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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
Decent steampunk/gaslight fantasy. I enjoy the Holmes tie-in.
A rather interesting book. The world Emma Holloway built is impressive- a Victorian world where ruthless steam barons control the technology of England, and therefore everyone in it. The threat of being "disconnected" from power keeps everyone under their thumbs, technological advances from others are squashed, and magic is punishable by death.
Enter Evelina, niece to Sherlock Holmes, houseguest of a lord- hiding a past in a circus troupe & a dangerous magical power to animate machinery. He tries to solve a puzzling mystery that implicates those closest to her, whilst surviving the romantic advances of Nick, old friend & circus performer, and Tobias rakish heir to a lordship.
The writing is decent (though sometimes repetitive), but the real draw is the romance & the world building, which are amazing. The three star ratingnis because it has its faults. The mystery is sorely lacking- we know the whole thing from the start, because the narration shifts to the villains who explain their plans towards the beginning of the book, and Evelina's detective work is a bit messy and incoherent. Also the major part played by Sherlock Holmes left me a bit uncomfortable- it sort of turned a story that was great on its own merits, and gave it a dash of commercial fanfiction, which I'm a little iffy about.
Anyhow, definitely worth reading, and I look forward to reading its sequel sometime soon.
Enter Evelina, niece to Sherlock Holmes, houseguest of a lord- hiding a past in a circus troupe & a dangerous magical power to animate machinery. He tries to solve a puzzling mystery that implicates those closest to her, whilst surviving the romantic advances of Nick, old friend & circus performer, and Tobias rakish heir to a lordship.
The writing is decent (though sometimes repetitive), but the real draw is the romance & the world building, which are amazing. The three star ratingnis because it has its faults. The mystery is sorely lacking- we know the whole thing from the start, because the narration shifts to the villains who explain their plans towards the beginning of the book, and Evelina's detective work is a bit messy and incoherent. Also the major part played by Sherlock Holmes left me a bit uncomfortable- it sort of turned a story that was great on its own merits, and gave it a dash of commercial fanfiction, which I'm a little iffy about.
Anyhow, definitely worth reading, and I look forward to reading its sequel sometime soon.
This book started out well but the end was lacklustre. It seemed unnecessarily long and drawn out for no real reason at all. And I soon stopped caring about all the little side plots.
The presences of Sherlock Holmes seemed like a neat idea. If he had been a small part and barely seen. But he is major character who is given many important scenes. And mostly steals the ending from the supposed main character. If this was supposed to be because no one would have listened to her as a woman. Then say so. As it was it just annoyed me that she didn't get to finish what she started on her own merit.
The love triangle became very tiresome surprisingly quickly and it's even more annoying that it is obviously not at an end. With the end of the book seeming to imply that it would carry on for sometime.
Count me out. I will not be reading any more in this series.
The presences of Sherlock Holmes seemed like a neat idea. If he had been a small part and barely seen. But he is major character who is given many important scenes. And mostly steals the ending from the supposed main character. If this was supposed to be because no one would have listened to her as a woman. Then say so. As it was it just annoyed me that she didn't get to finish what she started on her own merit.
The love triangle became very tiresome surprisingly quickly and it's even more annoying that it is obviously not at an end. With the end of the book seeming to imply that it would carry on for sometime.
Count me out. I will not be reading any more in this series.
The moment I read what A Study in Silks was about I was interested. Evelina Cooper is the niece of one Sherlock Holmes. Her mother used to be part of the upper class, but fell from grace when she eloped with an army captain. She then fell ill and died of fever leaving Evelina to live with her father's family at the circus. She was taken from the circus by her Gandmamma Holmes in order to give her an education and hopes for a better life.
