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Gaslight Chronicles #2

Photographs & Phantoms

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Brighton, 1855

As a member of the Order of the Round Table, Kendall Lake is overqualified to be investigating strange phenomena at a seaside photography studio. But since the photographer is related to the Order's most powerful sorcerer, Kendall reluctantly boards a dirigible to Brighton.

Amy Deland is haunted by a shadow that appears in some of her recent portraits. In each case, the subject died within days of the sitting. Does she have her grandmother's gift of foresight, or has she somehow caused the deaths?

As Kendall and Amy search for answers, their investigation draws them together in a most improper way-but it seems the evil presence in the studio is determined to keep them apart…

20,000 words

169 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2011

100 people are currently reading
1188 people want to read

About the author

Cindy Spencer Pape

84 books252 followers
Cindy Spencer Pape has been, among other things, a banker, a teacher, and an elected politician, though she swears she got better. She volunteers in environmental education, when she can fit it in around writing. She lives in Michigan with her husband, two teenage sons, a dog, a lizard, and various other small creatures, all of which are easier to clean up after than the three male humans.

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5 stars
279 (15%)
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492 (28%)
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698 (39%)
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221 (12%)
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59 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
Profile Image for Melindeeloo.
3,268 reviews158 followers
October 27, 2012
Photographs & Phantoms was a Kindle freebie short (it was still free when I posted this) and second in a series of steampunk/magic romances. I enjoyed both books and this one would probably stand alone fairly well, even without reading Steam & Sorcery, though characters from the first book do put in an appearance. Like the first book the story setup is good, and so are the characters, so - and I had the same comment for the first book - I would have like to have seen this as a full length book to take advantage of all of that good stuff and to the romance developed a bit more slowly as well.

So bottom line is that Photographs & Phantoms was enjoyable with a sprinkling of steampunk around the edges and a touch of magic and romance but it left me wanting more.
Profile Image for AH.
2,005 reviews386 followers
May 9, 2011


Photographs & Phantoms is a period piece set in Brighton, England in the 1850’s. While it is touted as a steam punk novel, I saw it as more of a historical romance with a hint of the paranormal. The steam punk elements felt secondary to the story. Sure, there were the requisite dirigibles, and a few other devices like wheel barrows with feet rather than wheels, but for me it felt more like a romance.

This short novella is the story of Amy Deland, a photographer. Amy has noticed that some of her photographs have mysterious smudges. Shortly after, the subject of the photograph dies. Amy contacts her uncle and he sends Kendall Lake to assist her. Kendall is a member of the Order of the Round Table. Kendall is surprised that he has been sent on this mission as he usually fights vampires and rogue mages. As the young couple work together, they notice that they are attracted to each other. When Kendall can not solve the mystery of the photograph smudge, he contacts the Hadrians for assistance. They arrive en masse and the story becomes more interesting.

Amy’s independence stood out for me. I liked how she was able to work and support herself in a time period where women did not normally work outside the home. Kendall was mysterious and sexy. I liked how paranormal elements were incorporated into the story. My only criticism is that the story was too short. I would love to see these characters in a full novel.

I enjoyed this story and I plan on reading the first book Steam and Sorcery soon.




*ARC provided free of charge from Netgalley


Profile Image for Montzalee Wittmann.
5,213 reviews2,340 followers
January 3, 2021
Good steampunkish fantasy!
Photographs & Phantoms
By: Cindy Spencer Pape
A female photographer, in a world where women normally didn't work, called her noble uncle for a problem she was having with her pictures. She was finding a snake wrapped around subjects and that subject died the next day! Her uncle sent a handsome man from the Court of the Round Table. A great mystery and a touch of romance!
Profile Image for Denise.
7,492 reviews136 followers
December 3, 2020
Decently entertaining steampunk / paranormal romance mash-up. The romance is of course entirely too predictable and instalovey (seriously, these two go from meeting to engaged in 24 hours) and I could have done without the sex scene. The remainder of the plot was quite engaging, I just wish it had been a little more developed - this was just too short for much complexity.
Profile Image for Lexie.
2,066 reviews356 followers
March 24, 2017
This was a refreshingly well rounded short story with underpinnings of steampunk woven throughout.  Despite being a companion novella to Steam and Sorcery, which I haven't read yet, Pape does a wonderful job keeping the story rooted in the here and now.  Other then a few throw away comments to the adventures of Merrick and Caro (from the aforementioned book), there was no sense of confusion or as if I had missed something crucial.

