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hendrixpants's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Murder
bergha1998's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This is such an interesting plot idea. A fantasy world with angels and fallen angels, but it’s Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson with different names. Also, they’re trying to solve Jack the Ripper, along with several other mysteries. Not to mention the surprising diversity.
Fantasy/Mystery, LGBTQIA+
Fantasy/Mystery, LGBTQIA+
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Body horror, Gun violence, Animal death, Gore, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, and Murder
massivepizzacrust's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I'll read anything Katherine Addison writes but I agree that this isn't the best of her works. I still think the writing her is gorgeous. I loved our main two characters, and the several character reveals were great and got me every time. I agree that the world building is a little hazy but I actually enjoyed just being plopped down into the middle of it and not thinking too hard about how things worked. I would be completely willing to read more in this universe, which is how I always feel about Addison's books (and okay, if a book centered on the Moriarty hunt I would be okay with that. I'm basic, sue me).
I was completely sucked in until the Hound of the Baskervilles section, at which point I started losing interest. I thought it was just the epistolary style of that section, but I also found the climax of the overarching Jack the Ripper plot to be a little disappointing. I could really see some of the loose ends being tied up in a sequel, which I would be very willing to read.
I was completely sucked in until the Hound of the Baskervilles section, at which point I started losing interest. I thought it was just the epistolary style of that section, but I also found the climax of the overarching Jack the Ripper plot to be a little disappointing. I could really see some of the loose ends being tied up in a sequel, which I would be very willing to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Gore, and Violence
pvbobrien's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Murder, Misogyny, Blood, Antisemitism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Kidnapping, Medical content, Racism, Racial slurs, and Violence
Minor: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Rape, War, Acephobia/Arophobia, Body horror, Cannibalism, Infertility, Misogyny, and Suicidal thoughts
wordsareworlds's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Overall I liked it quite a bit! According to the Author's Note it started as Sherlock wingfic but it doesn't read any differently than any of the hundreds of other adaptations/reimaginings of the Sherlock stories. If you're very familiar with the canon you'll know the solutions, but in a lot of ways everything but the first mystery and the Jack the Ripper parts are much kinder to side characters than the original ever was. As always, the real star is the Holmes/Watson (or Crow/Doyle) relationship, and I adored it. Crow has many of the classic Sherlock characteristics but with an excitement and curiosity and actual caring that most Sherlocks lack.
I enjoyed the Moriarty twist and the way she uses both the twist and the obvious previous knowledge of the reader to ramp up tension in all their interactions. I was also relieved at how Addison treated Doyle's limp, and continuing treatments for injuries. The worldbuilding felt true to both the original Sherlock stories and integrated well with the supernatural aspects.
A word of warning/possible pain points for trans readers regarding the character of Doyle and angels. it is implied at first that Doyle is a trans man, but revealed that she is a bisexual woman who is pretending to be a man to the public. She does not regard herself as actually a man, but instead has adopted the persona in order to pursue her career as a doctor. Angels are revealed to all be trans men, made so by human expectations when they emerge from being Nameless. While I believe there is nuance given to both of these elements, I can also easily see them feeling like a bait-and-switch or otherwise harmful as well.
I enjoyed the Moriarty twist and the way she uses both the twist and the obvious previous knowledge of the reader to ramp up tension in all their interactions. I was also relieved at how Addison treated Doyle's limp, and continuing treatments for injuries. The worldbuilding felt true to both the original Sherlock stories and integrated well with the supernatural aspects.
A word of warning/possible pain points for trans readers regarding the character of Doyle and angels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Racial slurs, Violence, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Colonisation
Minor: Sexual assault
The ableism is both internal and external towards the character of Doyle. Antisemitism is challenged on page. There is the strong implication that Crow wasehmannky'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
thereadingchallengechallenge's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This was more episodic than I like but I came for the Sherlock-inspired story and stayed for the trans rep. An entertaining book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
There is some antisemitism but it is condemned by the main characters and treated as abhorrent behaviour.wyrmie's review against another edition
This is disappointing coming from Addison after her incredible book The Goblin Emperor. I was immediately put off when I saw the authors note that this started as a fanfic, I assumed with how talented Addison is with worldbuilding that she'd crafted a new world Holmes inspired, I assumed incorrectly. This remains a fanfic and should not have been published as an original novel. With what I read I immediately recognized that it was of the BBC version of sherlock, same mystery, same characterization. Ugh. The characters remained as bland and as terrible as BBC sherlock, Addison did nothing to change them besides slap some wings on Sherlock/Crow and give them different names. The mysteries were just retellings of the already told Holmes ones, and Addison can writ a mystery so idk why she'd just recycle. She should have taken this angel and monster lore she had going on and created new characters and new plotlines. It's like watching a knock off Disney movie. Nothing wrong with fanfic but fanfic and published literature are different. I also didn't appreciate the casual antisemitism
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Antisemitism, Medical content, and Medical trauma
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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