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Dr. Greta Helsing #3
Grave Importance
'This book is a joy to read, unlocking every bit of delicious promise in the premise' B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog on Strange Practice
MEET GRETA HELSING, DOCTOR TO THE UNDEAD
In the hills above Marseille, Oasis Natrun is a highly secret health spa for mummies, equipped with the very latest therapeutic innovations both magical and medical. To Dr Greta Helsing, it sounds like paradise. But when she takes the job of interim clinical director, it isn't long before Greta finds herself faced with a medical mystery that will take all her diagnostic skill to solve.
With help from her friends and colleagues - including demons, witches and the inimitable vampyre Sir Francis Varney - Greta must put a stop to this mysterious illness before anybody else crumbles to irreparable dust.
Praise for the series:
'I loved every page of it . . . a spectacularly fun book' Powder and Page
'Balances an agile mystery with a pitch-perfect, droll narrative and a cast of loveable misfit characters' Shelf Awareness
'Shaw's elegant writing makes this series a standout in the genre' Booklist
'Packed with characters who are a pleasure to spend time with' ScifiNow
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 24, 2019
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September 26, 2019Absolutely delightful third, and I suppose last, instalment of this series. It's a lovely read--reminiscent in with and kindness of T Kingfisher and Terry Pratchett. The fantasy is great, going to completely mad places with gleeful logic, and there are some utterly delightful romances (mostly queer) going on as well. You definitely need to read at least book 2 to enjoy this aspect properly, it's a big lovely wallow. This is necessary because the fantasy plot becomes really quite stressful, not to say eschatological, but we never lose sight of love and humanity, even if hardly any of the characters are technically human.
A really lovely and much needed escape from reality, which I clung onto with both hands yesterday.
A really lovely and much needed escape from reality, which I clung onto with both hands yesterday.
September 22, 2019
Thanks to the Goodreads Giveaway program for this ARC!
I love this series so much and Grave Importance is hands down the best installment. I just wasn't ready for the trilogy to end here. Shaw's style is brilliant and I truly became invested in Greta, Ruthven, Varney, and Fastitocalon. I hope we get to see more of them again in the future - perhaps a spinoff of some kind. I highly recommend this series to fans of Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman and Supernatural. I can't wait to see what Vivian Shaw does next!
I love this series so much and Grave Importance is hands down the best installment. I just wasn't ready for the trilogy to end here. Shaw's style is brilliant and I truly became invested in Greta, Ruthven, Varney, and Fastitocalon. I hope we get to see more of them again in the future - perhaps a spinoff of some kind. I highly recommend this series to fans of Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman and Supernatural. I can't wait to see what Vivian Shaw does next!
September 22, 2019
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/09/28/...
I realize the Dr. Greta Helsing series might be a bit of an acquired taste, but if you’ve stayed with it for this long, then you’ll know the kind of strange and wonderful treat you’re in for in Grave Importance. A mix of the new and old, the modern and the classic, the funny and the dark, this novel delivered everything I loved about the first two books and featured an ending that capped the trilogy off nicely.
Once more, readers return to the world of Greta Helsing, doctor of the supernatural specializing in providing healthcare to London’s population of undead creatures. When the story begins, Greta has just received an offer to serve as interim medical director at Oasis Natrun, one of the world’s most exclusive health spas catering to pampered and wealthy mummies. Nestled in the picturesque hills above Marseille, the opportunity is a dream come true—until reports of a strange illness ravaging through the mummy community becomes her problem. Baffled by the cause of this unknown malady, which causes weaknesses and fainting spells, Greta is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Meanwhile, Ruthven and Grisaille are vacationing in Italy when the former is suddenly struck down by a malicious curse. In fact, it is a curse so destructive that Ruthven must receive specialized treatment in order to get any relief. And together with Samael, Fastitocalon is trying to figure out what the angels are up to and the reason for the curious instability recently observed between the planes of Heaven, Earth, and Hell. As if that wasn’t enough, while all this is going on, the story also takes Greta’s ongoing romance with the vampyre Sir Francis Varney to a whole new level.
As you can probably tell, it falls to Grave Importance to tie up all the loose ends and bring this trilogy to its finale, so it is no surprise so much takes place within its pages. We have a mainly a mystery, spiced up with a fair bit of romantic tension. Greta is charged with putting out multiple fires, inundated as she is with medical conundrums. I really liked how we got to really see her in her element here—more so than in either of the previous books. The story highlights both her superb talents as a doctor as well as her intense passion for her work; this is a woman who truly cares about saving un-lives, and, in spite of herself, can’t help but perceive losing a patient as a personal failure.
And that’s what I love most about Vivian Shaw’s characters. Despite more than half the cast being undead or demons, they all just feel so damn human. Every character is an interesting individual with genuine personalities, backgrounds, and motivations. Even those taken from literary classics are given their own dispositions, so while they remain recognizable from the sources they’re drawn from, they have their own unique qualities and quirks.
In terms of the story, admittedly it felt a bit scattered, what with so much going on. The focus jumps from mummies and Egyptology to mysterious curses and special intensive care units in Hell. Everything culminates in a spectacular climax of epic proportions involving the fabric of reality and the fate of our mortal realm itself. And somehow, Shaw still manages to work in several romantic arcs. But of course, it’s Greta and Varney’s that I was most interested in following, and it was a little insane how so much of the progress on that front was crammed into the last quarter or the book so, competing with the major events of the ending. That said, while it’s true that the action could have been better balanced, there was no negative impact on overall pacing, and I can live with feeling a bit flustered here and there, if it means having no lulls.
