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lezreadalot's review against another edition
5.0
“We’ll teach you hunger in the liberty, Miss Oakley. We’ll make you eat everything you’re served.”
Awful in the best way possible. Johanna is determined to rescue her beloved Arabella from the madhouse, and takes on a duty that pits her against some of the worst that humanity and London have to offer. She has a stalwart magistrate on her side, a truly just man, but will that be enough? Really well-written, as all of Charles' books are, and does a great job of immersing you in the history and the setting, describing the terror and the horror, and giving you a great sense of the characters. We have a great little cast of queer heroes and anti-heroes, and it didn't take long for me to start rooting for them. I love Johanna so much; what a great heroine. This is one of those rare novellas where I'm almost perfectly satisfied with its length. (Though I wouldn't have quibbled if it'd been a teensy bit longer.)
I don't often like horror, but I did like this, and I'm trying to pin down why. I do enjoy body horror and gross descriptions (well... "enjoy"; they can be horrible and fascinating in great ways when used properly) and this definitely had those. The scary bits weren't jump scares, just a horrible sense of foreboding and terror and situational grossness. A lot of the time I has unnerved rather than scared, but that was just as good.
Always great to read another K.J. Charles. Here's to hoping there's more f/f in her future. 4.5 stars.
Content warnings:
Awful in the best way possible. Johanna is determined to rescue her beloved Arabella from the madhouse, and takes on a duty that pits her against some of the worst that humanity and London have to offer. She has a stalwart magistrate on her side, a truly just man, but will that be enough? Really well-written, as all of Charles' books are, and does a great job of immersing you in the history and the setting, describing the terror and the horror, and giving you a great sense of the characters. We have a great little cast of queer heroes and anti-heroes, and it didn't take long for me to start rooting for them. I love Johanna so much; what a great heroine. This is one of those rare novellas where I'm almost perfectly satisfied with its length. (Though I wouldn't have quibbled if it'd been a teensy bit longer.)
I don't often like horror, but I did like this, and I'm trying to pin down why. I do enjoy body horror and gross descriptions (well... "enjoy"; they can be horrible and fascinating in great ways when used properly) and this definitely had those. The scary bits weren't jump scares, just a horrible sense of foreboding and terror and situational grossness. A lot of the time I has unnerved rather than scared, but that was just as good.
Always great to read another K.J. Charles. Here's to hoping there's more f/f in her future. 4.5 stars.
Content warnings:
Spoiler
cannibalism ahhhhhh. Not super explicit but AHHHHHH.wannabekingpin's review against another edition
5.0
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About: At the heart of London there’s rot called the liberty of Alsatia, where King’s law doesn’t exist, and where the worst of the worst gather. For to choose liberty in Alsatia just to avoid death, well, let’s just say some would have their doubts about which fate is worse. Here, in the dark narrow streets teeming with violence and hunger, rule the so called Freemen, elite of this nightmare. Men who found a way out of Alsatia, and their way back in, without getting killed on the spot by the law. They provide food, and they can deny it too. But here, again, some might opt to choose death by starvation over the meat Freemen serve…
Johanna Oakley has no other choice but to survive in this kingdom of darkness, ruled by monsters that were once men. She has to save her beloved, but to do so, she must gain evidence on Freemen. If she can survive it herself, that is.
Mine: If you have any fears of being eaten or cannibals in general – steer clear of this book. It was horrifying, people get torn to pieces while alive, eaten then and there, raw (not that cooking a human piece would make it better, but you get my meaning). Other than this terror, the book is really well written. Author used the full arsenal of knowledge about what extended cannibalism does to humans, and the legends about men like Sweeney Todd too. It was great, terrifying, but great.
A great and scary read. Not the first of this kind among KJC’s books, so I’ve only myself to blame. The book gets 5 out of 5 from me.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About: At the heart of London there’s rot called the liberty of Alsatia, where King’s law doesn’t exist, and where the worst of the worst gather. For to choose liberty in Alsatia just to avoid death, well, let’s just say some would have their doubts about which fate is worse. Here, in the dark narrow streets teeming with violence and hunger, rule the so called Freemen, elite of this nightmare. Men who found a way out of Alsatia, and their way back in, without getting killed on the spot by the law. They provide food, and they can deny it too. But here, again, some might opt to choose death by starvation over the meat Freemen serve…
Johanna Oakley has no other choice but to survive in this kingdom of darkness, ruled by monsters that were once men. She has to save her beloved, but to do so, she must gain evidence on Freemen. If she can survive it herself, that is.
