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The Peculiarities
From popular historical alternate history author David Liss (A Conspiracy of Paper) comes the tale of a clueless young man embroiled in a deadly supernatural mystery in London. Rooted in strange conspiracies and secret societies, this absurdist comedic romp combines strange bedfellows with murderous creatures, resulting in an unexpectedly delightful consequences.
All of his life, Thomas Thresher has been free of obligation and responsibility, but that is over now. He is a twenty-three-year-old man whose best days are behind him. Thomas's older brother Walter has trapped him in a tedious clerical job at the family bank in London, and Thomas is expected to wed a wealthy young woman in whom he has no interest.
But Thomas has more serious problems than those of a disaffected young man. There are irregularities at the bank he cannot explain. His childhood friend has mysteriously turned up dead. Worse, a verdant skin malady has infected him: leaves have begun sprouting on his skin. Thomas must conclude that it is due to the long-rumored Peculiarities. London's famous grey fog has been concealing a rash of unnatural afflictions--and worse, the murderous Elegants.
As Thomas grows leafier, the conspiracies surrounding him become more apparent. He cannot determine whom to trust: his own family; his banking co-workers and superiors; the beautiful widow of his companion; the woman he is to marry. Or perhaps a lycanthropic medium; the members of a secret occult society...or even Aleister Crowley.
All of his life, Thomas Thresher has been free of obligation and responsibility, but that is over now. He is a twenty-three-year-old man whose best days are behind him. Thomas's older brother Walter has trapped him in a tedious clerical job at the family bank in London, and Thomas is expected to wed a wealthy young woman in whom he has no interest.
But Thomas has more serious problems than those of a disaffected young man. There are irregularities at the bank he cannot explain. His childhood friend has mysteriously turned up dead. Worse, a verdant skin malady has infected him: leaves have begun sprouting on his skin. Thomas must conclude that it is due to the long-rumored Peculiarities. London's famous grey fog has been concealing a rash of unnatural afflictions--and worse, the murderous Elegants.
As Thomas grows leafier, the conspiracies surrounding him become more apparent. He cannot determine whom to trust: his own family; his banking co-workers and superiors; the beautiful widow of his companion; the woman he is to marry. Or perhaps a lycanthropic medium; the members of a secret occult society...or even Aleister Crowley.
336 pages, Paperback
First published September 7, 2021
62 people are currently reading
3325 people want to read
About the author
David Liss
146 books1,258 followersI am the author of thirteen novels, most recently The Peculiarities, a historical fantasy out in September 2021. I've also written numerous novellas and short stories. My previous books include A Conspiracy of Paper which was named a New York Times Notable Book and won the 2001 Barry, MacAvity and Edgar awards for Best First novel. The Coffee Trader was also named a New York Times Notable Book and was selected by the New York Public Library as one of the year’s 25 Books to Remember. Several of these books are currently being developed for television or film. I have also worked on numerous comics projects, including Black Panther and Mystery Men for Marvel, The Spider and Green Hornet for Dynamite, and Angelica Tomorrow.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
June 9, 2021
3.75 stars. CW: sexual assault
This historical fantasy was a little iffy in the beginning, but it got much better after a certain point.
Thomas Thresher is a 23 year old man who has lived a mostly carefree life without any hardships or obligations. Now he has a low-level clerical job at his family’s bank in London. On top of the tediousness of his job, his older brother, Walter, is pressuring him to marry Esther, a wealthy woman. Neither of whom have any interest in the other.
Oh, and Thomas is also mysteriously growing leaves on his body. He thinks it might be connected to something called the Peculiarities, which are strange occurrences and creatures that no one is really talking about.
In addition to all that, Thomas has begun to notice strange dealings at the bank, dealings that are not conducive to a bank making money. Thus, he goes on a journey to uncover the bank’s odd dealings and to learn more about these Peculiarities.
This book artfully combines magic with mythology and historical figures. Lycanthropy, Ovid influences, rabid rabbits and secret societies all blend together in this late nineteenth century tale.
I was excited that I got approved for the ARC of this, then as I began reading it, I slowly started to hate it. I thought the main character was a whiny, self-pitying, insufferable man who equates his problems with that of persons of colour. I was going to stop reading it after some horrific descriptions of sexual assault. But then I read a review that said that the story was presented this way purposefully, so I continued, not fully convinced, but willing to see where it went. I’m glad to say that the story did improve about fifty pages in. And while, Thomas may have started out as a privileged brat, he goes through a major character arc that I quite enjoyed. All of the characters were well-developed. I enjoyed Aleister Crowley’s character the most; he was as funny as he was arrogant. There was also a big reveal at the end that I did not see coming.
Thank you to Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for this e-arc.
This historical fantasy was a little iffy in the beginning, but it got much better after a certain point.
Thomas Thresher is a 23 year old man who has lived a mostly carefree life without any hardships or obligations. Now he has a low-level clerical job at his family’s bank in London. On top of the tediousness of his job, his older brother, Walter, is pressuring him to marry Esther, a wealthy woman. Neither of whom have any interest in the other.
Oh, and Thomas is also mysteriously growing leaves on his body. He thinks it might be connected to something called the Peculiarities, which are strange occurrences and creatures that no one is really talking about.
In addition to all that, Thomas has begun to notice strange dealings at the bank, dealings that are not conducive to a bank making money. Thus, he goes on a journey to uncover the bank’s odd dealings and to learn more about these Peculiarities.
This book artfully combines magic with mythology and historical figures. Lycanthropy, Ovid influences, rabid rabbits and secret societies all blend together in this late nineteenth century tale.
I was excited that I got approved for the ARC of this, then as I began reading it, I slowly started to hate it. I thought the main character was a whiny, self-pitying, insufferable man who equates his problems with that of persons of colour. I was going to stop reading it after some horrific descriptions of sexual assault. But then I read a review that said that the story was presented this way purposefully, so I continued, not fully convinced, but willing to see where it went. I’m glad to say that the story did improve about fifty pages in. And while, Thomas may have started out as a privileged brat, he goes through a major character arc that I quite enjoyed. All of the characters were well-developed. I enjoyed Aleister Crowley’s character the most; he was as funny as he was arrogant. There was also a big reveal at the end that I did not see coming.
Thank you to Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for this e-arc.
August 29, 2021
This author usually writes historical fiction, but in this case he has written a fantasy set in 1899 London. About a decade earlier, certain peculiarities began to appear. Women are giving birth to rabbits, there is an outbreak of lycanthropy, children have lobster claws instead of hands, a killer fog enters homes, etc. Thomas Thresher has been forced to work at the boring job of clerk in the bank founded by his grandfather. If he doesn’t work there, he won’t receive the inheritance left to him by his father, and he needs the money since he had been leading a pretty feckless life. Secretly, Thomas has his own peculiarity. He has begun to sprout leaves.
The book uses a very light touch to combine magic, the occult, astral projection, Greek mythology, complicated family dynamics, mild romance and mathematics. Thomas develops a backbone as he tries to save the bank, find the source of the peculiarities and discover why his brother William is forcing him to marry Esther Feldstein. Thomas is charming, the book has both humor and action and the plot kept me interested. Hannibal Hills was an excellent narrator of the audiobook. The voices he used for both the male and female characters were wonderful.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.
The book uses a very light touch to combine magic, the occult, astral projection, Greek mythology, complicated family dynamics, mild romance and mathematics. Thomas develops a backbone as he tries to save the bank, find the source of the peculiarities and discover why his brother William is forcing him to marry Esther Feldstein. Thomas is charming, the book has both humor and action and the plot kept me interested. Hannibal Hills was an excellent narrator of the audiobook. The voices he used for both the male and female characters were wonderful.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.
