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Secret Histories #8
Property of a Lady Faire
The Secret Histories novels deliver “a terrific, adventurous blend of genres...[and] high-octane heroism,” (SFRevu) wrapped up in a thrilling and dangerous supernatural world that only New York Times bestselling author Simon R. Green could dream up....
Call me Drood, Eddie Drood. Some know me as Shaman Bond and most simply don’t want to know me at all. For centuries, my family has been keeping the things that lurk on the darker side of existence as far away as possible from humans like you, without you even knowing we’re there.
Unfortunately for us, not everybody appreciates what we Droods do. Recently, I personally managed to survive yet another attempt on my life, but the rest of my relatives weren’t so lucky. My parents are missing in action. My grandfather has been murdered. And the future of my family lies in the iron grasp of the Lady Faire, an incredibly seductive, mysterious, and powerful being.
She possesses an ancient object that can save them. I have to steal it from her. Easy enough to say, difficult—and very, very dangerous—to do...
Call me Drood, Eddie Drood. Some know me as Shaman Bond and most simply don’t want to know me at all. For centuries, my family has been keeping the things that lurk on the darker side of existence as far away as possible from humans like you, without you even knowing we’re there.
Unfortunately for us, not everybody appreciates what we Droods do. Recently, I personally managed to survive yet another attempt on my life, but the rest of my relatives weren’t so lucky. My parents are missing in action. My grandfather has been murdered. And the future of my family lies in the iron grasp of the Lady Faire, an incredibly seductive, mysterious, and powerful being.
She possesses an ancient object that can save them. I have to steal it from her. Easy enough to say, difficult—and very, very dangerous—to do...
384 pages, Hardcover
First published June 3, 2014
52 people are currently reading
961 people want to read
About the author
Simon R. Green
312 books3,208 followersSimon Richard Green is a British science fiction and fantasy-author. He holds a degree in Modern English and American Literature from the University of Leicester. His first publication was in 1979.
His Deathstalker series is partly a parody of the usual space-opera of the 1950s, told with sovereign disregard of the rules of probability, while being at the same time extremely bloodthirsty.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
His Deathstalker series is partly a parody of the usual space-opera of the 1950s, told with sovereign disregard of the rules of probability, while being at the same time extremely bloodthirsty.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
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March 27, 2018
Eighth in the Secret Histories urban fantasy series and revolving around Edwin Drood, a secret agent who rarely plays by the book.
My Take
As crazy as ever — how Green manages to think up such out-of-this-world characters and these scenarios…
Using first person protagonist point-of-view, it’s Eddie’s perspective all the way, as he and Molly continue to confound the family and grow their relationship. And Green keeps adding to the cast of Droods.
The theme is vengeance. So many want retribution for murder, for bad choices, for bad parenting, for power, and it will require saving the world, but up against one of the family with a terrifying and unbeatable weapon. It’s also an example of greed and shortsightedness that demonstrates why you shouldn’t try to have your cake and eat it too. With all the experience the Drood family has, I’d think they’d have learned something. Hmmm, then again, maybe that’s why they’re trying to do both. It’s a conundrum.
Green does make me laugh with this spoof of James Bond…and that “nice” differentiation between Edwin Drood and Seamus Bond, lol. Not so nice is the lengths to which a government organization will go to gain power.
Speaking of lengths, it’s not all one-sided, as the family also has its public and private face, quite explicitly in Property of a Lady Faire. It makes for a nice bit of tension in the story, as the family adjusts to the passing of the guard. And not a family I'd trust. Of course, Molly isn't a nice person, part of what makes her so much fun, lol, and I do enjoy how she tweaks the family.
It could be my poor memory, but I think this is the first time Green revealed why the series is named Secret Histories, for the secret history of the world as preserved by Droods through the ages.
Edwin thinks Ethel might be raising Droods as pets, and after the example of the Heart in the earlier Secret Histories stories…eek! Still, I can’t help loving Ethel for her enthusiasm and appreciation for Eddie. Of course, I adore Uncle Jack — he's one of the more reasonable Droods, ahem, in spite of the mayhem that occurs in the Armoury. He's James Bond's Q with an unlimited imagination and ability.
Always a fun and out-of-this-world read, I do enjoy Green’s Secret Histories.