Kendall and Amy were straight forward and far more sensible than most romantic couples I've encountered.  Kendall acknowledged that Amy was the grand-niece of a highly influential man, but he didn't harp on about it.  Amy, to her benefit, recognized that marriage was not in the cards for her, so why not just do what feels right?  Before anything went on they calmly talked about consequences and such.  Not terribly romantic, but I appreciated the fact that Pape didn't have them completely lose their heads.  They were both practical people who thought things through.  They didn't allow their attraction to rule their every breath.




While I guessed the nature of the curse, or at least what was causing it if not whom at first, I was taken back by the sudden change.  In hindsight I could see that Pape gave plenty of clues leading up to the revelation, but I was so caught up in the romantic progression I paid the clues little mind.

Caro and the brood of children were funny and charming.  They were all introduced in Steam and Sorcery, but the quick backstory didn't take much time.  A few lines at most.  I thought they were fun and am looking forward to a longer sojourn with them in their own novel.

The world intrigued me.  Some of it is vague--historical events are referenced (though I couldn't tell you how accurately, British history isn't my forte), but there is very little said about the current time so there's no definitive way to contrast the alternate history vs. our own.  There are plenty of mechanical wonders--from the steam powered tram to the dirigibles and the Sergent's own mechanical arm--but very little is said of the world itself.  This could possibly be because its only meant as a companion to the larger novel (a sampling of what to expect) however and not a defect in the story itself.  Mildly irritating, but not anything to worry over.
Profile Image for Miz Love.
222 reviews24 followers
August 31, 2011
For a lovely little historical read that won’t cost you anything but the time it takes to download and read it, try Photographs & Phantoms. At 20 thousand words, there is a treat in store where it “feels” much longer—which is a good thing because I enjoyed it a lot and didn’t want it to end.

The sights of Brighton were vivid in my mind because I’ve been there, so it was a great bonus to discover the book is set there. I loved the “old” feel, the clothes, the people, the way they behaved. One person gave me the creeps, but I won’t reveal who that is because it’s a major plot spoiler. As well as Kendall and Amy, there are a few secondary characters who enrich the book with their presence, not to mention the unusual (for me, anyway) plot.

My fave scene of all was when Amy is in Brighton proper and has to make sure she keeps tabs on those with her. Something happens, and it was one of those moments where everything begins to slot into place and you slap yourself because you didn’t see THAT coming!

Also, I mustn’t forget the reason why Amy does “improper” things with Kendall. It made me feel sorry for her that she had to live in a time where you couldn’t just do things like that if you had the urge. Their interaction, both sexual and non, is a joy to read, and watching them grow together throughout the tale brought a smile and left me satisfied.

Best Bits: “Heading down for a snack, are you?…”

“A black serpent, but the eyes are human, or once were.”

…a far more serious lad, peppered her with questions about the processes of photography.

Moving as jerkily as an automaton, she picked it up and held it against her smooth, white throat.

