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Bannon & Clare #3
The Ripper Affair
Sorcery. Treason. Madness. And, of course, murder most foul...
A shattering accident places Archibald Clare, mentath in the service of Britannia, in the care of Emma Bannon, sorceress Prime. Clare needs a measure of calm to repair his faculties of Logic and Reason. Without them, he is not his best. At all.
Unfortunately, calm and rest will not be found. There is a killer hiding in the sorcerous steam-hells of Londinium, murdering poor women of a certain reputation. A handful of frails murdered on cold autumn nights would make no difference...but the killings echo in the highest circles, and threaten to bring the Empire down in smoking ruins.
Once more Emma Bannon is pressed into service; once more Archibald Clare is determined to aid her. The secrets between these two old friends may give an ambitious sorcerer the means to bring down the Crown. And there is still no way to reliably find a hansom when one needs it most.
The game is afoot...
A shattering accident places Archibald Clare, mentath in the service of Britannia, in the care of Emma Bannon, sorceress Prime. Clare needs a measure of calm to repair his faculties of Logic and Reason. Without them, he is not his best. At all.
Unfortunately, calm and rest will not be found. There is a killer hiding in the sorcerous steam-hells of Londinium, murdering poor women of a certain reputation. A handful of frails murdered on cold autumn nights would make no difference...but the killings echo in the highest circles, and threaten to bring the Empire down in smoking ruins.
Once more Emma Bannon is pressed into service; once more Archibald Clare is determined to aid her. The secrets between these two old friends may give an ambitious sorcerer the means to bring down the Crown. And there is still no way to reliably find a hansom when one needs it most.
The game is afoot...
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First published August 19, 2014
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About the author
Lilith Saintcrow
132 books4,513 followersLilith Saintcrow was born in New Mexico, bounced around the world as a child, and fell in love with writing stories when she was ten years old. She and her library co-habitate in Vancouver, Washington.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
May 20, 2015
The Ripper Affair is an interesting take on a well-known but never boring theme. Jack the Ripper is never dull.
Since the Red Plague Affair Emma Bannon has been returning missives from the Crown without bothering to reply. The Queen is forced to come to her and ask her to solve the Whitechapel murders. They seem to have an effect on the ruling spirit so a sorceress is very much needed.
Before they have to deal with that case, Emma and Clare have to deal with a terrible loss. Also, those secrets from before refuse to stay buried. All that leads to a lot of introspection and arguments slowing the story. They keep on and on about issues they have with themselves, others and especially with each other. Neither of them acts as the character I came to like in the first two books. The way they treat each other, the way Emma treats her Shield Mikal is horrible.
Add to all this a too stupid to live moment from Emma at one point in the story, Clare saying or thinking stuff like '...no matter how given the fairer sex was to vapours' or not trusting her enough when it comes to people she knows and he doesn't, and it is not surprising it was annoying at times.
The last part of this book makes up for the tedious Emma's and Clare's introspection. It is great. They both seem to wake up and the last scene with Emma and Mikal is, well, so frustratingly good that I wanted it to last even though I know it was perfect the way it is.
Some secrets are left uncovered, the greatest of which being who exactly is Mikal? What is he? If nothing else, it should be a reason to write another book. I know I would read it.
Since the Red Plague Affair Emma Bannon has been returning missives from the Crown without bothering to reply. The Queen is forced to come to her and ask her to solve the Whitechapel murders. They seem to have an effect on the ruling spirit so a sorceress is very much needed.
Before they have to deal with that case, Emma and Clare have to deal with a terrible loss. Also, those secrets from before refuse to stay buried. All that leads to a lot of introspection and arguments slowing the story. They keep on and on about issues they have with themselves, others and especially with each other. Neither of them acts as the character I came to like in the first two books. The way they treat each other, the way Emma treats her Shield Mikal is horrible.
Add to all this a too stupid to live moment from Emma at one point in the story, Clare saying or thinking stuff like '...no matter how given the fairer sex was to vapours' or not trusting her enough when it comes to people she knows and he doesn't, and it is not surprising it was annoying at times.