June 16, 2024
Real Rating: 3.75* of five, rounded up for sheer verve and weirdness
The Publisher Says: From popular historical alternate history author David Liss (A Conspiracy of Paper) comes the tale of a clueless young man embroiled in a deadly supernatural mystery in London. Rooted in strange conspiracies and secret societies, this absurdist comedic romp combines strange bedfellows with murderous creatures, resulting in an unexpectedly delightful consequences.
All of his life, Thomas Thresher has been free of obligation and responsibility, but that is over now. He is a twenty-three-year-old man whose best days are behind him. Thomas's older brother Walter has trapped him in a tedious clerical job at the family bank in London, and Thomas is expected to wed a wealthy young woman in whom he has no interest.
But Thomas has more serious problems than those of a disaffected young man. There are irregularities at the bank he cannot explain. His childhood friend has mysteriously turned up dead. Worse, a verdant skin malady has infected him: leaves have begun sprouting on his skin. Thomas must conclude that it is due to the long-rumored Peculiarities. London's famous grey fog has been concealing a rash of unnatural afflictions—and worse, the murderous Elegants.
As Thomas grows leafier, the conspiracies surrounding him become more apparent. He cannot determine whom to trust: his own family; his banking co-workers and superiors; the beautiful widow of his companion; the woman he is to marry. Or perhaps a lycanthropic medium; the members of a secret occult society...or even Aleister Crowley.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Clueless whiny nepo baby Thomas Thresher, clerking at his family's London bank and living a really cushy life, starts to grow leaves from his body. Promising start to a David Liss story. We've got London, though in the early twentieth century not the eighteenth, we've got business shenanigans at the bank, and a world in which there are children with lobster claws, women giving birth to rabbits, killer fogs of supernatural origin, and a werewolf psychic. Oh, and Aleister Crowley.
Why does Walter, Thomas's brother, have such wood for Thomas's marriage to Esther, a Jewish woman with pots of money? What is driving the oddball events in the bank (seriously dodgy loans and very odd property acquisitions) that aren't in service of making money? And, last but not least, what the hell are all these leaves doing on Thomas's body?
The way Thomas sets about trying to make sense of the Peculiarities, the way he simply rolls up his sleeves, picks a few leaves off, and starts looking around for information that could help him...these are positives. They do lead, quite naturally, to a slightly off-putting disconnected style, episodes instead of one smooth narrative. That wasn't entirely to my personal liking but I got accustomed to it.
What I very much didn't get used to was Esther's being the butt of so many nasty, mean-spirited jokes not least from Thomas...the man she's set to marry. It made me very uncomfortable and was absolutely never addressed...Esther ends the way she began, a one-note anti-Jewish joke. I couldn't figure out why she was so awful, compared to Thomas's suddenly acquired love interest who was a cypher.
That, and a really cringey sexual assault scene, are the source of my lower-than-expected rating.
I was very taken by the Peculiarities themselves. The fact that we don't find out what the hell's going on here isn't a major issue for me because the verve of Author Liss's tellings of the supernatural events was the actual point. There's no need to explain strange doings if the point of them is to be strange. What Author Liss does overexplain is the world of 1899 London and its many and various restrictions on women and Others. That's really overdone.
Something that might be overdone for some readers is the pseudo-Victorian locutions of Thomas's narration. I myownself found it fun and just on the good side of stilted, but others might feel differently. If you opt to read a sample of the Kindle edition, you'll know right away if this is for you or not. What nearly scuppered my interest, and greatly slowed my reading, was the chest-pokey second-person narration parts.
I must say that, with the different historical luminaries swirling through the story, I was a little bit let down that none of them played a big role in the solution to the strange issues in the book. (Well, except Aleister Crowley.)
Not a perfect read, but a good one; a lot of stuff gets wrapped up in the last ten percent of the book but not, by any means, even close to everything. That is, for me, perfectly okay because very few things in life are wrapped up in tidy little bows. The Peculiarities remain peculiar. And most enjoyably so.
The Publisher Says: From popular historical alternate history author David Liss (A Conspiracy of Paper) comes the tale of a clueless young man embroiled in a deadly supernatural mystery in London. Rooted in strange conspiracies and secret societies, this absurdist comedic romp combines strange bedfellows with murderous creatures, resulting in an unexpectedly delightful consequences.
All of his life, Thomas Thresher has been free of obligation and responsibility, but that is over now. He is a twenty-three-year-old man whose best days are behind him. Thomas's older brother Walter has trapped him in a tedious clerical job at the family bank in London, and Thomas is expected to wed a wealthy young woman in whom he has no interest.
But Thomas has more serious problems than those of a disaffected young man. There are irregularities at the bank he cannot explain. His childhood friend has mysteriously turned up dead. Worse, a verdant skin malady has infected him: leaves have begun sprouting on his skin. Thomas must conclude that it is due to the long-rumored Peculiarities. London's famous grey fog has been concealing a rash of unnatural afflictions—and worse, the murderous Elegants.
As Thomas grows leafier, the conspiracies surrounding him become more apparent. He cannot determine whom to trust: his own family; his banking co-workers and superiors; the beautiful widow of his companion; the woman he is to marry. Or perhaps a lycanthropic medium; the members of a secret occult society...or even Aleister Crowley.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Clueless whiny nepo baby Thomas Thresher, clerking at his family's London bank and living a really cushy life, starts to grow leaves from his body. Promising start to a David Liss story. We've got London, though in the early twentieth century not the eighteenth, we've got business shenanigans at the bank, and a world in which there are children with lobster claws, women giving birth to rabbits, killer fogs of supernatural origin, and a werewolf psychic. Oh, and Aleister Crowley.
Why does Walter, Thomas's brother, have such wood for Thomas's marriage to Esther, a Jewish woman with pots of money? What is driving the oddball events in the bank (seriously dodgy loans and very odd property acquisitions) that aren't in service of making money? And, last but not least, what the hell are all these leaves doing on Thomas's body?
The way Thomas sets about trying to make sense of the Peculiarities, the way he simply rolls up his sleeves, picks a few leaves off, and starts looking around for information that could help him...these are positives. They do lead, quite naturally, to a slightly off-putting disconnected style, episodes instead of one smooth narrative. That wasn't entirely to my personal liking but I got accustomed to it.
What I very much didn't get used to was Esther's being the butt of so many nasty, mean-spirited jokes not least from Thomas...the man she's set to marry. It made me very uncomfortable and was absolutely never addressed...Esther ends the way she began, a one-note anti-Jewish joke. I couldn't figure out why she was so awful, compared to Thomas's suddenly acquired love interest who was a cypher.
That, and a really cringey sexual assault scene, are the source of my lower-than-expected rating.
I was very taken by the Peculiarities themselves. The fact that we don't find out what the hell's going on here isn't a major issue for me because the verve of Author Liss's tellings of the supernatural events was the actual point. There's no need to explain strange doings if the point of them is to be strange. What Author Liss does overexplain is the world of 1899 London and its many and various restrictions on women and Others. That's really overdone.
Something that might be overdone for some readers is the pseudo-Victorian locutions of Thomas's narration. I myownself found it fun and just on the good side of stilted, but others might feel differently. If you opt to read a sample of the Kindle edition, you'll know right away if this is for you or not. What nearly scuppered my interest, and greatly slowed my reading, was the chest-pokey second-person narration parts.