And at the end of the day, all that matters is that I am very satisfied with the ending. From the beginning, this series has captured my attention with its irresistible charms and mighty big heart. Over time, I’ve come to know and love so many things about these books, including Greta and her enthusiasm for her work, the fascinating company she keeps, as well as the magical and imaginative world they inhabit. It must have been no easy feat pulling everything together for this finale volume, but Vivian Shaw managed it well, and most importantly, she struck the perfect note for the conclusion.
I realize the Dr. Greta Helsing series might be a bit of an acquired taste, but if you’ve stayed with it for this long, then you’ll know the kind of strange and wonderful treat you’re in for in Grave Importance. A mix of the new and old, the modern and the classic, the funny and the dark, this novel delivered everything I loved about the first two books and featured an ending that capped the trilogy off nicely.
Once more, readers return to the world of Greta Helsing, doctor of the supernatural specializing in providing healthcare to London’s population of undead creatures. When the story begins, Greta has just received an offer to serve as interim medical director at Oasis Natrun, one of the world’s most exclusive health spas catering to pampered and wealthy mummies. Nestled in the picturesque hills above Marseille, the opportunity is a dream come true—until reports of a strange illness ravaging through the mummy community becomes her problem. Baffled by the cause of this unknown malady, which causes weaknesses and fainting spells, Greta is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Meanwhile, Ruthven and Grisaille are vacationing in Italy when the former is suddenly struck down by a malicious curse. In fact, it is a curse so destructive that Ruthven must receive specialized treatment in order to get any relief. And together with Samael, Fastitocalon is trying to figure out what the angels are up to and the reason for the curious instability recently observed between the planes of Heaven, Earth, and Hell. As if that wasn’t enough, while all this is going on, the story also takes Greta’s ongoing romance with the vampyre Sir Francis Varney to a whole new level.
As you can probably tell, it falls to Grave Importance to tie up all the loose ends and bring this trilogy to its finale, so it is no surprise so much takes place within its pages. We have a mainly a mystery, spiced up with a fair bit of romantic tension. Greta is charged with putting out multiple fires, inundated as she is with medical conundrums. I really liked how we got to really see her in her element here—more so than in either of the previous books. The story highlights both her superb talents as a doctor as well as her intense passion for her work; this is a woman who truly cares about saving un-lives, and, in spite of herself, can’t help but perceive losing a patient as a personal failure.
And that’s what I love most about Vivian Shaw’s characters. Despite more than half the cast being undead or demons, they all just feel so damn human. Every character is an interesting individual with genuine personalities, backgrounds, and motivations. Even those taken from literary classics are given their own dispositions, so while they remain recognizable from the sources they’re drawn from, they have their own unique qualities and quirks.
In terms of the story, admittedly it felt a bit scattered, what with so much going on. The focus jumps from mummies and Egyptology to mysterious curses and special intensive care units in Hell. Everything culminates in a spectacular climax of epic proportions involving the fabric of reality and the fate of our mortal realm itself. And somehow, Shaw still manages to work in several romantic arcs. But of course, it’s Greta and Varney’s that I was most interested in following, and it was a little insane how so much of the progress on that front was crammed into the last quarter or the book so, competing with the major events of the ending. That said, while it’s true that the action could have been better balanced, there was no negative impact on overall pacing, and I can live with feeling a bit flustered here and there, if it means having no lulls.
And at the end of the day, all that matters is that I am very satisfied with the ending. From the beginning, this series has captured my attention with its irresistible charms and mighty big heart. Over time, I’ve come to know and love so many things about these books, including Greta and her enthusiasm for her work, the fascinating company she keeps, as well as the magical and imaginative world they inhabit. It must have been no easy feat pulling everything together for this finale volume, but Vivian Shaw managed it well, and most importantly, she struck the perfect note for the conclusion.
September 29, 2019
I felt...meh about this one. For some reason, the purple prose annoyed me this time and the descriptions of Greta going about her day felt rote and tired. I waited for this book to come out because I loved the first two so much and I hate that I didn’t love it as much as I expected I would.
March 21, 2021
I understand this is the end of a trilogy and I'm very sad about that. This delightful series has been suffused with the kindness, humanity, and sly wit that's reminiscent of Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch without any of the latter's sarcasm, and it's written in a style that's a true pleasure to read--a blend of mid-Victorian and modern prose that even includes frequent italics for words to be pronounced with a sparkling up-pitch when reading aloud.
The mainstays of the series are back in full force: Dr. Greta Helsing, the London-based doctor to supernatural species of all kinds; Edmund Ruthven, the insanely wealthy "draculine" vampire whom Polidori wrote about; Sir Francis Varney, the melancholy "lunar sensitive" vampyre-with-a-y from Victorian penny dreadfuls; and (my personal favorite from the debut novel) Fastitocolon, a true friend to Greta, now reinstated in Hell where he's sorting out a mess at Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E).
At last we get to see Greta in her true element, first as interim director of an exclusive private medical facility for mummies in the south of France (accessible by private helicopter from Marseille airport) and then as a wartime surgeon treating countless wounded angels at the intensive care unit of Erebus General Hospital in Hell, called into emergency service under Dr. Faust (yes, that Faust) because his staff (all demons) are violently allergic to angels and .
A mysterious ailment, involving fainting spells and worse, is afflicting the mummies under Greta's care, and no one can trace its origin; meanwhile, a strange curse is laid on Ruthven and he comes to Greta for treatment along with his frantic vampire lover Grisaille (from book #2). They call in Cranswell (from book #1) and he and Grisaille go to New York on a highly illegal mission involving a powerful and wealthy woman who collects Egyptian artifacts...the story only gets more complicated from then on; I've already hinted that Heaven and Hell will get into it, and once that happens the sky is no longer the limit!