Now, after finishing school, Evelina resides as a guest in the home of her school friend Imogen Roth. However much Evelina has grown and changed in the last few years, she still harbors secrets of her own for she possesses magic. The country is run mainly by the steam barons, a group of men and women who control the electric in certain parts of the city. If you displease them, they will Disconnect you which has the dual purpose of disconnecting a family from both electric and society, for who wants to associate with someone who is Disconnected? If something like magic were to become well known the steam barons could and would lose a lot of money and credibility. For this reason, magic has been made to be feared, those who are thought to wield it being put to trial and usually death. So, Evelina keeps this secret close to her heart. But it also makes her feel as though she hovers somewhere in the middle where society is concerned. Like she can never truly fit in with the upper class, but now with her education she can't go back to her circus days either.
Evelina has plans of her own for the future. Knowning she will more than likely not get a season (not be presented to the Quenn therefore banning her from going to social events which would set her up with a husband), she want to furthur her education. She is also interested in science and the mechanics of automatons, something else she feels must be kept quiet. No sooner, in her mind, are her plans set than a servant is discovered murdered in the Roth house.
Evenlina wants to spare her friend and her friend's family any undue and negative attention because of the murder so Evelina vows to solve the case before the police get the chance. What she ends up finding is this murder was no simple act. It was the basis for other intrigues and Evelina doesn't know how far in she'll have to go.
I really liked Evelina's character. She knows her lot in life. While it may be sad, she doesn't despair about it. She has alternative plans, and she's very intelligent. There's no doubt she will land on her feet no matter the circumstances. She is nobody's fool. Not easily giving her trust, but not breaking from it once it is given.
While Evelina is the main character of the story, we are given other characters' points of view. I think this only enhances the plot, but still leaves the mystery and how everything fits together greatly intact. There is still a question of motive for why the crime was committed and what else may have been disturbed by the servant's murder. One thread leads to another which leads to another, until we find the answers only given by Sherlock Holmes himself.
Yes, Holmes does indeed get some page time, although he never overshadows Evelina. He only enhances what she's already uncovered working alongside her instead of ahead of her. It was very interesting to see their interactions and see a slightly different side than the classic Holmes we are all used to yet still retaining what we have come to expect of Sherlock Holmes' character.
There are still questions left unanswered at the end, and there are questions as to what paths certain characters will take when they are faced with the information uncovered. I do like that Evelina seems to get her own version of Moriarty in one Dr. Magnus. I'm very interested to see how it all plays out. I assume we'll get a continuation of the bigger storyline in the next book [b:A Study in Darkness|17264584|A Study in Darkness (The Baskerville Affair, #2)|Emma Jane Holloway|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368485412s/17264584.jpg|23862387]. I highley recommend this series and can't wait to continue on.
*Arc was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Now, after finishing school, Evelina resides as a guest in the home of her school friend Imogen Roth. However much Evelina has grown and changed in the last few years, she still harbors secrets of her own for she possesses magic. The country is run mainly by the steam barons, a group of men and women who control the electric in certain parts of the city. If you displease them, they will Disconnect you which has the dual purpose of disconnecting a family from both electric and society, for who wants to associate with someone who is Disconnected? If something like magic were to become well known the steam barons could and would lose a lot of money and credibility. For this reason, magic has been made to be feared, those who are thought to wield it being put to trial and usually death. So, Evelina keeps this secret close to her heart. But it also makes her feel as though she hovers somewhere in the middle where society is concerned. Like she can never truly fit in with the upper class, but now with her education she can't go back to her circus days either.
Evelina has plans of her own for the future. Knowning she will more than likely not get a season (not be presented to the Quenn therefore banning her from going to social events which would set her up with a husband), she want to furthur her education. She is also interested in science and the mechanics of automatons, something else she feels must be kept quiet. No sooner, in her mind, are her plans set than a servant is discovered murdered in the Roth house.
Evenlina wants to spare her friend and her friend's family any undue and negative attention because of the murder so Evelina vows to solve the case before the police get the chance. What she ends up finding is this murder was no simple act. It was the basis for other intrigues and Evelina doesn't know how far in she'll have to go.