The Story
It’s all about the secrets, but Molly is determined to find out who gave the order to kill her parents. And the Wulfshead club management is as determined to find out who is telling tales out of the club.
But that can't matter now. Eddie's parents are being held hostage. His grandfather has been murdered. And the future of his family, of the world, lies in the iron grasp of the Lady Faire, an incredibly seductive, mysterious, and powerful being.
The Characters
Edwin Drood is one wild secret agent, always crossing the family, always doing what’s right. His alias is the always-welcome Shaman Bond. Molly Metcalf, the Wild Witch of the Wood, is his love and a “former” terrorist hated by the Droods. The Merlin Glass, created by Merlin Satanspawn, allows Eddie to create portals on the run.
Isabella and Louisa are Molly’s even worse sisters. Their parents (Trammell Island had been their home) had been part of the White Horse Faction that even makes Molly shudder.
The Droods were…
…originally Druids back in the day, and now we have the Droods based at Drood Hall. They’re a huge family of super-secret agents who keep the supernatural bad guys at bay, use secrets as leverage or blackmail, and keep the countries of the world in line. Emily was Arthur and Martha’s daughter who married Charles — Edwin’s parents whom Eddie thought dead for most of his life. Martha, Eddie’s grandmother, had been the Matriarch, the head of the Family. Capability Maggie is a landscape gardener.
The heart of the Hall is the Sanctity where the alien entity from another dimension resides and the ruling Council meets. The current entity is the much nicer Ethel, who provides the strange matter for the amazing Drood armor.
Current members of the ruling Drood Council include Uncle Jack the Armourer (he’d been one of the family’s leading field agents); William the Librarian (he recently married Ammonia Vom Acht, a very powerful telepath) who is slowly getting his mind back ( Man with the Golden Torc , 1); Cedric, the bullying Serjeant-at-Arms (Eddie thinks he must have had his good side surgically removed); and, Callan, Head of the War Room.
The Drood in Cell 13 doesn’t officially exist. When he did, he was Laurence Drood, the then-family Armourer. Uncle James had been the Grey Fox, THE super secret agent for the family.
Organizations For the Good??
The Department of the Uncanny is…
…a government information-gathering organization created by Edwin’s grandfather, Arthur, Martha’s first husband and a rogue Drood who became the Regent of Shadows. (They used to call Arthur the Drood with a conscience.) Diana and Patrick, Edwin’s parents’ aliases, have been disowned by the family for working for the Regent of Shadows. Ankani is Arthur’s personal aide. The Phantom Berserker is a Viking ghost.
The London Knights are another agency for good. Black Heir is a super secret organization that cleans up weird tech left behind after alien incursions.
MI 13 is…
…the British government’s secret spy organization whose mission is to protect Queen and country from supernatural threats (it’s said that a lot of their higher-ups are Wulfshead club management). The inept Alan Diment is its current head ( For Heaven's Eyes Only , 5). Philip MacAlpine had been its previous treacherous head ( For Heaven's Eyes Only ).
The Nightside is…
…an anything goes "Underground" in London ruled by the Authorities who are represented by Walker, and it seems that John Taylor is the new Walker, and he’s on his honeymoon ( The Bride Wore Black Leather , 12).
Some of those who patronize the Nightside include Monkton Farley, the famous consulting detective — “A hard man to dislike — but worth the effort”; Ellen de Gustibus is an agent of the Good, but she, literally, eats monsters; Charlatan Joe is no longer welcome in the Wulfshead; the Painted Ghoul is disgusting for the fun of it; Waterloo Lillian; Harry Fabulous could get you ANYthing, then he crossed the club management; the Karma Catechist knew all there was to know about magical systems; and, Hadleigh Oblivion, the Detective Inspectre who has no shades of grey, is unstoppable, investigating the very worst crimes, where reality is under threat. He used to be Walker in the 1960s and 70s until something happened to him. He appears to be associated with the Deep School/Dark Acadamie. A former hippie, the Dormouse builds inter-dimensional Doors, a trick he learned from old Carnacki.