Verdict: What a little treasure! For a book you can read in an evening and get totally caught up in what’s going on, and also the unravelling of a mystery, plus Amy’s discovery of what her body can do/give her when with a man, try Photographs & Phantoms. P.S. Kendall is yummy.
Profile Image for Milena Benini.
Author 214 books56 followers
April 7, 2011
This is a novella, available from Carina Press. It's a cute little story that achieves exactly what it sets out to do: build an interesting world -- in which steampunk technology mixes with magic, and Order of the Round Table is in charge of investigating supernatural events -- in which a short mystery is resolved, while allowing the romance between the two main characters to develop. The romance bit is a little squeezed in: the whole story takes place in a matter of days, so it has to be a coup de foudre kind of love, and, honestly, I could have done without the marriage preparations at the end. However, everything else functions perfectly, the world is truly intriguing, and the mystery reminiscent of the plots of Victorian originals, which I liked very much. Perfect for a quick, fun read.
Profile Image for Philip.
121 reviews5 followers
June 7, 2011
For some reason, when I started reading this, I remembered the blurb giving the impression that this was a steampunk mystery novel. Either I remembered what it said incorrectly or it was leaving a lot out, because it was more steampunk paranormal mystery romance/erotica, which lead to a much different experience than I was expecting. Specifically, it made it really awkward to read at work.

Besides that, the plot itself was very basic and minimal, wrapped up entirely too quickly to really be anything more than an excuse for a sex scene, and just overall not particularly involving or deep in any sense of the word. The characters were shallow, generally likeable; the villian was terrible (as in poorly constructed/written, not particularly menacing); and... there really wasn't anything else to the story.
Profile Image for Karissa.
4,308 reviews214 followers
October 13, 2019
This was okay but not nearly as good as the first book in this series. I enjoyed the creepy mystery surrounding the strange shadows showing up in Amy's photography. However, the relationship between her and Kendall was very insta-love.

I did enjoy the cameo made by Caro and crew. This story is a fun diversion and I enjoyed it, even if it wasn't anything all that special.

This is also a very short read (I listened to it on audiobook and it was only a couple hours long).

Overall this was an okay addition to the series but could probably be skipped since it stands alone. I plan on reading the next story in the series to see if that one continues like the first book or is like this shorter novel.
Profile Image for Melissa ♥ Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf.
296 reviews95 followers
October 22, 2011
This short book (really more a novella) had a little something for everyone. Steampunk, Magic, Romance, Mystery...you name it...this little gem had it. The premise was interesting and kept me reading to see what would happen next. The world was fascinating...Victorian England but with a bit of a "mechanical" twist. And I'd almost forgotten how much I can enjoy a little (steamy) romance thrown into the mix.


All in all a short sweet fun and entertaining read...and for me a good mini introduction to the world of Steampunk. Just enough to wet your whistle for the rest of the series... (I'm guessing it's meant to be a teaser but stands alone well if you just want a quick read.)
Profile Image for Elaine.
1,059 reviews14 followers
May 19, 2011
The only thing good about this book is it was free. Even at that price I wouldn't have downloaded it knowing it had only 64 pages. If I could rate it 0 I would. Amateurish writing, plot and characters! I was ready to throw it away after reading the first 25 pages. I finished it but what a waste of time that I could have been reading a good book!
Profile Image for Hasien.
294 reviews10 followers
March 4, 2012
I totally enjoyed this novella. It was fun and quite interesting. I will have to check out the rest of the series. Thanks Ashley for the recommendation!
Profile Image for John.
328 reviews
April 15, 2014
I enjoyed this short story. Look forward to reading more of her works!!
Profile Image for Fangs for the Fantasy.
1,449 reviews195 followers
November 14, 2012
Photographs & Phantoms is only sixty-six pages long and therefore is more of a novella than a book. Though we do get to briefly see the Hadrian family, whom we met in Steam & Sorcery, this novella involves a brand new relationship. In the interest of fairness to Cindy Spencer Pape, I feel it's once again necessary to disclose that I am not a fan of romance novels, so please keep that in mind as you read this review.

Photographs & Phantoms once again begins with a confirmed bachelor. Kendall Marquess Lake, is a member of the Order of the Round Table and he is sent from London by dirigible to Brighton, to investigate a case involving the niece of Lord Drood. Kendall is not the least bit excited by this case, though it is the first chance he has had to engage in fieldwork for awhile.