I really liked Evelina's character. She knows her lot in life. While it may be sad, she doesn't despair about it. She has alternative plans, and she's very intelligent. There's no doubt she will land on her feet no matter the circumstances. She is nobody's fool. Not easily giving her trust, but not breaking from it once it is given.
While Evelina is the main character of the story, we are given other characters' points of view. I think this only enhances the plot, but still leaves the mystery and how everything fits together greatly intact. There is still a question of motive for why the crime was committed and what else may have been disturbed by the servant's murder. One thread leads to another which leads to another, until we find the answers only given by Sherlock Holmes himself.
Yes, Holmes does indeed get some page time, although he never overshadows Evelina. He only enhances what she's already uncovered working alongside her instead of ahead of her. It was very interesting to see their interactions and see a slightly different side than the classic Holmes we are all used to yet still retaining what we have come to expect of Sherlock Holmes' character.
There are still questions left unanswered at the end, and there are questions as to what paths certain characters will take when they are faced with the information uncovered. I do like that Evelina seems to get her own version of Moriarty in one Dr. Magnus. I'm very interested to see how it all plays out. I assume we'll get a continuation of the bigger storyline in the next book [b:A Study in Darkness|17264584|A Study in Darkness (The Baskerville Affair, #2)|Emma Jane Holloway|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368485412s/17264584.jpg|23862387]. I highley recommend this series and can't wait to continue on.
*Arc was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
A brilliant beginning to a new series that deftly weaves together steampunk, magic, Sherlock Holmes, classism, politics and society in Victorian England.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly where this one went slightly wrong, aside from the fact that it was just too bloody long. It could have been fun and suspenseful and zippy, but every. scene. just. went. on. forever. It took me the better part of a week to drag myself through what should have been a quick, fluffy read.
I'm not sure how I ultimately felt about this book. There were scenes that drew me in, but overall when the book ended I felt like I'd missed something. There's a fairly complicated mystery plot which might or might not be solved by Sherlock Holmes' niece. I didn't really like dragging SH into the story to give her an important connection. Especially since she's also got to be given the rather cliche "caught between two worlds" backstory. Apparently SH's sister ran away with a sea captain who also grew up in the circus so Evelina can have two hot love interests who are both inadequate in the end.
The story takes place in a steampunk version of London with the city divided up between different steam barons who fight over territory and keep anyone else from freely inventing things.
There's also magic, which was a bit much for me. The central drive of the villain seems to be to mix technology and magic by way of spirits that can animate robots. The heroine can already to this with little sprites called devas. They didn't mesh well with the plot for me and sometimes felt like they were trying to hard to be sort of sophisticated Disney Sidekicks.
The story takes place in a steampunk version of London with the city divided up between different steam barons who fight over territory and keep anyone else from freely inventing things.
There's also magic, which was a bit much for me. The central drive of the villain seems to be to mix technology and magic by way of spirits that can animate robots. The heroine can already to this with little sprites called devas. They didn't mesh well with the plot for me and sometimes felt like they were trying to hard to be sort of sophisticated Disney Sidekicks.
3.5 stars
Disclaimer! I was given an ARC of this book from Random House via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and impartial review.
[b:A Study in Silks|17262144|A Study in Silks (The Baskerville Affair, #1)|Emma Jane Holloway|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1367256722s/17262144.jpg|23858942] is out now. The next book, [b:A Study in Darkness|17264584|A Study in Darkness (The Baskerville Affair, #2)|Emma Jane Holloway|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368485412s/17264584.jpg|23862387], is out at the end of this month.
Evelina Cooper is the niece of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. Her mother ran off with a circus performer, and Evelina grew up in said circus. Her mother got sick and died, and eventually Evelina's grandmama Holmes tracked her down, fetched her home from the circus, did her best to gentrify Evelina, and sent her to a posh boarding school. There Evelina befriended Imogen Roth, daughter of Lord Bancroft, and although he doesn't really approve of his daughter's boon companion, the two girls are set to start their first Season together. Evelina just has to keep secret her interest in mechanics, as that's unladylike, and that she can do magic, as magic users are persecuted and arrested. Best case scenario after arrest is death, but they may also be sent to Her Majesty's laboratories, where very nefarious things might happen.
