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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Though I like Sherlock Holmes, I've avoided Laurie R. King's novels because I'm weirded out by the relationship between Holmes and Russell (they met when he was over 50 and she was 15, and they married as soon as she was of legal age). Leaving aside the creepy age difference, I simply can't imagine Sherlock Holmes doing such a thing. However I read Riviera Gold during my researches on Monaco in the 1920s, and quite enjoyed it, so I thought I'd give this one a try.
Like Rivieria Gold, the most enjoyable aspect of the novel is the description of the settings.
I enjoyed visiting Roumania and touring Castle Bran. Unfortunately the story is slight. There is no crime to investigate, for a start -- just vague hints of a possible threat to the Queen of Roumania. Why on earth would Holmes get involved? I didn't find the reasons convincing.
Because there's so little to investigate, nothing much happens. The action finally picks up in the last quarter of the book but it's a bit late by then.
Like Rivieria Gold, the most enjoyable aspect of the novel is the description of the settings.
I enjoyed visiting Roumania and touring Castle Bran. Unfortunately the story is slight. There is no crime to investigate, for a start -- just vague hints of a possible threat to the Queen of Roumania. Why on earth would Holmes get involved? I didn't find the reasons convincing.
Because there's so little to investigate, nothing much happens. The action finally picks up in the last quarter of the book but it's a bit late by then.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Atmosphere mystery but not that much happens, a girl disappears and Sherlock's wife (?) investigates with Sherlock after she took is abducted she pieces the mystery together. It got repetitive and if I hadn't been listening to the audio book I wouldn't have finished but the voice acting was atmospheric and lulling with some northern European accent in the narrator, who is married to Sherlock and Watson has fallen out.. Anyhow. Light read even with a dark theme and mystery
(NetGalley gave me a preview e-copy of this, for which I thank them but wish the accents in Romanian words would display correctly.)
I'm a longtime fan of the Russell and Holmes books, but I didn't think some of the recent ones (Island of the Mad, particularly) lived up to their predecessors. Castle Shade is an upturn after that dip. I enjoyed the location and setting, and I think it came together well at the end.
I'm a longtime fan of the Russell and Holmes books, but I didn't think some of the recent ones (Island of the Mad, particularly) lived up to their predecessors. Castle Shade is an upturn after that dip. I enjoyed the location and setting, and I think it came together well at the end.
Normally I love the Mary Russell series, but this one was REALLY slow to get going. I'd give the first 200 pages a 2 and the last 160 a 4. Eventually, this turns into a reliable, interesting, full-of-twists Russell and Holmes mystery, but it takes a good while to get there.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Sherlock Holmes has accepted the challenge of finding out who is threatening the youngest daughter of the much-loved Queen of Romania, and he expects Mary Russell, his wife, to join him in his quest. Mary quickly realizes that the threats are made up of mainly whispered innuendos of odd goings on. While Mary has her doubts about this particular case and wonders why Holmes agreed to accept it, she agrees to travel with him to a brooding castle on the border of Romania and Transylvania.
This is the 17th entry in what was once an outstanding series, but which has grown increasingly stale over the years. In this outing the mystery is not the central theme of the story. This would have been better touted as a historical novel. The early books in the series were the best because Russell was the central character while Holmes had the role as a sidekick. Then Holmes slowly but surely took over the books as the central character thus relegating Russell to secondary character status and the series suffered for it.
The writing is very good but King does information dumps that, while very interesting, take the reader out of the story of Russell and Holmes. The story meanders around the central issue of who’s making the threats, and finally gets there.
If you’re a fan of Russell and Holmes, you’ll undoubtedly want to read this book in the series, but if this is the first book in the series to have caught your attention, you’d be better served to go to the first book in the series, “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice,” and meet Mary Russell as a young woman finishing her university degree.
My thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for an eARC.
This is the 17th entry in what was once an outstanding series, but which has grown increasingly stale over the years. In this outing the mystery is not the central theme of the story. This would have been better touted as a historical novel. The early books in the series were the best because Russell was the central character while Holmes had the role as a sidekick. Then Holmes slowly but surely took over the books as the central character thus relegating Russell to secondary character status and the series suffered for it.
The writing is very good but King does information dumps that, while very interesting, take the reader out of the story of Russell and Holmes. The story meanders around the central issue of who’s making the threats, and finally gets there.
If you’re a fan of Russell and Holmes, you’ll undoubtedly want to read this book in the series, but if this is the first book in the series to have caught your attention, you’d be better served to go to the first book in the series, “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice,” and meet Mary Russell as a young woman finishing her university degree.
My thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for an eARC.
Moderately more interesting than A Lantern's Dance. Still a disappointment compared to books in the single digits of this series.
I have read a number of books in this series and generally enjoyed the interactions between Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. I approached this one with some trepidation because of its setting at Bran Castle in Romania, in the Transylvania area, and potential vampires or Queen Erzsébet Báthori appearing. But though suspenseful, it was doable. Mary continues to be bright and spunky, the atmosphere is rich, and there are several fairy-tale chapters that advance the story in whimsical ways.
Edited to include intriguing quotation (not sure if I think true or not): Mary Russell in discussion with Princess Ileana, "School is easier for those whose lives are small. Most often, happy and successful adults went through miserable times when they were younger" (149).
Edited to include intriguing quotation (not sure if I think true or not): Mary Russell in discussion with Princess Ileana, "School is easier for those whose lives are small. Most often, happy and successful adults went through miserable times when they were younger" (149).