I must say that, with the different historical luminaries swirling through the story, I was a little bit let down that none of them played a big role in the solution to the strange issues in the book. (Well, except Aleister Crowley.)
Not a perfect read, but a good one; a lot of stuff gets wrapped up in the last ten percent of the book but not, by any means, even close to everything. That is, for me, perfectly okay because very few things in life are wrapped up in tidy little bows. The Peculiarities remain peculiar. And most enjoyably so.
September 7, 2021
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this historical fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
I have never read anything by this author before. This be the story of Thomas Thresher, a layabout second son from a rich banking family in London. He has problems including finally being forced to work at the family business, an arranged marriage, and the fact that leaves are spouting out of his body. Of course weird Peculiarities like evil fog and women giving birth to rabbits are happening to other folk. But those people are poor. The rich believe that magic doesn't really exist. The leaves on Thomas suggest otherwise. Does the bank have something to do with these Peculiarities? Thomas has to find out.
I really enjoyed the world set up by the author. It takes place in 1899 and deals with the idea that magic is popping up in the major cities in unusual ways. The idea of what these Peculiarities are and how they manifest that was the highlight of the book for me. I also enjoyed the changes the author made in terms of how he incorporates the alternate history.
The downside of this book was that I never really enjoyed the main character. Thomas was rather insufferable and has very little agency. Even though he improves in the book, his upper class viewpoints and self-centeredness did grate. The anti-Semitism in the book was revolting even while Thomas changes his mind about the Jewish love interest. I know why the anti-Semitism was there but I didn't like it. There was also an attempted rape scene that was icky.
I don't have regrets about reading this but it is by no means a favorite. Arrrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank you Tachyon!
I have never read anything by this author before. This be the story of Thomas Thresher, a layabout second son from a rich banking family in London. He has problems including finally being forced to work at the family business, an arranged marriage, and the fact that leaves are spouting out of his body. Of course weird Peculiarities like evil fog and women giving birth to rabbits are happening to other folk. But those people are poor. The rich believe that magic doesn't really exist. The leaves on Thomas suggest otherwise. Does the bank have something to do with these Peculiarities? Thomas has to find out.
I really enjoyed the world set up by the author. It takes place in 1899 and deals with the idea that magic is popping up in the major cities in unusual ways. The idea of what these Peculiarities are and how they manifest that was the highlight of the book for me. I also enjoyed the changes the author made in terms of how he incorporates the alternate history.
The downside of this book was that I never really enjoyed the main character. Thomas was rather insufferable and has very little agency. Even though he improves in the book, his upper class viewpoints and self-centeredness did grate. The anti-Semitism in the book was revolting even while Thomas changes his mind about the Jewish love interest. I know why the anti-Semitism was there but I didn't like it. There was also an attempted rape scene that was icky.
I don't have regrets about reading this but it is by no means a favorite. Arrrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank you Tachyon!
May 5, 2022
This was my second read by this author, who writes mystery/historical fiction that seem to contain elements of finance. In Whiskey Rebels, you learned about 1700s trade and stock shares, and in this book, the central location is Threshers Bank in London.
David Liss wrote a very bizarre, fantastical mystery that deals with the occult, and though it mentions magic all throughout, you don't really see much of it. The exception being the "peculiarities" themselves. It's worth a read, just to experience the weirdness alone. The writing was beautifully done, it felt like a piece done in the 1800s.
______________________
Weird, abstract, interesting, and fun
I'll elaborate more tomorrow
David Liss wrote a very bizarre, fantastical mystery that deals with the occult, and though it mentions magic all throughout, you don't really see much of it. The exception being the "peculiarities" themselves. It's worth a read, just to experience the weirdness alone. The writing was beautifully done, it felt like a piece done in the 1800s.
______________________
Weird, abstract, interesting, and fun
I'll elaborate more tomorrow
July 29, 2021
4 stars--I really liked it.
This book wanders a bit at the beginning, much as the protagonist wanders in indecision and inaction. The last quarter of the book, however, makes up for this with a riot of action. This is a strange book full of whimsy--but also horror. It combines a Victorian novel of manners with magic and even a Lovecraftian monster. I enjoyed the characters and the depth of imagination.
This book wanders a bit at the beginning, much as the protagonist wanders in indecision and inaction. The last quarter of the book, however, makes up for this with a riot of action. This is a strange book full of whimsy--but also horror. It combines a Victorian novel of manners with magic and even a Lovecraftian monster. I enjoyed the characters and the depth of imagination.
July 21, 2021
1899. London is about to turn a new century leaf and life has never been stranger. In fact, it’s downright peculiar. There are irregularities with the world, women are birthing rabbits, people are changing appearances, magic seems to be on the rise but there are few who can understand it and fewer still to control it.
A challenging time to come of age and for a young Mr. Thresher, a scion to a prosperous banking family, it is a belated in many ways ascendance. All he has known until now was a life of leisure, funded by his older brother, the bank’s director. Now he has been brought into the family business and the most unreasonable of demands have been laid upon him, mainly he is to marry a wealthy Jewish young woman…a woman he finds as unattractive of a prospect as the marriage itself. There is also a not insignificant matter of him slowly but surely turning into a tree.
So why is this marriage so important? Why has the bank been giving out strange loans and acquiring seemingly random properties all over London? What’s the deal with the Hermetic Order of The Golden Dawn? Time to step it up, roll up one’s sleeves (if only to find leaves sprouting there) and solve a few mysteries.
And there you have it. A very entertaining historical fantasy or alternate historical reimagining of a fascinating magic soaked London. Plenty of mysteries to solve, plenty of action, suspense, romance, etc. It’s a story about magic that actually manages to be magical. And a pleasure to spend time with. Slightly longer than ideal, but read well. The narrative unfolded itself in an exciting and imaginative manner. It did remind me of something so much the entire time and I can’t quite put a finger to it still, so it was like a two day déjà vu for no reason. And I found some of the plot twists (especially those of personal nature) to be quite predictable. But overall it was well worth a read. London, as many places, has been reimagined as magical before, but it’s always nice when it’s done as proper literature. So yes, charmed, I’m sure. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
A challenging time to come of age and for a young Mr. Thresher, a scion to a prosperous banking family, it is a belated in many ways ascendance. All he has known until now was a life of leisure, funded by his older brother, the bank’s director. Now he has been brought into the family business and the most unreasonable of demands have been laid upon him, mainly he is to marry a wealthy Jewish young woman…a woman he finds as unattractive of a prospect as the marriage itself. There is also a not insignificant matter of him slowly but surely turning into a tree.
So why is this marriage so important? Why has the bank been giving out strange loans and acquiring seemingly random properties all over London? What’s the deal with the Hermetic Order of The Golden Dawn? Time to step it up, roll up one’s sleeves (if only to find leaves sprouting there) and solve a few mysteries.
And there you have it. A very entertaining historical fantasy or alternate historical reimagining of a fascinating magic soaked London. Plenty of mysteries to solve, plenty of action, suspense, romance, etc. It’s a story about magic that actually manages to be magical. And a pleasure to spend time with. Slightly longer than ideal, but read well. The narrative unfolded itself in an exciting and imaginative manner. It did remind me of something so much the entire time and I can’t quite put a finger to it still, so it was like a two day déjà vu for no reason. And I found some of the plot twists (especially those of personal nature) to be quite predictable. But overall it was well worth a read. London, as many places, has been reimagined as magical before, but it’s always nice when it’s done as proper literature. So yes, charmed, I’m sure. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
September 20, 2021
What a slovenly wreck of wasted potential.