With me so far? Evelina is in love with Imogen's brother Tobias, Lord Bancroft's heir, but knows full well that he is far above her station. Also he's a total rake. Unexpectedly, her childhood sweetheart Nick shows up in her room. He still works at the circus, and has magic abilities of his own. Magic that when he and Evelina get close to each other spark so strongly that it would be impossible for them to ever hide it. Hence they are doomed as a couple too. A servant girl is murdered, and Evelina tries to investigate, hoping that the case might be solved before scandal befalls her friend's family. Lord Bancroft orders Tobias to seduce Evelina to keep her from investigating, but he refuses, because he genuinely likes her, and won't ruin her reputation.
This is not regular Victorian England, but a steam-punky version with unusual mechanical innovations, where the whole country is divided into regions controlled by the Steam Barons, who decide who's allowed steam, coal and gas and discourage any unauthorised mechanical development or independent inventions. Magic exists, but is feared and magic users are persecuted.
There is a lot of potential in this book. I'm just not sure that this book needed the protagonist to be Sherlock Holmes' niece. I get that he's the most famous Victorian detective, and currently extremely fashionable, with the films, directed by Guy Richie, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, the excellent modern takes in BBC's Sherlock, and (in my opinion, the not as brilliant but still very enjoyable) American Elementary. It still feels to me that if you're going to all the trouble of creating an alternate Victorian England, with very interesting magics and Steampunk and the power struggle between lords of industry and the actual nobles, you don't really need ties to other fiction. Couldn't Evelina just have been the niece of some fictional great detective?
Still, as I said, there is a lot to like. In the beginning, I found the book a bit hard going, because there is a vast gallery of characters, and many of them get a point of view in the book. There is a whole load of info dumping, while very well done, to make us realise that this isn't just regular Victorian England, and there's the murder mystery, and another complicated scheme involving one of the steam barons, and a stolen Greek artifact and it all seemed a bit overwhelming at first.
Once I got about a third of the way in, and everything was set in motion, though, I really enjoyed the book. The world building is very creative, and excellently done. Holloway has clearly done her historical research very well, and her cast of characters, while sizable, is nuanced and interesting. There is a strong and genuine friendship between Evelina and Imogen, and while I am normally wary of love triangles, both Tobias and Nick are undoubtedly very attractive young men, and it's understandable why Evelina would be drawn to both of them, yet distressed because neither of them, due to societal expectations, and her own forbidden magical powers, are a realistic option for her. I'm very much looking forward to how the story plays out in the rest of the trilogy.
Disclaimer! I was given an ARC of this book from Random House via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and impartial review.
[b:A Study in Silks|17262144|A Study in Silks (The Baskerville Affair, #1)|Emma Jane Holloway|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1367256722s/17262144.jpg|23858942] is out now. The next book, [b:A Study in Darkness|17264584|A Study in Darkness (The Baskerville Affair, #2)|Emma Jane Holloway|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368485412s/17264584.jpg|23862387], is out at the end of this month.
Evelina Cooper is the niece of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. Her mother ran off with a circus performer, and Evelina grew up in said circus. Her mother got sick and died, and eventually Evelina's grandmama Holmes tracked her down, fetched her home from the circus, did her best to gentrify Evelina, and sent her to a posh boarding school. There Evelina befriended Imogen Roth, daughter of Lord Bancroft, and although he doesn't really approve of his daughter's boon companion, the two girls are set to start their first Season together. Evelina just has to keep secret her interest in mechanics, as that's unladylike, and that she can do magic, as magic users are persecuted and arrested. Best case scenario after arrest is death, but they may also be sent to Her Majesty's laboratories, where very nefarious things might happen.
