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Elle Black Penny Dread #1
Sundark: An Elle Black Penny Dread
Who is Elle Black?Elle Black, an unconventional psychic detective in an unconventional Victorian marriage, leaves her lovely lesbian wife to answer a desperate plea. Guests are vanishing in a mechanical hotel known as the Sundark, and Elle must use her 'anomalous perturbationist' gift-the ability to move objects with her mind-to save herself and the remaining hotel residents from malevolent, sidereal powers. But with apparitions appearing, magnetic lines disrupted, and clairvoyant guests lurking, who is the true murderer...or murderess?Add to your collection of female detective mysteries:
A gaslamp fantasy in a steampunk, paranormal London, follow the telekinetic Elle Black, a twenty-two year old, happily remarried widow, as she solves mysteries in the same alternate world as The Dark Victorian series by Elizabeth Watasin. Where Secret Commission agents Artifice and Jim Dastard haven't time to tread, Elle Black will take up the lead and follow.Experience a bonus Art Gallery:
The paperback version of Sundark: An Elle Black Penny Dread, contains a small gallery of illustrations by Elizabeth Watasin.Learn more about this thrilling, lesbian historical fiction series:
Deep in London's Chiselhurst lies the Sundark, a magnificent, mechanical manor built in earlier times by a master illusionist and his occultist wife. Its guests have been known to stay, only to never be seen again. Now converted into a hotel, is this rumor some publicity lure or a cover for fleeing, non-paying residents? Elle Black, a housewife and telekinetic among London detectives and Secret Commission agents, is summoned to solve this mystery as more victims vanish, faster than before.
What Victorian Gothic adventure awaits as the psychic sleuth leaves her beautiful, lesbian wife Faedra to investigate the seemingly harmless, clockwork turnings of Sundark's rooms and towers? The cynical and rough Mr. Hardwick, current owner of the Sundark, dismisses Elle's ability to solve his hotel's mystery. But during her first nightly vigil, Elle slips into the chilling, preternatural past as ghosts walk, gaslamps become candles, floors and walls mechanically move, and yet another unlucky guest screams in terror and vanishes.
Did a paranormal force abduct the latest victim? What are the blue fires, and what is Abigail Sundark's ghost trying to tell Elle? And is it, as the sleuth suspects, a case of murder? Elle must deal with a sinister gardener, a self-styled ghost chaser, spiritualists claiming to be clairvoyants, and a very obstinate, thick-headed hotel owner, who not only refuses to leave but seems to have his own tragic secret.
As Elle delves further into the mystery, one horror is apparent: more death awaits, both in the ghost filled past and in the present as the Sundark loses yet another guest to unseen malevolence. And when Elle discovers that the house sits upon the triple crossroad of ancient corpse roads, she can't discount its foreboding connection to Abigail Sundark's chosen chthonic, tripartite deity, the underworld goddess Hekate.
But whatever is behind the vanishings did not count on making Elle angry...
Sundark: An Elle Black Penny Dread, is the latest gaslamp fantasy from speculative fiction storyteller Elizabeth Watasin, who delights in bringing you shilling shockers immersed in Gothic Victorian mystery, women sleuths, and the eldritch vestiges of a steampunk, paranormal London. Enjoy this twist of lesbian historical fiction and look for more of Elle Black as she wrestles with the 'small', local horrors Secret Commission agents Artifice and Jim Dastard are too busy to take on.
A gaslamp fantasy in a steampunk, paranormal London, follow the telekinetic Elle Black, a twenty-two year old, happily remarried widow, as she solves mysteries in the same alternate world as The Dark Victorian series by Elizabeth Watasin. Where Secret Commission agents Artifice and Jim Dastard haven't time to tread, Elle Black will take up the lead and follow.Experience a bonus Art Gallery:
The paperback version of Sundark: An Elle Black Penny Dread, contains a small gallery of illustrations by Elizabeth Watasin.Learn more about this thrilling, lesbian historical fiction series:
Deep in London's Chiselhurst lies the Sundark, a magnificent, mechanical manor built in earlier times by a master illusionist and his occultist wife. Its guests have been known to stay, only to never be seen again. Now converted into a hotel, is this rumor some publicity lure or a cover for fleeing, non-paying residents? Elle Black, a housewife and telekinetic among London detectives and Secret Commission agents, is summoned to solve this mystery as more victims vanish, faster than before.
What Victorian Gothic adventure awaits as the psychic sleuth leaves her beautiful, lesbian wife Faedra to investigate the seemingly harmless, clockwork turnings of Sundark's rooms and towers? The cynical and rough Mr. Hardwick, current owner of the Sundark, dismisses Elle's ability to solve his hotel's mystery. But during her first nightly vigil, Elle slips into the chilling, preternatural past as ghosts walk, gaslamps become candles, floors and walls mechanically move, and yet another unlucky guest screams in terror and vanishes.
Did a paranormal force abduct the latest victim? What are the blue fires, and what is Abigail Sundark's ghost trying to tell Elle? And is it, as the sleuth suspects, a case of murder? Elle must deal with a sinister gardener, a self-styled ghost chaser, spiritualists claiming to be clairvoyants, and a very obstinate, thick-headed hotel owner, who not only refuses to leave but seems to have his own tragic secret.
As Elle delves further into the mystery, one horror is apparent: more death awaits, both in the ghost filled past and in the present as the Sundark loses yet another guest to unseen malevolence. And when Elle discovers that the house sits upon the triple crossroad of ancient corpse roads, she can't discount its foreboding connection to Abigail Sundark's chosen chthonic, tripartite deity, the underworld goddess Hekate.
But whatever is behind the vanishings did not count on making Elle angry...
Sundark: An Elle Black Penny Dread, is the latest gaslamp fantasy from speculative fiction storyteller Elizabeth Watasin, who delights in bringing you shilling shockers immersed in Gothic Victorian mystery, women sleuths, and the eldritch vestiges of a steampunk, paranormal London. Enjoy this twist of lesbian historical fiction and look for more of Elle Black as she wrestles with the 'small', local horrors Secret Commission agents Artifice and Jim Dastard are too busy to take on.
