Authors have been taking classics and placing them in a new setting to give them new life for ages. Some seem to work better in these settings than others. Some of the most successful transplants stem from Shakespeare's plays. The most famous of these is West Side Story, but many other plays have been modernized at least once. One of the plays that seems to lend itself well to these new treatments is Twelfth Night. All Men of Genius by Lev AC Rosen continues this tradition, retelling that play in steampunk.

Violet Adams has applied for admission to the prestigious Illyria University, the foremost scientific school in all of England (and therefore the world). The school does not accept women, though, so she has hatched a plan: applying as twin brother Ashton and impersonating him for a year. It's her goal to make such a positive impression in that year that she'll be able to continue through graduation. It's a big risk - the penalty for discovery could be up to 20 years in jail and ruination for her entire family.

With the help of old family friend and roommate Jack, Violet successfully makes the transition to Ashton and integrates herself into life at Illyria - perhaps too well. Cecily, the ward of headmaster Duke Ernest of Illyria and the only female regularly allowed on campus, falls for Ashton. The headmaster starts having unexplained feelings for the boy too, feeling he decides are remnants of the attraction he felt when he met Ashton's twin sister Violet. Toss in a mad plot, a romance between Cecily's governess and one of the students, and a few crazy teachers and life at Illyria is anything but boring.

Violet is a good character, as is Cecily. In general, the women in this book are vivid and full of life and very appealing. The men, on the other hand, are not as well drawn. Jack comes across like a loyal but clueless puppy, most of the other students are interchangeable parts, and Ernest becomes whatever the story demands of him at any given moment rather than exhibiting any consistent character traits. They weren't so awful that they interfered with the story, but none of the male characters added much either.

You may notice a few familiar character names not originating from Twelfth Night. The book advertises itself as drawing from both the Shakespeare play and The Importance of Being Earnest. Other than character names and a few general themes also found in Twelfth Night, I don't get a lot of Wilde here. Actually, the story is most reminiscent of the last movie update of Twelfth Night I've seen, the teen comedy She's the Man. The plots, themes, and general translation are the same in that movie and this book.

The ending of All Men of Genius is a little bit too pat for my taste and the villainous plot Violet and friends thwart a little too convoluted for me. I definitely enjoyed the beginning of the book more than its ending. Still, I liked the book quite a lot. It's a good retelling of Twelfth Night that's genuinely steampunk. That's more than good enough for me.

Recommended: Yes