Yet more were on the invitation list for the Lady Faire's ball: Jumping Jack Flashman, a thief and burglar who uses his short-range teleportation skills to pull it off. The Vodyanoi Brothers, Gregor and Sergei, are an obnoxious pair of Russian werewolves who were kicked out of the Moscow Mafiosi for nastiness. Dead Boy. Jimmy Thunder, God for Hire (he’s a descendent of the old Norse Gods and is a private investigator, bounty hunter, and supernatural bail bondsman), carries Mjolnir, Thor’s Hammer. The original Bride of Frankenstein is dating Springheel Jack who is/was the precursor to Jack the Ripper. The Replicated Meme of Saint Sebastian were six versions of the same personality in six different bodies, a soul-share deal. The Living Shroud makes a living haunting people who won't pay up. Lady Alice Underground is an elderly but robust explorer of the Underverse. The Last of Leng is the only survivor of a vicious people. Tommy Oblivion is an existential private eye, specializing in cases that may or may not have occurred. Ms Fate is a costumed adventurer.
The Wulfshead is…
…a bar (and club) patronized by denizens of the Nightside. The club management is feared throughout the world. The Roaring Boys are club security.
The Winter Palace is…
…the ultimate in exclusive and located in Ultima Thule, the coldest place in any world, existing in a pocket dimension, a world with its own rules.
The Lady Faire was…
…created by Baron Frankenstein (when he was getting old and kinky) as a ladything, an omnisexual, and the ultimate sexual object, being all things to all people.
The blood-red men are unstoppable. The Red King and the Sceneshifters were a really secret group who rewrote History. False Knights are members of the Order of Steel who gave themselves up to a dark force which permanently bound magical armour to its wearer, making them completely unbeatable, created in answer to the Droods. Shadow Banks are secret underground financial institutions that fund supernatural crimes and criminals. Kayleigh’s Eye is an amulet that makes the wearer invulnerable to all forms of attack. The Lazarus Stone is an alien device, a time travel mechanism that lets the user reach back in time. Drood scarecrows are the dead-but-aware bodies of Drood enemies bound to protect Drood Hall. The OverNet is the darkest side of the Internet dealing exclusively with supernatural anything. Siberian Death Wurms are really nasty.
The Cover and Title
The cover is the blues, purples and whites of the icy Winter Palace, as the suited Edwin Drood, his back to us, chases down the Lady Faire in her white mini and over-the-knee black boots, desperate to grab the Lazarus Stone that shines in her outstretched hand. An info blurb is at the top in black with a gray horizontal rule separating it from the author’s name in purple. At the bottom in a black-outlined, cold yellow is the title with the series information at the very bottom right, set off with its own horizontal rules.
The title is everyone’s focus, the Property of a Lady Faire.
My Take
As crazy as ever — how Green manages to think up such out-of-this-world characters and these scenarios…
Using first person protagonist point-of-view, it’s Eddie’s perspective all the way, as he and Molly continue to confound the family and grow their relationship. And Green keeps adding to the cast of Droods.
The theme is vengeance. So many want retribution for murder, for bad choices, for bad parenting, for power, and it will require saving the world, but up against one of the family with a terrifying and unbeatable weapon. It’s also an example of greed and shortsightedness that demonstrates why you shouldn’t try to have your cake and eat it too. With all the experience the Drood family has, I’d think they’d have learned something. Hmmm, then again, maybe that’s why they’re trying to do both. It’s a conundrum.
Green does make me laugh with this spoof of James Bond…and that “nice” differentiation between Edwin Drood and Seamus Bond, lol. Not so nice is the lengths to which a government organization will go to gain power.
Speaking of lengths, it’s not all one-sided, as the family also has its public and private face, quite explicitly in Property of a Lady Faire. It makes for a nice bit of tension in the story, as the family adjusts to the passing of the guard. And not a family I'd trust. Of course, Molly isn't a nice person, part of what makes her so much fun, lol, and I do enjoy how she tweaks the family.
It could be my poor memory, but I think this is the first time Green revealed why the series is named Secret Histories, for the secret history of the world as preserved by Droods through the ages.
Edwin thinks Ethel might be raising Droods as pets, and after the example of the Heart in the earlier Secret Histories stories…eek! Still, I can’t help loving Ethel for her enthusiasm and appreciation for Eddie. Of course, I adore Uncle Jack — he's one of the more reasonable Droods, ahem, in spite of the mayhem that occurs in the Armoury. He's James Bond's Q with an unlimited imagination and ability.