The last part of this book makes up for the tedious Emma's and Clare's introspection. It is great. They both seem to wake up and the last scene with Emma and Mikal is, well, so frustratingly good that I wanted it to last even though I know it was perfect the way it is.
Some secrets are left uncovered, the greatest of which being who exactly is Mikal? What is he? If nothing else, it should be a reason to write another book. I know I would read it.
June 20, 2015
*Genre* Steampunk, Science Fiction
*Rating* 3.00
*My Thoughts*
The Ripper Affair is the third installment in the Bannon & Clare series by Lilith Saintcrow. The series features Archibald Clare, mentath in the service of Britannia, and Emma Bannon, sorceress Prime, who once served the Queen as her go to point of contact. Emma hasn't left the house, and has ignored the Queens dispatches for assistance ever since The Red Plague Affair that nearly killed her. The Red Plague Affair definitely caused major cracks in the relationship between Emma and the Queen who she is supposed to defend.
*Full Review Postedg @ Gizmos Reviews Steampunk Saturday* 06/20/2015
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
Published: August 19th 2014 by Orbit
*Rating* 3.00
*My Thoughts*
The Ripper Affair is the third installment in the Bannon & Clare series by Lilith Saintcrow. The series features Archibald Clare, mentath in the service of Britannia, and Emma Bannon, sorceress Prime, who once served the Queen as her go to point of contact. Emma hasn't left the house, and has ignored the Queens dispatches for assistance ever since The Red Plague Affair that nearly killed her. The Red Plague Affair definitely caused major cracks in the relationship between Emma and the Queen who she is supposed to defend.
*Full Review Postedg @ Gizmos Reviews Steampunk Saturday* 06/20/2015
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
Published: August 19th 2014 by Orbit
September 21, 2014
3.5
I had this book on my kindle since its publication date, but as I often do with series/authors I love, I sometimes let myself be swayed by the fear this book won't be good enough.
I should haven't, really. I'm sorry to hear Bannon & Clare has been shut-down by the publisher, but I see why it might not be loved by everyone.
For me, The Ripper Affair looses the perfect balance between characters. I could never really understand Clare (in a positive way), and here his reverting to "Feeling" was a bit a disjointing. Mostly because I couldn't understand its cause. Is it the stone? Are Mentales' lack of feeling a false statement? Is it because love was involved? I have no idea, but then the book failed, no refused, to answer a lot of them.
My biggest nit with the story was the language. This time I had the impression the author went a bit too far, was a bit heavy-handed in her approach. I'm used to her fantasy written in a twisted language, the way the setting is a twisted reality (alt) from ours. But this time I had to stop and think, when I read about clews, you know. :)
But at least this time the Neapolitan or maybe Calabrian (he can't decide) uses the right gender when calling for his stregaaa.
Add to this that I really don't remember the previous books, and here comes my rating.
I had this book on my kindle since its publication date, but as I often do with series/authors I love, I sometimes let myself be swayed by the fear this book won't be good enough.
I should haven't, really. I'm sorry to hear Bannon & Clare has been shut-down by the publisher, but I see why it might not be loved by everyone.
For me, The Ripper Affair looses the perfect balance between characters. I could never really understand Clare (in a positive way), and here his reverting to "Feeling" was a bit a disjointing. Mostly because I couldn't understand its cause. Is it the stone? Are Mentales' lack of feeling a false statement? Is it because love was involved? I have no idea, but then the book failed, no refused, to answer a lot of them.
My biggest nit with the story was the language. This time I had the impression the author went a bit too far, was a bit heavy-handed in her approach. I'm used to her fantasy written in a twisted language, the way the setting is a twisted reality (alt) from ours. But this time I had to stop and think, when I read about clews, you know. :)
But at least this time the Neapolitan or maybe Calabrian (he can't decide) uses the right gender when calling for his stregaaa.
Add to this that I really don't remember the previous books, and here comes my rating.
