Wednesday, February 28, 2024

A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure by Angela Bell

When Clara Marie Stanton's ex-fiancé begins to spread rumors that her family suffers from hereditary insanity, it's all Clara can do to protect them from his desperate schemes and society's prejudice. Her family may be eccentric, yes, but they certainly aren't insane. Then Clara's Grandfather Drosselmeyer brings on an apprentice with a mechanical leg, and all pretense of normalcy takes wing. Theodore Kingsley, a shame-chased vagabond skilled in repairing clocks, wants a fresh start far from Kingsley Court and the disappointed father who declared him dead. Upon returning to England, Theodore meets clockmaker Drosselmeyer, who hires him as an apprentice, much to Clara's dismay. When Drosselmeyer spontaneously disappears in his secret flying owl machine, he leaves behind a note for Clara, beseeching her to make her dreams of adventure a reality by joining him on a merry scavenger hunt. Together, Clara and Theodore set off to follow Drosselmeyer's trail of clues, but they will have to stay one step ahead of a villain who wants the flying machine for himself--at any cost.

I think a book with a strong theme and poignant message can really enhance a story, but in this case, I felt like the story existed to enhance the message. I'm not a fan of Pilgrim's Progress or CS Lewis's more allegorical stories, and this one--for all its whimsical clockwork animals and eccentric characters--fits in decently with them. So if you love the Narnia books, you may really like this one (I know I'm in the minority in that I do not).

I did enjoy the premise; it reminds me a lot of Around the World in 80 Days, and there's that similar sense of wonder as they tour the continent. I didn't mind the suspension of disbelief required for the mysterious mechanical animals, and I enjoyed the eccentricity to a degree (though I wasn't a fan of Clara's mom's overwhelming obsession with animal welfare). But on the whole, it wasn't really what I was anticipating. 

Thank You Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

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