Amy is a professional photographer. Though she has enough money to do without employment, she is compelled to work because of the love of her art. Having had one season out in society, Amy decided that she was not suitable for that sort of life and instead chose to focus on her passion. For Amy, this would mean a life of spinsterhood, but one she was willing to accept for the freedom that being an artist gave her. Unfortunately for Amy, it seems that when someone sits down to have their photo taken, shortly afterwards they die. Could this be a manifestation of precognition because is after all a direct descendant of Merlin, or is something about her art killing her customers?

One of the things I detest about romance novels is how quickly love is declared. In the case of Photographs & Phantoms, it rises to the level of absolute ridiculousness. After knowing each other for forty-eight hours, Amy and Kendall fall hopelessly in love. Kendall goes from claiming discomfort about his childhood friend "getting leg shackled", to proposing to Amy based on the strength of his physical attraction to her. At one point, he even admits that he has gone to long without getting laid, yet somehow, his lust magically turns to love when he saves Amy from a man determined to control her. Of course, Amy is equally smitten but this is okay because apparently, this ridiculous love at first sight thing runs in the family.

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Profile Image for Jess the Romanceaholic.
1,033 reviews491 followers
April 17, 2011
This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.

Expected Release Date: April 25, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Carina Press
Author’s Website: http://www.cindyspencerpape.com
My Source for This Book: Netgalley, free to preorder on Amazon.com
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 1.5, Gaslight Chronicles
Steam Level: Steamy

This tasty little short story is book 1.5 of the Gaslight Chronicles, sequel to Steam & Sorcery, which was a story that I loved so much that I gave it a 4.5/5 Star rating. Just like the first book in the series, I adored the blend of Steampunk with Magick, and the perfect amount of romance to make me love it.

Overall, I loved it just as much as I did Steam & Sorcery. While there weren't as many steampunk elements as there were paranormal really, there were enough to remind me of the world I became enamored in from the first story. There is a brief mention of an airship (complete with goggles!), and one character has a very advanced mechanical arm as well. The photography elements were enough to appeal to the shutterbug in me, and while the romance did progress quite quickly, I loved the intensity of the attraction between Amy and Kendall. I also had a good chuckle with the ending, and since I finished the story with a happy smile, I settled on 4.5/5 Stars
Profile Image for Rosita Alfieri.
424 reviews42 followers
May 11, 2016
Mettiamo subito in chiaro una cosa: questo libro è praticamente un Harmony. Di solito mi tengo lontana anni luce da questo genere e, in effetti, questa serie è l'unica che abbia mai letto di questo genere. Ma, mesi fa, sono incappata per caso nel primo volume e sono rimasta ammaliata dalla trama. Complice anche il fatto che adoro lo steampunk, mi ero imbarcata in quella lettura e l'avevo adorata.
Questo secondo volume... no.
Decisamente non regge il confronto col primo. Prima di tutto è breve, troppo breve! Avendolo preso in ebook non mi ero accorta della sua brevità finchè non ho cominciato a leggerlo ed è ed è stato un colpo!
Praticamente la storia è questa: tizio arriva e incontra tizia; investigano; si baciano; investigano; fanno sesso; scoprono chi è il cattivo; lo catturano; si fidanzano. Punto.
E tutto questo avviene nell'arco di DUE giorni! Ma si può?!
E non voglio sentirmi dire. "ma da un libro del genere cosa ti aspettavi?". NO. Il primo volume aveva una trama ben articolata e la storia d'amore era ben sviluppata. Qui è tutto un pò campato per aria.
Nonostante questo gli ho assegnato tre stelle. Perchè? Perchè non è che il libro non mi sia piaciuto. l'ho letto comunque con piacere e interesse e lo stile dell'autrice è molto piacevole.
Ho già il terzo volume pronto. Spero solo che sia più consistente di questo.
Profile Image for Cee.
999 reviews240 followers
June 24, 2011
A sweet little novella set in 19th century Brighton, England.