Mine: If you have any fears of being eaten or cannibals in general – steer clear of this book. It was horrifying, people get torn to pieces while alive, eaten then and there, raw (not that cooking a human piece would make it better, but you get my meaning). Other than this terror, the book is really well written. Author used the full arsenal of knowledge about what extended cannibalism does to humans, and the legends about men like Sweeney Todd too. It was great, terrifying, but great.
A great and scary read. Not the first of this kind among KJC’s books, so I’ve only myself to blame. The book gets 5 out of 5 from me.
cakemouse's review against another edition
4.0
That was a ride!
I will fully admit that I had to put this down part way through for reasons that my imagination got away with me.
Well done short story/novelette.
I will fully admit that I had to put this down part way through for reasons that my imagination got away with me.
Well done short story/novelette.
sidneyellwood's review against another edition
4.0
for such a short novella this was one hell of a visceral and disgusting ride
waclements7's review against another edition
5.0
I had forgotten I had read this in the anthology, All in Fear, and what a shiveringly good story it is. It’s very different from the rest of Ms. Charles’ works, but still excellent. The heroine, Johanna Oakley, is fierce and resourceful, and a good match for the police Colonel. Together they solve the mystery of the disappearing men and the barbershop of Sawney Reynard.
jamietherebelliousreader's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars. Dark but not extremely so. More of a moody and creepy vibe to it which I enjoyed. This is only the second story I’ve read by K.J. Charles and I really do like her writing style a lot. Atmospheric and twisted. I had a lot of fun reading this. It’s quick and eerie and very entertaining.
roxanamalinachirila's review against another edition
5.0
For some reason, this story is rendered in my head in black and white, with a bit of the flickering of old silent movies. It must be because it's a penny dreadful, so it's a bit theatrical - but by god, it's a good penny dreadful.
In an alternate-universe London, in which Victor II and not Victoria is on the throne of England, and the British Empire is falling to pieces, a young woman is trying to save her lover from being murdered for her inheritance. For that, she needs to discover the secrets of the demon barber who is providing meat for those who seek refuge from the law in the most lawless place in the heart of the city.
Gore, horror, a creepy London, and all the thrill that goes with them.
In an alternate-universe London, in which Victor II and not Victoria is on the throne of England, and the British Empire is falling to pieces, a young woman is trying to save her lover from being murdered for her inheritance. For that, she needs to discover the secrets of the demon barber who is providing meat for those who seek refuge from the law in the most lawless place in the heart of the city.
Gore, horror, a creepy London, and all the thrill that goes with them.
kiiouex's review against another edition
4.0
this is a kind-of retelling of Sweeney Todd - though, interestingly, the characters also know the story of Todd, and the villain was inspired by it - which scores high for Gross and Horrific and also all the likeable characters are gay, so five stars -
My main complaint is that it's pretty short which means the pacing is a little askew. Johanna is an excellent protagonist, but you don't get to see much of her girlfriend, and the Disgraced Gentleman who pops up later is from the same mold as most of my favourite characters, but it means he steals some of her thunder. I suppose the book was trying not to overstay it's welcome but some parts feel undercooked - but adding more scenes would have felt like padding, so who knows! I still like it.
And it is Icky, wow, very well done.
My main complaint is that it's pretty short which means the pacing is a little askew. Johanna is an excellent protagonist, but you don't get to see much of her girlfriend, and the Disgraced Gentleman who pops up later is from the same mold as most of my favourite characters, but it means he steals some of her thunder. I suppose the book was trying not to overstay it's welcome but some parts feel undercooked - but adding more scenes would have felt like padding, so who knows! I still like it.
And it is Icky, wow, very well done.
obsessedmuch's review against another edition
5.0
“We’ll teach you hunger in the liberty, Miss Oakley. We’ll make you eat everything you’re served.”
This was an amazing horror novella and I finished it in one sitting. I will be honest, I expected more romance and less horror and gore but I was more than pleasantly surprised to find it more on the creepy side.
It just goes to show that KJ Charles is unable to write something that I will not love.
This was an amazing horror novella and I finished it in one sitting. I will be honest, I expected more romance and less horror and gore but I was more than pleasantly surprised to find it more on the creepy side.
It just goes to show that KJ Charles is unable to write something that I will not love.