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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
3.5 stars
Dr. Eliza Jekyll is a forensic doctor in a re-imagined 19th century London. As her infamous father did before her, she has a "shadow" side in the person of Lizzy Hyde, who hankers to be let loose far more often than Eliza is comfortable permitting. Because any type of "otherness" or hint of alchemy (anything not "provable" by known science) is forbidden, Eliza reins in her more brash alter ego with a potion she gets from a trusted friend. As she tries to solve a series of brutal murders, she struggles to balance her two sides and discovers there are far more dangerous and bizarre things out there than she, and things and people she thought she knew are proven false. Entwined with all this are an interfering yet compelling officer of the Royal who harbors secrets of his own, a charismatic serial killer Eliza helped capture but who continues to fascinate her, and a scattering of fictionalized scientists and politicians with agendas of their own.
This is a difficult book to categorize--and to rate. It is a melange of steampunk, paranormal, horror, and murder mystery. While it borrows heavily from stories and characters like Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein, and even Hannibal Lecter, it somehow has a flavor all its own. Carr has created and recreated some memorable characters, and her vivid descriptions of this other London have a real flair.
And yet...
For large portions of the book, the story did not hold my attention. While the descriptions were lush, it was too much of a good thing, and I ended up skimming through some of them and getting impatient while reading some others. Apart from getting to know the main characters and discovering the murders, little happens in the first half of the book. Then there is excitement followed by more exposition, sprinkled with some more excitement. Despite the extensive descriptions of places and things, however, there was frustratingly little explanation of some of the more unusual aspects of the world. There seem to be fae-like beings present, but of too wide a variety and without any sense of what they can do and how they came to be. Likewise, at least some of the other creatures we see in typical paranormal stories are present, but there is frustratingly little information about them, either. Perhaps these will become more clear in upcoming books in the series.
I likely will read on both for that and because this book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. I only hope the author kills a few more of her darlings in those so we can get more quickly to the heart of future stories in this intriguing world.
Dr. Eliza Jekyll is a forensic doctor in a re-imagined 19th century London. As her infamous father did before her, she has a "shadow" side in the person of Lizzy Hyde, who hankers to be let loose far more often than Eliza is comfortable permitting. Because any type of "otherness" or hint of alchemy (anything not "provable" by known science) is forbidden, Eliza reins in her more brash alter ego with a potion she gets from a trusted friend. As she tries to solve a series of brutal murders, she struggles to balance her two sides and discovers there are far more dangerous and bizarre things out there than she, and things and people she thought she knew are proven false. Entwined with all this are an interfering yet compelling officer of the Royal who harbors secrets of his own, a charismatic serial killer Eliza helped capture but who continues to fascinate her, and a scattering of fictionalized scientists and politicians with agendas of their own.
This is a difficult book to categorize--and to rate. It is a melange of steampunk, paranormal, horror, and murder mystery. While it borrows heavily from stories and characters like Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein, and even Hannibal Lecter, it somehow has a flavor all its own. Carr has created and recreated some memorable characters, and her vivid descriptions of this other London have a real flair.
And yet...
For large portions of the book, the story did not hold my attention. While the descriptions were lush, it was too much of a good thing, and I ended up skimming through some of them and getting impatient while reading some others. Apart from getting to know the main characters and discovering the murders, little happens in the first half of the book. Then there is excitement followed by more exposition, sprinkled with some more excitement. Despite the extensive descriptions of places and things, however, there was frustratingly little explanation of some of the more unusual aspects of the world. There seem to be fae-like beings present, but of too wide a variety and without any sense of what they can do and how they came to be. Likewise, at least some of the other creatures we see in typical paranormal stories are present, but there is frustratingly little information about them, either. Perhaps these will become more clear in upcoming books in the series.
I likely will read on both for that and because this book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. I only hope the author kills a few more of her darlings in those so we can get more quickly to the heart of future stories in this intriguing world.
Two stars 🌟🌟 - A confusing mishmash of styles, underused characters and superfluous sub plots - with occasional flashes of brilliance.
I read this book over the month of June as a buddy read. Had it not been a buddy read, I’ve no doubt it would have gone on my DNR shelf after the first five chapters, which were exceptionally poor. At the end of five chapters I was frustrated with the writing style, with very little to show in terms of the story arc and lots of unanswered plot, world and character questions. The next 10 to 15 chapters got better, but the introduction of too many characters, lack of substantive world building and cohesive plot development plagued the novel throughout, leaving you at times confused, underwhelmed and with more questions than answers. By the time we came to the final act I really didn’t care for the central character and had zero investment in what happens next - So no reading the sequel for me.
