Story of Oscar Wilde saving the world an alt-universe where the Order of the Golden Dawn are real occultists (great) and Egyptian gods are real (absolStory of Oscar Wilde saving the world an alt-universe where the Order of the Golden Dawn are real occultists (great) and Egyptian gods are real (absolutely) and both Bosie and Queensberry are capable of being decent human beings (suspension of disbelief isn't infinite, you know).
It's a great idea, themed ingeniously around Wilde's poem The Sphinx. Nifty plot with a steampunky feel (it's not actually steampunk but I can't think of a better word for Egyptian gods in Victorian Britain and rings of power that zap people, you know the vibe).
There's some lovely writing and I wanted to know what happened in the story, but towards the second half it slowed down when I felt it needed to accelerate. The book focuses a lot on moral reformations and realisations, redemption through suffering, and slow burn platonic love, all of which are great things, but for me didn't quite fit with the 'plot to overthrow terrifying deity' which was what I was mentally geared for. The author knows his Wilde and was clearly leaning in to the discursive and moral side of things rather than the adventure plot, which fair enough; I just couldn't quite find the rhythm as a reader.
A lot of Americanisms. Got in my way as a British reader, may not bother others. Huge props for the Penguin Classicsalike cover, that's brilliant. ...more
Intensely creepy retelling of the Fall of the House of Usher, with more fungal infection. Wonderfully vivid and compelling storytelling with a beautifIntensely creepy retelling of the Fall of the House of Usher, with more fungal infection. Wonderfully vivid and compelling storytelling with a beautifully drawn world. Lovely casual detail about the pronouns in narrator Easton's language, reminding us how clunky and limited/limiting the basic English pronouns are and how language can shape thought. (Easton's gender is basically "soldier" because there is a pronoun just for soldiers, which includes people who were previously counted as women but enlisted.)
Merged review:
Intensely creepy retelling of the Fall of the House of Usher, with more fungal infection. Wonderfully vivid and compelling storytelling with a beautifully drawn world. Lovely casual detail about the pronouns in narrator Easton's language, reminding us how clunky and limited/limiting the basic English pronouns are and how language can shape thought. (Easton's gender is basically "soldier" because there is a pronoun just for soldiers, which includes people who were previously counted as women but enlisted.)...more
Anthology of Holmes/Watson stories shifted in time or place (eg Georgian or 1970s), put into superhero or fantasy settings, etc. IMO the Holmes/WatsonAnthology of Holmes/Watson stories shifted in time or place (eg Georgian or 1970s), put into superhero or fantasy settings, etc. IMO the Holmes/Watson pairing very quickly just becomes detective/sidekick out of original context (albeit often very good detective/sidekick), perhaps I don't share the cultural fascination thing.
There are a few inspired riffs in here, particularly Tchaikovsky's fantasy world where Holmes is summoned as a demon (it makes sense, honest) and Adams' version of the pair as cheesy radio show comedians...more
This ought to be completely up my street with the UF mash up of various Victorian pulp icons as heroines (a Dr Moreau cat woman, Jekyll and Hyde's dauThis ought to be completely up my street with the UF mash up of various Victorian pulp icons as heroines (a Dr Moreau cat woman, Jekyll and Hyde's daughters, etc) but...not doing it. Partly because by 40% we're still introducing characters and easing into the plot, partly because I don't see the point of the device whereby the characters all comment on the writing of the novel. It's a self conscious artifice that reminds you you're reading a book, and it's stopping me empathising with anyone. Regretting not enjoying it because it's a wonderful concept but DNF at 40%....more
A collection of Victorian pulp adventures from the viewpoint of Moriarty's sidekick Colonel Sebastian Moran, parodying vast swathes of Victorian and EA collection of Victorian pulp adventures from the viewpoint of Moriarty's sidekick Colonel Sebastian Moran, parodying vast swathes of Victorian and Edwardian pulp and lit. The title pretty much covers the basic principles at play here but we also get HG Wells, Raffles, Dr Nikola, Riders of the Purple Sage, the Prisoner of Zenda, much Hardy, Fu Manchu and a zillion minor pulp villains playing their parts. The story about the one eyed yellow idol to the north of Kathmandu is a particular bit of genius.
It's...hmm. In some ways brilliant fun although tbh probably only if you're steeped in pulp and Victoriana; if none of the above rang bells it's probably baffling nonsense. Well. Moran mentions
the affair of the Mountaineer's Bum, a tale for which the world will never be ready
and either you laughed like a drain at that or you won't see the point of this book at all. Niche is the word.
Also. Moran is an absolutely vile piece of work. None of your Flashman charm, he's a racist sexist homophobic sociopathic murderer, a bully, braggart and rock solid club bore. He is everything loathsome about Empire and colonialism, quite deliberately. But he's also our narrator, and we're stuck with him for the whole book and, as is inevitable in these cases, the villain feels like an antihero. There are some great jokes in his narration, it's very hard not to identify with him given he's the viewpoint character, and fundamentally it's not very much fun identifying with someone who cheerfully talks about shooting 'natives' as his life's goal.