Much of the wit in this novel comes from little reality checks just when you think fantasy may be getting out of hand; for example
And there's a tasteful romance between Varney and Greta along with heartfelt love between Ruthven and Grisaille as Ruthven lies dying (at considerable length). A thoroughly enjoyable ride with a climax that may be over the top for some readers, but I'm not complaining. I just wish Vivian Shaw would write more books about some of my very best book friends!
The mainstays of the series are back in full force: Dr. Greta Helsing, the London-based doctor to supernatural species of all kinds; Edmund Ruthven, the insanely wealthy "draculine" vampire whom Polidori wrote about; Sir Francis Varney, the melancholy "lunar sensitive" vampyre-with-a-y from Victorian penny dreadfuls; and (my personal favorite from the debut novel) Fastitocolon, a true friend to Greta, now reinstated in Hell where he's sorting out a mess at Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E).
At last we get to see Greta in her true element, first as interim director of an exclusive private medical facility for mummies in the south of France (accessible by private helicopter from Marseille airport) and then as a wartime surgeon treating countless wounded angels at the intensive care unit of Erebus General Hospital in Hell, called into emergency service under Dr. Faust (yes, that Faust) because his staff (all demons) are violently allergic to angels and .
A mysterious ailment, involving fainting spells and worse, is afflicting the mummies under Greta's care, and no one can trace its origin; meanwhile, a strange curse is laid on Ruthven and he comes to Greta for treatment along with his frantic vampire lover Grisaille (from book #2). They call in Cranswell (from book #1) and he and Grisaille go to New York on a highly illegal mission involving a powerful and wealthy woman who collects Egyptian artifacts...the story only gets more complicated from then on; I've already hinted that Heaven and Hell will get into it, and once that happens the sky is no longer the limit!
Much of the wit in this novel comes from little reality checks just when you think fantasy may be getting out of hand; for example
Every student of mummy medicine had to come up against a specific mental wall in the course of their research and discoveries: the point of but that makes no sense. Greta's own had been fairly early on: How can they talk when they have no actual lungs in situ to do the breathing part with, followed sharply by, And how can they do literally anything, let alone think, with no brain? Once she'd got past the no-brain thing...she found herself able to look past the wall for the most part. Mummies were made largely out of magic...So we meet several mummies, each with a very distinct personality, and one Egyptian god, along with very efficient medical staffs and up-to-date equipment in both southern France and, of course, Hell.
And there's a tasteful romance between Varney and Greta along with heartfelt love between Ruthven and Grisaille as Ruthven lies dying (at considerable length). A thoroughly enjoyable ride with a climax that may be over the top for some readers, but I'm not complaining. I just wish Vivian Shaw would write more books about some of my very best book friends!
October 3, 2019
Well... that was messy. I have enjoyed the urban gothic monster vibe of the series but this episode was celestial and cartoonish.
I had been hoping for more Alceste St. Germain and got an insufferable amount of Grisaille.
Hopefully this was a hiccup and this series is not a failing vector.
Sigh, at least I learned about the lovely Regard Ring...
I had been hoping for more Alceste St. Germain and got an insufferable amount of Grisaille.
Hopefully this was a hiccup and this series is not a failing vector.
Sigh, at least I learned about the lovely Regard Ring...
April 1, 2024
Somehow the best book to finish on this Easter Sunday????????? Forgiveness???? Love??????? The concept of prayer??????????????? Crying in the club.
Also, mummy TB treatments, commentary on demonic allergies, and angelic triage and trauma surgery in a hospital in Hell. I was a kid in a candy shop. Such an absolutely perfect (and silly) mixture of things I find hilarious and fascinating.
A lovely, lovely little series.
Also, mummy TB treatments, commentary on demonic allergies, and angelic triage and trauma surgery in a hospital in Hell. I was a kid in a candy shop. Such an absolutely perfect (and silly) mixture of things I find hilarious and fascinating.
A lovely, lovely little series.
October 23, 2020
Grave Importance
(Dr. Greta Helsing #3)
by Vivian Shaw
I really wanted to like this book! I liked the idea so much! I might have liked it more if I had read it instead of listening to it because the narration was horrible!
(Dr. Greta Helsing #3)
by Vivian Shaw
I really wanted to like this book! I liked the idea so much! I might have liked it more if I had read it instead of listening to it because the narration was horrible!
December 21, 2019
This third installment in the Dr. Greta Helsing series was more cohesive than the second. It did however still suffer from some technical issues.
I’ll start with the not so great:
Plot: A lot all over the place. We go from some issues with a few mummies, to angels from an alternate universe that somehow have something to do with a vain millionaire and end up in Hell on the cusp of Armageddon. (I suppose these are somewhat spoilers, but really, figuring out how you get from one to the other without reading the story is quite impossible.)
The Romance: It’s… fine? Greta and Varney are great. Their relationship just feels kind of flat. I think the series would have benefited from skipping it in all honesty. Particularly because everyone seems to just be ignoring the logistical issues coming up in the next couple of decades.
Deus Ex Machina: and I mean that pretty literally.
Things I enjoyed:
Greta: She’s great. Snarky, no nonsense and very dedicated. She’s a badass doctor and she cares about her patients. I also like how she’s really only kind of on the periphery of the main events. She’s the protagonist because it’s her book. But the main events kind of just happen around her. I find it interesting to see a story told that way.