This book had a charming premise, an interesting take on a supernatural historical fantasy, and the promise of comedy to recommend it. While many of these elements were present in the text, they were handled so ineptly, I almost wish they'd been omitted instead.
Though I'm tempted to dissect all of the things about this book that I found to be frustrating, I'll keep it to just the biggest issues: the pacing, the chronic repetition, and the author's cringey insistence upon explaining things to the reader which do not require an explanation.
This novel is criminally bad in pacing. The opening feels like a genuine leap into a distant and interesting world, but almost immediately, you hit one of Liss' numerous literary voids. We are introduced to the principle cast, told of the major (known) conflict at the center of their common interests, and then... nothing. Nothing happens. (Well, rarely.) The characters chase each other around, Scooby-Doo style for hundreds of pages, debating and interviewing each other for the same information over and over until the final few chapters. At that point, the plot suddenly shifts into overdrive, and we are treated to a bewildering explosion of information, most of which should have been introduced MUCH sooner to have any relevance to the characters. And then, it's over.
I simply can not express fully just how dull and lifeless 80% of the book was. The fact that this lusterless glut of nothingness was bookended by the lively and interesting opening and closing chapters is an infuriating invitation to comparison.
As to the repetitious nature of the text, the cyclical way in which information was constantly reintroduced (as if for the first time, every time), and characters were described was *maddening*. This problem presented itself very early on, but I dismissed it initially out of a desire to give the book a chance, and an assumption that it was intended to ease the reader into an unusual fantasy environment. Had this been true, I may have been more inclined to forgive it, but the lack of plot progression mingled with the simplistic literary environment to which we were ultimately introduced, renders this impossible. It's just needless repetition, and it seemingly exists due to a lack of care in editing rather than anything else.
While I found the repetition to be insufferable, the most truly insulting aspect of this book was the way in which David Liss seemed to view his readership's intelligence. Liss doesn't explain everything in his book, though further elucidation would have been useful in regards to the abandoned plot threads, or elaborate system of magic in the story. However, the things that he chooses to explain are invariably the elements he borrowed from history and society in our own world. In other words, things that virtually no reader of a historical novel would actually NEED to have explained to them. For instance, I find it very hard to believe that a person inclined to pick up and read this book would need to have someone describe who Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was, the diminished legal rights of women in Victorian London, or what kinds of entertainments a brothel offers. And yet, all of these things (and so much more) are explained to us in careful, minute detail, usually multiple times.
As a separate criticism from the themes already addressed, I'd like to make special note of the author's decision to make one of the main characters Jewish. While I understand that Liss himself is Jewish, the way in which he handles Esther Feldstein's presence in this story is by simply making her a constant object of ridicule for the gentiles around her at any given time. Her Jewishness is an cause for mirth and scorn, and the constant anti-Semitic banter between characters is never addressed in a meaningful way, nor does Esther herself confront or overcome any of the social obstacles Liss implies that her ethnicity and faith would represent. I am not Jewish, and can not speak for how such a character should be represented in a historical fantasy setting. However, I can speak to an abandoned plot thread (there are many), and Miss Feldstein's social identity as a Jewish woman represents possibly the biggest example of this.
This was a book that I greatly anticipated reading, and perhaps I would have judged it less harshly had my expectations been less elevated. The Peculiarities is a perfect example of a great idea that was ruined by a lack of focus in the telling. This is a very, VERY rough read. How can a novel that addresses Victorian occult spiritualism, hybrid humans, mass murder, and magic, all in the course of resolving a significant and interesting mystery, be this boring??
I do not recommend this novel in its current form. If the author ever chose to revisit it as a novella or short story, I think it would probably be a vastly superior product. As it is now, it's just an unwieldy mess.
This book had a charming premise, an interesting take on a supernatural historical fantasy, and the promise of comedy to recommend it. While many of these elements were present in the text, they were handled so ineptly, I almost wish they'd been omitted instead.
Though I'm tempted to dissect all of the things about this book that I found to be frustrating, I'll keep it to just the biggest issues: the pacing, the chronic repetition, and the author's cringey insistence upon explaining things to the reader which do not require an explanation.
This novel is criminally bad in pacing. The opening feels like a genuine leap into a distant and interesting world, but almost immediately, you hit one of Liss' numerous literary voids. We are introduced to the principle cast, told of the major (known) conflict at the center of their common interests, and then... nothing. Nothing happens. (Well, rarely.) The characters chase each other around, Scooby-Doo style for hundreds of pages, debating and interviewing each other for the same information over and over until the final few chapters. At that point, the plot suddenly shifts into overdrive, and we are treated to a bewildering explosion of information, most of which should have been introduced MUCH sooner to have any relevance to the characters. And then, it's over.
I simply can not express fully just how dull and lifeless 80% of the book was. The fact that this lusterless glut of nothingness was bookended by the lively and interesting opening and closing chapters is an infuriating invitation to comparison.
As to the repetitious nature of the text, the cyclical way in which information was constantly reintroduced (as if for the first time, every time), and characters were described was *maddening*. This problem presented itself very early on, but I dismissed it initially out of a desire to give the book a chance, and an assumption that it was intended to ease the reader into an unusual fantasy environment. Had this been true, I may have been more inclined to forgive it, but the lack of plot progression mingled with the simplistic literary environment to which we were ultimately introduced, renders this impossible. It's just needless repetition, and it seemingly exists due to a lack of care in editing rather than anything else.
While I found the repetition to be insufferable, the most truly insulting aspect of this book was the way in which David Liss seemed to view his readership's intelligence. Liss doesn't explain everything in his book, though further elucidation would have been useful in regards to the abandoned plot threads, or elaborate system of magic in the story. However, the things that he chooses to explain are invariably the elements he borrowed from history and society in our own world. In other words, things that virtually no reader of a historical novel would actually NEED to have explained to them. For instance, I find it very hard to believe that a person inclined to pick up and read this book would need to have someone describe who Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was, the diminished legal rights of women in Victorian London, or what kinds of entertainments a brothel offers. And yet, all of these things (and so much more) are explained to us in careful, minute detail, usually multiple times.
As a separate criticism from the themes already addressed, I'd like to make special note of the author's decision to make one of the main characters Jewish. While I understand that Liss himself is Jewish, the way in which he handles Esther Feldstein's presence in this story is by simply making her a constant object of ridicule for the gentiles around her at any given time. Her Jewishness is an cause for mirth and scorn, and the constant anti-Semitic banter between characters is never addressed in a meaningful way, nor does Esther herself confront or overcome any of the social obstacles Liss implies that her ethnicity and faith would represent. I am not Jewish, and can not speak for how such a character should be represented in a historical fantasy setting. However, I can speak to an abandoned plot thread (there are many), and Miss Feldstein's social identity as a Jewish woman represents possibly the biggest example of this.
This was a book that I greatly anticipated reading, and perhaps I would have judged it less harshly had my expectations been less elevated. The Peculiarities is a perfect example of a great idea that was ruined by a lack of focus in the telling. This is a very, VERY rough read. How can a novel that addresses Victorian occult spiritualism, hybrid humans, mass murder, and magic, all in the course of resolving a significant and interesting mystery, be this boring??
I do not recommend this novel in its current form. If the author ever chose to revisit it as a novella or short story, I think it would probably be a vastly superior product. As it is now, it's just an unwieldy mess.
September 2, 2021
Check out this review and more on The Quill to Live!