June 29, 2015
A steampunk take on Jack the Ripper. I wasn't sure what to expect but this was my favorite of the series.
After the events of the Red Plague Affair, Emma Bannon has kept to her house and not ventured out. She is ignoring requests from the queen and still needs to have a serious conversation with Mikal about what he did to save her. Archibald Clare is doing his work as a mentath and being the general know-it-all that he is. When an accident wreaks havoc in his life, Clare turns to Bannon for hospitality and care. He also has learned of what SHE did to save him. And, let's just say he is none too pleased. (Who doesn't want this gift? He should be thankful!!!) The queen makes a personal visit to Bannon to ask for help with a string of murders occurring in the slums. They are somehow weakening her spirit through sorcery. Reluctantly, Emma agrees for one last service to the crown.
Where to start? I was surprised at the emotion in The Ripper Affair. From the heartbreaking loss early on, to the revelations about Emma's early childhood. Just wow. So well done. Clare also struggles throughout the book with Feelings (he capitalizes them as they are an unknown quantity to a mentath and he has no idea how to deal with the pain, rage and sorrow he feels.) Many times he takes out his frustration on Emma and that was hard to read. They have so much respect and care for each other yet they both have such strong personalities that they clash painfully at times.
The Ripper story isn't overdone and melds nicely with the sorcery aspect of this series. The author did a great job of tying into Emma's past (both recent and childhood). I appreciated that she didn't romanticize the Ripper's actions. It is clear this killer is a psychopath who needs to be stopped.
Mikal is such an interesting character. I think my biggest disappointment while reading this was the knowledge that the publisher isn't continuing with the series so this is it. We do learn a teensy bit more about Mikal but not nearly enough. Emma still has questions. I still have questions. GAH!!!!!
As I said in the review for RPA, it's all too unusual to see a real male/female friendship in a fantasy/steampunk novel. Saintcrow did a nice job with the relationship between Clare and Bannon. (There is a strong hint of something about Clare that I've suspected but I'm glad that she didn't overplay that hand. It shouldn't matter. Vague, I know but if you read the series, you will pick up on it.)
A really great finish to this too-short trilogy. 4.5 stars (so close to 5 but Clare still talks about Bannon's childlike face way too much.)
After the events of the Red Plague Affair, Emma Bannon has kept to her house and not ventured out. She is ignoring requests from the queen and still needs to have a serious conversation with Mikal about what he did to save her. Archibald Clare is doing his work as a mentath and being the general know-it-all that he is. When an accident wreaks havoc in his life, Clare turns to Bannon for hospitality and care. He also has learned of what SHE did to save him. And, let's just say he is none too pleased. (Who doesn't want this gift? He should be thankful!!!) The queen makes a personal visit to Bannon to ask for help with a string of murders occurring in the slums. They are somehow weakening her spirit through sorcery. Reluctantly, Emma agrees for one last service to the crown.
Where to start? I was surprised at the emotion in The Ripper Affair. From the heartbreaking loss early on, to the revelations about Emma's early childhood. Just wow. So well done. Clare also struggles throughout the book with Feelings (he capitalizes them as they are an unknown quantity to a mentath and he has no idea how to deal with the pain, rage and sorrow he feels.) Many times he takes out his frustration on Emma and that was hard to read. They have so much respect and care for each other yet they both have such strong personalities that they clash painfully at times.
The Ripper story isn't overdone and melds nicely with the sorcery aspect of this series. The author did a great job of tying into Emma's past (both recent and childhood). I appreciated that she didn't romanticize the Ripper's actions. It is clear this killer is a psychopath who needs to be stopped.
Mikal is such an interesting character. I think my biggest disappointment while reading this was the knowledge that the publisher isn't continuing with the series so this is it. We do learn a teensy bit more about Mikal but not nearly enough. Emma still has questions. I still have questions. GAH!!!!!
As I said in the review for RPA, it's all too unusual to see a real male/female friendship in a fantasy/steampunk novel. Saintcrow did a nice job with the relationship between Clare and Bannon. (There is a strong hint of something about Clare that I've suspected but I'm glad that she didn't overplay that hand. It shouldn't matter. Vague, I know but if you read the series, you will pick up on it.)
