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lankylad9's review against another edition
2.0
I only just managed to finish reading this book, and wish I hadn't bothered. The "book within a book" was not at all convincing given the innocence if its author. Unbelievable coincidences happen at every turn. Revelations appear that have no significance in the book.
aylinmoon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
neeuqdrazil's review against another edition
2.0
I could not get into this. It was disjointed, skipping around between POVs (I think? No, I'm pretty sure. Unless those other POVs were dreams...)
So, yeah. Confusing. The villain(s) were telegraphed (badly) from the beginning, but some others (Mr. Janisser the younger) didn't act appropriately (ETA: by which I mean that his character wasn't consistent - his behaviour jumped around a lot), and there were no reasons given.
I don't know - I couldn't get into it - the main character (Catherine?) didn't make any sense. And none of the other characters made sense, either.
I am looking forward to reading this author's biography of Emma Hamilton, though.
So, yeah. Confusing. The villain(s) were telegraphed (badly) from the beginning, but some others (Mr. Janisser the younger) didn't act appropriately (ETA: by which I mean that his character wasn't consistent - his behaviour jumped around a lot), and there were no reasons given.
I don't know - I couldn't get into it - the main character (Catherine?) didn't make any sense. And none of the other characters made sense, either.
I am looking forward to reading this author's biography of Emma Hamilton, though.
evmb_c's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
lorintheninth's review against another edition
1.0
This was difficult. The first 100 odd pages were dull - it was a chore to continue. However the book was littered with snippets of amazing events .
I certainly didn't like Catherine. I found her quite pathetic, and she didn't ask questions I wanted her to, or acted the way I found most logical. Every now and then in the story she would do something or say something and I just wanted to shake her!
I wanted to find out more about other characters in the story too, which never happened. I felt many characters were just thrown in for the sake of it and their actions were only short lived and had no lasting impact on the story.
One thing I really enjoyed however was the historical note at the end. Williams explained the situation of what East London was like in 1840 and it certainly captured my attention.
Overall the book was a 2.5/5 due to the pace, the characters and the storyline not being more impressive. Would I read something else by Williams? Doubtful.
Spoiler
for example when you find Catherine's belongings behind the doorI certainly didn't like Catherine. I found her quite pathetic, and she didn't ask questions I wanted her to, or acted the way I found most logical. Every now and then in the story she would do something or say something and I just wanted to shake her!
I wanted to find out more about other characters in the story too, which never happened. I felt many characters were just thrown in for the sake of it and their actions were only short lived and had no lasting impact on the story.
One thing I really enjoyed however was the historical note at the end. Williams explained the situation of what East London was like in 1840 and it certainly captured my attention.
Overall the book was a 2.5/5 due to the pace, the characters and the storyline not being more impressive. Would I read something else by Williams? Doubtful.
krista225's review against another edition
3.0
This is definitely not a keeper, at least not for me. While I found many aspects of the story interesting, I did not enjoy the writing style enough to consider a future re-read. That's my measurement of keeper or not-a-keeper: can I imagine myself rereading the book? If the answer is no, the book gets moved along to a new home. So this one will be moving along to a friend of mine that expressed interest.
Catherine Sorgeiul is an interesting character that serves well in the role of unreliable narrator. Her mental state is questionable throughout the narrative. This is emphasized by the fact that she has come to live with her uncle after being released from a Victorian asylum, a place she had been sent to after the death of her family. Plagued by her own inner demons, Catherine believes she can recognize evil when she comes face to face with it. She is, after all, darkness herself. This belief feeds into her fascination with The Man of Crows, a serial killer stalking poor women in her neighborhood. The story hinges around her fanciful imagination, her suppositions, and her excursions beyond her uncle's home.
It's an interesting premise and I was intrigued. I thought Catherine a fascinating character and rather enjoyed the mystery surrounding the murderer's identity. My rating would be much higher had I found the ending more satisfactory for a stand alone book.
Catherine Sorgeiul is an interesting character that serves well in the role of unreliable narrator. Her mental state is questionable throughout the narrative. This is emphasized by the fact that she has come to live with her uncle after being released from a Victorian asylum, a place she had been sent to after the death of her family. Plagued by her own inner demons, Catherine believes she can recognize evil when she comes face to face with it. She is, after all, darkness herself. This belief feeds into her fascination with The Man of Crows, a serial killer stalking poor women in her neighborhood. The story hinges around her fanciful imagination, her suppositions, and her excursions beyond her uncle's home.
It's an interesting premise and I was intrigued. I thought Catherine a fascinating character and rather enjoyed the mystery surrounding the murderer's identity. My rating would be much higher had I found the ending more satisfactory for a stand alone book.
curleetop's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure why I liked this book. It was confusing, hard to follow at times, and some things just didn't seem to fit in the story at all.... and yet.. darn it was a fun read.
alexandrayarrow's review against another edition
Could have benefited from an editor with a BIG RED PEN.