Photographs & Phantoms is pretty much your standard romance short story. There is the girl with the problem, in this case a ghost that seems to target clients she takes photographs of, and there is the awesome-wizard-guy that comes to save her. And while he's playing Superinvestigator, they fall in love.

The mystery was actually pretty good, I liked how everything came together in the end. Although I think the ending was quite abrupt, I would have liked to see a few more pages about the how's and why's.

While being advertised as a steampunk romance, this book was a little bit too light on the steampunk references for my taste. This book could just as well been set in the "ordinary" 19th century, it wouldn't have changed a thing. Luckily, I like normal historical novels too, so this was an entertainingly quick afternoon's read.
Profile Image for V.
987 reviews22 followers
April 14, 2012
Cindy Spencer Pape's characters are described with straightforward detail that seems almost juvenile in style. The novella leaves little room for character development, and the reader must trust the narrator that the two main characters (Kendall and Amy) have fallen in love with each other, for there is no evidence of this. The mystery that is introduced as the root of the narrative is solved quickly and neatly; there is little hindrance in reaching the ends desired by Kendall and Amy. The only challenge that the two face seems to be controlling themselves physically -- the author includes an explicit scene between them that neither adds to the story line nor is consistent with it or the characters that have been so hastily developed.
Profile Image for Laylah Hunter.
Author 28 books57 followers
August 5, 2013
An okay novella that would have been a good novel: the characters were likable, the author writes engaging prose, but this just didn't have room to do anything but hurry. A longer book would have given the suspense plot a chance to deepen and possibly twist a few times, and it would have given the romance enough time to develop plausibly. 24 hours from introduction to HEA is just too much for my suspension of disbelief.
Profile Image for Julie .
4,248 reviews38k followers
November 5, 2012
This a really short paranormal, historical romance. Quite imaginative, but the book is too rushed and their isn't enough explaination given about the paranormal aspects. Moderately steamy, but the emotional romance part was rushed through. I believe this is part of a series. If the other books are more beefed up they are probably pretty good. It wasn't bad, just too short.
Profile Image for Anne Patkau.
3,711 reviews68 followers
September 25, 2019
Hot titled hero helps adorable freckled instant lover fight possessed villain. No waiting for wedding to consummate. Author can be counted on for passion and loving families. Guaranteed pleasure when readers are in that mood, or skip explicit pages when you're cooler.
Profile Image for Kerry Sharp.
Author 5 books5 followers
March 13, 2020
Short and sweet or rather Sweet and short

A quick read but nevertheless we learnt of the characters they were quite dimensioned. Based in Victorian England, a realm where Merlin's ancestors control the paranormal. Love triumphs, as it should.
Profile Image for Fiona Andrew.
767 reviews16 followers
April 23, 2020
Totally loved this story. I listened to it on Audible and totally enjoyed the narration and the tale. A good quick read full of mechanical objects and steampunk characters. All the books are linked slightly, they are a stand alone read. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Angela.
137 reviews2 followers
May 8, 2011
This is a free Kindle romance with a very light paranormal edge. It is short and sweet, taking about an hour or so to read.
Profile Image for Kathy (Kindle-aholic).
1,088 reviews98 followers
December 4, 2012
Rounding up to 3. I liked the characters, and the idea behind the big problem, but it just went a little too quick. Esp in the romance development.
Profile Image for Mark.
95 reviews2 followers
October 15, 2018
Very quick read

This was a solid quick story in the series. It ended much sooner than i would have liked, but the story was well told
Profile Image for Catherine Stein.
Author 28 books169 followers
September 3, 2019
Fun short story

Fun and sexy short story. Gives you a glimpse of an interesting steampunk world. Mentions previous characters but can be read without prior series knowledge.
70 reviews
November 22, 2021
A great series

Every one of the 8 books were a wonderful read! I highly recommend them for those who like magic and mystery!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews

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