With me so far? Evelina is in love with Imogen's brother Tobias, Lord Bancroft's heir, but knows full well that he is far above her station. Also he's a total rake. Unexpectedly, her childhood sweetheart Nick shows up in her room. He still works at the circus, and has magic abilities of his own. Magic that when he and Evelina get close to each other spark so strongly that it would be impossible for them to ever hide it. Hence they are doomed as a couple too. A servant girl is murdered, and Evelina tries to investigate, hoping that the case might be solved before scandal befalls her friend's family. Lord Bancroft orders Tobias to seduce Evelina to keep her from investigating, but he refuses, because he genuinely likes her, and won't ruin her reputation.
This is not regular Victorian England, but a steam-punky version with unusual mechanical innovations, where the whole country is divided into regions controlled by the Steam Barons, who decide who's allowed steam, coal and gas and discourage any unauthorised mechanical development or independent inventions. Magic exists, but is feared and magic users are persecuted.
There is a lot of potential in this book. I'm just not sure that this book needed the protagonist to be Sherlock Holmes' niece. I get that he's the most famous Victorian detective, and currently extremely fashionable, with the films, directed by Guy Richie, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, the excellent modern takes in BBC's Sherlock, and (in my opinion, the not as brilliant but still very enjoyable) American Elementary. It still feels to me that if you're going to all the trouble of creating an alternate Victorian England, with very interesting magics and Steampunk and the power struggle between lords of industry and the actual nobles, you don't really need ties to other fiction. Couldn't Evelina just have been the niece of some fictional great detective?
Still, as I said, there is a lot to like. In the beginning, I found the book a bit hard going, because there is a vast gallery of characters, and many of them get a point of view in the book. There is a whole load of info dumping, while very well done, to make us realise that this isn't just regular Victorian England, and there's the murder mystery, and another complicated scheme involving one of the steam barons, and a stolen Greek artifact and it all seemed a bit overwhelming at first.
Once I got about a third of the way in, and everything was set in motion, though, I really enjoyed the book. The world building is very creative, and excellently done. Holloway has clearly done her historical research very well, and her cast of characters, while sizable, is nuanced and interesting. There is a strong and genuine friendship between Evelina and Imogen, and while I am normally wary of love triangles, both Tobias and Nick are undoubtedly very attractive young men, and it's understandable why Evelina would be drawn to both of them, yet distressed because neither of them, due to societal expectations, and her own forbidden magical powers, are a realistic option for her. I'm very much looking forward to how the story plays out in the rest of the trilogy.
DNF.
I read about 40%, leafed through the rest and had enough.
I liked how it started but there's important reason I gave up.
Sherlock Holmes.
Who was nothing like Sherlock Holmes out of Arthur Conan Doyle stories.
I read about 40%, leafed through the rest and had enough.
I liked how it started but there's important reason I gave up.
Sherlock Holmes.
Who was nothing like Sherlock Holmes out of Arthur Conan Doyle stories.
e-ARC provided by Edelweiss
In A Study in Silks, we follow Evelina Cooper, a young woman who grew up in a circus before Grandmother Holmes sent her to a school for young ladies, where she met her close friend, Imogene, and began to move in polite society. Her past is a thing kept secret; as is her magic. For Evelina is not only the daughter of circus performers, she is one of the Blood, people who have an innate ability to use magic. Her magic, her interest in deductive reasoning, and her fascination with clockwork come together in a unique ability to bring mechanics to life, which draws the attention of several unsavory characters.
Evelina's story takes place in a different Victorian London, in which districts are divided by differently colored street lamps. Each neighborhood, or district, is owned by one of the "steam barons", who control industries founded on steam technologies. In fact, the Steam Barons have achieved a stranglehold on English business, enterprise, and society, reducing the influence of the nobility to a fraction of its previous power. In this England, steam technology is king and sorcery forbidden.