Ruthven and Grisaille: They’re ridiculous and I love them.
Hell: Top of the line medical care, bars, great shopping district and bureaucracy. Sure, why not? It’s just excellent. (Also, there are ears on legs for some reason.)
Supernatural Medicine: Does any of it make any sense? I have no idea. But it sounds like it does and it’s told in a believable and entertaining way.
Overall I enjoyed the series. This one is a solid 3.5 rounded up for being endearing.
I’ll start with the not so great:
Plot: A lot all over the place. We go from some issues with a few mummies, to angels from an alternate universe that somehow have something to do with a vain millionaire and end up in Hell on the cusp of Armageddon. (I suppose these are somewhat spoilers, but really, figuring out how you get from one to the other without reading the story is quite impossible.)
The Romance: It’s… fine? Greta and Varney are great. Their relationship just feels kind of flat. I think the series would have benefited from skipping it in all honesty. Particularly because everyone seems to just be ignoring the logistical issues coming up in the next couple of decades.
Deus Ex Machina: and I mean that pretty literally.
Things I enjoyed:
Greta: She’s great. Snarky, no nonsense and very dedicated. She’s a badass doctor and she cares about her patients. I also like how she’s really only kind of on the periphery of the main events. She’s the protagonist because it’s her book. But the main events kind of just happen around her. I find it interesting to see a story told that way.
Ruthven and Grisaille: They’re ridiculous and I love them.
Hell: Top of the line medical care, bars, great shopping district and bureaucracy. Sure, why not? It’s just excellent. (Also, there are ears on legs for some reason.)
Supernatural Medicine: Does any of it make any sense? I have no idea. But it sounds like it does and it’s told in a believable and entertaining way.
Overall I enjoyed the series. This one is a solid 3.5 rounded up for being endearing.
January 13, 2020
I like this world, and Greta. This time, it’s seriously ill mummies, a mysterious and beautiful pair of individuals up to something, and a woman with an incredible collection of ancient Egyptian articles. That all come together to imperil the world and our reality. Things are bad, and they keep getting worse over the story and the gang have to work together to save each other and everything else. And Greta gets to go somewhere really unexpected.
The trilogy wraps up, mostly in a satisfying manner, though I didn’t buy the one act that turns things round after the climax. That said, the ending is cozy and happy, and everyone’s in a better place emotionally. I can say I enjoyed this trilogy overall.
The trilogy wraps up, mostly in a satisfying manner, though I didn’t buy the one act that turns things round after the climax. That said, the ending is cozy and happy, and everyone’s in a better place emotionally. I can say I enjoyed this trilogy overall.
May 23, 2020
I just love the kindness and fun and compassion in this series, along with the repeated emphases on redemption and found families. A couple of small details in the climax of the book didn't quite work for me, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the story as a whole, all the mummies were fabulous, and I can't wait to read whatever Vivian Shaw writes next.
October 27, 2019
Two stars is perfect for this - I enjoyed the first two books in the series but found this one hard to stick with. I found at the end I was just skimming the pages to finish it.
September 16, 2026
4.25 ⭐
This series is great. I love the cast of characters and the way the magical world is mixed with the mundane world. I enjoy how many critters and creatures there are. The writing is crisp and clear.
So, for the most part I had a lovely time. My only sour point is that I found the resolution to the big crisis totally unsatisfying. It's
Mild version of spoiler:
This is the 2nd book I've read this year where if it weren't for the off-page gay sex I would have said it passed as Christian Fiction.
Content Warnings:
Graphic: Death, Medical content
Moderate: Gore, Violence, Alcohol, War
Minor: Addiction, Chronic illness, Cursing, Sexism, Sexual content, Medical trauma
This series is great. I love the cast of characters and the way the magical world is mixed with the mundane world. I enjoy how many critters and creatures there are. The writing is crisp and clear.
So, for the most part I had a lovely time. My only sour point is that I found the resolution to the big crisis totally unsatisfying. It's
Mild version of spoiler:
This is the 2nd book I've read this year where if it weren't for the off-page gay sex I would have said it passed as Christian Fiction.
Content Warnings:
Graphic: Death, Medical content
Moderate: Gore, Violence, Alcohol, War
Minor: Addiction, Chronic illness, Cursing, Sexism, Sexual content, Medical trauma
August 12, 2019
Greta Helsing has been invited to be an interim medical director of Oasis Natrun, an exclusive medical facility and spa for mummies, located in Marseille, France. Although her relationship with Varney is relatively new, Greta jumps at the chance, eager to work at such an advanced clinic. However, things aren’t so simple; shortly after Greta arrives, she realizes there’s something going wrong with the mummy population. In Italy, Ruthven and Grisaille are on holiday when two strange individuals cast a curse on Ruthven. Across the ocean, in New York City, an eccentric and rich woman is collecting Egyptian artifacts and hopes to find the secret to eternal youth. In Hell, Fastitocalon is working with Samael to figure out what is going on with the weakness in the fabric of the universe - how long has it been going on? what will be the end result? As all of these threads tie together, the closer Greta comes to the truth, the more dangerous the world becomes, leaving Greta and everyone she loves with their fates on a razor’s edge.
I stayed up late to finish this book and I honestly couldn’t put it down. I was worried for the characters from around 14% in and I stayed that way until almost the end. As a reader, you care for Greta and Ruthven, Varney and Grisaille, Cranwell, Fastitocalon, for all of them - you genuinely want the best for them, and worry for them, and they feel like old friends. The whole cast of characters is nuanced and well developed, a found family, not without their flaws but still good, and still trying. The romantic relationships are simply lovely; Greta and Varney are my favorites, of course, but Grisaille and Ruthven are a delight. I love how the queer relationships in the series are just *there*, they’re not filled with angst because of their queerness, they’re not tragic, the love is deep and abiding and allowed to exist, which is so important to me.
