I was in my final year of graduate school, working on my thesis – my second novel, similar to my first, a moody, literary work with multiple points of view in a New York City that I wouldn’t call paranormal (no vampires, no fey) but which I’d call magical. To understand why I used Twelfth Night as inspiration, I should probably give you a bit of backstory as to when I started the book and what I was thinking then. I didn’t expect everyone to focus on the Shakespeare thing so much.

Cover Unveiled for The Black Prism by Brent Weeks.

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GUEST POST | Lev AC Rosen on Shakespeare and All M.

Recommended for older teens and adults, with references to sex, prostitution, sexual orientation, sexual frustration, strong language, ethical conundrums and a ton of blackmailing. Queen Victoria even puts in an appearance. “One never knew what could make a better animal until one tried it.” Aside from this aspect, we see that the school has a dark secret side where an exclusive group was created to “rule the world, to impose their superior intellect on humanity for it’s own good.”Įverything comes to a point at the Crystal Palace where the scientific creations are revealed for good and bad, and where Violet plans her big reveal as well.

The transplanting of body parts from one animal to the next as a way to “perfect” one animal or another.

Mechanical, chemical and biological transformations are being created by this school of geniuses with rarely a sense of ethics. Cecily meanwhile falls in love with “Ashton” (Violet in disguise), and the headmaster Ernest is in love with Violet the woman, but cannot understand why he is so drawn to “Ashton.” He wonders if he himself might have gay tendencies, especially after an unexpected kiss between he and Ashton. A love quadrangle develops at school with Violet’s buddy in love with Cecily, (Cecily is allowed on school grounds only because it is her family’s school). She represses her female traits and becomes known as “Ashton,” while her brother (back at the London town home), indulges in relations with a male servant. This calls for gender-bending and deception as her method to gain entrance into the illustrious scientific school of her choice.

Violet Adams is a scientific genius determined that she will not be held back by one school’s male-only policy. This is the industrial age where steam-power is king while converging with fantasy and science fiction. The story is based in Victorian London, steampunk style.

All men of genius by lev ac rosen