Put it this way: if you didn't know a straight white man had written this, it wouldn't be hard to guess. You can have a lot more of a laugh with a monstrous villain hurting people if you're not in the class of people he's hurting. There's no question but that Moran is a monster, but Newman does have a laugh with him all the same, and reading enjoyment will depend on whether this is something you can take as a literary device or not.
I enjoyed it hugely the first time I read it, a good few years ago; it was a lot more problematic this time around. YMMV, basically. ...more
Very enjoyable set of linked stories set in a steampunk US with a sky pirate and her long suffering sidekick solving crimes despite being the criminalVery enjoyable set of linked stories set in a steampunk US with a sky pirate and her long suffering sidekick solving crimes despite being the criminals. Rollicking good fun with a highly diverse cast and a great pair of leads. (Alex Acks is also Alex Wells of the incredible Hunger Makes the Wolf duo which you should read *right now*.)...more
I really enjoyed this. Which is odd because it's got a number of aspects that usually send me running screaming. (Historical romance with English settI really enjoyed this. Which is odd because it's got a number of aspects that usually send me running screaming. (Historical romance with English setting but the characters talk like modern Americans; a nominally late Victorian setting but the social interaction appears to be Jane Austen via Avon romance; also a misunderstanding trope.)
However, what we *also* have is magic, demon-summoning, and a kickass heroine sent back from the future to kill an evil wizard, but who has to learn to pose as a proper lady (did you say "proper for 1815 or 1885?" Sssh.). Terminator meets My Fair Lady with magic, basically, with blood powered guns hidden under floofy dresses. It's enormous fun, exuberant, with some tremendously good ideas and tons of heart, and also a great relationship between the MCs themselves and with the hero's younger sister. Very silly, but sometimes silly is exactly what you need, and frankly if the future would like to send back more kickass assassins to murder world-destroying idiots, I think we'd all be grateful. ...more
A standalone short horror novella (15K words) that I wrote for the All In Fear: A Collection of Six Horror Tales anthology. It's still available in thA standalone short horror novella (15K words) that I wrote for the All In Fear: A Collection of Six Horror Tales anthology. It's still available in that along with five other great queer horror stories, but if all you're after is this one, it'll be out with a fantastically pulpy cover by Sandra Schwab on 1 Dec.
This is very definitely horror, not romance (though there are romantic elements because me). It's my take on the classic penny dreadful, using elements of the original story of Sweeney Todd (The String of Pearls: The Original Tale of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street), plus the weird history of London's Alsatia where the law didn't apply, to create an alt-London where the barbers are lethal, the police are helpless, and the pies are definitely best avoided.
A big beast of an alternate history novel with steampunk, taking on the Belgian Congo. That monstrous abomination is a hell of a topic, but Shawl pullA big beast of an alternate history novel with steampunk, taking on the Belgian Congo. That monstrous abomination is a hell of a topic, but Shawl pulls it off to a large degree, reimagining an alliance of Congolese people and variously skilled and motivated immigrants (Chinese, American, French, English, lesbians, socialists, scientists) fighting back to drive the Belgians out with a combination of advanced tech and local knowledge. This could be really superhero-comic in the wrong hands but this book shows how racism, colonialism, sexism, homophobia and religious extremism still work to destroy even this hopeful intersectional state from within (the way the white and non-native 'founders' of Everfair slip into a colonial mindset is heartbreaking and very powerfully done, as is the inevitable catastrophe of global politics when Everfair is dragged into the Great War, very reasonably taking the side against Belgium).
It's told episodically, which is necessary for the huge cast and twenty-year span, but can mean we drop in and out of stories and issues rather than feeling entirely immersed. Nevertheless, it's absorbing and very powerful. Worth all the plaudits, for sure. ...more
In which a pair of Victorian missionary siblings set out to convert the Fae to Christianity. This is a genius idea, colliding Victorian evangelical-coIn which a pair of Victorian missionary siblings set out to convert the Fae to Christianity. This is a genius idea, colliding Victorian evangelical-colonial smugness with a world too strange and powerful for them to comprehend.
It's an odd book in some ways. The pacing is slow in the first half, as the location and characters are pretty static, and there's a lot of theology, in which it's very true to the earnest Victorian novels it riffs on. There's a great sense of creeping menace though, and as events accelerate we're really drawn in, both to the extraordinary and vivid world of the Fae, and to the British MCs' secret flaws and sins. A haunting read, and one that doesn't at all play out as you expect, which precisely suits the theme of the book. How satisfying....more
I ought to have liked this more than I did. Victorian fantasy with magic secret societies and sinister plots are pretty much my crack, plus I loved thI ought to have liked this more than I did. Victorian fantasy with magic secret societies and sinister plots are pretty much my crack, plus I loved the author's slightly linked Stoneheart YA series. Strong female leads, great action set pieces.