I rarely seek out historical fantasy because I like my books to be far removed from the world I know. However, there is one thing that will get me every time: stories set in London. So here I go, off into the strange London depicted in The Peculiarities by David Liss.
Thomas Thresher is the shunned youngest son of a successful banking family. Left to his own devices, Thomas indulged in a 19th-century, party boy lifestyle in London which made debauchery look downright proper with men gallivanting around in their fancy hats and suits. Thomas had a fun run. That is until his father died. The will demands that Thomas must begin working at the bank as a junior clerk and learn the ways of the family business. He is then placed under the watchful eye of his sour older brother, Walter, who is intent on making Thomas’ life miserable. You see, Walter has insisted that Thomas marry Miss Esther Feldstein, and that simply can’t happen because, well, he doesn’t want to, and secondly, leaves are growing out of his skin. As strange occurrences appropriately named the Peculiarities sweep through the city, Thomas learns that his brother’s seemingly petty actions are for a larger, mysterious goal.
I would not have enjoyed this story half as much if it weren’t for Thomas. He is endearingly proper and hopeless in both normal and magical situations. Thomas is intelligent but often blunders his way through the story’s events - with a lot of decorum, I may add. His life is incredibly dull and meaningless when we meet him, which accounts for some great deadpan musings. But as the story progresses, a more sincere and thoughtful side of him develops. My anxiety ramped up as the cards stacked up against Thomas, but he never wallowed in it. Thomas simply picked the leaves off his skin and set about his next task as if the world wasn’t coming to an end. He absolutely had moments of doubt and fear, but it was such a fleeting thing. I don’t know what hard stuff Thomas is made of but apparently, it is tree bark.
There are a lot of peculiar things happening in this book. Magical ailments are afflicting the city and causing all sorts of chaos. Thomas is sprouting leaves of course, but others have lost facial features, developed wings and, uh, tentacles, while some turn into proper werewolves. As in, they still possess all the charm of a Londoner just with fur, wolfish features, and no bloodlust. There’s also the small fact that women are giving birth to rabbits. And there are creatures called The Elegants who are murdering people in the streets a la Jack the Ripper. The oddest thing in this story is not the Peculiarities themselves, but the fact that there’s not a whole lot of explanation surrounding their existence or why they occur. Upon finishing the book I’m not entirely sure I know what any of it means, and I’m not certain I’m supposed to know.
The Peculiarities is told in a series of vignettes, so we’re constantly jumping from scene to scene. Thomas will interact with key characters, collect a bread crumb of information for the mystery, and dip out. Rinse and repeat. Because of this, there isn’t an established sense of time which is disorienting especially when Thomas wants us to feel like he’s racing against the clock. This type of storytelling means we never explore the story or characters in a meaningful way. It is also why I can’t describe the whole peculiarities business.
This book will satisfy anyone looking for a fast plot and unique world, but I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed by not getting a full scope of the story. The ending especially felt unfinished to me, but it does stay true to the book’s writing style. Explanations are not guaranteed or explored in-depth, so we are left to wonder on our own as to what it all means. Will you enjoy this book? I think so. Thomas is too precious not to root for, and if you look past the story gaps you can enjoy the heroism of a clueless man trying to set the world right.
Rating: The Peculiarities - 6.5/10
An ARC of this book was provided to us in exchange for an unbiased review. The thoughts on this story are my own.
I rarely seek out historical fantasy because I like my books to be far removed from the world I know. However, there is one thing that will get me every time: stories set in London. So here I go, off into the strange London depicted in The Peculiarities by David Liss.
Thomas Thresher is the shunned youngest son of a successful banking family. Left to his own devices, Thomas indulged in a 19th-century, party boy lifestyle in London which made debauchery look downright proper with men gallivanting around in their fancy hats and suits. Thomas had a fun run. That is until his father died. The will demands that Thomas must begin working at the bank as a junior clerk and learn the ways of the family business. He is then placed under the watchful eye of his sour older brother, Walter, who is intent on making Thomas’ life miserable. You see, Walter has insisted that Thomas marry Miss Esther Feldstein, and that simply can’t happen because, well, he doesn’t want to, and secondly, leaves are growing out of his skin. As strange occurrences appropriately named the Peculiarities sweep through the city, Thomas learns that his brother’s seemingly petty actions are for a larger, mysterious goal.
I would not have enjoyed this story half as much if it weren’t for Thomas. He is endearingly proper and hopeless in both normal and magical situations. Thomas is intelligent but often blunders his way through the story’s events - with a lot of decorum, I may add. His life is incredibly dull and meaningless when we meet him, which accounts for some great deadpan musings. But as the story progresses, a more sincere and thoughtful side of him develops. My anxiety ramped up as the cards stacked up against Thomas, but he never wallowed in it. Thomas simply picked the leaves off his skin and set about his next task as if the world wasn’t coming to an end. He absolutely had moments of doubt and fear, but it was such a fleeting thing. I don’t know what hard stuff Thomas is made of but apparently, it is tree bark.
There are a lot of peculiar things happening in this book. Magical ailments are afflicting the city and causing all sorts of chaos. Thomas is sprouting leaves of course, but others have lost facial features, developed wings and, uh, tentacles, while some turn into proper werewolves. As in, they still possess all the charm of a Londoner just with fur, wolfish features, and no bloodlust. There’s also the small fact that women are giving birth to rabbits. And there are creatures called The Elegants who are murdering people in the streets a la Jack the Ripper. The oddest thing in this story is not the Peculiarities themselves, but the fact that there’s not a whole lot of explanation surrounding their existence or why they occur. Upon finishing the book I’m not entirely sure I know what any of it means, and I’m not certain I’m supposed to know.
The Peculiarities is told in a series of vignettes, so we’re constantly jumping from scene to scene. Thomas will interact with key characters, collect a bread crumb of information for the mystery, and dip out. Rinse and repeat. Because of this, there isn’t an established sense of time which is disorienting especially when Thomas wants us to feel like he’s racing against the clock. This type of storytelling means we never explore the story or characters in a meaningful way. It is also why I can’t describe the whole peculiarities business.
This book will satisfy anyone looking for a fast plot and unique world, but I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed by not getting a full scope of the story. The ending especially felt unfinished to me, but it does stay true to the book’s writing style. Explanations are not guaranteed or explored in-depth, so we are left to wonder on our own as to what it all means. Will you enjoy this book? I think so. Thomas is too precious not to root for, and if you look past the story gaps you can enjoy the heroism of a clueless man trying to set the world right.
Rating: The Peculiarities - 6.5/10
An ARC of this book was provided to us in exchange for an unbiased review. The thoughts on this story are my own.
September 1, 2021
While the narration was above average, overall, the narrator tries hard to distinguish the characters with voice, which was quite helpful. But I found myself unable to connect with any of the characters, especially the main character. The prose was not to my taste either. Lots of exposition feels like it’s trying to explain away lots of main character's actions, who doesn’t feel like a strong protagonist.
It’s not a bad read. I think fans of this kind of historical fantasy that is growing in popularity might find more here to connect with than me, provided they can stick it through the first half where the main character is a bit of a jerk.
It’s not a bad read. I think fans of this kind of historical fantasy that is growing in popularity might find more here to connect with than me, provided they can stick it through the first half where the main character is a bit of a jerk.
May 25, 2021
Thank you to Tachyon Publications and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on September 7th, 2021.
