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A review by northie
An Unsuitable Heir by KJ Charles
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
If you read the novels of Wilkie Collins (or even Dickens), you'd be forgiven for thinking Victorian London was populated entirely by 'normal' (ie white, cis-het) people. KJ Charles bursts that illusion without fuss or fanfare in this series. It is one of many elements that holds a reader's attention.
In this third book, characters win out over plot. The whodunnit and accompanying machinations are entertaining but it's the people that grab you. To have two queer principal characters is marvellous. Maybe Victorian times lacked the vocabulary to describe shades of queerness. They still existed though, with individuals having to navigate their needs and how to fit into wider society.
Reading both this series and The Society of Gentlemen make me want to explore this world more. Entertainment and education, romance, a little grit, and plenty of sexiness - what more could you want?
In this third book, characters win out over plot. The whodunnit and accompanying machinations are entertaining but it's the people that grab you. To have two queer principal characters is marvellous. Maybe Victorian times lacked the vocabulary to describe shades of queerness. They still existed though, with individuals having to navigate their needs and how to fit into wider society.
Reading both this series and The Society of Gentlemen make me want to explore this world more. Entertainment and education, romance, a little grit, and plenty of sexiness - what more could you want?