Evelina's secrets are in danger of being exposed when a murder is committed at the home where she is staying for Imogene's first Season. Evelina becomes entangled in the mystery, trying to solve it with the occasional cryptic guidance from her Uncle Sherlock. On top of all the intrigue and murder investigations, she is drawn to two young men - her friend's sister, the clever and handsome but indolent brother of her friend, and a circus performer from her past whose magic reacts with hers in unpredictable - and conspicuous - ways.
This novel started off a bit slowly, but by the fifth page I was fully engrossed in the unusual nocturnal activities of the heroine, and curious to learn more about her secrets and her past. The separate parts of the mystery are closely interwoven, and the plot moves along at a good pace throughout, with lots of thrilling moments and adventures and some scrapes. I loved the romantic subplot, although the wrap-up was unsatisfying, and I definitely want to find out what happens next. I also found myself intrigued by the rules of magic, and the differences between folk magic and sorcery. The folk magic brings in the (our) Victorian fascination with faeries. I can't wait to see how Evelina's magic fits in the universal scheme of things.
Characters are charming, flawed, complex, and dynamic. The mysterious Dr. Magnus is an excellently enigmatic, slightly creepy and manipulative villain. The history between Lord B____ and Dr. Magnus is especially intriguing. Holmes' cameo is delightfully done, and his role at the end is one of my favorite things about this book.
The only drawback to this story was the number of extra narrators, among them the chief villains and the two young men and even Lord B____.
Overall, I really enjoyed this fantastical tale of a young woman navigating the treacherous society and politics of an alternate, magical Victorian London. I will be reading the sequels.
In A Study in Silks, we follow Evelina Cooper, a young woman who grew up in a circus before Grandmother Holmes sent her to a school for young ladies, where she met her close friend, Imogene, and began to move in polite society. Her past is a thing kept secret; as is her magic. For Evelina is not only the daughter of circus performers, she is one of the Blood, people who have an innate ability to use magic. Her magic, her interest in deductive reasoning, and her fascination with clockwork come together in a unique ability to bring mechanics to life, which draws the attention of several unsavory characters.
Evelina's story takes place in a different Victorian London, in which districts are divided by differently colored street lamps. Each neighborhood, or district, is owned by one of the "steam barons", who control industries founded on steam technologies. In fact, the Steam Barons have achieved a stranglehold on English business, enterprise, and society, reducing the influence of the nobility to a fraction of its previous power. In this England, steam technology is king and sorcery forbidden.
Evelina's secrets are in danger of being exposed when a murder is committed at the home where she is staying for Imogene's first Season. Evelina becomes entangled in the mystery, trying to solve it with the occasional cryptic guidance from her Uncle Sherlock. On top of all the intrigue and murder investigations, she is drawn to two young men - her friend's sister, the clever and handsome but indolent brother of her friend, and a circus performer from her past whose magic reacts with hers in unpredictable - and conspicuous - ways.
This novel started off a bit slowly, but by the fifth page I was fully engrossed in the unusual nocturnal activities of the heroine, and curious to learn more about her secrets and her past. The separate parts of the mystery are closely interwoven, and the plot moves along at a good pace throughout, with lots of thrilling moments and adventures and some scrapes. I loved the romantic subplot, although the wrap-up was unsatisfying, and I definitely want to find out what happens next. I also found myself intrigued by the rules of magic, and the differences between folk magic and sorcery. The folk magic brings in the (our) Victorian fascination with faeries. I can't wait to see how Evelina's magic fits in the universal scheme of things.
Characters are charming, flawed, complex, and dynamic. The mysterious Dr. Magnus is an excellently enigmatic, slightly creepy and manipulative villain. The history between Lord B____ and Dr. Magnus is especially intriguing. Holmes' cameo is delightfully done, and his role at the end is one of my favorite things about this book.
The only drawback to this story was the number of extra narrators, among them the chief villains and the two young men and even Lord B____.
Overall, I really enjoyed this fantastical tale of a young woman navigating the treacherous society and politics of an alternate, magical Victorian London. I will be reading the sequels.