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katelynprice's review against another edition
The setup is taking a lot of time, and I'm getting bored. There are too many side characters, and I don't care to put in the extra work to differentiate them at the moment. Maybe later.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Minor: Suicide and Sexual content
sarahholliday's review
adventurous
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I am so glad I finally started this series! It's a really delightful take on the Sherlock canon, incorporating all the essentials without making it tedious or derivative.
The plot is tight and smart, and matches Doyle's original style while allowing for a slightly more collaborative approach to solving the mystery. I loved the forbidden romance angle between Charlotte and Ash, particularly because it allows us to see their friendship and genuine connection (along with their *obvious* desire to bone).
I'm really excited to continue on in the series!
The plot is tight and smart, and matches Doyle's original style while allowing for a slightly more collaborative approach to solving the mystery. I loved the forbidden romance angle between Charlotte and Ash, particularly because it allows us to see their friendship and genuine connection (along with their *obvious* desire to bone).
I'm really excited to continue on in the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Misogyny
Moderate: Pedophilia and Infidelity
ashwaar's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I have not had much luck when it comes to retellings of classic books and historical fiction. I'm unsure what compelled me to start a Sherlock Holmes gender-bending series. I've never been a big fan of the novels, but I was obsessed with the BBC series as a teenager.
This retelling hinges on Sherlock being a woman, which is challenging to pull off in Victorian England because, of course, women couldn't do much of anything. The start of the novel focuses on our main character's origin story and their struggle to start a detective business in the face of many, many obstacles. It is significant that even once Charlotte (our version of Sherlock) appears to have succeeded, she is still, inevitably, supported in many ways by the men she has tried to avoid relying on.
It was also refreshing that Charlotte is the opposite of everyone's expectations. She is a plump, round-faced, well-mannered society woman with a penchant for cakes, sweets and anything frilly. The author rejects the traditional expectations of what a great mind looks like and instead gives us a character far more realistic and relatable.
Despite the noticeable differences, A Study in Scarlet Women still reads much like the original novels. However, this makes it so incredibly boring to try and get through. The original books were also quite dull, and although I like the idea of writing the Lady Sherlock novels in this style, they are not getting read by a Victorian audience. It's also very long as Charlotte's background is told alongside a mystery story, which in the end, is solved with a letter and Charlotte's sentiment of 'knowing all along.
Despite trying to do something different, this ends reading like a traditional Arthur Conan Doyle novel, and I was bored. At several points, I didn’t understand what was happening in the investigation, and too many threads were left unexplained, resulting in me feeling a bit stupid for not following along.
Read more on Wordpress at Bookmarked by Ash: https://book990337086.wordpress.com/
This retelling hinges on Sherlock being a woman, which is challenging to pull off in Victorian England because, of course, women couldn't do much of anything. The start of the novel focuses on our main character's origin story and their struggle to start a detective business in the face of many, many obstacles. It is significant that even once Charlotte (our version of Sherlock) appears to have succeeded, she is still, inevitably, supported in many ways by the men she has tried to avoid relying on.
It was also refreshing that Charlotte is the opposite of everyone's expectations. She is a plump, round-faced, well-mannered society woman with a penchant for cakes, sweets and anything frilly. The author rejects the traditional expectations of what a great mind looks like and instead gives us a character far more realistic and relatable.
Despite the noticeable differences, A Study in Scarlet Women still reads much like the original novels. However, this makes it so incredibly boring to try and get through. The original books were also quite dull, and although I like the idea of writing the Lady Sherlock novels in this style, they are not getting read by a Victorian audience. It's also very long as Charlotte's background is told alongside a mystery story, which in the end, is solved with a letter and Charlotte's sentiment of 'knowing all along.
Despite trying to do something different, this ends reading like a traditional Arthur Conan Doyle novel, and I was bored. At several points, I didn’t understand what was happening in the investigation, and too many threads were left unexplained, resulting in me feeling a bit stupid for not following along.
Read more on Wordpress at Bookmarked by Ash: https://book990337086.wordpress.com/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Fatphobia, and Suicide
arsrose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Infidelity, Murder, and Child abuse
hanz's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Suicide
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Infidelity, Grief, and Child death
softrosemint's review against another edition
3.25
i enjoyed this very much even if i cannot necessarily say it was good. i definitely had to turn my brain off at several bits.
however, i thought it was a pretty intelligent and interesting interpretation of the sherlock holmes stories, including how the original characters and their relationships were reinterpreted (absolutely delighted with sherlock being the pseudonym of a chubby food-loving woman in her mid-twenties who ruined her reputation to stop her parents from trying to marry her off). i also enjoyed the different dynamics - female relationships were definitely the centre of the novel but also the tension between charlotte and ingram was also palpable!
i can see myself devouring the rest of the series.
however, i thought it was a pretty intelligent and interesting interpretation of the sherlock holmes stories, including how the original characters and their relationships were reinterpreted (absolutely delighted with sherlock being the pseudonym of a chubby food-loving woman in her mid-twenties who ruined her reputation to stop her parents from trying to marry her off). i also enjoyed the different dynamics - female relationships were definitely the centre of the novel but also the tension between charlotte and ingram was also palpable!
i can see myself devouring the rest of the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia
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