Tag Archives: book review

miss sharps monsters covers

Book Review: Miss Sharp’s Monsters, by Suzannah Rowntree

I’ve had an e-copy of The Werewolf of Whitechapel for a while. Then, not so long ago, I won a physical copy (with a much cuter cover). After reading it, I purchased the rest of the trilogy (Anarchist on the Orient Express and A Vampire in Bavaria).

miss sharps monsters covers

Murder, monsters…and a disreputable Victorian lady’s maid.

A killer stalks the grimy streets of Whitechapel—but Scotland Yard seems determined to turn a blind eye. With one look at her best friend’s corpse, Liz Sharp already knows the truth: the killer is a werewolf.

No one important will hold a werewolf accountable—after all, the monsters rule Europe. Certainly, no one will believe a werewolf victim like Liz: the very scars that make her determined to investigate Sal’s death also condemn her as the sort of female who’d sell her blood for easy money.

As it happens, Liz’s best hope for justice might well lie with her emotionally repressed employer, Princess May. Though the princess has connections with werewolf royalty, there’s no one else Liz can turn to. Certainly, she can’t risk trusting the irritatingly personable Inspector Short, who dogs her steps from the slums of Whitechapel to the palaces of St James.

But as corpses mount up, Liz discovers that no one is precisely who she thought: not Sal, not herself, and certainly not the werewolf.

Luckily, she has a few tricks hidden in the pockets of her trusty bloomers…

my review

I read this trilogy straight through, as one. So, I’ll just go ahead and review it as such, though the books do break at natural points with their own particular challenges to overcome.

If you enjoyed The Parasol Protectorate, I firmly believe you will enjoy this series. There are definite similarities (and enough differences to avoid feeling like a dupe). Like Alexia Tarabotti, Elizabeth Sharp is an eminently practical heroine. I do so appreciate a practical heroine who just gets on with getting on, even in the most outrageous situations. Her Scooby Doo crew is endearing (even if some of them don’t get the screen time I wish they would have), the world is interestingly developed, and the villains villainous. I did feel a little detached from the action, never fully invested in it all. But for the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed this series.

miss sharps monsters photo


Other Reviews:

REVIEW of Miss Sharp’s Monsters Series (#1-#3) by Suzannah Rowntree

 

earth banner

Book Review: Earth, by Helen J. Perry

I purchased a paperback copy of Earth, Helen J. Perry

earth cover

One vampire. Five witches.
One young woman alone in the world who doesn’t know about her own power.
Five men who’ve promised to protect her.
Hot and dangerous from the get-go.

Of all the weird things that happened to me, dying had to be the worst.
Later, it turned out I wasn’t dead after all, and that came as a real shock.

The bare-chested witches and the undead Romanian vampire are all that stand between me and the demons who want to kill me.
Oh, yes, and salt and magic, if you can believe that.
And that was just the start of the craziness.
And did I mention the men’s bare chests?
These guys seem to have a problem with clothes.
Not that I’m complaining.

Sorry, I ramble and digress when the threat of impending death gets too much.

Anyway, three of the guys seem to have the hots for each other and it’s bound to end in tears, but that’s another story. I’ll find out more and let you know IF I survive the night.

my review

Honestly, this just wasn’t very good. The writing is amateurish (all dialogue, with very little description, and almost no world-building). The characters are flat, and most of them pop up and then disappear, some literally never to be seen again, despite being important to the series-wide arc. The FMC is petulant, unlikable, and poorly developed. The POV choices are baffling. The sex (which there isn’t very much of) reads as if it were written by someone who has never had and is not comfortable talking about sex. Honestly, I know Perry has published several books, but I would not be surprised to discover Perry was relatively young when she wrote this one. It has that feel. Either way, I’ll not be continuing the series.

earth photo


Other Reviews:

Book Review: Earth by Helen J. Perry

wormwood abbey banner

Book Review: Wormwood Abbey, by Christina Baehr

I won a copy of Christina Baehr‘s Wormwood Abbey over on Instagram.

wormwood abbey cover

As a Victorian clergyman’s daughter, Edith Worms has seen everything — until a mythical salamander tumbles out of the fireplace into her lap. When a letter arrives from estranged relatives, Edith is swept away to a crumbling gothic Abbey in the wilds of Yorkshire.

Wormwood Abbey isn’t just full of curious beasts and ancient family secrets: there’s also a tall, dark, and entirely too handsome neighbour who is strangely reluctant for her to leave.

An unexpected bond with her prickly cousin Gwendolyn gives Edith a reason to stay in this strange world — especially when it turns out that Edith herself may have a role in guarding her family’s legacy.

But not all of the mysteries of Ormdale are small enough to fit in her lap…and some of them have teeth.

my review

I really thought this was marvelously cozy in a fantastical, historic England. I adored the gothic setting, classic literary references, kindnesses, humour, and the characters. I especially enjoyed Edith. I always appreciate a practical heroine, and she is very practical. No hysterics for her, even in the most dire of circumstances. I did think it a little slow, and some of the narrative, while stylistically appealing, was a bit vague on detail. I’d be more than happy to finish the series out, though.
wormwood abbey photo


Other Reviews:

Book Review: Wormwood Abbey (The Secrets of Ormdale #1) by Christina Baehr