The Shadow Revolution ~By Clay Griffith, Susan Griffith (Crown & Key #1) – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Alternate History, Urban Fantasy, Victorian History

 I received this e-Arc from NetGalley and Random House Publishing – Del Rey in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: 6/2/15

~ They’re the last, best defense against supernatural evil. But they’re going to need a lot more silver.

As fog descends, obscuring the gas lamps of Victorian London, werewolves prowl the shadows of back alleys. But they have infiltrated the inner circles of upper-crust society as well. Only a handful of specially gifted practitioners are equipped to battle the beasts. Among them are the roguish Simon Archer, who conceals his powers as a spell-casting scribe behind the smooth veneer of a dashing playboy; his layabout mentor, Nick Barker, who prefers a good pub to thrilling heroics; and the self-possessed alchemist Kate Anstruther, who is equally at home in a ballroom as she is on a battlefield.

After a lycanthrope targets Kate’s vulnerable younger sister, the three join forces with fierce Scottish monster-hunter Malcolm MacFarlane–but quickly discover they’re dealing with a threat far greater than anything they ever imagined.

When I saw this offered on NetGalley with that gorgeous cover. I must confess I thought “MINE!”. So, did the story live up to the cover? For the most part, yes. I now have a new book crush in the form of Simon Archer. Despite his being a bit of a ladies man, he’s also a gentleman. Plus he’s covered in druidic tattoos from which he draws his magic from. And, well, just look at him! He’s gorgeous! He’s also willing to sacrifice himself for the people he cares about. Once he teams up with Kate to track down her missing sister, and to discover exactly what the werewolves are up to it’s immediately clear that they’re perfect for one another. 

Kate is the perfect heroine. She’s a brilliant alchemist who has no patience for polite society, yet has little problem moving among them. She’s also extremely patient with her unappreciative younger sister Imogene. And finally, Kate’s is the cooler head that prevails when other team members are prone to act rashly. 

I’ve been having issues with romances in the last few books I’ve read, but the one between Simon and Kate was simply perfect. It slowly evolved through the course of the story, and it will be fun to see how it develops further in the next two books.

The monsters are truly horrible, especially the ones created by the book’s resident mad scientist. At the same time, the way they are written, you can’t help feeling a certain amount of sympathy for some of them.

There were a few things that stopped this from being an absolutely perfect read for me. First there’s Simon’s mentor, Nick. I really didn’t like him. He has several different magical talents, but doesn’t tend to be inclined to use them to help others, unless he’s bullied into it. Instead he prefers to spend his time drinking and gambling. He does however care deeply about Simon, and manages to redeem himself somewhat near the end of the book.

I also found myself conflicted regarding Malcolm. He’s a courageous and valiant fighter, but tends to see everything in black and white. His hatred of “monsters” and werewolves in particular clouds his judgement. This is especially apparent when a little werewolf named Charlotte attempts to help them. Malcom just cannot seem to get over his abhorrence for her kind, and this ultimately causes trouble for the team.The second book features him, so I’m hoping we’ll learn more of his backstory, and why he’s like this. His love interest is another team member who I loved. Penny is a mechanical engineer with a fantastic personality who isn’t afraid to kick butt. I’m thinking she’s exactly what Malcolm needs.

And there’s the story itself. The worldbuilding is great and it’s filled with plenty of thrilling adventure. The only problem was that after the first few action scenes they seemed to me to be quite similar. That said, the fight scenes were so incredibly descriptive, I felt like I was there. I also appreciated that Kate and Penny more than held their own. There’s a mystery involving Kate’s deceased father which evidently has a direct correlation to the larger plot. Although there’s a couple of things that are unveiled, the larger picture is simply teased at, and I found this to be a tad frustrating. 

Overall, The Shadow Revolution is a worthy addition for fans of Alternate History, Steampunk, and Urban Fantasy. Even better, the next two books are being released the end of June and July, so readers won’t have long to wait to see how this exciting adventure plays out. 

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             6/30/15                                              7/28/15

The Eterna Files ~ Leanna Renee Hieber – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Alternate History, Immortality, Paranormal Fiction, Victorian History

 I received this ebook from NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review.

Harold Spire of the Metropolitan Police reluctantly accepts a new position when Queen Victoria personally asks him to head Special Branch Division Omega. This clandestine group specializes in investigating the paranormal and their first assignment is to track down the Eterna Compound which purportedly grants immortality. Harold finds this increasingly difficult and dangerous as he discovers his group are not the only ones after the elusive formula. Thankfully he has the brilliant Miss Rose Everhart and her eclectic friends to assist. Meanwhile, there’s an American contingent also keen on finding the Compound. Led by Clara Templeton, who helped start the project after the assassination of President Lincoln, they once had the Compound in their hands, but it disappeared, leaving only the dead bodies of the researchers behind. Clara, who possesses paranormal abilities of her own is desperate to find the formula before the Brits. Finally, there’s a third group who seeks the cure in order to use it for more nefarious reasons. And so the race begins!

I always look forward to a new book by Leanna Renee Hieber, and The Eterna Files did not disappoint. I would definitely say this is as much a character driven novel as a plot driven one. They all have very strong personalities and it’s fascinating to see them interact. I did find the personalities of Rose and Clara to be a little too similar, but as this is only the first book in a new trilogy, or series, I’m looking forward to the further development of their characters. One of the things I’ve always liked about Leannas’s writing is her quirky characters, and this is no different. There’s a little romance, but it’s definitely not the pivotal part of the book. Instead, it focuses mainly on the set-up of the two groups, and of course the mystery of the Eterna Compound itself. Set in 1882, the book goes back and forth between England and America, but I never found this to be distracting. Each group is equally intriguing, and I can’t wait for all the players to finally meet, which will hopefully happen in the next book. The only disappointment was the rather abrupt ending. It wasn’t really a cliffhanger, but it ended so quickly I felt a little nonplussed. Otherwise I’m very excited about this new series and I would not hesitate to recommend this to fans of the paranormal.