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ehmannky's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I have no idea why the book summary is so dramatic when this book would draw twice the readers if it just shouted from the rooftops that it's a Sherlock wingfic. I had a lot of fun reading this, even if the mysteries themselves have the same beats as the originals with little tweaks here and there. But I also am dumb and can't remember plot points from the original Doyle stories so that was fun for me. I think the weakest part of this book is the Jack the Ripper stuff, and I do think that Addison could have achieved the narrative if she had come up with her own murder mystery to be in the background of the story. But other than that, it's a good time.
For the closest example of what this book reminds me of, it's reminiscent of a MUCH better-written Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and even though it mentions the BBC Sherlock, the character of Crow is much more kind and true to the original character of Sherlock Holmes than most adaptations are and I just found myself loving him. I also thought that the fantasy element was delightful and molded so well into the stories. Like, even the minor mentions of Jenny Greenteeth in the Hounds of the Baskervilles story was fun.
It was also queer in a way most queer retellings of Sherlock aren't. Like,how has not a single reviewer on her not mentioned that Doyle (the Watson character) is nonbinary and that they explicitly say that they are neither a man or a woman, but living as a man just happens to suit them .
For the closest example of what this book reminds me of, it's reminiscent of a MUCH better-written Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and even though it mentions the BBC Sherlock, the character of Crow is much more kind and true to the original character of Sherlock Holmes than most adaptations are and I just found myself loving him. I also thought that the fantasy element was delightful and molded so well into the stories. Like, even the minor mentions of Jenny Greenteeth in the Hounds of the Baskervilles story was fun.
It was also queer in a way most queer retellings of Sherlock aren't. Like,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Murder, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Animal death
Minor: Homophobia
bi_n_large's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Misogyny, Transphobia, Homophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
obviousthings's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
Well... it was okay. As someone who's VERY familiar with the Holmes stories, this book stuck too close to the plot of the originals for my taste, particularly with A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of the Four in the first half. I liked how Addison treated women and characters of colour from the Holmes canon with much more respect than they get in the original books, and I liked the supernatural elements that were added (especially the hellhounds and cerberi), but this feels more like Sherlock Holmes with some fantasy set dressing than an original novel.
It's worth noting that there are three Holmes novels, multiple short stories, and the Jack the Ripper case compressed into one book here. I can see why that was done - does anyone actually like the part of A Study in Scarlet that's just about the mormons? - but I feel like some of the themes were lost in the abridgement, and there wasn't enough added to replace them. I would have liked to see a stronger character arc for Dr. Doyle, with fantasy elements more thoroughly incorporated into the plot. The setting has a ton of potential, but it wasn't explored as much as it could have been in this book.
It's worth noting that there are three Holmes novels, multiple short stories, and the Jack the Ripper case compressed into one book here. I can see why that was done - does anyone actually like the part of A Study in Scarlet that's just about the mormons? - but I feel like some of the themes were lost in the abridgement, and there wasn't enough added to replace them. I would have liked to see a stronger character arc for Dr. Doyle, with fantasy elements more thoroughly incorporated into the plot. The setting has a ton of potential, but it wasn't explored as much as it could have been in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Blood, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, and Murder
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Confinement, Homophobia, Medical content, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Abortion, Racial slurs, Rape, and Suicide
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