historiana 's review for:

The Wicked Cometh by Laura Carlin

4.0

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I picked up an advanced proof copy of this at work and boy am I glad I did. This novel had the perfect mix of detail to atmosphere/setting and compelling characters who keep the story moving through all the beautiful descriptive writing. Carlin portrayed the period so authentically, particularly the disparity between the wealthy of early 19th century England and the poor living in London’s east end. I loved the protagonist and the host of characters surrounding her, they were all so unique and realistic. The way that Carlin releases new information about them slowly worked so cleverly, to the effect that I found myself repeatedly gasping at new revelations as I read. The novel overall reminded me of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, which shares many similar themes (and is also about queer women), so if you enjoyed that then I highly recommend giving this book a try when it comes out on February 8th.