The plot was so well crafted and tied together so nicely - there were villains you thought would be more sinister, or who seemed rather benign and then caused something absolutely awful to happen. The mystery was compelling, and I loved the way Shaw wove together medicine and history and the supernatural. It’s such a highlight of the trilogy, and one of my favorite things about it. Of course it’s so fun to read the Greta Helsing books, and it’s interesting, but more than that, you want to be there, to experience these events and get to the end and make sure everyone will be okay.
I have to say that I haven’t been this satisfied by a final book in a series….in, well, a long time. I experienced a thorough spread of emotions, from stress to happiness to curiosity to sadness to anxiety to fondness. In my eyes, this book was perfect, and it was the kind of experience that readers long for. I’m so grateful I got to spend time with Greta.
Grave Importance will be released on September 24, 2019.
I stayed up late to finish this book and I honestly couldn’t put it down. I was worried for the characters from around 14% in and I stayed that way until almost the end. As a reader, you care for Greta and Ruthven, Varney and Grisaille, Cranwell, Fastitocalon, for all of them - you genuinely want the best for them, and worry for them, and they feel like old friends. The whole cast of characters is nuanced and well developed, a found family, not without their flaws but still good, and still trying. The romantic relationships are simply lovely; Greta and Varney are my favorites, of course, but Grisaille and Ruthven are a delight. I love how the queer relationships in the series are just *there*, they’re not filled with angst because of their queerness, they’re not tragic, the love is deep and abiding and allowed to exist, which is so important to me.
The plot was so well crafted and tied together so nicely - there were villains you thought would be more sinister, or who seemed rather benign and then caused something absolutely awful to happen. The mystery was compelling, and I loved the way Shaw wove together medicine and history and the supernatural. It’s such a highlight of the trilogy, and one of my favorite things about it. Of course it’s so fun to read the Greta Helsing books, and it’s interesting, but more than that, you want to be there, to experience these events and get to the end and make sure everyone will be okay.
I have to say that I haven’t been this satisfied by a final book in a series….in, well, a long time. I experienced a thorough spread of emotions, from stress to happiness to curiosity to sadness to anxiety to fondness. In my eyes, this book was perfect, and it was the kind of experience that readers long for. I’m so grateful I got to spend time with Greta.
Grave Importance will be released on September 24, 2019.
October 6, 2019
When I got to the end and discovered that the author is a prolific fanfic writer I was like, "ah, there you go," because if there's an overarching thought I have about this book, it's that it reads a lot like fanfic, in both good and bad ways. The good: loving dedication to well-rounded characters (many of them queer and/or POC) and focus on relationships. The bad: the plot and world-building got buried under a metric ton of relationship stuff. This may not have bothered me if I had actually been invested in either of the two central romances ... which I was emphatically not. Mainly, my issue is that a lot of the series - but this final book in particular - reads like really good fanfiction for a really fun canon, but without the actual canon to back it up. It's all a little bit thin, an author's wish-fulfilment playtime with beloved characters that I'm just not as invested in, like reading in a fandom that's not my own.
September 27, 2019
Genuinely crushed that this is the end of the Greta Helsing series. Desperately hope Shaw starts another in the same world; this stellar world-building is far too great to not see more of.
August 5, 2022
I liked this one, though it felt like the weakest of the series so far. The mummy medicine bits were a delight, but I feel like the narrative should have either stuck to telling a smaller story with Van Horne as a more compelling villain, or tell the larger story about the inter-dimensional war on heaven. Having the two together felt like trying to fit too many people into an elevator. All the characters and plot points were jostling elbows which eventually made the ending feel like it came out of nowhere after we’d spend the first half of the story on smaller concerns.
I liked seeing the relationships between Grisaille and Ruthven and Greta and Varney evolve, but they got too sickly sweet for my liking. I think Shaw did a better job in the last two books of making them enjoyable but not stick-in-your-mouth treacley like they were here. I did enjoy the return of Cranswell, one of my favorite minor characters from the first book. Overall this felt disappointingly jumbled for a long-awaited conclusion to the series. The story should have been extended into two books and given more time to focus on the mummy stuff, which was the best stuff.
I liked seeing the relationships between Grisaille and Ruthven and Greta and Varney evolve, but they got too sickly sweet for my liking. I think Shaw did a better job in the last two books of making them enjoyable but not stick-in-your-mouth treacley like they were here. I did enjoy the return of Cranswell, one of my favorite minor characters from the first book. Overall this felt disappointingly jumbled for a long-awaited conclusion to the series. The story should have been extended into two books and given more time to focus on the mummy stuff, which was the best stuff.
January 11, 2020
This was a bit of a bog to get through, which is a shame because the series had such a promising and exciting start. The arc of this trilogy would definitely be a downward graph chart for me. I liked Greta less and less, especially in this final book, and I never understood the attraction and relationship between her and Francis Varney (and that was a huge component of this installation). The ending was so saccharine sweet I started speed reading to get finished with it. I initially loved this series because it was so quirky and unusual with lots of monsters and unique characters to learn about, but with this last book every character seemed like halves of a typical rom-com couple: flat, perfect, and unremarkable. Considering the intensity of the conflict in this book’s plot (a full blown apocalypse), it was just boring and lackluster for me.