I think the issue is that it's very much book 1 of a trilogy with a big To Be Continued. The first two thirds are all scene setting, really. It catches fire in the last third or so when we get into serious action. The ending makes me tempted to get the next book having already invested so much time in the story, and now there's a whole interesting plot ready to go and the characters are all in place. I love all the Oversight people (especially Cook and Mr Sharp) and the villains are suitably Victorian Gothic. Tbh I have probably talked myself into the next one now.
Still. Not really a satisfying standalone, so a bit of side eye for that. ...more
A new anthology of queer horror in which I have a story! Mine is a Victorian AU penny dreadful tale, in which a young lady trying to save her lover geA new anthology of queer horror in which I have a story! Mine is a Victorian AU penny dreadful tale, in which a young lady trying to save her lover gets involved in a murder investigation and finds herself working for a rather unpleasant barber on Fleet Street...
For me the standouts of the show are the incredibly unnerving Kris Ripper story and the brilliantly weird Avon Gale, but that's the joy of an anthology, it's something for everyone (as long as that something in this case involves queer horror, obv).
NB that this isn't romance and happy endings are possible but by no means guaranteed. ...more
Mph. This was well written and I was really enjoying it. Lovely sense of time, stroppy unlikeable heroine, interesting steampunky 'science' without toMph. This was well written and I was really enjoying it. Lovely sense of time, stroppy unlikeable heroine, interesting steampunky 'science' without too much annoying airship bobbins and a great concept. But I do wish there had been a proper plot--it just kind of evaporated towards the end, leaving me with a sense that there's less to this than meets the eye.
Also, there are multiple problematic issues with the Japanese elements (and also just stupid ones. A sequence where someone who doesn't speak or read Japanese can decipher a letter in a reasonably short amount of time simply by using a kanji-English dictionary? Are you kidding me?!), and then it turns out the author is a Daiwa scholar who lived in Japan for 18 months or something, which surprised me.
Mph, again. I wanted to like it more than I did, the author can write and has ideas, but ultimately insubstantial....more
Absolutely cracking murder mystery/magic/gay romance. Lovely alt-Victorian background with a really well worked out magic system and interestingly flaAbsolutely cracking murder mystery/magic/gay romance. Lovely alt-Victorian background with a really well worked out magic system and interestingly flawed characters. Just a huge delight of a read, I enjoyed every minute. ...more
The first story to feature Ned Hall, waste-man, and Crispin Tredarloe, accidental warlock. I really enjoyed writing this one, so much that the charactThe first story to feature Ned Hall, waste-man, and Crispin Tredarloe, accidental warlock. I really enjoyed writing this one, so much that the characters have got their own full novel coming (Rag and Bone, in March 2016). The Rag and Bone stories are set in the Charm of Magpies world, off at a tangent to the action of those books. Ned's profession was, incidentally, a real one, and I hugely enjoyed putting together a forgotten trade, Victorian recycling, and some magical mayhem.
I had no idea how Jordan was going to continue with this series, but let's just say it's both ingenious anMore Whyborne! More Griffin! More Christine!
I had no idea how Jordan was going to continue with this series, but let's just say it's both ingenious and effective. Great new story arc opening up with wonderful potential. Some laugh out loud moments, including a joke quietly set up throughout the whole book that pays off gloriously at a point of huge tension and drama; lots of sweetness, lots of hotness, lots of horror. Hugely enjoyable.
Disclaimer: Jordan is an author friend, we've written together, etc etc. This is precisely *because* I love her storytelling and her style. And bitterly envy her ability to write continuing series with new exciting character arcs and events. /glares/...more
Well, I wondered how JLH was going to take this story forward from what seemed a conclusion, and now I know. Griffin POV and a whole new exciting rangWell, I wondered how JLH was going to take this story forward from what seemed a conclusion, and now I know. Griffin POV and a whole new exciting range of powers and risks opening up. I love these characters and I think Jordan is one of the best series writers out there....more
Very enjoyable fantasy, nicely written, with terrific magic system and a fun murder plot. I found the romance a bit undercooked, with a lot depending Very enjoyable fantasy, nicely written, with terrific magic system and a fun murder plot. I found the romance a bit undercooked, with a lot depending on the old communication failure thing, but this was a pleasure to read in general. The price point is a bit steep for the market, mind....more
I liked this very much. The writing is terrific, the descriptions vivid. Great story set-up. Rafe, the narrator, is strongly characterised and immenseI liked this very much. The writing is terrific, the descriptions vivid. Great story set-up. Rafe, the narrator, is strongly characterised and immensely likeable and funny. Fabulous political machinations and a well done setting. Loved the concept of the Houses.
I do wish it had had a better development edit, because there are several plot points and threats that are set up and then defused, or left dangling. They promised lots of lovely extra conflict and excitement and I'd have really liked to see those played out.
A good, well-written story that I really liked, and more books in this world would be very welcome. ...more
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