A really great finish to this too-short trilogy. 4.5 stars (so close to 5 but Clare still talks about Bannon's childlike face way too much.)
February 13, 2015
I've had a mixed relationship with the Bannon & Clare novels. I've always been intrigued by the main characters, and the mysteries of their past, but I've sometimes struggled with the narrative they've been placed in.
Whilst I was not overly enamoured with the first in the series, The Iron Wyrm Affair, the personalities in the tale left me compelled to read more. Thankfully, in the sequel 'The Red Plague Affair', many of the uses of language that grated on me had been reduced and the plot was far more engrossing and substantial.
For this third entry (and final for the present time) in the series, what I encountered was somewhat of a mixed bag. After an explosive opening, the pair find themselves investigating a series of brutal murders in Whitechapel which appear to be diminishing the power of the nation's ruling spirit, Britannia. It's a familiar (in regards to the Ripper), but solid premise. Sadly, however, I felt as though it was one not capitalised on in certain regards. Clare's petulant behaviour and Emma's fraught worrying seem to dominate much of the tone until it becomes oppressive. Large tracts are given over to internal reflections when the plot could be better serviced by statements of the there and now, encompassing all the players. I don't mean to make out that this is poorly written, at times you are engrossed in the story, but at others I felt myself frustrated and hoping for the story to advance.
Ironically, however, the end seems to play out all too quickly. Scenes that could have done with a bit more exploration to amplify tension feel short, frustratingly so. And certain mysteries and emotions are still left unresolved, which frustrated me even further.
Having said all this, they're still interesting characters and I'm sort of sad to see them go, at least for the time being. And there is good in this story, definitely enough to keep me interested in where Bannon & Clare may go from here.
Whilst I was not overly enamoured with the first in the series, The Iron Wyrm Affair, the personalities in the tale left me compelled to read more. Thankfully, in the sequel 'The Red Plague Affair', many of the uses of language that grated on me had been reduced and the plot was far more engrossing and substantial.
For this third entry (and final for the present time) in the series, what I encountered was somewhat of a mixed bag. After an explosive opening, the pair find themselves investigating a series of brutal murders in Whitechapel which appear to be diminishing the power of the nation's ruling spirit, Britannia. It's a familiar (in regards to the Ripper), but solid premise. Sadly, however, I felt as though it was one not capitalised on in certain regards. Clare's petulant behaviour and Emma's fraught worrying seem to dominate much of the tone until it becomes oppressive. Large tracts are given over to internal reflections when the plot could be better serviced by statements of the there and now, encompassing all the players. I don't mean to make out that this is poorly written, at times you are engrossed in the story, but at others I felt myself frustrated and hoping for the story to advance.
Ironically, however, the end seems to play out all too quickly. Scenes that could have done with a bit more exploration to amplify tension feel short, frustratingly so. And certain mysteries and emotions are still left unresolved, which frustrated me even further.
Having said all this, they're still interesting characters and I'm sort of sad to see them go, at least for the time being. And there is good in this story, definitely enough to keep me interested in where Bannon & Clare may go from here.
January 3, 2019
Very good magical Holmesian steampunk trilogy. Recommended, although I liked this one the least of the trilogy.
May 18, 2018
3.5 stars! I was annoyed with Clare and Emma for most of the story! But the ending made up for it! The rogue sorcerer turned out to be someone unexpected! I'm also quite annoyed that the publisher wouldn't continue the series because we will never learn Mikal's background!
November 1, 2014
"I liked it."
So, before I started reading this, I heard that the second trilogy in this series had been dropped by Orbit. Bannon & Clare just aren't flying off the shelves, and so this will be the end of their adventures for now.
My feelings are...
So mixed.