February 14, 2022
I adore these books. They're totally fun. Why not hang out with a human physician who specializes in the care of monsters and other supernatural beings in fun global settings? This particular volume centered on sick mummies, and a plot to rip apart whatever boundary separates this universe from others. I especially appreciated Shaw's descriptions of Hell -- I'd totally visit, and the transformative power of the Divine.
Suzannah Hampton's narration is excellent.
Suzannah Hampton's narration is excellent.
December 12, 2023
3.75* this was 4 stars until the end dragged. These books are just so much fun though with each installment the world expands so much more. I would read a 10+ book series with these characters and world.
April 4, 2025
It's been raining in London. Raining so much that when Greta has the chance to fill in for a friend at an exclusive mummy spa in the south of France, she jumps at the opportunity. Mummies are the sort of creatures you need to suspend your disbelief over: they don't have hearts or brains or lungs, but still think and breathe. When several mummies start having inexplicable fainting spells, Greta needs to use all her medical skills to try to find a solution to this baffling problem.
I loved this installment in the Dr Greta Helsing series. Mummies! MUMMIES WITH TUBERCULOSIS! An ancient curse! A battle for heaven and hell! Fallen angels! And such a heartwarming romantic arc for Varny and Greta. What I've loved about each installment in this series is the distinct mystery arc linked with the strong friendships between Greta and her friends, including the demons from hell. This one ties up several storylines neatly and feels like a perfect conclusion...except I have the ARC for book 4 sitting on my kindle, so I know there's more! I'm excited to see where this goes.
I loved this installment in the Dr Greta Helsing series. Mummies! MUMMIES WITH TUBERCULOSIS! An ancient curse! A battle for heaven and hell! Fallen angels! And such a heartwarming romantic arc for Varny and Greta. What I've loved about each installment in this series is the distinct mystery arc linked with the strong friendships between Greta and her friends, including the demons from hell. This one ties up several storylines neatly and feels like a perfect conclusion...except I have the ARC for book 4 sitting on my kindle, so I know there's more! I'm excited to see where this goes.
October 1, 2019
I really enjoyed the first two books, but this book seems to be a bit disconnected from those. The scope of the danger present is leaps and bounds beyond the first two and even within this book it feels like it takes a massive jump in the third act.
The early part of the book focused heavily on the Doctor part of the main character which I very much enjoyed. However, the climax and what is eventually revealed to be the main plot makes everything else seem inconsequential. I think it serves to just take away from the enjoyable aspects of the early parts of the book.
I also feel like the romance takes an unexpected leap forward. I was enjoying it as a background B Plot but it feels shoved to the front at the end like that is the most important thread to wrap up. It ends up feeling a bit rushed. The plot points they hit with the romance were sensible ones to go for, but they maybe should have spread those points across a few more books instead of doing them all in this one.
The early part of the book focused heavily on the Doctor part of the main character which I very much enjoyed. However, the climax and what is eventually revealed to be the main plot makes everything else seem inconsequential. I think it serves to just take away from the enjoyable aspects of the early parts of the book.
I also feel like the romance takes an unexpected leap forward. I was enjoying it as a background B Plot but it feels shoved to the front at the end like that is the most important thread to wrap up. It ends up feeling a bit rushed. The plot points they hit with the romance were sensible ones to go for, but they maybe should have spread those points across a few more books instead of doing them all in this one.
December 10, 2024
Grave Importance by Vivian Shaw was a lot of fun, like the previous books, but I didn't live it just as much.
I absolutely adored how this was pretty much not a romance so far, and so I didn't enjoy this angle getting more central in this book.
Duvet get me wrong, someone who is looking for paranormal romance will be very disappointed by the amount of romance in here, it's still on the low end of things. I'm just always so happy to read a female lead UF without a romance, so even the little bit was too much for me.
I adored the mummies, the fresh setting, and found the apocalyptic troubles fascinating. Angels, demons, mummies, vampires and screaming skulls? What's not to like about all this.
So while in reviews it less than previous books, it was still super entertaining and fun, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for the author.
I absolutely adored how this was pretty much not a romance so far, and so I didn't enjoy this angle getting more central in this book.
Duvet get me wrong, someone who is looking for paranormal romance will be very disappointed by the amount of romance in here, it's still on the low end of things. I'm just always so happy to read a female lead UF without a romance, so even the little bit was too much for me.
I adored the mummies, the fresh setting, and found the apocalyptic troubles fascinating. Angels, demons, mummies, vampires and screaming skulls? What's not to like about all this.
So while in reviews it less than previous books, it was still super entertaining and fun, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for the author.
November 28, 2019
Great ending for a great series, the series as a whole is a total 5 star read for me.
The plot here was wonderful, the mummies, the romance with Greta and Varney , and that with Ruthven and Grisaille are charming, the latter more intense in this book.
Book 2 I felt was the strongest, there were a couple of points in this book where I lost the plot, not because of the writing which is superb, but because of where the story went. I think that this is particular to me though.
I can't recommend this series enough, its funny, the characters especially Greta are wonderful.
The plot here was wonderful, the mummies, the romance with Greta and Varney , and that with Ruthven and Grisaille are charming, the latter more intense in this book.
Book 2 I felt was the strongest, there were a couple of points in this book where I lost the plot, not because of the writing which is superb, but because of where the story went. I think that this is particular to me though.
I can't recommend this series enough, its funny, the characters especially Greta are wonderful.
March 20, 2021
This book--this entire series--is SO excellent. They're clever and funny and heartwarming, and Grave Importance in particular has excellent formatting. (Read it, you'll see what I mean.) And they have nothing to do with the craft or the story whatsoever, but I also love all the illustrations at the beginning of each book. I borrowed all three of these books from the local library, but they're of the rare breed that I actually plan to reread and might just splurge and buy my own copies.