One of Uncle Jack’s T-shirts reads: “Yes I do hear voices, and they all know your name.”Others on the Lady Faire’s guest list include the usual celebrities and politicians who espouse different agendas behind closed doors other than the ones they shout out to the public, aliens, ex-popes, and more. It’s when you think of why these, um, people are on the Lady Faire’s guest list (and the concept of what she is) that I got creeped out. And amazed at what a busy lady she’s been, *laughter*.
Always a fun and out-of-this-world read, I do enjoy Green’s Secret Histories.
The Story
It’s all about the secrets, but Molly is determined to find out who gave the order to kill her parents. And the Wulfshead club management is as determined to find out who is telling tales out of the club.
But that can't matter now. Eddie's parents are being held hostage. His grandfather has been murdered. And the future of his family, of the world, lies in the iron grasp of the Lady Faire, an incredibly seductive, mysterious, and powerful being.
The Characters
Edwin Drood is one wild secret agent, always crossing the family, always doing what’s right. His alias is the always-welcome Shaman Bond. Molly Metcalf, the Wild Witch of the Wood, is his love and a “former” terrorist hated by the Droods. The Merlin Glass, created by Merlin Satanspawn, allows Eddie to create portals on the run.
Isabella and Louisa are Molly’s even worse sisters. Their parents (Trammell Island had been their home) had been part of the White Horse Faction that even makes Molly shudder.
The Droods were…
…originally Druids back in the day, and now we have the Droods based at Drood Hall. They’re a huge family of super-secret agents who keep the supernatural bad guys at bay, use secrets as leverage or blackmail, and keep the countries of the world in line. Emily was Arthur and Martha’s daughter who married Charles — Edwin’s parents whom Eddie thought dead for most of his life. Martha, Eddie’s grandmother, had been the Matriarch, the head of the Family. Capability Maggie is a landscape gardener.
The heart of the Hall is the Sanctity where the alien entity from another dimension resides and the ruling Council meets. The current entity is the much nicer Ethel, who provides the strange matter for the amazing Drood armor.
Current members of the ruling Drood Council include Uncle Jack the Armourer (he’d been one of the family’s leading field agents); William the Librarian (he recently married Ammonia Vom Acht, a very powerful telepath) who is slowly getting his mind back ( Man with the Golden Torc , 1); Cedric, the bullying Serjeant-at-Arms (Eddie thinks he must have had his good side surgically removed); and, Callan, Head of the War Room.
The Drood in Cell 13 doesn’t officially exist. When he did, he was Laurence Drood, the then-family Armourer. Uncle James had been the Grey Fox, THE super secret agent for the family.
Organizations For the Good??
The Department of the Uncanny is…
…a government information-gathering organization created by Edwin’s grandfather, Arthur, Martha’s first husband and a rogue Drood who became the Regent of Shadows. (They used to call Arthur the Drood with a conscience.) Diana and Patrick, Edwin’s parents’ aliases, have been disowned by the family for working for the Regent of Shadows. Ankani is Arthur’s personal aide. The Phantom Berserker is a Viking ghost.
The London Knights are another agency for good. Black Heir is a super secret organization that cleans up weird tech left behind after alien incursions.
MI 13 is…
…the British government’s secret spy organization whose mission is to protect Queen and country from supernatural threats (it’s said that a lot of their higher-ups are Wulfshead club management). The inept Alan Diment is its current head ( For Heaven's Eyes Only , 5). Philip MacAlpine had been its previous treacherous head ( For Heaven's Eyes Only ).
The Nightside is…
…an anything goes "Underground" in London ruled by the Authorities who are represented by Walker, and it seems that John Taylor is the new Walker, and he’s on his honeymoon ( The Bride Wore Black Leather , 12).