Because this was the strongest of the three, with every single thing working absolutely perfectly -- in theory. It's always that with these books. In theory. Jack the Ripper! Grotesque murders! Clare finally experiences emotions! Ludo dies two pages in! Clare was in love with him? Emma's backstory finally brought to the light! Fallen angels living in wells! What the hell is the Scab? Steampunk zombies! Steampunk... god, what would you even call the Coachman other than pure nightmare fuel wearing steampunk as a skin?
And yet, despite it all, three stars.
I don't know what it is with Lilith Saintcrow. She and I seem to talk past each other. Something about her writing just DOES NOT WORK for me. It's beautiful, it's evocative, and it's competant, but just something about her style just refuses to parse in my head. Every individual word makes sense, but taken as a whole, I'm constantly confused about exactly what it is happening. It's maddening.
I'm so disappointed that B&C are never going to go to India and China and America. At the same time, I'm sort of glad that the decision of whether to buy the next book has been made for me. I want the story but I don't want the hassle of actually reading it!
So, before I started reading this, I heard that the second trilogy in this series had been dropped by Orbit. Bannon & Clare just aren't flying off the shelves, and so this will be the end of their adventures for now.
My feelings are...
So mixed.
Because this was the strongest of the three, with every single thing working absolutely perfectly -- in theory. It's always that with these books. In theory. Jack the Ripper! Grotesque murders! Clare finally experiences emotions! Ludo dies two pages in! Clare was in love with him? Emma's backstory finally brought to the light! Fallen angels living in wells! What the hell is the Scab? Steampunk zombies! Steampunk... god, what would you even call the Coachman other than pure nightmare fuel wearing steampunk as a skin?
And yet, despite it all, three stars.
I don't know what it is with Lilith Saintcrow. She and I seem to talk past each other. Something about her writing just DOES NOT WORK for me. It's beautiful, it's evocative, and it's competant, but just something about her style just refuses to parse in my head. Every individual word makes sense, but taken as a whole, I'm constantly confused about exactly what it is happening. It's maddening.
I'm so disappointed that B&C are never going to go to India and China and America. At the same time, I'm sort of glad that the decision of whether to buy the next book has been made for me. I want the story but I don't want the hassle of actually reading it!
September 2, 2014
On the whole it's a good series set in a Victorian steampunk world with some magic thrown in. Good plot, great use of historical facts and some real people though as usual Inspector Aberline seems to have turned into a Londoner, when he came from Dorset. Personally I blame Johnny Depp.
All that aside looking forward to the next book in hopes that Emma will develop, her partnership with Clare seems strained.
All that aside looking forward to the next book in hopes that Emma will develop, her partnership with Clare seems strained.
March 7, 2015
3.5. Darker than the first two Bannon and Clare books, this Victorian/alt-history/steampunk/mystery starts off with a bang and ends with secrets revealed, Emma's and Mikal's most interestingly. It seemed a bit slower too, with
lots of non-action: Archibald experiencing feelings and Emma thinking about her past and power plays with Mikal. It kept making me think of the show Penny Dreadful, with its air of evil, malaise and decay.
lots of non-action: Archibald experiencing feelings and Emma thinking about her past and power plays with Mikal. It kept making me think of the show Penny Dreadful, with its air of evil, malaise and decay.
April 4, 2015
Our heroes vs a version of Jack the Ripper.
Better than book 2, and a decent read. A favor Emma did for Clare comes back to bite her in the ass, her feud with the Queen continues, and she sorta considers treason. A bit.
I will be interested to see where the series goes after this...
Better than book 2, and a decent read. A favor Emma did for Clare comes back to bite her in the ass, her feud with the Queen continues, and she sorta considers treason. A bit.
I will be interested to see where the series goes after this...
April 21, 2019
I don't know why I haven't posted reviews of the previous instalments of this series on here. They were some of my favourite reads in the past couple of years.
What I love about this series is the vision of alternative London - dangerous, murky, but alive with so much imagination, magic and invention that it's hard not to wish you could visit it.