It’s obvious the book was written to have a sequel(s), because apart form some key character reveals and the revelation of the ‘Chopper’s’ identity and their apprehension, very little was concluded in any satisfying manner. Now don’t get me wrong, I like a good series (I read PNR and Urban Fantasy for goodness sake), but the blatant character baiting in the final chapters and lack of key thematic resolutions left a bad taste in my mouth.
The principal concept of split personalities (one light, one shadowed) was good, but woefully unexplored and to a certain extent made moot by the way the characters of Eliza and Lizzie developed to by the end - Perhaps this was intentional on the author’s part, but it left me confused and cold, without any attachment or strong feeling other than ‘Meh’ to either character. Considering Lizzie is the titular ‘Diabolical Miss Hyde’ she played a mildly disagreeable second fiddle to Eliza through most of the novel and was not very diabolical at all.
The novel has flashes of brilliance, such as the banter between Eliza and Lafayette, the creepy gentlemanly behaviour of the serial killer Mr Todd and his back history with Eliza, and the steampunk gadgets. These remain flashes though, as for the most part they were not fully explored or realised in the novel. The possibility of of a love triangle between Eliza, Lizzie and Lafayette was there for the taking, but the author never took the bait - perhaps that will be in the sequel 🙄
There were far too many characters, so every character (including the titular Lizzie) was under-used and under-developed with the exception of Eliza, who I went from being non-plused about at the beginning of the novel to really disliking by the end. In the cuminating chapters of the book I really couldn’t care if she lived or died.
So, in conclusion I couldn’t give this a 1 star review as it is not terrible, but it had the potential to be so much more so I can’t reward it with a 3 star review for being mediocre to middle of the road when it had flashes of brilliance, which in the end annoyed me more for showing what this novel could have been with a bit more work and forethought.
I read this book over the month of June as a buddy read. Had it not been a buddy read, I’ve no doubt it would have gone on my DNR shelf after the first five chapters, which were exceptionally poor. At the end of five chapters I was frustrated with the writing style, with very little to show in terms of the story arc and lots of unanswered plot, world and character questions. The next 10 to 15 chapters got better, but the introduction of too many characters, lack of substantive world building and cohesive plot development plagued the novel throughout, leaving you at times confused, underwhelmed and with more questions than answers. By the time we came to the final act I really didn’t care for the central character and had zero investment in what happens next - So no reading the sequel for me.
It’s obvious the book was written to have a sequel(s), because apart form some key character reveals and the revelation of the ‘Chopper’s’ identity and their apprehension, very little was concluded in any satisfying manner. Now don’t get me wrong, I like a good series (I read PNR and Urban Fantasy for goodness sake), but the blatant character baiting in the final chapters and lack of key thematic resolutions left a bad taste in my mouth.
The principal concept of split personalities (one light, one shadowed) was good, but woefully unexplored and to a certain extent made moot by the way the characters of Eliza and Lizzie developed to by the end -
Spoiler
At times it was hard to distinguish between them, both appeared more fully realised human beings in that they could show compassion and love, as well as hatred and anger. Lizzie’s mannerisms became much more generic and at times it wasn’t clear she was in charge. As the novel went on they seemed to come out some kind of sympatico, understanding the need for each other, robbing the reader of any drama a fight for ultimate control of their joined being would bring. Nor did Lizzie’s activities ever seem to have any real threat of coming back negatively on Eliza’s life, which could have added some much needed tensionThe novel has flashes of brilliance, such as the banter between Eliza and Lafayette, the creepy gentlemanly behaviour of the serial killer Mr Todd and his back history with Eliza, and the steampunk gadgets. These remain flashes though, as for the most part they were not fully explored or realised in the novel. The possibility of of a love triangle between Eliza, Lizzie and Lafayette was there for the taking, but the author never took the bait - perhaps that will be in the sequel 🙄
There were far too many characters, so every character (including the titular Lizzie) was under-used and under-developed with the exception of Eliza, who I went from being non-plused about at the beginning of the novel to really disliking by the end. In the cuminating chapters of the book I really couldn’t care if she lived or died.
So, in conclusion I couldn’t give this a 1 star review as it is not terrible, but it had the potential to be so much more so I can’t reward it with a 3 star review for being mediocre to middle of the road when it had flashes of brilliance, which in the end annoyed me more for showing what this novel could have been with a bit more work and forethought.
Totally judged this book by its cover and assumed it would be silly. But it was actually really, really excellent. My first real foray into the steampunk genre (Parasol Protectorate doesn't really count...maybe Infernal Devices does) and I really liked it. Engaging characters, compelling mystery, and familiar literary faces to make the world of the book more fun.
Would recommend if you like this sort of thing - steampunk mysteries with handsome captains and "split-personalitied" badass women who are doctors.
Would recommend if you like this sort of thing - steampunk mysteries with handsome captains and "split-personalitied" badass women who are doctors.