184 pages, Paperback
First published September 11, 2013
6 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Watasin
54 books115 followersElizabeth Watasin is the author of the Gothic steampunk series The Dark Victorian, The Elle Black Penny Dreads, the cyberpunk Darquepunk series, and the creator/artist of the indie comics series Charm School, which was nominated for a Gaylactic Spectrum Award. Winner of a Rainbow Award 2015, Best Lesbian Fantasy and Fantasy Romance, for Medusa: A Dark Victorian Penny Dread. A twenty year veteran of animation and comics, she lives in Los Angeles with her black cat named Draw, busy bringing readers uncanny heroines in shilling shockers, science fiction, and diesel fantasy tales.
Follow the news of her latest projects at A-Girl Studio.
Follow the news of her latest projects at A-Girl Studio.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 8, 2017
This was so much better on a 2nd read through. I think getting interrupted so often the first time I read it really did impact the flow. This time, it felt much more fluid and the energy of the book really picked up at the 1/2 way mark. The mystery was cohesive and I don't think I can ever get over Watasin's cleverness and imagination.
I loved the subtle humor sprinkled through the climax of the book and Elle's indignation at the events around her. All hell is breaking loose and yet I'm completely tickled and delighted by our heroine, two adjectives I have never used outside of a Watasin novel. This writer just has that effect.
I still think Faedra and Elle together, rather than apart, lend the scenes extra vibrancy and they're such a powerful duo with a great amount of heartfelt passion. I just want to squee about them.
In my second read through, I put this around 4.25 stars. I still am partial to the 2nd novel in this series, "Poison Garden", especially because Faedra and Elle ARE together through that book. For us readers, though, that only means there's better yet to come.
*****
Elizabeth Watasin creates another captivating heroine in Elle Black. Instead of a paranormal creature, however, Elle is a woman with sensitive intuition with the ability to move objects with her mind.
Mrs. Black is recruited by, Josefina, an employee of the Sundark hotel to investigate the disappearance of hotel guests. Josefina has gone to the police and to the Special Commission, being turned down by both. Mrs. Black is her last hope.
I found this book to be another imaginative read, this time a world created around a living house. The book isn't too long but, unlike the first Dark Victorian book, I felt that the story was fleshed out enough. Despite its short stature, this is a dense book that you need to pay attention to. There's a lot packed into it.
As I was reading, the pacing seemed on the slower side until the last 1/3rd of the book. I think this was a combination of the author needing to do a lot of setup, when weird things happened they didn't seem to point to each other, and me being interrupted about 20 times while reading it. The book didn't get a build up of intensity until the end. It was more like ominous thing...lull...lull...ominous thing...lull...lull.
What I mean by the weird things happening not pointing to each other is that every strange occurrence that unfolded didn't seem to add up to a conclusion; nothing I could figure out anyway. I had no clue what the mystery behind the house was until the author revealed it.
I was delighted to see a cameo by Helia Skycourt and it also felt like an easter egg bonus that she and Elle could be fast friends (that's what the author seemed to be hinting at, anyway).
I also really enjoyed the coupling of Elle and Faedra. I actually think the story would've been a lot more intriguing if the two could have been together to figure out the mystery than apart. They have a chemistry together. Faedra is the more dominant of the two and gives a certain oomph to the dynamic. I really appreciate how unapologetic the author is on having two women together. :) In this story, too, we see more physical intimacy (though not much) between Elle and Faedra that the Dark Victorian series hasn't offered (yet).
I also appreciate how active the author's heroines are in all of her books. I love it!
Even though this book did feel fleshed out there is something about it that gives me a similar impression to the Dark Victorian series in that the first book probably isn't the best to come. I think if the author writes a subsequent book for this character it'll be stronger and I definitely would be interested in reading it.
For the Penny Dread stories, I'd say the Ice Demon is a tighter, more solid read than this one. However, this is a nice introduction to new characters and a decent read in itself, especially if you're a fan of Watasin.
I loved the subtle humor sprinkled through the climax of the book and Elle's indignation at the events around her. All hell is breaking loose and yet I'm completely tickled and delighted by our heroine, two adjectives I have never used outside of a Watasin novel. This writer just has that effect.
I still think Faedra and Elle together, rather than apart, lend the scenes extra vibrancy and they're such a powerful duo with a great amount of heartfelt passion. I just want to squee about them.
In my second read through, I put this around 4.25 stars. I still am partial to the 2nd novel in this series, "Poison Garden", especially because Faedra and Elle ARE together through that book. For us readers, though, that only means there's better yet to come.
*****
Elizabeth Watasin creates another captivating heroine in Elle Black. Instead of a paranormal creature, however, Elle is a woman with sensitive intuition with the ability to move objects with her mind.
Mrs. Black is recruited by, Josefina, an employee of the Sundark hotel to investigate the disappearance of hotel guests. Josefina has gone to the police and to the Special Commission, being turned down by both. Mrs. Black is her last hope.
I found this book to be another imaginative read, this time a world created around a living house. The book isn't too long but, unlike the first Dark Victorian book, I felt that the story was fleshed out enough. Despite its short stature, this is a dense book that you need to pay attention to. There's a lot packed into it.
As I was reading, the pacing seemed on the slower side until the last 1/3rd of the book. I think this was a combination of the author needing to do a lot of setup, when weird things happened they didn't seem to point to each other, and me being interrupted about 20 times while reading it. The book didn't get a build up of intensity until the end. It was more like ominous thing...lull...lull...ominous thing...lull...lull.
What I mean by the weird things happening not pointing to each other is that every strange occurrence that unfolded didn't seem to add up to a conclusion; nothing I could figure out anyway. I had no clue what the mystery behind the house was until the author revealed it.