Writing: 4/5 Characters: 4/5 Plot: 5/5
In the Age of Peculiarities, women give birth to rabbits, well-dressed ghouls roam the streets of London, individuals start sprouting leaves, and terrible luck to those who break contracts — though these oddities mostly impact the very poorest, so who cares? It’s 1899 and Thomas Thresher — the younger, largely ignored, son of the Thresher banking family — turns to the occult to find out why the bank seems so very involved in the pervasive disasters. He seeks to save the bank and return it to its original charter — to serve those with nowhere else to go.
Portals to astral realms, a magical society, and Aleister Crowley himself are at the center of this wild-ride style adventure. Plenty of surprises, wry asides, and a strong sense of duty — but what I really love is that the ability to see and manipulate the patterns within mathematics is the powerful magic that is able to do what the best stylings of the Crowley gang cannot.
A real page-turner — well-written, humorous, exciting, and with a wide array of interesting, non-stereotypical, characters.
Good for fans of Alix E. Harrow and Susannah Clark.
Writing: 4/5 Characters: 4/5 Plot: 5/5
In the Age of Peculiarities, women give birth to rabbits, well-dressed ghouls roam the streets of London, individuals start sprouting leaves, and terrible luck to those who break contracts — though these oddities mostly impact the very poorest, so who cares? It’s 1899 and Thomas Thresher — the younger, largely ignored, son of the Thresher banking family — turns to the occult to find out why the bank seems so very involved in the pervasive disasters. He seeks to save the bank and return it to its original charter — to serve those with nowhere else to go.
Portals to astral realms, a magical society, and Aleister Crowley himself are at the center of this wild-ride style adventure. Plenty of surprises, wry asides, and a strong sense of duty — but what I really love is that the ability to see and manipulate the patterns within mathematics is the powerful magic that is able to do what the best stylings of the Crowley gang cannot.
A real page-turner — well-written, humorous, exciting, and with a wide array of interesting, non-stereotypical, characters.
Good for fans of Alix E. Harrow and Susannah Clark.
April 10, 2023
What a book! I love David Liss's dry humour and wry observations and this book has plenty of them. His slightly dull, unassuming hero is compelling in his quest to investigate the strange goings on in this mystical tale. I was congratulating myself on following the storyline, but it failed me right at the end - still not entirely sure how all of the supernatural activity in the book started, by who or why.... However, David Liss is one of my favourite authors and this book was a delight from start to rather confusing ending.
February 23, 2025
This seemed promising. A fascinating look at 'low magic' in Victorian London. A time when anything seemed possible. Sadly, my interest died as soon as Aleister Crowley arrived upon the scene. The book went from fascinating to flop.
2.5 stars
2.5 stars
September 19, 2021
Set in 1899 London, Thomas Thresher has been forced to work a clerical job in the bank owned by his family, in an arranged marriage, and well, leaves began sprouting out of his body.
The Peculiarities is an original and peculiar (see what I did there?) novel. It's a historical fantasy that combines occult, Greek myth, and horror. And as the book progresses, things keep on getting bizarre, I love it!
The Victorian London setting was vividly detailed, refreshing, and atmospheric. The writing style emulates the period it was set and a bit modernized. The plot started slow, and hit its stride upon hitting 25%. It has plenty of surprises and ridiculously good!
My only issue is that the readers are kept at a distance from the main character. It made it reading a bit of a struggle.
Overall, The Peculiarities is an enjoyable read. It's refreshing, humorous, thought-provoking, and intriguing.
Big thanks to Tachyon Publications and Netgalley for my review copy. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
The Peculiarities is an original and peculiar (see what I did there?) novel. It's a historical fantasy that combines occult, Greek myth, and horror. And as the book progresses, things keep on getting bizarre, I love it!
The Victorian London setting was vividly detailed, refreshing, and atmospheric. The writing style emulates the period it was set and a bit modernized. The plot started slow, and hit its stride upon hitting 25%. It has plenty of surprises and ridiculously good!
My only issue is that the readers are kept at a distance from the main character. It made it reading a bit of a struggle.
Overall, The Peculiarities is an enjoyable read. It's refreshing, humorous, thought-provoking, and intriguing.
Big thanks to Tachyon Publications and Netgalley for my review copy. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
October 16, 2021
That was an amazing story. It was recommended to me and at first I was skeptical. But fascinating, engrossing and beautifully written with a wry humor that had me laugh out loud at a turn of a phrase.
September 9, 2021
I'm afraid this one may slip through the cracks.
David Liss is a successful author of historical fiction, especially dealing with finance, commodities and economics in the 17th and 18th centuries, both in Europe and America. More recently he has also done some middle grade science fiction books, and a Spider-man novel.
“The Peculiarities” goes back to his historical fiction roots, with a twist. In 1899 London, some people are sprouting unusual abnormalities (dog hair, leaves, stranger things) that are ignored as much as possible by polite society. There are also strange human-like creatures appearing and slaughtering random people, although mostly in the poor sections of town.
So far this sounds like a classic Victorian urban fantasy, and the genre publisher (Tachyon) would seem to reinforce that. However, Tachyon has never before published a Liss book. His publishing history is with Simon & Shuster and Random House.
However, he draws on his historical fiction interests in the plotline: the protagonist is the younger son in a banking family who is being manipulated. He is being forced into an arranged marriage with a Jewish woman from a wealthy family, although his family frowns on Jews. Many of Liss' protagonists have been Jewish, so that's also something in common with his earlier books.
So...how is this being marketed? I'm afraid the indie publisher won't be able to reach his historical fiction readers, and I'm afraid the genre readers who aren't familiar with Liss will pass on this Tachyon title.
And that would be a shame. This book has the same strengths as his historical fiction, plus elements of magic and supernatural strangeness of an urban fantasy. Too many urban fantasies read like contemporary novels dressed up with vintage clothing and steam engines; Liss writes believable prose from that time period, as a good historical fiction author should.
Liss gave a hint of his interest in magic in 2011 with “The Twelfth Enchantment”, but then seemed to step away. He's come back with a strong book about Victorian magic (featuring Aleister Crowley) in this alternative history of late Victorian London.
David Liss is a successful author of historical fiction, especially dealing with finance, commodities and economics in the 17th and 18th centuries, both in Europe and America. More recently he has also done some middle grade science fiction books, and a Spider-man novel.
“The Peculiarities” goes back to his historical fiction roots, with a twist. In 1899 London, some people are sprouting unusual abnormalities (dog hair, leaves, stranger things) that are ignored as much as possible by polite society. There are also strange human-like creatures appearing and slaughtering random people, although mostly in the poor sections of town.
So far this sounds like a classic Victorian urban fantasy, and the genre publisher (Tachyon) would seem to reinforce that. However, Tachyon has never before published a Liss book. His publishing history is with Simon & Shuster and Random House.
However, he draws on his historical fiction interests in the plotline: the protagonist is the younger son in a banking family who is being manipulated. He is being forced into an arranged marriage with a Jewish woman from a wealthy family, although his family frowns on Jews. Many of Liss' protagonists have been Jewish, so that's also something in common with his earlier books.
So...how is this being marketed? I'm afraid the indie publisher won't be able to reach his historical fiction readers, and I'm afraid the genre readers who aren't familiar with Liss will pass on this Tachyon title.
And that would be a shame. This book has the same strengths as his historical fiction, plus elements of magic and supernatural strangeness of an urban fantasy. Too many urban fantasies read like contemporary novels dressed up with vintage clothing and steam engines; Liss writes believable prose from that time period, as a good historical fiction author should.