This is a steampunk meets alchemy meets weird mutations world. It definitely falls into the adult scifi category with some rather adult themes and violence (nothing too offputting though, just enough to set the tone). It's a unique spin on the Jekyll/Hyde concept, and it's fairly enjoyable. The attempt to make one character sound "lower class" was annoying at times, but it deviates pretty far from history that accuracy isn't really the point. A lot of interesting historical/literary characters make appearances though, which is amusing if the reader is familiar with personages of the late 1800s.
Warning: Sex and some grossness (see the bad below)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde's daughter also has the same affliction. Eliza Jekyll is a scientist and works with the police force. Miss Lizzie Hyde is a thief and likes going to rowdy bars in the bad part of town. Eliza takes a serum to prevent the change, but its starting to not work.
All magic is illegal, so she's determined to keep her secret, but when a royal society enforcer gets involved with her latest case things get complicated.
This book not only continues Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but Frankenstein too and there's plenty of originality added in.
The Good:
It's set in an alternate past, so women are still looked down upon, but both Eliza and Lizzie are strong in their own way and defy convention.
I liked the relationship between the two 'sisters' a lot. They started out hating one another, but they still love each other and they come to respect one another over the course of the book. (I'm afraid the sequel will ruin this though based on the description.)
The romance? There were two and oddly I liked the most messed up one the best. (I'm not sure what that says about me.) He sort of reminds me of Hannibal Lector.
This was your basic steampunk world with robots and gadgets. It was mostly sci-fi, but had some Fantasy elements too. (Werewolves, alchemy, and the fey) Eliza's investigation tools were cool but I didn't see the reason for the robots, they were just there. (Both her 'pet' robot and the guard robots standing around the city.)
Though set in a dark world there's plenty of light fun dialogue that I enjoyed. The banter wasn't the best, but it was still cute.
There's more than one mystery going on and it was all well done. I wasn't sure who did it until the second half of the book. (Though I did figure it out way before Eliza and Lizzie)
The Bad:
There was a bit of grossness in this book, the case involved women turning up without their limbs, but it mostly didn't bother me. (And I'm quite the wimp.)
At first if was hard to understand Lizzie. The book starts in her POV and I almost didn't buy it because of this. I got used to her though and overall I enjoyed her parts.
Verdict: a good, if weird book. (With an awesome cover!)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde's daughter also has the same affliction. Eliza Jekyll is a scientist and works with the police force. Miss Lizzie Hyde is a thief and likes going to rowdy bars in the bad part of town. Eliza takes a serum to prevent the change, but its starting to not work.
All magic is illegal, so she's determined to keep her secret, but when a royal society enforcer gets involved with her latest case things get complicated.
This book not only continues Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but Frankenstein too and there's plenty of originality added in.
The Good:
It's set in an alternate past, so women are still looked down upon, but both Eliza and Lizzie are strong in their own way and defy convention.
I liked the relationship between the two 'sisters' a lot. They started out hating one another, but they still love each other and they come to respect one another over the course of the book. (I'm afraid the sequel will ruin this though based on the description.)
The romance? There were two and oddly I liked the most messed up one the best. (I'm not sure what that says about me.) He sort of reminds me of Hannibal Lector.
This was your basic steampunk world with robots and gadgets. It was mostly sci-fi, but had some Fantasy elements too. (Werewolves, alchemy, and the fey) Eliza's investigation tools were cool but I didn't see the reason for the robots, they were just there. (Both her 'pet' robot and the guard robots standing around the city.)
Though set in a dark world there's plenty of light fun dialogue that I enjoyed. The banter wasn't the best, but it was still cute.
There's more than one mystery going on and it was all well done. I wasn't sure who did it until the second half of the book. (Though I did figure it out way before Eliza and Lizzie)
The Bad:
There was a bit of grossness in this book, the case involved women turning up without their limbs, but it mostly didn't bother me. (And I'm quite the wimp.)
At first if was hard to understand Lizzie. The book starts in her POV and I almost didn't buy it because of this. I got used to her though and overall I enjoyed her parts.
Verdict: a good, if weird book. (With an awesome cover!)
This is a book that does exactly what it sets out to do.
I've tried so many books that were kind of in this vein but I wound up hating: I'm thinking of [b:Soulless|6381205|Soulless (Parasol Protectorate, #1)|Gail Carriger|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1314020848s/6381205.jpg|6569140] and [b:The Invisible Library|21416690|The Invisible Library (The Invisible Library, #1)|Genevieve Cogman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1416823893s/21416690.jpg|40717845] in particular here. Especially with the cover being what it is, I didn't expect much of Miss Hyde, diabolical or not. I cannot begin to describe how pleasantly surprised I was.