I was delighted to see a cameo by Helia Skycourt and it also felt like an easter egg bonus that she and Elle could be fast friends (that's what the author seemed to be hinting at, anyway).
I also really enjoyed the coupling of Elle and Faedra. I actually think the story would've been a lot more intriguing if the two could have been together to figure out the mystery than apart. They have a chemistry together. Faedra is the more dominant of the two and gives a certain oomph to the dynamic. I really appreciate how unapologetic the author is on having two women together. :) In this story, too, we see more physical intimacy (though not much) between Elle and Faedra that the Dark Victorian series hasn't offered (yet).
I also appreciate how active the author's heroines are in all of her books. I love it!
Even though this book did feel fleshed out there is something about it that gives me a similar impression to the Dark Victorian series in that the first book probably isn't the best to come. I think if the author writes a subsequent book for this character it'll be stronger and I definitely would be interested in reading it.
For the Penny Dread stories, I'd say the Ice Demon is a tighter, more solid read than this one. However, this is a nice introduction to new characters and a decent read in itself, especially if you're a fan of Watasin.
June 21, 2017
Second read for me, first one for book club buddy D. who by now is totally besotted with the writing of Elizabeth Watasin :-)
The book can easily be read multiple times, there is so much detail I didn't even catch the first time around. And still a solid 5 stars from me!
The book can easily be read multiple times, there is so much detail I didn't even catch the first time around. And still a solid 5 stars from me!
March 5, 2017
**Thank you A-Girl Studios and Netgalley for providing this in exchange for an honest review**
1.5 Stars
Elle is a clairvoyant, telekinetic, who helps out Prince Albert’s Royal Commission whenever needed. She and her wife, Faedra, live during the same time and place as the Dark Victorian books. Elle receives a letter from a woman asking for her help. The woman, Josefina, works at a hotel called Sundark. Sundark was built by an illusionist for his wife, Abigail. The house was mechanically designer so the rooms could be moved. Abigail was an occultist who worshiped the goddess Hekate. She picked the location of Sundark, and the placement of a few specific towers, for the special powers they held. There was the odd disappearance now and then, but since Abigail herself disappeared, things had quieted down. Now currents guest are starting to disappear. The regular police have been in after every incident and can find no evidence of foul play. At her wits end, Josefina has come to Elle for help.
I have to admit, I was really let down with this title. I recently read another book by the author, The Dark Victorian: Risen Volume One , and really enjoyed it. The characters in Dark Victorian were fun and quirky, but weren't too over the stop. Not the case here. Elle and Feadra are too sickeningly sweet. Most of the characters are pretty generic and flat. The mystery itself bored me.
I will not continue with this series. For those of you who read this and didn't enjoy it, I recommend you try Watasin's Dark Victorian series if you haven't already. The characters, story, and overall atmosphere are all stronger then they were here.
1.5 Stars
Elle is a clairvoyant, telekinetic, who helps out Prince Albert’s Royal Commission whenever needed. She and her wife, Faedra, live during the same time and place as the Dark Victorian books. Elle receives a letter from a woman asking for her help. The woman, Josefina, works at a hotel called Sundark. Sundark was built by an illusionist for his wife, Abigail. The house was mechanically designer so the rooms could be moved. Abigail was an occultist who worshiped the goddess Hekate. She picked the location of Sundark, and the placement of a few specific towers, for the special powers they held. There was the odd disappearance now and then, but since Abigail herself disappeared, things had quieted down. Now currents guest are starting to disappear. The regular police have been in after every incident and can find no evidence of foul play. At her wits end, Josefina has come to Elle for help.
I have to admit, I was really let down with this title. I recently read another book by the author, The Dark Victorian: Risen Volume One , and really enjoyed it. The characters in Dark Victorian were fun and quirky, but weren't too over the stop. Not the case here. Elle and Feadra are too sickeningly sweet. Most of the characters are pretty generic and flat. The mystery itself bored me.
I will not continue with this series. For those of you who read this and didn't enjoy it, I recommend you try Watasin's Dark Victorian series if you haven't already. The characters, story, and overall atmosphere are all stronger then they were here.
January 25, 2015
Elle Black lives a happily domestic life with her wife in the darkly gothic world of Victorian London; certainly an unconventional relationship but one she lives with pride and joy and love.
But Elle isn’t just a housewife – she’s a psychic and she considers it her duty to help those that Prince Albert’s Royal Commission cannot or will not handle – and when Josephine Durfish comes to her door with tales of Sundark, the haunted hotel in which guests have gone missing, Elle is spurred into action.
This book is set in the same world as the Dark Victorian series – and it has those same wonderful elements. We have the darkly Gothic Victoriana (which, I admit, I love so completely) with it’s beautiful style and aesthetic. And it’s not just conveyed by the description but the joyfully elaborate style of the writing. This is from me, someone who doesn’t like over-elaborate writing and find Dickens to be incredibly torturous – yet this elaborate joyful language is so evocative of style and location. Just reading the style of the writing, the way people talk to each other, the setting it’s all so gloriously Victorian. The writing is beautiful and it oozes style and setting, it’s perfect.
I also love Faedra and Elle’s relationship. They’re married (using legal contracts) and are proud and passionate about their marriage. Their love and passion for each other is never hidden and it’s wonderfully omnipresent. Even though Elle spends most of this book separated from Faedra, her wife is always on her mind and their love permeates the entire book. It’s a beautiful relationship
And it’s not just a beautiful relationship because of their love, but because of how these characters are portrayed. I often feel how the book wonderful touches on a lot of stereotypes of lesbians and bisexual women, but never ever makes that a reason for the character – Faedra goes out and earns money while Elle stays home and prefers to keep house and be domestic, they even refer briefly to the idea of Faedra being a “husband” (because of the stereotype, especially in the age, of the man being the one to earn money) but reject it because they think they’re imposing a power imbalance on their relationship. And even when they do that, they then turn round and make Elle the active character throughout the book and Faedra be the one who loves bright colours and beautiful clothes. These are traits of the characters, not tropes they embody it’s that well balanced and it works for them. I love these characters.