Some of those who patronize the Nightside include Monkton Farley, the famous consulting detective — “A hard man to dislike — but worth the effort”; Ellen de Gustibus is an agent of the Good, but she, literally, eats monsters; Charlatan Joe is no longer welcome in the Wulfshead; the Painted Ghoul is disgusting for the fun of it; Waterloo Lillian; Harry Fabulous could get you ANYthing, then he crossed the club management; the Karma Catechist knew all there was to know about magical systems; and, Hadleigh Oblivion, the Detective Inspectre who has no shades of grey, is unstoppable, investigating the very worst crimes, where reality is under threat. He used to be Walker in the 1960s and 70s until something happened to him. He appears to be associated with the Deep School/Dark Acadamie. A former hippie, the Dormouse builds inter-dimensional Doors, a trick he learned from old Carnacki.
Yet more were on the invitation list for the Lady Faire's ball: Jumping Jack Flashman, a thief and burglar who uses his short-range teleportation skills to pull it off. The Vodyanoi Brothers, Gregor and Sergei, are an obnoxious pair of Russian werewolves who were kicked out of the Moscow Mafiosi for nastiness. Dead Boy. Jimmy Thunder, God for Hire (he’s a descendent of the old Norse Gods and is a private investigator, bounty hunter, and supernatural bail bondsman), carries Mjolnir, Thor’s Hammer. The original Bride of Frankenstein is dating Springheel Jack who is/was the precursor to Jack the Ripper. The Replicated Meme of Saint Sebastian were six versions of the same personality in six different bodies, a soul-share deal. The Living Shroud makes a living haunting people who won't pay up. Lady Alice Underground is an elderly but robust explorer of the Underverse. The Last of Leng is the only survivor of a vicious people. Tommy Oblivion is an existential private eye, specializing in cases that may or may not have occurred. Ms Fate is a costumed adventurer.
The Wulfshead is…
…a bar (and club) patronized by denizens of the Nightside. The club management is feared throughout the world. The Roaring Boys are club security.
The Winter Palace is…
…the ultimate in exclusive and located in Ultima Thule, the coldest place in any world, existing in a pocket dimension, a world with its own rules.
The Lady Faire was…
…created by Baron Frankenstein (when he was getting old and kinky) as a ladything, an omnisexual, and the ultimate sexual object, being all things to all people.
The blood-red men are unstoppable. The Red King and the Sceneshifters were a really secret group who rewrote History. False Knights are members of the Order of Steel who gave themselves up to a dark force which permanently bound magical armour to its wearer, making them completely unbeatable, created in answer to the Droods. Shadow Banks are secret underground financial institutions that fund supernatural crimes and criminals. Kayleigh’s Eye is an amulet that makes the wearer invulnerable to all forms of attack. The Lazarus Stone is an alien device, a time travel mechanism that lets the user reach back in time. Drood scarecrows are the dead-but-aware bodies of Drood enemies bound to protect Drood Hall. The OverNet is the darkest side of the Internet dealing exclusively with supernatural anything. Siberian Death Wurms are really nasty.
The Cover and Title
The cover is the blues, purples and whites of the icy Winter Palace, as the suited Edwin Drood, his back to us, chases down the Lady Faire in her white mini and over-the-knee black boots, desperate to grab the Lazarus Stone that shines in her outstretched hand. An info blurb is at the top in black with a gray horizontal rule separating it from the author’s name in purple. At the bottom in a black-outlined, cold yellow is the title with the series information at the very bottom right, set off with its own horizontal rules.
The title is everyone’s focus, the Property of a Lady Faire.
July 15, 2014
I liked Green's old Hawk & Fisher series, with their strong AD&D feel, and his Nightside series has had some emotional strength, but the Drood series is utterly stale. Everyone is super-powerful and super-rich and never particularly suffers, and tension is built primarily by the characters telling each other how much danger they're in even though they're the toughest creatures in the world. Jokes and one-liners are repeated as though the author didn't remember he'd just used them a few chapters ago, and plot inconsistencies fill the pages (Ultima Thule freezes Eddie blue through his Drood armor when he's trying to chip it off the Door, but he barely even notices it when he's standing in the middle of it? A great deal of the novel covers Eddie and Maggie working hard to get into the Winter Palace but his allies get in without invitation or explanation?) Green can and has done better, but these uninspired novels are definitely not the author at his best.
June 18, 2014
Not to offend the fans, but think when it comes to a series (ok, most of them) you've all been where I am now. Short version of the life of a series for a reader/fan = 1. like/love 2. Bloom off the rose but continue to read because still care or just plain curious. 3. Still read but really more of a "skim" just to see where it's going (like reading family newsletter of people you care about but haven't seen for years). 4. Give up on the series and move on.
