This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic 
 First off -Huge thanks to Brenna (Esther's Ever After) without whom I would have never heard of this fabulous book. 
 To sum it up in one sentence it's BBC-esque Sherlock meets steampunk with a dash of Doctor Who. I didn't believe it until I read it but that is the most accurate description I can think off. So then knowing my love of all three of those things it should be no surprise that I adored The Lazarus Machine. 
 Since this is a steampunk novel, I think it is only right I talk about that element first. I really liked the way Paul Crilley used steampunk technology. He took real inventions with actual historical figures (like Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage) which is always fun to read about and shows me that you've done your homework. But then he took it to the next level with computers, security systems and sonic guns that all spawned from that original tech. So this is not just surface steampunk with a few clockwork powered machines and zeppelin thrown in. This is a richly imagined, beautifully detailed, alternate world that I think fans of the genre will really appreciate. 
 But it's not just the atmosphere that makes The Lazarus Machine worth reading. It's that it's filled to the brim with awesome characters. Starting with our leads - Sebastian and Octavia (Tweed and Nightingale respectively). They're both such strong, independent personalities but they worked really well together as a team. Yay teamwork! They're partnership was one built out of respect for one another and they played off each other's strengths to achieve what they thought was the best possible outcome. There were simmerings of romantic interest but the story didn't go there - focusing instead on the more important matters at hand. I wish more male-female partnerships could be like this. Not just in YA novels. But all novels. 
 I love an author who doesn't neglect their secondary characters. There's nothing more disappointing when the rest of the cast feels flat and one dimensional. But Paul Crilley has crafted an extraordinary cast of secondary characters. I was just invested in what happened to them as I was Sebastian and Octavia. Carter and Jenny - the professional thieves, who love each other more than anything - and Barnaby - Sebastian's con man father, with some secrets of his own - are a few that really stood out for me. They all felt well-developed and were fun to read about even if they didn't get the same "page time" as Sebastian and Octavia. 
 My one criticism of The Lazarus Machine is that I would have liked a little more Sherlock Holmes and Moriarity stuff. Whether it was more detail into their presence, or more actual interaction with the characters because they are repeatedly referenced and make an important cameo. It seems a shame to introduce these two famous and brilliant characters and then not make full use of them. 
 Recommendation: Great for fans of Steampunk, Sherlock Holmes and the BBC. Also for those looking for a YA with a male-female pairing that doesn't devolve into insta love or a love triangle.