I do feel that Elle’s open pride in her relationship faces a dubious lack of reaction from everyone around her, but it could as much be the setting; guests in a hotel and everyone being properly polite to each other.
With this beautiful relationship and wonderful world we have a twisty plot with lots of investigation of creepy paranormal events in this haunted hotel. The setting of this hotel is beautiful and creepy and with an odd cast of characters (some of which really worked and some of them just seemed… a little random and ill-defined).
Read More
But Elle isn’t just a housewife – she’s a psychic and she considers it her duty to help those that Prince Albert’s Royal Commission cannot or will not handle – and when Josephine Durfish comes to her door with tales of Sundark, the haunted hotel in which guests have gone missing, Elle is spurred into action.
This book is set in the same world as the Dark Victorian series – and it has those same wonderful elements. We have the darkly Gothic Victoriana (which, I admit, I love so completely) with it’s beautiful style and aesthetic. And it’s not just conveyed by the description but the joyfully elaborate style of the writing. This is from me, someone who doesn’t like over-elaborate writing and find Dickens to be incredibly torturous – yet this elaborate joyful language is so evocative of style and location. Just reading the style of the writing, the way people talk to each other, the setting it’s all so gloriously Victorian. The writing is beautiful and it oozes style and setting, it’s perfect.
I also love Faedra and Elle’s relationship. They’re married (using legal contracts) and are proud and passionate about their marriage. Their love and passion for each other is never hidden and it’s wonderfully omnipresent. Even though Elle spends most of this book separated from Faedra, her wife is always on her mind and their love permeates the entire book. It’s a beautiful relationship
And it’s not just a beautiful relationship because of their love, but because of how these characters are portrayed. I often feel how the book wonderful touches on a lot of stereotypes of lesbians and bisexual women, but never ever makes that a reason for the character – Faedra goes out and earns money while Elle stays home and prefers to keep house and be domestic, they even refer briefly to the idea of Faedra being a “husband” (because of the stereotype, especially in the age, of the man being the one to earn money) but reject it because they think they’re imposing a power imbalance on their relationship. And even when they do that, they then turn round and make Elle the active character throughout the book and Faedra be the one who loves bright colours and beautiful clothes. These are traits of the characters, not tropes they embody it’s that well balanced and it works for them. I love these characters.
I do feel that Elle’s open pride in her relationship faces a dubious lack of reaction from everyone around her, but it could as much be the setting; guests in a hotel and everyone being properly polite to each other.
With this beautiful relationship and wonderful world we have a twisty plot with lots of investigation of creepy paranormal events in this haunted hotel. The setting of this hotel is beautiful and creepy and with an odd cast of characters (some of which really worked and some of them just seemed… a little random and ill-defined).
Read More
November 24, 2013
The serial novella, dime store novels and penny dreads are making a resurgence and Watasin is right on the money with her addition to the comeback. Sundark is packed with a perfect trifecta of marvelous crafted characters, solid plot, and an amazing story. I am not easily impressed to the point of wanting to hop on the fan bandwagon forever, but Elizabeth Watasin with both her flair for the written word and dramatic drawings that embody her characters so well deserves being noticed.
Watasin's skill at developing a cast of characters that draws the reader into the world she has also crafted is stunning. Her ability to take a story and tell it so precisely, without fluffing it with excess description and unnecessary jaunts of adventure that don't apply to the tale being told, makes her stories something to be treasured. Even if you have never read a Steampunk story I truly believe that anyone and everyone would enjoy this story. I know it will have an honorary home on my shelf when a print edition comes available... though I do believe I will wait to see where the Elle Dark Penny Dreads take us for further adventures.
Watasin's skill at developing a cast of characters that draws the reader into the world she has also crafted is stunning. Her ability to take a story and tell it so precisely, without fluffing it with excess description and unnecessary jaunts of adventure that don't apply to the tale being told, makes her stories something to be treasured. Even if you have never read a Steampunk story I truly believe that anyone and everyone would enjoy this story. I know it will have an honorary home on my shelf when a print edition comes available... though I do believe I will wait to see where the Elle Dark Penny Dreads take us for further adventures.
November 15, 2013
***I was provided a free review copy by the author Elizabeth Watasin
Review posted on Gnostalgia
Barry says — excellent!
Okay, let me reveal my bias, I love Elizabeth Watasin. Bear that in mind when looking at my score of 5 stars. Watasin’s stories have a sort of Blaylock (The Aylesford Skull), George Mann (Newbury & Hobbes) or a Mark Hodder (Burton & Swinburne) dark paranormal, steampunk vibe. Having said that, Watasin creates strong female characters along the lines of Tardi’s Adèle Blanc-Sec or Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher.
In this case, Watasin’s Sundark character is a telekinetic agent named Elle Black. The story is a fast-paced fun read. I have to admit that the vampire tease at the end of Sundark really worked. I am ready for the next episode.
There is a list of names (a who's who) at the back of the book that may help the reader. Watasin includes some nice artwork and there is a small tease for her book Bones. While Risen, Bones and Sundark are set in the same alternate reality, each book is a stand-alone story. Just between you and me, Sundark may be the best of Watasin’s stories.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. I give Sundark a solid 5 stars out of 5. I mentioned Kerry Greenwood on Facebook when speaking about Watasin’s novel and Watasin replied, “who’s Kerry Greenwood?” While Greenwood may not be a household name now, she will be in a few years. The same may be said of Elizabeth Watasin, she may not be a household name next week or next month, but if she continues to produce great books …
Review posted on Gnostalgia
Barry says — excellent!
