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witandsin's review against another edition
3.0
My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin: http://witandsin.blogspot.com/2015/06/review-shadow-revolution-by-clay.html
The Shadow Revolution is imaginative and exciting, a story with tons of action and endless possibilities. Clay and Susan Griffith’s first installment of the Crown & Key trilogy has a lot to recommend it, though often the ideas are better than the execution. Werewolves, sadistic villains, and human-automata hybridization experiments are a lot to tackle in one book, and when you add in the introduction of a handful of strong personalities, the result is an intriguing, if somewhat choppy story. Simon, Kate, Malcom, Nick, and Penny are all interesting characters, none of whom quite get the attention they deserve because there is so much going on. I hope the second and third Crown & Key books delve more into their characters, for there’s a lot to unpack. Simon is a scribe, a powerful magician with a rare ability. He’s also a weary playboy who keeps his true nature hidden, until a werewolf attacks and he’s thrown in the path of Kate Anstruther and Malcolm MacFarlane. Malcom is a sometimes-brooding werewolf hunter with neat weapons and a backstory we don’t really get into (I assume that will change in future stories). Kate, in turn, is an alchemist and an unusual female (for the era) who’s not afraid to go toe-to-toe with anyone. The three form an alliance to defeat the werewolf threat, only to discover that werewolves are the least of their problems. Supernatural creatures unlike any the world has seen threaten London, and it’s up to our heroes and their allies to uncover the conspiracy and save the day.
The action doesn’t stop in The Shadow Revolution, which makes it a fast-paced read. As I mentioned before, the frantic pace doesn’t leave too much time for depth or character development, but that doesn’t mean the story isn’t enjoyable. Mr. and Ms. Griffith aren’t afraid to make things dark and gory, and the overall tone of the book draws you in. The Victorian-era London setting adds to the ambiance, though the characters don’t really act like they’re in the nineteenth century.
The Shadow Revolution has its ups and downs, but I do think the series has a lot of potential. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for Simon, Kate, and Malcolm in the next Crown & Key book, The Undying Legion.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Shadow Revolution is imaginative and exciting, a story with tons of action and endless possibilities. Clay and Susan Griffith’s first installment of the Crown & Key trilogy has a lot to recommend it, though often the ideas are better than the execution. Werewolves, sadistic villains, and human-automata hybridization experiments are a lot to tackle in one book, and when you add in the introduction of a handful of strong personalities, the result is an intriguing, if somewhat choppy story. Simon, Kate, Malcom, Nick, and Penny are all interesting characters, none of whom quite get the attention they deserve because there is so much going on. I hope the second and third Crown & Key books delve more into their characters, for there’s a lot to unpack. Simon is a scribe, a powerful magician with a rare ability. He’s also a weary playboy who keeps his true nature hidden, until a werewolf attacks and he’s thrown in the path of Kate Anstruther and Malcolm MacFarlane. Malcom is a sometimes-brooding werewolf hunter with neat weapons and a backstory we don’t really get into (I assume that will change in future stories). Kate, in turn, is an alchemist and an unusual female (for the era) who’s not afraid to go toe-to-toe with anyone. The three form an alliance to defeat the werewolf threat, only to discover that werewolves are the least of their problems. Supernatural creatures unlike any the world has seen threaten London, and it’s up to our heroes and their allies to uncover the conspiracy and save the day.
The action doesn’t stop in The Shadow Revolution, which makes it a fast-paced read. As I mentioned before, the frantic pace doesn’t leave too much time for depth or character development, but that doesn’t mean the story isn’t enjoyable. Mr. and Ms. Griffith aren’t afraid to make things dark and gory, and the overall tone of the book draws you in. The Victorian-era London setting adds to the ambiance, though the characters don’t really act like they’re in the nineteenth century.
The Shadow Revolution has its ups and downs, but I do think the series has a lot of potential. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for Simon, Kate, and Malcolm in the next Crown & Key book, The Undying Legion.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
bananalynn's review against another edition
4.0
Exciting 4/5
Prose: Good 3/5
Pacing: Great 4/5
Story: Well done 4/5
Characters: Great 4/5
Plot: Good 3.5/5
Prose: Good 3/5
Pacing: Great 4/5
Story: Well done 4/5
Characters: Great 4/5
Plot: Good 3.5/5
ashrowe's review against another edition
5.0
I loved it! Absolutely LOVED this book and I’m extremely excited that there is more books coming in this series!
Action packed, alchemy, magic, steampunk, mystery, thriller of a story. With nightmare inducing bad guys.
I can’t think of anything I didn’t like about this book. You have Simon who is a spell casting scribe and possibly something more. His mentor Nick who has helped simon with his magic and Nick himself is a jack of all trades of magic. Malcolm a Scottish monster hunter who uses kick a** weaponry that he gets from Penny ( she makes some of the coolest weapons). Then there is Kate an alchemist who seems to have an amazing knowledge of herbs and mixing them to use as weapons.
The story was fast paced full of action,humor, mystery,magic,steampunk and everything you could possibly want in a Urban fantasy steampunk book.