Caught myself skimming Book #5. Book #8 is so thinly written and repetitive of plot devices and even dialogue from the previous books that friends & family think I'm a speed reader (so very not). A cute quick read if you have an hour to kill and haven't read the earlier books, but for me RIP Secret Histories.
Caught myself skimming Book #5. Book #8 is so thinly written and repetitive of plot devices and even dialogue from the previous books that friends & family think I'm a speed reader (so very not). A cute quick read if you have an hour to kill and haven't read the earlier books, but for me RIP Secret Histories.
June 6, 2015
Simon R Green continues the story of Eddie Drood and the Wild Witch, Molly Metcalf. Once again declared rogue, Eddie and Molly have to get back a piece of super tech to satisfy the blackmail whims of a new enemy.
I always love Green’s writing. Here he combines a grand list of interesting side characters and super violence. A little humor is always the tipping point with a book like this, and Simon R Green delivers.
Great Stuff!
I always love Green’s writing. Here he combines a grand list of interesting side characters and super violence. A little humor is always the tipping point with a book like this, and Simon R Green delivers.
Great Stuff!
November 30, 2014
2.5 stars. Ok continuation of this series about supernatural enforcer Edwin Drood and his complicated relationship with his extremely large and secretive family. The next book in the series doesn't come out until sometime in 2015, by which point I won't remember anything in the ongoing story arc. :)
May 23, 2022
This is a great series, which is well and cleverly written. The characters are interestingly thought out and while each novel stands alone, it develops the same plot arc. For this reason, it is best to read the books in order. I think one reason the series continues to develop is that characters are able to develop as well.
June 11, 2014
Where other books in the series were leading up to something, this book felt a little pointless to the overall story arc. The writing was no different, the characters were no different, but I was, I hate to say it, bored.
I generally love Simon R Green's books. I started off reading The DeathStalker series and moved on from there. I'm hoping this particular title is just an interlude and following books will get back on track.
I generally love Simon R Green's books. I started off reading The DeathStalker series and moved on from there. I'm hoping this particular title is just an interlude and following books will get back on track.
June 30, 2014
Not much to say here. If you're a fan of the series you MUST read it. If you've never read about the fantastic Drood clan, start in an earlier work or else much of the tension, background, inside-jokes and other aspects will go right over your head.
"Property of a Lady Faire" has everything one would expect. Plus some genuinely touching moments and an unusual sense of paranoia.
"Property of a Lady Faire" has everything one would expect. Plus some genuinely touching moments and an unusual sense of paranoia.
January 14, 2015
A lot of the same old. It was a fun quick read that occupied a couple hours, but honestly these books follow the same basic plot with the same old writing style. Everyone is rich and powerful, but Drood armor is just a bit more powerful.
November 20, 2014
Typical fun SR Green trip down a dead end street at 100 mph. Molly Metcalf, the witch of the wild woods and Eddie Kick some ass and take supernatural names! Fun.
February 25, 2016
Good old Eddie Drood and his crazy family. Can't wait to get to the next one!
October 31, 2019
Property of a Lady Faire is the eighth book in the Secret Histories series written by Simon R. Green. It stars Edwin Drood, code named Shaman Bond and he is a part of the Droods, an ancient family that purportedly watches over the world and protects it from various threats, including supernatural and magical ones.
Eddie Drood must find the mysterious Lazarus Stone to secure the release of his parents. He and Molly Metcalf, his girlfriend and witch, endure over-the-top encounters with various entities in their quest for the stone, last in the custody of the Lady Faire, a multiply-gendered person who incites universal sexual desire.
Property of a Lady Faire is written rather well. The narrative is rather humorous as Eddie and Molly’s nonstop bantering forms a nucleus around which frantic encounters coalesce, providing diverting, if overwhelmingly pointless, action. Green attempts to wrest significance from the medley of bizarre incidents by focusing on Molly's loyalty to Eddie, despite her own grievances with his family, and his choice between love and family power.