October 18, 2025
I try to review books based on what they *are* not on what I *wished they were* but I'm really disappointed the mummy mystery wasn't the A-plot here--I found the Apocalypse Now plot extremely boring and one that didn't fit in at all well with the rest of the series.
October 7, 2019
High marks for world building, reduced for my least favourite writing trope at the end. Sigh
July 13, 2023
I read this in two days. It is so queer and healed all my catholic guilt.
August 8, 2020
I really liked the first two books in the series (though they had a tendency to fall into some common tropes) but I feel like this book totally came out of left field, and not in a good way.
*****HERE BE SPOILERS*****
The first problem: the big bad.
In the first two books the big bad were relatively normal: ancient evil from our plane and stupid girl overcasting summoning spells and ripping holes in reality. In this one, the big bad is angels from another dimension who have apparently been on Earth for a really long time. Did I miss something? Oh no, that's never properly explained. Like somehow the angels on a different plane of existence decided that our heaven was a false heaven so they needed to destroy it all. But why, when, how? No answers. So they sent two angels from their dimension to Earth to convince a human woman to cast spells over and over and rip holes in reality, so that eventually the lines between planes would blur enough for them to come across and start Armageddon. Which I also kind of have a problem with spells causing holes, but I will get to that later.
So the other dimension sends over Amitiel and Zophiel who disguise themselves as models due to their otherworldly beauty (lame.) A and Z trick a ridiculously rich and vain woman into casting a spell to reclaim her youth over and over again. The Scooby Gang gets involved because every time Van Dorne does this, it gives the collywobbles to a mummy and breaks off part of its soul. And since Dr. Helsing was very fortunately able to keep an eye on a mummy care center in Marseilles for 4 months while the actual director was called away on some specific business that is never explained because it was simply a plot device to position her in the right location. So as soon as we have a mystery on our hands, gang, we have to sort it out. Everything else in the plot seems to happen purely by happenstance.
Problem the second: The convenience of ALWAYS being in the right place at the right time.
-Ruthven and Grisailles stop by the Vatican on a whim and Ruthven gets cursed by an inter-dimensional angel while there.
-Ed Kamal just HAD to go out of town and needed SOMEONE to oversee Oasis Natrun and Helsing is the ONLY person he can trust (but WHY? What is their history?)
-Cranswell and Grisailles bump into Van Dorne while casing the Met. (Which funnily enough even Van Dorne muses that they had no plan and if they hadn't run into her they never would have been able to steal the stela.)
Third problem: the marriage.
That felt a little forced. I know Helsing has daddy and abandonment issues, but marrying Varney? They barely even interacted. It was kind of like the author wanted to force a romance where one really wasn't necessary. I cared more about Ruthven finding happiness than Helsing - I mean, he has spent an eternity alone and suffers bouts of melancholy. Helsing has her work to absorb her and while that's not an excuse to have a character be alone, the relationship with Varney was not only not fully formed, but rather dull.
Fourth problem: Magic spells causes minor rips in reality.
Considering that Dez is a full-on witch with prehensile hair (anybody else think of Entrapta here?) and we don't learn until this book that even minor magic spells cause little rips in reality seems a bit on the convenient side. Summoning spells causing problems makes sense, but if I use magic to de-frizz my hair often enough, it causes problems inter-dimensionally? Also, if minor magic is enough to cause blips in the system and M and E is in charge of monitoring these blips, wouldn't they have a shit-ton of work just running around and keeping an eye on witches? Do witches have a yearly quota of magic that they can use? Do they have their own magic bureau that monitors witch magic use as opposed to demon/angelic magic use? Is every spell worth the same amount of damage or is there a system set up to determine values for different classes of spells?
While this seems like more a world-building issue, I think it still merits some conversation here.
Overall, I think with this being the final book in the trilogy, Shaw might have thought she needed to do a big thing. She really didn't need to. I was perfectly happy with the cool half-in half out of earth. I feel like any time that fantasy or sci-fi add "inter-dimensional" to the plot they are essentially jumping the shark. Unless the entire saga is based on that premise, in which case it's just standard fare.
*****HERE BE SPOILERS*****
The first problem: the big bad.
In the first two books the big bad were relatively normal: ancient evil from our plane and stupid girl overcasting summoning spells and ripping holes in reality. In this one, the big bad is angels from another dimension who have apparently been on Earth for a really long time. Did I miss something? Oh no, that's never properly explained. Like somehow the angels on a different plane of existence decided that our heaven was a false heaven so they needed to destroy it all. But why, when, how? No answers. So they sent two angels from their dimension to Earth to convince a human woman to cast spells over and over and rip holes in reality, so that eventually the lines between planes would blur enough for them to come across and start Armageddon. Which I also kind of have a problem with spells causing holes, but I will get to that later.
So the other dimension sends over Amitiel and Zophiel who disguise themselves as models due to their otherworldly beauty (lame.) A and Z trick a ridiculously rich and vain woman into casting a spell to reclaim her youth over and over again. The Scooby Gang gets involved because every time Van Dorne does this, it gives the collywobbles to a mummy and breaks off part of its soul. And since Dr. Helsing was very fortunately able to keep an eye on a mummy care center in Marseilles for 4 months while the actual director was called away on some specific business that is never explained because it was simply a plot device to position her in the right location. So as soon as we have a mystery on our hands, gang, we have to sort it out. Everything else in the plot seems to happen purely by happenstance.