Action packed, alchemy, magic, steampunk, mystery, thriller of a story. With nightmare inducing bad guys.
I can’t think of anything I didn’t like about this book. You have Simon who is a spell casting scribe and possibly something more. His mentor Nick who has helped simon with his magic and Nick himself is a jack of all trades of magic. Malcolm a Scottish monster hunter who uses kick a** weaponry that he gets from Penny ( she makes some of the coolest weapons). Then there is Kate an alchemist who seems to have an amazing knowledge of herbs and mixing them to use as weapons.
The story was fast paced full of action,humor, mystery,magic,steampunk and everything you could possibly want in a Urban fantasy steampunk book.
gems_31's review against another edition
4.0
This is a really promising start from two new authors to me. It has a clever mix of plot, character development and organic storytelling that left me unsure where the book was going. I'm glad I have the next to on my TBR because I really need to find out what is going to happen next.
alexiachantel's review against another edition
3.0
These authors know how to write action scenes and The Shadow Revolution is packed full of them. The mix of steampunk and alchemy was wonderful! The villains were amazing and the werewolves were tough and scary.
Despite all of the positives this book has going for it there was room for more development of characters, to really suck the reader in and make you feel for Archer and Kate and believe in their motives and relationship. There just wasn't enough there. Not that this book wasn't enjoyable because it was, it merely lacked in some areas.
Anyone else curious to see if there is more to book two? I know I am.
Despite all of the positives this book has going for it there was room for more development of characters, to really suck the reader in and make you feel for Archer and Kate and believe in their motives and relationship. There just wasn't enough there. Not that this book wasn't enjoyable because it was, it merely lacked in some areas.
Anyone else curious to see if there is more to book two? I know I am.
a_chickletz's review against another edition
2.0
I'm gonna say right now, this was like watching a play-by-play of a sports event.
All the sentences. Were like this. No descriptiveness or depth. Just flat. Boring, uninteresting, action.
The characters suffered the same fate, and they all felt like they were in on separate planes of existence. The relationship between Simon and Kate was so left field and so heavy-handed it became a boring will they, won't they. Nick is a confusing character that honestly lends nothing to the story. You could probably get rid of him because of how useless he is... oh wait, you can't because you need him in the very end.
I just couldn't get into this story. Penny Dreadful it ain't, which is the main reason why I tried reading it. But hey, I read it!
All the sentences. Were like this. No descriptiveness or depth. Just flat. Boring, uninteresting, action.
The characters suffered the same fate, and they all felt like they were in on separate planes of existence. The relationship between Simon and Kate was so left field and so heavy-handed it became a boring will they, won't they. Nick is a confusing character that honestly lends nothing to the story. You could probably get rid of him because of how useless he is... oh wait, you can't because you need him in the very end.
I just couldn't get into this story. Penny Dreadful it ain't, which is the main reason why I tried reading it. But hey, I read it!
funsizelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Lots of action kept the plot moving - nice setup for next book in the series.
etoiline's review against another edition
3.0
I picked up a copy of THE SHADOW REVOLUTION from C2E2 just after I'd been approved for the title from Netgalley, so it was a bit of a thrill to hold a physical book in my hands again. TSR is a fast read, lots of action, alchemy, a good bit of steam-powered carriage chase scene, werewolves, and a not-yet-fully-fleshed-out magic system that holds promise for the next books in the series.
Most people have an idea what Victorian London was like, which is good, because there's a minimum of description in favor of action in this book. When you want a nice speedy fantasy, this is okay, but I feel like there is plenty more we can discover about this world. This is kind of like a summer popcorn movie--it's entertaining but doesn't delve into philosophy. However, there are several times when this story will make you squirm as you think about the intersection between technology (or magic) and people--or at least I squirmed.
The ratio of kick-ass women to men isn't quite equal in this book, but it's closer than most with three guys and two women (I'll count Penny and her nifty-but-loud inventions). Each character has a unique role, and there's a fun banter dynamic as enemies become friends. Hopefully the "scribe" magic system will be examined in future books, and we'll see some more history of the characters. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.
Received as a free physical copy at C2E2 and a digital ARC via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Most people have an idea what Victorian London was like, which is good, because there's a minimum of description in favor of action in this book. When you want a nice speedy fantasy, this is okay, but I feel like there is plenty more we can discover about this world. This is kind of like a summer popcorn movie--it's entertaining but doesn't delve into philosophy. However, there are several times when this story will make you squirm as you think about the intersection between technology (or magic) and people--or at least I squirmed.
The ratio of kick-ass women to men isn't quite equal in this book, but it's closer than most with three guys and two women (I'll count Penny and her nifty-but-loud inventions). Each character has a unique role, and there's a fun banter dynamic as enemies become friends. Hopefully the "scribe" magic system will be examined in future books, and we'll see some more history of the characters. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.
Received as a free physical copy at C2E2 and a digital ARC via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
shoelessgirl's review against another edition
3.0
Quick, enjoyable read. I nearly gave up after the first chapter, but I'm glad I persevered, as I really liked Kate, Penny and Malcolm. Will gladly seek out the next book.
saffire_sky's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Violence, Torture, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, and Murder