Okay, let me reveal my bias, I love Elizabeth Watasin. Bear that in mind when looking at my score of 5 stars. Watasin’s stories have a sort of Blaylock (The Aylesford Skull), George Mann (Newbury & Hobbes) or a Mark Hodder (Burton & Swinburne) dark paranormal, steampunk vibe. Having said that, Watasin creates strong female characters along the lines of Tardi’s Adèle Blanc-Sec or Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher.
In this case, Watasin’s Sundark character is a telekinetic agent named Elle Black. The story is a fast-paced fun read. I have to admit that the vampire tease at the end of Sundark really worked. I am ready for the next episode.
There is a list of names (a who's who) at the back of the book that may help the reader. Watasin includes some nice artwork and there is a small tease for her book Bones. While Risen, Bones and Sundark are set in the same alternate reality, each book is a stand-alone story. Just between you and me, Sundark may be the best of Watasin’s stories.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. I give Sundark a solid 5 stars out of 5. I mentioned Kerry Greenwood on Facebook when speaking about Watasin’s novel and Watasin replied, “who’s Kerry Greenwood?” While Greenwood may not be a household name now, she will be in a few years. The same may be said of Elizabeth Watasin, she may not be a household name next week or next month, but if she continues to produce great books …
September 29, 2014
It pains me to give this novel such a mediocre score; certainly it doesn't reflect the technical competence of the author(s). But sometimes a novel feels like the reader has awkwardly interrupted an ongoing conversation in which they have no part, and this book is a prime example. Eventually my inability to connect with the characters forced me to shelve the book entirely roughly half-way through, and move on to greener pastures.
The premise itself is unique and quirky; a telekinetic Victorian lady agrees to investigate the strange and uncanny happenings at a bizarre mechanical hotel. This character has contracted a business arrangement with another woman which (for all intents and purposes) makes them happily and legally married. While sometimes the setting is awkwardly written, it is clear and rich enough to satisfy the reader. Characters encountered along the way feel fresh and deep.
The problem comes with the main characters. They are properly a couple. There is no space to insert the reader within their easy familiarly with each other, and the attempt to do so falls flat. Exposition feels forced. Exciting past adventures are told to us without us having any buy-in during the "now". This entire situation is immediately and consistently frustrating.
I cannot recommend this book, but I suspect that the writer(s)'ve simply thrown out a single dud. The writing and creativity of the story are top-notch, which bodes well for other novels. I will certainly not avoid their work, but I will not be picking up Sundark again.
The premise itself is unique and quirky; a telekinetic Victorian lady agrees to investigate the strange and uncanny happenings at a bizarre mechanical hotel. This character has contracted a business arrangement with another woman which (for all intents and purposes) makes them happily and legally married. While sometimes the setting is awkwardly written, it is clear and rich enough to satisfy the reader. Characters encountered along the way feel fresh and deep.
The problem comes with the main characters. They are properly a couple. There is no space to insert the reader within their easy familiarly with each other, and the attempt to do so falls flat. Exposition feels forced. Exciting past adventures are told to us without us having any buy-in during the "now". This entire situation is immediately and consistently frustrating.
I cannot recommend this book, but I suspect that the writer(s)'ve simply thrown out a single dud. The writing and creativity of the story are top-notch, which bodes well for other novels. I will certainly not avoid their work, but I will not be picking up Sundark again.
August 28, 2014
Sundark: An Elle Black Penny Dread by Elizabeth Watasin Deep in London's Chiselhurst lies the Sundark, a magnificent, mechanical manor built in earlier times by a master illusionist and his occultist wife. Its guests have been known to stay, only to never be seen again. Elle Black, a housewife and telekinetic is summoned to solve this mystery.The mystery surrounding the Sundark, with its mechanical dome for stargazing and beautiful witch's hat dome architecture is perfectly paced. If the home-turned-hotel didn't devour people and spit out their remains in the garden, I would be ready to move in.A bonus for me was when I realized that Elle Black lives in the same reality as Artifice, the artificial ghost, and Jim Dastard, the animated skull, from The Dark Victorian series. Their paths almost cross when a character from The Dark Victorian shows up in Sundark.This is a fast-paced, exciting read, that dives right into the mystery, with truly unique characters. My favorites, of course, are Elle and her wife, Faedra, who share a genuine love for one another.The twist at the end was brilliant, and I look forward to reading more of Elle's sleuthing adventures.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
[I originally read this book in April 2014. I am in the process of transferring my blog contents.]
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
[I originally read this book in April 2014. I am in the process of transferring my blog contents.]
March 13, 2014
This was fascinating and beautiful. Highly recommended to those who enjoy gothic and/or steampunk fiction
June 18, 2023
Greek mythology, spiritualism, steampunk, women's rights and LGBT in a pseudo-Victorian era, these are the ingredients of this rather unusual novel, which I did not find entirely convincing. In many cases, the scene changes are forced, the reasons for the characters' behaviour unclear and the literary devices used too bare. The lesbian choice of the main character seems to be dictated more by the intention to insert an LGBT element into the plot than by a real character need. It could have been done better.
January 22, 2015
You can find this review and more @bookishsilvertongue
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for a honest review.
Someone had the brilliant idea to turn the mechanical moving house of a stage magician and his occultist wife into a hotel, and now guests are disappearing! It's up Elle Black, paranormal detective, to find out what's behind the unconventional house and get herself and the other guests out of there alive.
why read it: interesting setting, very creepy. Nice gaslamp fantasy atmosphere.
why not: holy pacing issues Batman! I want to sit down with the author and have her explain the ending.
I must admit it, I mostly requested this book from NetGalley for the Victorian same-sex couple paranormal detectives. The relationship between Elle and Faedra was certainly not the focus of the plot, but it was a nice touch and they were a very caring and loving couple (and you will get me to read literally anything if you tell me there are lesbians).
What I liked the most about the book was the setting. The larger universe, a Victorian Britain where paranormal powers exist, was nothing special and was barely explored, but the haunted mechanical/magical house was a true beauty. The author evokes very well how fascinating and still menacing the house is. By the climax, I felt a sense of oppression during every scene set in the Sundark.