Funny that it became something of a frustration in this novel - not so much so that I didn't like it, but I just really wanted the pace to slow down at times so I could spend a little more time with the mean streets, getting to know their inhabitants. The plot rattled ahead at such a pace, sometimes we only got the barest glimpses of sorcery enhancing opium dens, mysterious skeletal creatures serving a strange magical entity, sorcerous duels. I just wished there had been a bit more time given to background detail, although I acknowledge it would have been to the detriment of the pacing - a difficult balance to strike.
I continue to love the complex, but sparely drawn characters. Saintcrow isn't afraid to let readers work at figuring out the characters, and what the characters have figured out. The relationships between the characters are all the more tantalising for it, though I am starting to get a little antsy for information on certain characters - things that have been increasingly more alluded to as the series goes on. I have confidence that the eventual reveals will be incredibly satisfying, but I'm just itching to have the complete series right now so I can satisfy my need to know more.
Which, I suppose, is very high praise in a round about sort of way.
What I love about this series is the vision of alternative London - dangerous, murky, but alive with so much imagination, magic and invention that it's hard not to wish you could visit it.
Funny that it became something of a frustration in this novel - not so much so that I didn't like it, but I just really wanted the pace to slow down at times so I could spend a little more time with the mean streets, getting to know their inhabitants. The plot rattled ahead at such a pace, sometimes we only got the barest glimpses of sorcery enhancing opium dens, mysterious skeletal creatures serving a strange magical entity, sorcerous duels. I just wished there had been a bit more time given to background detail, although I acknowledge it would have been to the detriment of the pacing - a difficult balance to strike.
I continue to love the complex, but sparely drawn characters. Saintcrow isn't afraid to let readers work at figuring out the characters, and what the characters have figured out. The relationships between the characters are all the more tantalising for it, though I am starting to get a little antsy for information on certain characters - things that have been increasingly more alluded to as the series goes on. I have confidence that the eventual reveals will be incredibly satisfying, but I'm just itching to have the complete series right now so I can satisfy my need to know more.
Which, I suppose, is very high praise in a round about sort of way.
August 31, 2019
The doldrums
In the middle of the book, I found a couple chapters that I just could not ploughing through. I skipped them, in the end.
The whole book was uncomfortable because the things that defined the two main characters - or Clare, at least, for certain - were just... gone. The relationship as well. It was hard to move past that for me as a reader, and clearly for the characters themselves. It did conclude the series, and I suppose I’m grateful for that. There are no further books in the series, which is just as well.
I may be interested in a story set a decade or two down the road, but not immediately after. Would recommend the first two books of the series strongly. This one for completeness, not for enjoyability.
In the middle of the book, I found a couple chapters that I just could not ploughing through. I skipped them, in the end.
The whole book was uncomfortable because the things that defined the two main characters - or Clare, at least, for certain - were just... gone. The relationship as well. It was hard to move past that for me as a reader, and clearly for the characters themselves. It did conclude the series, and I suppose I’m grateful for that. There are no further books in the series, which is just as well.
I may be interested in a story set a decade or two down the road, but not immediately after. Would recommend the first two books of the series strongly. This one for completeness, not for enjoyability.
May 6, 2020
A steampunk, wizard and witch filled makeover of Sherlock Holmes with a feminist twist. Emma Bannon is a Sorceress Prime, whose magic comes from the dark side of power, and whose employer is the Queen: not only her current physical manifestation, but Britannia, the spirit that has ruled for centuries. She is partnered with Archibald Clare, a master of deduction and logic. With a no less exceptional set of secondary characters, ranging from Bannon’s Shield Mikal, a bodyguard with superhuman skills, to Clare’s Neapolitan assassin valet, Valentinelli, the Bannon/Clare crew take on giant Wyrms, evil conspiracies, and many, many things that go bump in the night. Dense prose and complex world building make for a challenging but very engaging new universe to explore.
dnf
March 29, 2021DNF at 115 pages. I think a big part of my problem is that I read the first two books in the series years ago and I barely remember this world. And there are a fair amount of terms and ideas specific to this steampunk London that I don't really remember. I am piecing them together and some small things were coming back to me, but I just wasn't enjoying the characters, I don't care about the plot, and I don't really remember the big thing that happened in the last book that has upset all of the characters. I think the reason I put off reading this book was knowing that they would not have the same attitudes/relationship that they had in the first two. I might try to return to this someday, but I think I'm done for now.