All in all, Property of a Lady Faire is written rather well and is a good start to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
Eddie Drood must find the mysterious Lazarus Stone to secure the release of his parents. He and Molly Metcalf, his girlfriend and witch, endure over-the-top encounters with various entities in their quest for the stone, last in the custody of the Lady Faire, a multiply-gendered person who incites universal sexual desire.
Property of a Lady Faire is written rather well. The narrative is rather humorous as Eddie and Molly’s nonstop bantering forms a nucleus around which frantic encounters coalesce, providing diverting, if overwhelmingly pointless, action. Green attempts to wrest significance from the medley of bizarre incidents by focusing on Molly's loyalty to Eddie, despite her own grievances with his family, and his choice between love and family power.
All in all, Property of a Lady Faire is written rather well and is a good start to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
August 8, 2024
DNF 1.5 chapters
I accidentally/randomly grabbed this book at the library and it was so terrible that I am writing a review so that I never pick up anything by Green again.
The entire opening is "I have these amazing over-powered magic items, but here's the complicated inconsistent reason that I can't use any of them until the author has written himself into a corner and they turn on again as a deus ex machina" which is just a failure of world building in both directions.
And then there is a plot point where the protagonist falls faster because he is wearing armor that makes him heavier. This is such a grade school physics mistake and unforced error (if you want the character to fall faster--dude, it is your magic universe, just make up something magical, don't be an idiot) that I was too disgusted to continue.
I was hoping for fun urban fantasy but instead it is just straight up poorly thought through trash.
I accidentally/randomly grabbed this book at the library and it was so terrible that I am writing a review so that I never pick up anything by Green again.
The entire opening is "I have these amazing over-powered magic items, but here's the complicated inconsistent reason that I can't use any of them until the author has written himself into a corner and they turn on again as a deus ex machina" which is just a failure of world building in both directions.
And then there is a plot point where the protagonist falls faster because he is wearing armor that makes him heavier. This is such a grade school physics mistake and unforced error (if you want the character to fall faster--dude, it is your magic universe, just make up something magical, don't be an idiot) that I was too disgusted to continue.
I was hoping for fun urban fantasy but instead it is just straight up poorly thought through trash.
November 30, 2025
Eddie and Molly are looking for the Lazarus stone to trade for his parents
What I enjoyed most:
* Eddie interacting with his family is always interesting, this time around they've decided to get a Matriarch again
* Eddie and Molly fighting together
What could have been better:
* The Drood armor is so powerful, that enemies have to be super powerful to put up any resistance
*
* I really wanted to read the scene at the end with
What I enjoyed most:
* Eddie interacting with his family is always interesting, this time around they've decided to get a Matriarch again
* Eddie and Molly fighting together
What could have been better:
* The Drood armor is so powerful, that enemies have to be super powerful to put up any resistance
*
* I really wanted to read the scene at the end with
June 29, 2022
Either this book is less predictable than the previous ones or I stopped caring, because I did not see the twist at the end coming. And I'm sure lots of people saw it coming, so I guess I just stopped caring about these major plot twists. This one (book 8) is almost a retelling of the first book. Something happens and Eddie gets blamed, so he goes rogue and goes on the run to find answers. And every chapter he goes somewhere new and has to fight a new enemy. I would have preferred it if he met Lady Faire much much earlier in the book; she was the most interesting part of the entire book. I'm just getting tired of the same old same old in this series, and there's still four more left!
October 12, 2018
I quit reading the series a while back. Then I saw new books, and I figured "why not continue?" Now I know why: it's just not that good, not anymore.
A third of the book is spent on details to get every ready up to speed on what's happened in the many books before and how everything works. Another third seemingly is filled by repetitions of no-too-funny jokes and lines. "Why do you keep asking me questions you know I cannot answer?" Why indeed, Eddie Drood? Why indeed, Simon R.?
My heart aches when I give it only two stars, but it just didn't make me want to read more.
A third of the book is spent on details to get every ready up to speed on what's happened in the many books before and how everything works. Another third seemingly is filled by repetitions of no-too-funny jokes and lines. "Why do you keep asking me questions you know I cannot answer?" Why indeed, Eddie Drood? Why indeed, Simon R.?
My heart aches when I give it only two stars, but it just didn't make me want to read more.