Its workings are never fully explained, but it only adds to the mystery and danger, in my opinion.
The paranormal aspect felt like the tip of an iceberg. From some passages it seemed an insane amount of worldbuilding went into a system of supernatural apparitions (the difference between a "true ghost" and a "memory" sounds especially interesting) and different kinds of magic, some of them tied to pagan mythology. Sadly, in others it felt like the proverbial fantasy kitchen sink.
The characters are not very well developed, but there are loads of them, as in every self-respecting mystery novel, and it is a very short book. At times, Eden seemed the most rounded of them, even more than the protagonist. The writing was clunky in some passages, although I got a feeling it was trying to imitate old penny dreads (but I never read one so I can't be sure).
The average rating mostly stems from giant, glaring, pacing issues.
The whole first chapter is devoted to an infodump about Elle's previous marriage, her hospitalization into an asylum, and the legal contracts that allow her and Faedra to live as wives. It almost seemed like a synopsis for a preceding book in a series, but there isn't one. Most of the backstory revealed there is in no way relevant to the book, and is only seen again in Elle's thoughts and in the sequel hook. A sequel hook that takes up 13 pages (roughly 1/10 of the novel, waaay too much) and bored me almost to tears.
Some things appear for no/absolutely flimsy reasons (the hounds??? I have so many questions about the hounds and the ending in general. I shall not ask them to avoid further spoilers), and the motives of the antagonist are never completely clear (we get a nebulous explanation about power, but how killing people grants them power is left in the air).
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for a honest review.
Someone had the brilliant idea to turn the mechanical moving house of a stage magician and his occultist wife into a hotel, and now guests are disappearing! It's up Elle Black, paranormal detective, to find out what's behind the unconventional house and get herself and the other guests out of there alive.
why read it: interesting setting, very creepy. Nice gaslamp fantasy atmosphere.
why not: holy pacing issues Batman! I want to sit down with the author and have her explain the ending.
I must admit it, I mostly requested this book from NetGalley for the Victorian same-sex couple paranormal detectives. The relationship between Elle and Faedra was certainly not the focus of the plot, but it was a nice touch and they were a very caring and loving couple (and you will get me to read literally anything if you tell me there are lesbians).
What I liked the most about the book was the setting. The larger universe, a Victorian Britain where paranormal powers exist, was nothing special and was barely explored, but the haunted mechanical/magical house was a true beauty. The author evokes very well how fascinating and still menacing the house is. By the climax, I felt a sense of oppression during every scene set in the Sundark.
Its workings are never fully explained, but it only adds to the mystery and danger, in my opinion.
The paranormal aspect felt like the tip of an iceberg. From some passages it seemed an insane amount of worldbuilding went into a system of supernatural apparitions (the difference between a "true ghost" and a "memory" sounds especially interesting) and different kinds of magic, some of them tied to pagan mythology. Sadly, in others it felt like the proverbial fantasy kitchen sink.
The characters are not very well developed, but there are loads of them, as in every self-respecting mystery novel, and it is a very short book. At times, Eden seemed the most rounded of them, even more than the protagonist. The writing was clunky in some passages, although I got a feeling it was trying to imitate old penny dreads (but I never read one so I can't be sure).
The average rating mostly stems from giant, glaring, pacing issues.
The whole first chapter is devoted to an infodump about Elle's previous marriage, her hospitalization into an asylum, and the legal contracts that allow her and Faedra to live as wives. It almost seemed like a synopsis for a preceding book in a series, but there isn't one. Most of the backstory revealed there is in no way relevant to the book, and is only seen again in Elle's thoughts and in the sequel hook. A sequel hook that takes up 13 pages (roughly 1/10 of the novel, waaay too much) and bored me almost to tears.
Some things appear for no/absolutely flimsy reasons (the hounds??? I have so many questions about the hounds and the ending in general. I shall not ask them to avoid further spoilers), and the motives of the antagonist are never completely clear (we get a nebulous explanation about power, but how killing people grants them power is left in the air).
January 16, 2015
I love the Steampunk world Elizabeth Watasin created for her Dark Victorian series, so I jumped at the chance to read another tale from the same setting. This time Elle Black is the heroine – a thoroughly unconventional woman not only married to another woman, but in possession of strange paranormal gifts. When she receives a letter asking for her help solving a mystery of disappearing hotel guests, Elle can hardly refuse, especially once she sees the Sundark.
What a place! A hotel that rotates and moves throughout the day to align itself with the heavens for the best possible psychic uses. The imagination in that place is amazing, and at the heart of it all is a chilling mystery for our sleuthing heroine to uncover, complete with a range of intriguing characters, ghosts and gristly discoveries.
I loved Elle. She’s surprisingly straight-forward and pragmatic given her experiences and abilities. There’s nothing mystical about her, she’s thoroughly down to earth as she tries to uncover the reason why guests are vanishing. Unlike two of her fellow residents at the Sundark – the clairvoyant Eden Brunch and her spiritualist friend Fidela Sweetwater. I’ll admit I wasn’t always entirely sure what they were talking about as they explored the house, but they provided a marvellous contrast to Elle. There’s also a ghost-chaser, Austin Washington, and a thoroughly unmystical tin salesman, Neville Lunt. Alongside them is Josefina Dufish who has the unenviable task of running the hotel for her boss, Mr Hardwick, who spends almost all his time tinkering with the mechanical workings of the house, and the Willys, the only full time staff remaining at the Sundark.
The story itself is creepy and compelling, full of ghostly presences, strange lights and mysterious rooms, in the best whodunnit style – or rather what’sdoingit. It’s beautifully written with rich descriptions and wonderful characters. There is a slight sense, however, of coming into an ongoing story with Elle’s preoccupation with a recent sighting of her dead husband. For me that whole plot strand felt a little bit off compared to the rest. I would also have liked to have seen more of Faedra, Elle’s wife. She does show up at the end, but doesn’t do much making her appearance a little superfluous, especially as she’s clearly capable of helping out.
