What a sweet story!


The Lady Astronomer by [a:Katy O'Dowd|5311518|Katy O'Dowd|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1396016591p2/5311518.jpg] is a throwback to classic fairytales of the late nineteenth century and early twentieth. And I loved it! This story revolves around Lucretia and her brothers Freddie and Al. Freddie and his sister are astronomers for the King and have been commissioned to make a forty-foot telescope and chart the skies. Unfortunately for them this means a move, and after several unlikely mishaps Lucretia finds herself away from her family and in the King's court until the telescope is completed.

The characters are so charming and well written. Lucretia is a petite woman with no physical beauty due to malformations from disease as a child. She also must wear a mono scope fashioned by her brother Al. This has never bothered her. She is strong-willed, stubborn, and very loyal to her brothers. Freddie is the eldest brother and also in many ways the father to his sister and Al. He is also quite smart and unable it seems to do anything without his sister. Al is the middle child and an inventor. He is very imaginative and always thinking up new ideas and creations. But I can't forget Orion the owl and Leibniz the lemur, Lucretia's pets but in many ways they are her children.

The story itself is very much like a fairytale and the style of writing puts me in the mind of Neil Gaiman and C.S. Lewis. Very classic and completely magical! Al's creations, like his clockwork orchestra, come to life with their own thoughts and ideas even though they are simply made of metal. But this magical component is so well blended with the everyday that it feels as if this world exists!

With strong characters and such a well thought out world, the book is captivating and I personally can't wait for my son to be old enough to enjoy this book as much as I have. It is truly a fairytale for all ages!

I received a copy of this ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review.