September 20, 2021
The last third of the book was really very good. Sadly most of the first two thirds seemed very repetitive.
There were good parts, like the Doormouse and his showroom, but the blood red men were very tiring and not that interesting.
I liked when Eddie took the head off security place. That actually felt more like the old Spy novel stuff I like than all the fights and gratuitous violence. Seems like the series has been moving in that direction and it's getting old.
This one took me a while to get through.
There were good parts, like the Doormouse and his showroom, but the blood red men were very tiring and not that interesting.
I liked when Eddie took the head off security place. That actually felt more like the old Spy novel stuff I like than all the fights and gratuitous violence. Seems like the series has been moving in that direction and it's getting old.
This one took me a while to get through.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2021
" It was like walking through the ruins of a good man's dream."
That line describes this book perfectly at times. I enjoyed this book even though it was quite sad at certain points.
Molly was the only part that I didn't enjoy. There were moments when she was okay but they were few and far between. She is childish and rude most of the time.
I've read the first seven. So, I will finish the series. Green is an excellent writer and is highly recommended by me.
That line describes this book perfectly at times. I enjoyed this book even though it was quite sad at certain points.
Molly was the only part that I didn't enjoy. There were moments when she was okay but they were few and far between. She is childish and rude most of the time.
I've read the first seven. So, I will finish the series. Green is an excellent writer and is highly recommended by me.
September 14, 2022
Another fun romp for Shaman Bond and Molly Metcalf. If you like this series it is a nice addition and fun as always. My only complaint is that it seemed to wrap up too quickly and neatly. There are a few plot points that just seem to either vanish or are dispensed with in a page or two. While this happens in this series, this time out it seems to be a little more. That said if you have read the first 7 books and are back for #8, you will enjoy it
December 4, 2017
Another great story, fast-paced in the Drood world, exposing secrets and trundling along a steam train through Siberia enroute to the Lady Faire celebration. Molly the Wild Witch & paramour of Eddie, adds her touch toDrood family and the adventure.
January 11, 2018
Another funny and interesting Eddie Drood story. As always I love the James Bond, rebel aspect of the Secret History books. This coupled with the banter back and forth between Eddie and Molly makes for an enjoyable read.
May 23, 2019
What can I say? It's a Drood. Neither Eddie nor Molly has grown much since their introductions, so it's all very predictable. Truth be told, I probably won't bother with more of this series. I've read three now, and an invincible hero just isn't all that engaging.
Read
December 26, 2019DNF at page 78, after catching yet another repeated phrase. Mr Green has a bad habit of this, not just within a singular book, but across and between his series. It must be "the easiest thing in the world" for him to do.
November 1, 2021
☆☆ SPOILER ALERT ☆☆
Meah just OK. The references were fast and heavy.
Oh p.s. if you are an "ace spy" why not have some kind of guarantee that the voice has what they say is a threat?
"I have your parents and you have to do what I say, or else."
Oh OK.....
Meah just OK. The references were fast and heavy.
Oh p.s. if you are an "ace spy" why not have some kind of guarantee that the voice has what they say is a threat?
"I have your parents and you have to do what I say, or else."
Oh OK.....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2024
The series just keeps getting better!
I'm hooked. Everyone of Green's series are impossible to not finish. You become friends with or enemies of the characters! When I'm on the last book of a series...it takes me forever to finish. I just can't say goodbye 💔
I'm hooked. Everyone of Green's series are impossible to not finish. You become friends with or enemies of the characters! When I'm on the last book of a series...it takes me forever to finish. I just can't say goodbye 💔
March 11, 2025
These books are always fun, and I like that each chapter kind of stands alone. Why is there a story about being on the Trans Siberian railway? Who knows? But it's another fun interlude of adventure with Eddie and Molly.
February 17, 2018
Interesting and entertaining. Will read more!
(Audio book has a great narrator)
(Audio book has a great narrator)
March 30, 2018
Another great Secret Histories book by Simon Green. Really love Eddy Drood and Molly the witch. These characters rock! Way to go Mr Green!
October 5, 2020
Love this series ... Supernatural James Bond😁
December 25, 2020
Disappointingly little of the Lady herself. Overall, it felt a little disconnected from the ongoing plot about Eddie's parents. But it was a fun journey.
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