In all, though, this is a fascinating, beautifully told story combing alchemy, spiritualism, ghost hunting, mysterious mechanisms, plain old murder and ancient worldly powers better left alone. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading more from this Dark Victorian world.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
What a place! A hotel that rotates and moves throughout the day to align itself with the heavens for the best possible psychic uses. The imagination in that place is amazing, and at the heart of it all is a chilling mystery for our sleuthing heroine to uncover, complete with a range of intriguing characters, ghosts and gristly discoveries.
I loved Elle. She’s surprisingly straight-forward and pragmatic given her experiences and abilities. There’s nothing mystical about her, she’s thoroughly down to earth as she tries to uncover the reason why guests are vanishing. Unlike two of her fellow residents at the Sundark – the clairvoyant Eden Brunch and her spiritualist friend Fidela Sweetwater. I’ll admit I wasn’t always entirely sure what they were talking about as they explored the house, but they provided a marvellous contrast to Elle. There’s also a ghost-chaser, Austin Washington, and a thoroughly unmystical tin salesman, Neville Lunt. Alongside them is Josefina Dufish who has the unenviable task of running the hotel for her boss, Mr Hardwick, who spends almost all his time tinkering with the mechanical workings of the house, and the Willys, the only full time staff remaining at the Sundark.
The story itself is creepy and compelling, full of ghostly presences, strange lights and mysterious rooms, in the best whodunnit style – or rather what’sdoingit. It’s beautifully written with rich descriptions and wonderful characters. There is a slight sense, however, of coming into an ongoing story with Elle’s preoccupation with a recent sighting of her dead husband. For me that whole plot strand felt a little bit off compared to the rest. I would also have liked to have seen more of Faedra, Elle’s wife. She does show up at the end, but doesn’t do much making her appearance a little superfluous, especially as she’s clearly capable of helping out.
In all, though, this is a fascinating, beautifully told story combing alchemy, spiritualism, ghost hunting, mysterious mechanisms, plain old murder and ancient worldly powers better left alone. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading more from this Dark Victorian world.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
August 16, 2016
More like 2.75 starts. It's somewhere between 2 and 3.
Review originally published on Lazy Happy Bored Happy Sad...
‘Sundark’ by Elizabeth Watasin was advertised as a Victorian Goth novel with lesbians so um, I was curious but I guess this wasn’t what I expected. Not that I really know what I expected when I requested this. But lets take it from the top.
So, ‘Sundark’ is about Elle Black who is ‘legally’ married to Faedy via a contract. IDK how exactly this is working but they feel comfortable enough to not hide their marriage from the public. Elle is called to a mechanical hotel that turns around its own axis because guests keep disappearing and she is some sort of psychic detective. I didn’t really understand how exactly the house mechanics worked but okay. There were a lot of things I didn’t fully understand.
The first chapter was incredibly info-dumpy and throughout the whole novel it felt to me more like a set-up for a series than a stand alone book. Maybe it will be a series but the plot of this novel didn’t spike my interest too much. That though could totally be my own taste because the spirit part reminded me too much of Supernatural which also bores me to death.
I don’t want to give away the ending and so I won’t. I was a bit put off by Elle being separate from her wife through most of the story though the author tried to take care of that through their regularly exchanged letters. It wasn’t quite enough for me though. Maybe, and here come in the expectations, I was expecting more of that.
As much as this felt like a prequel to a series, it still had lots that took me by surprise, like Elle’s ex-husband being a vampire and such. Why? I guess, it’s just a genre that isn’t for me. I love ghosts but to me they are also mostly nice round fellas; friendly and all that. Spirits that take away life just aren’t. It’s not my world so maybe someone with an affinity for the supernatural stuff would have liked this story a lot more. I came for the lesbians and well, I hardly stayed for them. I was just glad this book was on the shorter side of things.
I’m sorry I don’t have more to say on this but that says something about a book as well, right? It wasn’t good enough to let me give a raving review but also not bad enough that I could take it apart bit by bit. It sits somewhere in the no man’s land between those two.
Review originally published on Lazy Happy Bored Happy Sad...
‘Sundark’ by Elizabeth Watasin was advertised as a Victorian Goth novel with lesbians so um, I was curious but I guess this wasn’t what I expected. Not that I really know what I expected when I requested this. But lets take it from the top.
So, ‘Sundark’ is about Elle Black who is ‘legally’ married to Faedy via a contract. IDK how exactly this is working but they feel comfortable enough to not hide their marriage from the public. Elle is called to a mechanical hotel that turns around its own axis because guests keep disappearing and she is some sort of psychic detective. I didn’t really understand how exactly the house mechanics worked but okay. There were a lot of things I didn’t fully understand.
The first chapter was incredibly info-dumpy and throughout the whole novel it felt to me more like a set-up for a series than a stand alone book. Maybe it will be a series but the plot of this novel didn’t spike my interest too much. That though could totally be my own taste because the spirit part reminded me too much of Supernatural which also bores me to death.
I don’t want to give away the ending and so I won’t. I was a bit put off by Elle being separate from her wife through most of the story though the author tried to take care of that through their regularly exchanged letters. It wasn’t quite enough for me though. Maybe, and here come in the expectations, I was expecting more of that.
As much as this felt like a prequel to a series, it still had lots that took me by surprise, like Elle’s ex-husband being a vampire and such. Why? I guess, it’s just a genre that isn’t for me. I love ghosts but to me they are also mostly nice round fellas; friendly and all that. Spirits that take away life just aren’t. It’s not my world so maybe someone with an affinity for the supernatural stuff would have liked this story a lot more. I came for the lesbians and well, I hardly stayed for them. I was just glad this book was on the shorter side of things.