Problem the second: The convenience of ALWAYS being in the right place at the right time.
-Ruthven and Grisailles stop by the Vatican on a whim and Ruthven gets cursed by an inter-dimensional angel while there.
-Ed Kamal just HAD to go out of town and needed SOMEONE to oversee Oasis Natrun and Helsing is the ONLY person he can trust (but WHY? What is their history?)
-Cranswell and Grisailles bump into Van Dorne while casing the Met. (Which funnily enough even Van Dorne muses that they had no plan and if they hadn't run into her they never would have been able to steal the stela.)
Third problem: the marriage.
That felt a little forced. I know Helsing has daddy and abandonment issues, but marrying Varney? They barely even interacted. It was kind of like the author wanted to force a romance where one really wasn't necessary. I cared more about Ruthven finding happiness than Helsing - I mean, he has spent an eternity alone and suffers bouts of melancholy. Helsing has her work to absorb her and while that's not an excuse to have a character be alone, the relationship with Varney was not only not fully formed, but rather dull.
Fourth problem: Magic spells causes minor rips in reality.
Considering that Dez is a full-on witch with prehensile hair (anybody else think of Entrapta here?) and we don't learn until this book that even minor magic spells cause little rips in reality seems a bit on the convenient side. Summoning spells causing problems makes sense, but if I use magic to de-frizz my hair often enough, it causes problems inter-dimensionally? Also, if minor magic is enough to cause blips in the system and M and E is in charge of monitoring these blips, wouldn't they have a shit-ton of work just running around and keeping an eye on witches? Do witches have a yearly quota of magic that they can use? Do they have their own magic bureau that monitors witch magic use as opposed to demon/angelic magic use? Is every spell worth the same amount of damage or is there a system set up to determine values for different classes of spells?
While this seems like more a world-building issue, I think it still merits some conversation here.
Overall, I think with this being the final book in the trilogy, Shaw might have thought she needed to do a big thing. She really didn't need to. I was perfectly happy with the cool half-in half out of earth. I feel like any time that fantasy or sci-fi add "inter-dimensional" to the plot they are essentially jumping the shark. Unless the entire saga is based on that premise, in which case it's just standard fare.
May 29, 2021
Originally published on my book blog as a combined review with book #2 in the series, TheBibliophage.com.
In her Dr. Greta Helsing series, author Vivian Shaw mixes weird science, likable characters, and tongue-in-cheek humor in a contemporary fantasy brew. Not as gritty as some urban fantasy, the books are built around Helsing’s career as a medical doctor to supernatural creatures. And they’re eminently readable. In fact, when I finished the second book, Dreadful Company, I dove right into the third, Grave Importance. While it’s been over three years since I read book one, Strange Practice, I decided not to let the series languish on my shelf.
When everything winds up in Dreadful Company, we think Greta and the squad can go back to regular life. While it’s more unique than my life, it still wouldn’t make for interesting escapist reading. Instead, Shaw puts Greta and her pals at the center of another existential crisis. This one includes Egyptology, mummies, anti-aging magic, and even a bit of devilish deviousness. Plus, we gain some new insights into the love lives of the friends, which is deliciously dramatic.
My conclusions
I love how Shaw draws from many sources to build her characters and plots. Sometimes it’s a literary or mythos reference. Other times it’s a bit of science spun into the unique universe she imagines. But the bottom line is that I like Greta, who lives with imposter syndrome like so many of us. She’s never quite sure she’s good enough to help the monsters in her clinical care. Much less save the universe. For me, that’s relatable and fun.
I’m definitely hoping for a fourth Dr. Helsing book, or maybe even a spinoff with Ruthven or another character. Shaw has a way with words that reads like a dream. Maybe an off-kilter, never quite imagined dream. But still, the books always go quickly for me. And that’s a good thing—until you come to the end of the series.
Pair all three books in the series together, of course. Or combine with something that also combines literature, art, and humor like Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore.
In her Dr. Greta Helsing series, author Vivian Shaw mixes weird science, likable characters, and tongue-in-cheek humor in a contemporary fantasy brew. Not as gritty as some urban fantasy, the books are built around Helsing’s career as a medical doctor to supernatural creatures. And they’re eminently readable. In fact, when I finished the second book, Dreadful Company, I dove right into the third, Grave Importance. While it’s been over three years since I read book one, Strange Practice, I decided not to let the series languish on my shelf.
When everything winds up in Dreadful Company, we think Greta and the squad can go back to regular life. While it’s more unique than my life, it still wouldn’t make for interesting escapist reading. Instead, Shaw puts Greta and her pals at the center of another existential crisis. This one includes Egyptology, mummies, anti-aging magic, and even a bit of devilish deviousness. Plus, we gain some new insights into the love lives of the friends, which is deliciously dramatic.
My conclusions
I love how Shaw draws from many sources to build her characters and plots. Sometimes it’s a literary or mythos reference. Other times it’s a bit of science spun into the unique universe she imagines. But the bottom line is that I like Greta, who lives with imposter syndrome like so many of us. She’s never quite sure she’s good enough to help the monsters in her clinical care. Much less save the universe. For me, that’s relatable and fun.
I’m definitely hoping for a fourth Dr. Helsing book, or maybe even a spinoff with Ruthven or another character. Shaw has a way with words that reads like a dream. Maybe an off-kilter, never quite imagined dream. But still, the books always go quickly for me. And that’s a good thing—until you come to the end of the series.
Pair all three books in the series together, of course. Or combine with something that also combines literature, art, and humor like Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore.
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