This book is a huge amount of fun, but there's actually quite a bit to it. The English minor in me has to point out how much of it boils down to identity and the many different sides there are to people - even to people who are two halves of one person (that makes sense, I swear). It's gritty in that Eliza and Lizzie's London feels lived-in, it's dark and disturbing in places, hilariously over-the-top in others. Eliza, in spite of an occasional flirtation with Sookie Stackhouse syndrome (is EVERYONE in love with her?) is more than just the "uptight good girl" side. Lizzie, by far the more charismatic character, mixes up her bloodlust and lust-lust and impulsivity with some reasonable choices. The charming love interest actually gets enough dialogue to BE charming, and I was glad the author didn't waste time trying to shock the reader with his secret (truly, if you're surprised by his secret, you probably haven't read any books or watched any movies...ever). Just like the excellent and far more violent [b:The Shining Girls|16131077|The Shining Girls|Lauren Beukes|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1352227705s/16131077.jpg|21956898], this book pays attention to its female victims and never pretends they are disposable. I guessed the identity of the murderer with about a half second of critical thinking, but I'd been enjoying the book so much it never occurred to me to even think about it until over halfway through.
Bottom line: the book is over-the-top escapist fun, lurid and shameless and inspired by old-school horror, steampunk tropes, and all kinds of good things. I did not expect to love it, but I really did.
I've tried so many books that were kind of in this vein but I wound up hating: I'm thinking of [b:Soulless|6381205|Soulless (Parasol Protectorate, #1)|Gail Carriger|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1314020848s/6381205.jpg|6569140] and [b:The Invisible Library|21416690|The Invisible Library (The Invisible Library, #1)|Genevieve Cogman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1416823893s/21416690.jpg|40717845] in particular here. Especially with the cover being what it is, I didn't expect much of Miss Hyde, diabolical or not. I cannot begin to describe how pleasantly surprised I was.
This book is a huge amount of fun, but there's actually quite a bit to it. The English minor in me has to point out how much of it boils down to identity and the many different sides there are to people - even to people who are two halves of one person (that makes sense, I swear). It's gritty in that Eliza and Lizzie's London feels lived-in, it's dark and disturbing in places, hilariously over-the-top in others. Eliza, in spite of an occasional flirtation with Sookie Stackhouse syndrome (is EVERYONE in love with her?) is more than just the "uptight good girl" side. Lizzie, by far the more charismatic character, mixes up her bloodlust and lust-lust and impulsivity with some reasonable choices. The charming love interest actually gets enough dialogue to BE charming, and I was glad the author didn't waste time trying to shock the reader with his secret (truly, if you're surprised by his secret, you probably haven't read any books or watched any movies...ever). Just like the excellent and far more violent [b:The Shining Girls|16131077|The Shining Girls|Lauren Beukes|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1352227705s/16131077.jpg|21956898], this book pays attention to its female victims and never pretends they are disposable. I guessed the identity of the murderer with about a half second of critical thinking, but I'd been enjoying the book so much it never occurred to me to even think about it until over halfway through.
Bottom line: the book is over-the-top escapist fun, lurid and shameless and inspired by old-school horror, steampunk tropes, and all kinds of good things. I did not expect to love it, but I really did.
Picked the book up for group read and dropped it without finishing. It's not for me.
Trigger warnings: murder, gore, blood, torture, sexual relationships between teenage girls and grown ass men mentioned in passing.
This ticked a hell of a lot of boxes for me:
- Steampunk
- Somewhat unconventional retelling
- Murder
- Creepy mystery
- Badass female characters
- Even more murder
I enjoyed the hell out of this and I'm really mad that my library only has the first book in the series because I really want to know what happens next.
This ticked a hell of a lot of boxes for me:
- Steampunk
- Somewhat unconventional retelling
- Murder
- Creepy mystery
- Badass female characters
- Even more murder
I enjoyed the hell out of this and I'm really mad that my library only has the first book in the series because I really want to know what happens next.
Man, this was such an awesome book! So enjoyable, so good! Loved the mystery and the characters and the world, and I need to read more!
This book has a fairly interesting premise. Steampunk Victorian London where supernatural abilities are persecuted. Eliza Jekyll and Lizzy Hyde are definitely supernatural. Although Miss Hyde is in the title, the story focuses much more on Dr. Eliza Jekyll, forensic scientist and psychiatrist. Eliza is rather unlikable - uptight, condescending, and closed off. Also with rather appalling taste in men. Lizzie is more entertaining but still a bit of a caricature (but with better taste in men, at least). This is a long, sprawling book with ideas that were "cool" but didn't necessarily add anything to the story. (What does Hippocrates actually do? The Newton character is supposed to be terrifying but Eliza is confident that he'll just wait patiently for her to do more research.) There were points that it was vague as to who was in control: Eliza or Lizzie. Also, a random verb tense change made my English-teacher's heart hurt.