Editorial Review: Louisa Sophia and a Legion of Sisters by Russell Cowdrey

Editorial Review: Louisa Sophia and a Legion of Sisters by Russell Cowdrey

A husband-hunting expedition for an all-girl boarding school takes a darker turn when one of the eligible bachelors turns out to be more sinister than he appears. It’s up to seventeen-year-old Louisa Sophia to protect herself and the rest of her secret club, the Clan of the Dissipated.

Long before her adventures with Dr. Ben McGehee on the distant planet of Aaru, a seventeen-year-old Louisa Sophia was a student at the Legion of Honor’s all-girl boarding school. However, even at this tender age, she was already a very capable thief, thanks to the tutelage of her uncle. Louisa was also a member of a rulebook-forbidden secret club, calling themselves the Clan of the Dissipated. To most of the other girls at the school, Louisa is “the Greek Bastard,” but within her club, she earned the title of “Daring” thanks to her penchant for adventure. 

Louisa will do anything for her sisters in the Clan of the Dissipated, even if it means having to go on the school’s most despicable tradition, the Last Chance Tour. The last thing she wants is to be dragged across the continent and paraded before eligible bachelors. However, when Louisa finds out that the school’s cruelest bullies will be joining her friends on the tour, she swallows her pride and goes along. It is a journey that will take the Clan of the Dissipated across 1870s Europa, from Paris to Lisbon, but Louisa quickly discovers that the bullies will be the least of her problems. 

Readers of Ancient Civilizations and Echoes of Ancients by Russell Cowdrey will already know that Louisa Sophia is more than capable of taking care of herself. However, in Louisa Sophia and a Legion of Sisters, we get to see a different side of the daring thief. She not only has to deal with some of the problems typically faced by teenagers of that era but also a few surprising twists as well. 

Because it is set before the events of the Lamentations and Magic, series no prior knowledge is required to enjoy the story. However, readers who enjoy Louisa’s adventures will definitely want to check out the subsequent books that feature a slightly older and more jaded Louisa.

As with the Lamentations and Magic series, the author has spent a lot of time on research, which adds a lot of authenticity to the story. The book features plenty of real locations and actual historical characters, along with original ones. Russell Cowdrey has a real knack for creating characters that are easy to like, along with villains that are easy to hate, and this book is no exception. The scenes where Louisa puts her thieving skills to the test are also nailbiting and the overall pace of the adventure is very good. A story about a group of girls going on a journey to find husbands while under the supervision of some nuns might not sound very exciting, but there’s a lot more happening beneath the surface. 

Overall, Louisa Sophia and a Legion of Sisters comes highly recommended to fans of the Lamentations and Magic series as well as anyone who loves books featuring courageous heroines.