June 16, 2020
I definitely loved the world more than this story. While things happened,
I guess my verdict is that the book was fine but I wanted to like it more than I did.
I guess my verdict is that the book was fine but I wanted to like it more than I did.
February 4, 2018
This is the last book of a series of three. Though I enjoyed this one, the best, in my opinion, is still the first one. This one is a bit too cliché, with a recycled bad guy, a sorceress who does not like her employer and a bunch of main characters who won't admit they have feelings at all. Plus, a death that completely destroys the dynamics of those characters, who only work as a group. Individually, they are just lost people.
It's entertaining, but not amazing.
It's entertaining, but not amazing.
December 31, 2018
If you were hoping to have everything in the series tied up with a neat bow, look elsewhere. This one goes for the emotional jugular and barely lets up.
I'd like more in the series. I need Emma to actually *have* the conversations she kept putting off for another day rather than continue to dance around them. There were some unanswered questions there. But overall, I really enjoyed the story.
I'd like more in the series. I need Emma to actually *have* the conversations she kept putting off for another day rather than continue to dance around them. There were some unanswered questions there. But overall, I really enjoyed the story.
December 29, 2016
Am I the only one who thinks that the Especially considering how there's Mikal...and I've always admired how they manage to have a partnership in the first 2 books. I feel like this development is a little out of sync, but I suppose only further works will tell if it is or not?
May 13, 2019
I really liked this series! This was probably my favorite of the series. I really loved Emma and the people in her world- Clare, Mikal, Ludovico... even Pico. I also loved her strength and power as much as I loved her flaws. The ruling spirit was a really cool idea, the workings and hierarchy of sorcery- I am not normally into steampunk, but once I adjusted to this steampunk style world I did like it.
Kind of sad this was the last book in the series. I loved Bannon and Clare as a team.
Kind of sad this was the last book in the series. I loved Bannon and Clare as a team.
dnf
September 21, 2020I stopped at 17% in. This book is just not providing the escape I want at the moment. I'm not sure if it's the book, or me, or just everything about 2020, but I'm not enjoying the read the way I expected to based on my enjoyment of the other two books in the series. Hopefully I'll be able to come back to it later and will enjoy it then.
March 24, 2021
Steampunk fantasy. This time we delve into an alternate version of Whitechapel where the horrific Jack the Ripper murders took place and the green Scab grows in the nighttime. Vividly written with a terrific climax.
Quibble: I wanted confirmation that my theory about Mikal was correct and Emma continued to avoid it.
Quibble: I wanted confirmation that my theory about Mikal was correct and Emma continued to avoid it.
December 30, 2022
Probably more 3.5 than 4. I had forgotten how much the author leaves out or just a slides to what or whom Mikail is which quite frankly is just getting frustrating. Decent plot. Good pace. Just wish there was more explication. I enjoy Emma and Archibald’s bantering.
January 3, 2026
Well, I did think the decision to bring back the villain from the first book was a little boring, the Ripper character was an intriguing and mysterious villain. Also, many of the side characters were fully fleshed out and interesting, especially the detective from Clare’s past.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2017
Interesting end to the series.
November 17, 2017
3.5 3.5 Excellent conclusion to the trilogy. Do wish I had read them one after another. I am yearning to know what Mikal is and suspect that St. Crow is not going to tell us.
December 30, 2017
Eagerly awaiting #4.
June 13, 2018
Another excellent installment
Another excellent installment in the Bannon and Clare books. I just hope there are more books to come in the series.
Another excellent installment in the Bannon and Clare books. I just hope there are more books to come in the series.
January 11, 2019
Would love there to be more with these characters!!
December 4, 2019
Well, that was damn satisfying and by the gods ow. The sort of novel and series one needs must snuggle cats after.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews