All Men of Genius

“A nimble twist on Victorian romance . . . Steampunk soap-opera, as elevated as it is, isn't all Rosen has up his sleeve.” -The Onion A.V. Club

Violet Adams wants to attend Illyria College, a widely renowned school for the most brilliant up-and-coming scientific minds, founded by the late Duke Illyria, the greatest scientist of the Victorian Age. The school is run by his son, Ernest, who has held to his father's policy that the small, exclusive college remain male-only. Violet sees her opportunity when her father departs for America. She disguises herself as her twin brother, Ashton, and gains entry.

But keeping the secret of her sex won't be easy, not with her friend Jack's constant habit of pulling pranks, and especially not when the duke's young ward, Cecily, starts to develop feelings for Violet's alter ego, “Ashton.” Not to mention blackmail, mysterious killer automata, and the way Violet's pulse quickens whenever the young duke, Ernest (who has a secret past of his own), speaks to her. She soon realizes that it's not just keeping her secret until the end of the year faire she has to worry about: it's surviving that long.

“With All Men of Genius, Lev Rosen has constructed a wonderously vivid and dreamlike new world, both utterly original and mysteriously familiar. He writes with great wit, verve and tenderness, and he is without doubt, one of the most exciting and talented young writers of his generation.” —Dan Chaon, New York Times–bestselling author

“ All Men of Genius is filled with a contagious joyful abandon.” —Angela Zeman, author of The Witch and the Borscht Pearl