Liss gave a hint of his interest in magic in 2011 with “The Twelfth Enchantment”, but then seemed to step away. He's come back with a strong book about Victorian magic (featuring Aleister Crowley) in this alternative history of late Victorian London.
September 13, 2021
Thomas, a junior clerk at his family’s bank has a few problems to deal with; his brother may be involved in sabotaging the bank, an old friend has died & Thomas is starting to sprout leaves. Moreover, London’s mysterious grey fog may be related to the peculiarities (people turning into trees, women giving birth to rabbit babies & a range of other abnormal occurrences). To get to the bottom of these mysteries, Thomas seeks the guidance of London’s occult society, a medium & a magician.
This book was so strange but I did mostly enjoy reading it. It is described as an “absurdist, comedic romp” and I think this description is spot on. The book is an alternate history, urban/historical fantasy story, however, it is focussed on occult magic & is incredibly different from any other “fantasy” story I’ve read before. If you were moving from horror & wanted to give fantasy a try, this would be a great book to read.
Initially I struggled to connect with the characters & plot. I believe this is because of the writing style & the tone used in telling this story. There are some horrific things that happen in this book & these events are described with quite a non-serious voice. The narration is limited omniscient, but still feels like readers are kept at arms length regarding Thomas’ feelings early on. The plot was quite slow until I reached ~30% where things really started to pick up & improved considerably.
I ended up really liking Thomas as the MC & I loved the relationship he develops with multiple characters throughout the story. The “found family” that Thomas becomes a part of is really wonderful & I loved seeing this develop. I also loved the mystery in this story. The way each chapter follows on from the previous one was a little jumpy, & disorienting but I actually felt like it was fitting for the book.
I’d recommend this story to anyone interested in an absurdist alternate history story with found family & occult magic.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of The Peculiarities to read & review.
TW: Sexual assault
This book was so strange but I did mostly enjoy reading it. It is described as an “absurdist, comedic romp” and I think this description is spot on. The book is an alternate history, urban/historical fantasy story, however, it is focussed on occult magic & is incredibly different from any other “fantasy” story I’ve read before. If you were moving from horror & wanted to give fantasy a try, this would be a great book to read.
Initially I struggled to connect with the characters & plot. I believe this is because of the writing style & the tone used in telling this story. There are some horrific things that happen in this book & these events are described with quite a non-serious voice. The narration is limited omniscient, but still feels like readers are kept at arms length regarding Thomas’ feelings early on. The plot was quite slow until I reached ~30% where things really started to pick up & improved considerably.
I ended up really liking Thomas as the MC & I loved the relationship he develops with multiple characters throughout the story. The “found family” that Thomas becomes a part of is really wonderful & I loved seeing this develop. I also loved the mystery in this story. The way each chapter follows on from the previous one was a little jumpy, & disorienting but I actually felt like it was fitting for the book.
I’d recommend this story to anyone interested in an absurdist alternate history story with found family & occult magic.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of The Peculiarities to read & review.
TW: Sexual assault
June 20, 2023
"If the Peculiarities are real, if they are a part of our world, then surely they are, by definition, natural."
Thomas Thresher has been free of responsibilities until his older brother, Walter, traps him in a job at the family bank and has plans for him to marry a woman he's not interested in. But there are other problems at hand - strange accounts at the bank, an old friend mysteriously dead, the new peculiarities causing maladies and deformations among Londoners. He then joins a secret occult society to get answers to the strange occurences.
I don't know why it took 3 months to read this book because I ended up enjoying it in the end. It had everything I like in a story - the supernatural, a mystery, magic, conspiracies, and the historical setting of London. It was confusing at first, but once the pieces of the puzzle were slowly put together it created a fine mystery.
The character development was great. Thomas went from a carefree 23 year old man to someone adjusting to his own peculiarity of turning into a tree. The people he met along the way made him re-evaluate his life, becoming open minded to the occult and trying his hand at magic. Magicians, werewolves, pregnant women birthing rabbits, mysterious fogs - it all made for an interesting book!
Overall, The Peculiarities was an original, atmospheric mystery. If you like your stories with a mixture of horror, fantasy, historical fiction, and full of secrets, then I suggest you try this one out!
Thomas Thresher has been free of responsibilities until his older brother, Walter, traps him in a job at the family bank and has plans for him to marry a woman he's not interested in. But there are other problems at hand - strange accounts at the bank, an old friend mysteriously dead, the new peculiarities causing maladies and deformations among Londoners. He then joins a secret occult society to get answers to the strange occurences.
I don't know why it took 3 months to read this book because I ended up enjoying it in the end. It had everything I like in a story - the supernatural, a mystery, magic, conspiracies, and the historical setting of London. It was confusing at first, but once the pieces of the puzzle were slowly put together it created a fine mystery.
The character development was great. Thomas went from a carefree 23 year old man to someone adjusting to his own peculiarity of turning into a tree. The people he met along the way made him re-evaluate his life, becoming open minded to the occult and trying his hand at magic. Magicians, werewolves, pregnant women birthing rabbits, mysterious fogs - it all made for an interesting book!
Overall, The Peculiarities was an original, atmospheric mystery. If you like your stories with a mixture of horror, fantasy, historical fiction, and full of secrets, then I suggest you try this one out!
September 20, 2023
Book 9 (September) of my 12 Books Recommended by 12 Friends Challenge 2023. Recommended by Jason.
This book is bizarre. (I suppose I should have said "peculiar"....) It is a historical fantasy and an alternate history that uses real elements of occult history (like the Golden Dawn organization) and blends them with all these fantastical elements. Thomas, the protagonist, is slowly turning into a tree, lycanthropy is affecting random poor, and ghoulish creatures called The Elegants are murdering prostitutes in London. Also, the fog is more mysterious, deadly, and, yes, peculiar than usual.
This is a great book if you like historical fantasy, or the occult, or the Victorian obsession with the occult. A few historical figures show up (most notably Aleister Crowley). I do have to say, though, that you definitely see on display all the racism, classism and sexism of the period and it can be kind of frustrating. Through the first half of the book I felt I liked the protagonist mostly because he was *less* racist and *less* anti-Semitic than everybody else, but that really isn't saying much. (He grew on me.) There is a lot of blatant anti-Semitism in here (I mean it's obviously depicted as wrong and a nasty symptom of the age) and I didn't enjoy reading it.
Uh, also? There are several super explicit scenes I could happily have lived my whole life without reading.
Still, the central mystery of the book kept me chugging along and I did quite enjoy it. Thanks to Jason for the recommendation!
This book is bizarre. (I suppose I should have said "peculiar"....) It is a historical fantasy and an alternate history that uses real elements of occult history (like the Golden Dawn organization) and blends them with all these fantastical elements. Thomas, the protagonist, is slowly turning into a tree, lycanthropy is affecting random poor, and ghoulish creatures called The Elegants are murdering prostitutes in London. Also, the fog is more mysterious, deadly, and, yes, peculiar than usual.
This is a great book if you like historical fantasy, or the occult, or the Victorian obsession with the occult. A few historical figures show up (most notably Aleister Crowley). I do have to say, though, that you definitely see on display all the racism, classism and sexism of the period and it can be kind of frustrating. Through the first half of the book I felt I liked the protagonist mostly because he was *less* racist and *less* anti-Semitic than everybody else, but that really isn't saying much. (He grew on me.) There is a lot of blatant anti-Semitism in here (I mean it's obviously depicted as wrong and a nasty symptom of the age) and I didn't enjoy reading it.
Uh, also? There are several super explicit scenes I could happily have lived my whole life without reading.
