glittering balls, congenial society, and relief from pursuit during her stay with Lord and Lady Dunsmuir in the Canadas. Well, perhaps not entirely. Being pursued by a handsome airship captain is rather diverting, especially when it appears her erstwhile employer, Andrew Malvern, is becoming much too distracted by a certain blond mechanic. But a shot fired in the night puts an end to such diversions, and instead plunges her and her orphaned band of children into a fight for their very survival. Between secret conversations at the highest levels of society and skullduggery in the diamond mines, Claire must discover who is behind a series of alarming attempts on her friends' lives-before her mother is compelled to make funeral arrangements yet again.

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