I’m sorry I don’t have more to say on this but that says something about a book as well, right? It wasn’t good enough to let me give a raving review but also not bad enough that I could take it apart bit by bit. It sits somewhere in the no man’s land between those two.
April 15, 2015
Thank you to Netgalley and A-Girl Studio for a copy of this ebook for review.
Overall, this was a good read, and I quite liked it. There were, however, aspects I did not like, and so I’m going to go with 3 stars.
While I enjoyed Elle and Faedra, most of the other characters were hard to connect with, or even tell apart from one another. Except for Josephine, who was interesting, the rest of the occupants at Sundark were bland, and I found myself mixing them all up, as they were mentioned and this hardly got better as the story went on.
I did enjoy the premise of the story, and the house, Sundark, itself was very neat in its rotations multiple times a day, as well as all the things (living and not) hidden within. And although I thought the plot was executed well, I just felt like I was more often than not forcing myself to read it, rather than finding myself excited to continue.
Elle was a lot of fun with her strong character, interesting back story, and fun wit. She and Faedra make such a great pair (as well I appreciate their relationship and how it is discussed and handled in the story), and I am interested in the rest of the story of Elle and Faedra, as well as how it ties into the Dark Victorian series, also by Elizabeth Watasin.
So, I would recommend this book, as well as the Dark Victorian series, since they take place in the same world, and the peppering of references to The Dark Victorian: Risen were fun to pick up on.
Overall, this was a good read, and I quite liked it. There were, however, aspects I did not like, and so I’m going to go with 3 stars.
While I enjoyed Elle and Faedra, most of the other characters were hard to connect with, or even tell apart from one another. Except for Josephine, who was interesting, the rest of the occupants at Sundark were bland, and I found myself mixing them all up, as they were mentioned and this hardly got better as the story went on.
I did enjoy the premise of the story, and the house, Sundark, itself was very neat in its rotations multiple times a day, as well as all the things (living and not) hidden within. And although I thought the plot was executed well, I just felt like I was more often than not forcing myself to read it, rather than finding myself excited to continue.
Elle was a lot of fun with her strong character, interesting back story, and fun wit. She and Faedra make such a great pair (as well I appreciate their relationship and how it is discussed and handled in the story), and I am interested in the rest of the story of Elle and Faedra, as well as how it ties into the Dark Victorian series, also by Elizabeth Watasin.
So, I would recommend this book, as well as the Dark Victorian series, since they take place in the same world, and the peppering of references to The Dark Victorian: Risen were fun to pick up on.
November 5, 2014
1880. 22-year-old Elle Black, big fan of Artifice (the artificial ghost from HRH Prince Albert's Secret Commission) and an avid reader of mad journalist Helia Skycourt, leaves her wife Faedra at home in Camden, to investigate mysterious disappearances in a haunted mechanical house.
This is a gothic and romantic novel written by fabulous Dark Victorian author Elizabeth Watasin. While this new heroine is feminine to a fault, she is also strong-willed and if necessary she can move objects with her mind. She is not afraid to tell people that her marriage with Faedra White-Black is more than a legal contract, it is about love.
Elizabeth Watasin writes character-driven and detailed mysteries. Her style for this penny dread is poetic and delicate. Sundark, the haunted mechanical house, is portrayed as a formidable persona. The descriptions are so vivid, you can see the characters moving in front of your eyes, colourful, animated and three-dimensional.
After witnessing a guest being taken away by ghostly entities, Elle Black is more than determined to solve the mystery and put an end to the disappearances, even if it means facing the malevolent house on her own.
Elizabeth Watasin will convert you to her personal brand of steampunk (Dark Victorian) with her sense for details and her impish sense of humour.
This is a gothic and romantic novel written by fabulous Dark Victorian author Elizabeth Watasin. While this new heroine is feminine to a fault, she is also strong-willed and if necessary she can move objects with her mind. She is not afraid to tell people that her marriage with Faedra White-Black is more than a legal contract, it is about love.
Elizabeth Watasin writes character-driven and detailed mysteries. Her style for this penny dread is poetic and delicate. Sundark, the haunted mechanical house, is portrayed as a formidable persona. The descriptions are so vivid, you can see the characters moving in front of your eyes, colourful, animated and three-dimensional.
After witnessing a guest being taken away by ghostly entities, Elle Black is more than determined to solve the mystery and put an end to the disappearances, even if it means facing the malevolent house on her own.
Elizabeth Watasin will convert you to her personal brand of steampunk (Dark Victorian) with her sense for details and her impish sense of humour.
April 12, 2015
"Sundark" is a little bit steampunk, a little bit horror novel, a little bit Victorian penny-dreadful ... and a whole lot of entertainment!
Paranormal investigator Elle Black is asked to visit Sundark, a hotel/boarding house whose guests are disappearing with incredible regularity. Is there a murderer in the house? Are there dark, occult goings-on? And why does the house literally get up and turn around a few times a day?
These questions and more are answered within the pages of this entertaining novella.
Elizabeth Watasin is writing historical/paranormal fiction for the underserved lesbian audience ... but that keeps any reader entertained. Her books are ripping good yarns, and I highly recommend them.
Paranormal investigator Elle Black is asked to visit Sundark, a hotel/boarding house whose guests are disappearing with incredible regularity. Is there a murderer in the house? Are there dark, occult goings-on? And why does the house literally get up and turn around a few times a day?
These questions and more are answered within the pages of this entertaining novella.
Elizabeth Watasin is writing historical/paranormal fiction for the underserved lesbian audience ... but that keeps any reader entertained. Her books are ripping good yarns, and I highly recommend them.
January 29, 2015
A quirky, enjoyable novel. Highly recommended.
February 15, 2015
Interesting. Prose is sometimes a bit much but the story was good. The relationship was a bit meh.
September 2, 2017
Dark and twisted
This was a really great story with a great protagonist and a wonderfully dark tale. I can't wait for the next one.
This was a really great story with a great protagonist and a wonderfully dark tale. I can't wait for the next one.
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