Still, the central mystery of the book kept me chugging along and I did quite enjoy it. Thanks to Jason for the recommendation!
October 18, 2021
My thanks to Netgalley for allowing me an ARC of this book, which might have otherwise escaped my notice. And it was well worth the read, both in itself and as a portal to a formerly unread author; I shall certainly be delving into Mr Liss' back catalogue.
In The Peculiarities, he achieves a perfect mix of Victorian gothic, alternate history, fantasy and mystery, well glued together with great characters and atmosphere, and even some very dry and witty humor. I forced many of his quotes upon my work colleagues, and they had to agree, it was as if Liss had worked with us, so perfectly had he captured (via Thomas Thresher) the futility and absurd bureaucracy of our workplace. That alone made Thomas a sympathetic character, but the alternative London of the day was well drawn also. The secondary characters, Thomas' putative wife Esther, and the wretched but highly amusing Aleister Crowley, were excellent too, aided by Liss' faux formal Victorian language - formal enough to get the reader in the mood, and to accurately reflect the tone of the day, but not so stilted as to be off-putting or to impede the flow of the plot. And the ending was good too, giving us the ultimate showdown, but not quite the ultimate resolution that we would get with a more hackneyed author.
Recommended for fans of Susannah Clarke and Katherine Addison.
In The Peculiarities, he achieves a perfect mix of Victorian gothic, alternate history, fantasy and mystery, well glued together with great characters and atmosphere, and even some very dry and witty humor. I forced many of his quotes upon my work colleagues, and they had to agree, it was as if Liss had worked with us, so perfectly had he captured (via Thomas Thresher) the futility and absurd bureaucracy of our workplace. That alone made Thomas a sympathetic character, but the alternative London of the day was well drawn also. The secondary characters, Thomas' putative wife Esther, and the wretched but highly amusing Aleister Crowley, were excellent too, aided by Liss' faux formal Victorian language - formal enough to get the reader in the mood, and to accurately reflect the tone of the day, but not so stilted as to be off-putting or to impede the flow of the plot. And the ending was good too, giving us the ultimate showdown, but not quite the ultimate resolution that we would get with a more hackneyed author.
Recommended for fans of Susannah Clarke and Katherine Addison.
June 5, 2021
The Peculiarities was an enjoyable fantasy adventure story. I liked the style of the narration, which worked well for the piece, and I had fun following Thomas on his journey as he fought to find the truth behind the goings on at his family bank while also combating the supernatural threat of the Peculiarities. It was amusing to see some real life figures like Aleister Crowley make an appearance in the tale, giving the book the vibe of an alternate history. The world building was mostly well done. I had a few questions, but in general we only learnt more as Thomas learnt more, and he did not have a perfect knowledge of how everything worked, so neither could we. I didn't really get the vibe of his first romantic relationship, where love seemed to spring up almost instantaneously; however, the other relationships in the book came across well. Overall, this is a different and intriguing tale and I recommend it to fantasy fans looking for something with a bit of a twist. For me it was a 4-star read.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 4, 2021
This was as it's title suggests peculiar. The writing style is different and I found I had to really concentrate on the words. It has an old-time sort if writing style reminiscent of the century that it's based in but slightly modernized. It's written in second person? Which I always find hard to connect with personally as I'm reading.
I did not like the main character at all, he seemed very dull and obstinate. The story takes a while for anything to really happen and gain momentum.
The aspect of the Peculiarities was a very interesting concept with interesting characters, as well as the inclusion of literary influences such as Doyle and Crowley.
This is not a bad read and I can see why there are people who enjoyed it, it just was not a read that I was expecting from it's description and all together. I do urge people to read it and see for themselves as I am sure it will be a treat for some or not for others.
I did not like the main character at all, he seemed very dull and obstinate. The story takes a while for anything to really happen and gain momentum.
The aspect of the Peculiarities was a very interesting concept with interesting characters, as well as the inclusion of literary influences such as Doyle and Crowley.
This is not a bad read and I can see why there are people who enjoyed it, it just was not a read that I was expecting from it's description and all together. I do urge people to read it and see for themselves as I am sure it will be a treat for some or not for others.
June 23, 2021
The Pecularities was a very good read, I particularly appreciated how the historical atmosphere was done, with a lot of actual references, real characters and facts mixed with magic.
The apparition of alternative humans, the reality of the consequences of breaking oaths, all the bizarreries of a world slowly but ineluctably changing made for a very attractive read. Guessing things was also quite enjoyable, especially when one was still surprise in the end.
Incidentally (I was curious and went googling) there actually was a real story about a woman who supposedly gave birth to rabbits - even if it wasn't anything like live ones and if it's rather easy to understand how the entourage was mistaken and thought she could have been gravid with rabbits (of course, she wasn't !).
Another strong point was the strong underlining feminism, without any anachronic modernism.
And to finish, the cover is gorgeous and the reason why I first spotted the book!
Paragraphe
(I thank Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for sending me the ARC in exchange for my honest review)
The apparition of alternative humans, the reality of the consequences of breaking oaths, all the bizarreries of a world slowly but ineluctably changing made for a very attractive read. Guessing things was also quite enjoyable, especially when one was still surprise in the end.
Incidentally (I was curious and went googling) there actually was a real story about a woman who supposedly gave birth to rabbits - even if it wasn't anything like live ones and if it's rather easy to understand how the entourage was mistaken and thought she could have been gravid with rabbits (of course, she wasn't !).
Another strong point was the strong underlining feminism, without any anachronic modernism.
And to finish, the cover is gorgeous and the reason why I first spotted the book!
Paragraphe
(I thank Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for sending me the ARC in exchange for my honest review)
January 14, 2022
Thomas Thresher is a Peculiar, a human with unusual features, in his case plant-like appendages. Such Peculiarities are increasing in number and malevolence in turn-of-the-century London as a result of portals opening onto other astral realms. Will Thomas figure out how to stop those who are using the portals for evil intent? This book reminded me of The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell. It’s well-written and moves at a brisk pace. It fills my reading challenge category for “Book being read in public”. (3.5 stars rounded down)
September 26, 2022
What a fun, wild ride of a book this was. It imagines a Victorian England where magic is real and people find themselves being afflicted with strange abnormalities—our hero, for instance, is slowly turning into a tree. He joins a magic guild of questionable expertise in hopes of fixing his malady and gets sucked into a vast conspiracy he never expected. Tons of twists and turns, a fully realized and very unusual cast (which includes Aleister Crowley, of all people!), and expert use of language make this a blast to read. Highly recommended.
April 11, 2024
Very slow start, almost gave up but kept going after reading some reviews mentioning that it got better after a difficult start. The protagonist was also very dislikable but.... it did improve a lot and the main character had an interesting arc. As others have noted, cool and inventive world-building, I would not mind reading another book set in the same universe. Spoiler: I really liked the ending when it comes to romance, how it was NOT a "they meet fall in love and now they will be happy together forever"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2022
An enjoyable historical fantasy set in Victorian London. A mix of characters straight out of JK Rowling and Dickens with mathematics, the occult and Hebrew to round things out.
August 19, 2022
Weekend pangram! Two words S N O L B E M I
February 10, 2025
weird vibes. weird ending, insufferable MMC. interesting enough story, but the depictions of sexual assault and the MMC’s constant little quips about women and how fragile and useless they are seem a little bit too much like they are coming from the mouth of the author himself…
January 9, 2023
Took a while to like the main character but by the end of the book I loved watching his transformation and character growth
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews