What do you think?
Rate this book
Newbury and Hobbes #6
The Albion Initiative: A Newbury & Hobbes Investigation
George Mann's Newbury & Hobbes steampunk series concludes as our special agent heroes discover a plot of empire-changing proportions in The Albion Initiative…
256 pages, Hardcover
First published July 26, 2022
8 people are currently reading
259 people want to read
About the author
George Mann
360 books674 followersGeorge Mann is an author and editor, primarily in genre fiction. He was born in Darlington, County Durham in 1978.
A former editor of Outland, Mann is the author of The Human Abstract, and more recently The Affinity Bridge and The Osiris Ritual in his Newbury and Hobbes detective series, set in an alternate Britain, and Ghosts of Manhattan, set in the same universe some decades later.
He wrote the Time Hunter novella "The Severed Man", and co-wrote the series finale, Child of Time.
He has also written numerous short stories, plus Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes audiobooks for Big Finish Productions. He has edited a number of anthologies including The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, The Solaris Book of New Fantasy and a retrospective collection of Sexton Blake stories, Sexton Blake, Detective, with an introduction by Michael Moorcock.
A former editor of Outland, Mann is the author of The Human Abstract, and more recently The Affinity Bridge and The Osiris Ritual in his Newbury and Hobbes detective series, set in an alternate Britain, and Ghosts of Manhattan, set in the same universe some decades later.
He wrote the Time Hunter novella "The Severed Man", and co-wrote the series finale, Child of Time.
He has also written numerous short stories, plus Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes audiobooks for Big Finish Productions. He has edited a number of anthologies including The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, The Solaris Book of New Fantasy and a retrospective collection of Sexton Blake stories, Sexton Blake, Detective, with an introduction by Michael Moorcock.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 31, 2023
Nice close-out to the series. The ending leaves it open for further adventures but this story arc has been wrapped up with lots of thrilling, dangerous adventure and several plot twists that upped the ante. Very enjoyable series.
Want to read
August 31, 2021Book 6 here we come!
Edit: this looks like the last one. How sad, I really enjoy these books but all good things must come to an end. Hopefully they release a box set soon.
So this book actually isn’t available until July 2022. No idea why goodreads lists it as August 2021.
Edit: this looks like the last one. How sad, I really enjoy these books but all good things must come to an end. Hopefully they release a box set soon.
So this book actually isn’t available until July 2022. No idea why goodreads lists it as August 2021.
August 6, 2022
Final books in a series are notoriously hard to write. Can all of a story's dangling threads be properly wrapped up, leaving the audience satisfied? Will each of our individual expectations be met?
These are things I was pondering before going into the sixth Newbury & Hobbes Investigation novel by George Mann. Meant as a conclusion to all that has transpired, the main focus of the story is on Queen Victoria, her plans to eliminate all of the Secret Service, an endeavour to depose her, and the extraordinarily demented methods she will use to cling onto power and life.
Surprisingly, the novel doesn't exclusively focus on Newbury & Hobbes as I'd expected it to, and we are, instead, treated to quality time with Amelia Hobbes (who's on a clandestine mission), Bainbridge (as he babysits a somewhat difficult guest), Warlow (an assassin in the queen's employ) and Sergeant Quint (a quick-thinking policeman on the trail of a serial killer who should be dead). All of these different aspects converge in the later stages of the book just perfectly, the pace is an absolute breeze, you're on the edge of your seat, desperate to discover the fates of your favourite characters and, as always, Mann's writing remains fun throughout.
I feel deeply contented after finishing the last page. Fourteen years and six novels have had us taken on one hell of a ride. I hope someday we get to revisit this wonderful world.
Savour this book, it's an absolute joy, and one that should most certainly satisfy all fans.
These are things I was pondering before going into the sixth Newbury & Hobbes Investigation novel by George Mann. Meant as a conclusion to all that has transpired, the main focus of the story is on Queen Victoria, her plans to eliminate all of the Secret Service, an endeavour to depose her, and the extraordinarily demented methods she will use to cling onto power and life.
Surprisingly, the novel doesn't exclusively focus on Newbury & Hobbes as I'd expected it to, and we are, instead, treated to quality time with Amelia Hobbes (who's on a clandestine mission), Bainbridge (as he babysits a somewhat difficult guest), Warlow (an assassin in the queen's employ) and Sergeant Quint (a quick-thinking policeman on the trail of a serial killer who should be dead). All of these different aspects converge in the later stages of the book just perfectly, the pace is an absolute breeze, you're on the edge of your seat, desperate to discover the fates of your favourite characters and, as always, Mann's writing remains fun throughout.
I feel deeply contented after finishing the last page. Fourteen years and six novels have had us taken on one hell of a ride. I hope someday we get to revisit this wonderful world.
Savour this book, it's an absolute joy, and one that should most certainly satisfy all fans.
July 15, 2022
Sir Maurice, Inspector Bainbridge and Veronica are back. Amelia is given a larger role in this book. Queen Victoria decides that the Secret Service is a threat and uses her personal agents to clean house. Our characters are caught in her paranoia.
Mann does a good job with his plot and characters. Amelia, as an example, is allowed to grow from a minor, physically frail character into a main protagonist.
The amount of carnage would seem to preclude these books getting a young adult categorization.
This was a good story and it is a series I recommend.
Mann does a good job with his plot and characters. Amelia, as an example, is allowed to grow from a minor, physically frail character into a main protagonist.
The amount of carnage would seem to preclude these books getting a young adult categorization.
This was a good story and it is a series I recommend.
November 20, 2022
Newbury, Hobbes and Bainbridge are back for the final instalment in the Newbury & Hobbes series.
Queen Victoria's paranoia has grown, she believes our heroes to be traitors, so orders the Secret Service to be eliminated, and sends out an assassin to do the job.
It's time to act and implement The Albion Initiative.
Wow what a fantastic conclusion.
I highly recommend if you're looking for a SteamPunk series.
Queen Victoria's paranoia has grown, she believes our heroes to be traitors, so orders the Secret Service to be eliminated, and sends out an assassin to do the job.
It's time to act and implement The Albion Initiative.
Wow what a fantastic conclusion.
I highly recommend if you're looking for a SteamPunk series.
November 27, 2022
CAWPILE 8.14
Read for Final Book Support Group November 2022.
Oh wow.
This book was incredible. I devoured it in one sitting after re-reading the previous 5 books to refresh my memory. I adore these characters, the setting, the relationships between everyone.
George Mann is an incredibly underrated author IMO and I wish more people read this series.
I'm gutted that this is the last in the series and can't wait to see what Mann is going to write next.
Read for Final Book Support Group November 2022.
Oh wow.
This book was incredible. I devoured it in one sitting after re-reading the previous 5 books to refresh my memory. I adore these characters, the setting, the relationships between everyone.
George Mann is an incredibly underrated author IMO and I wish more people read this series.
I'm gutted that this is the last in the series and can't wait to see what Mann is going to write next.
August 24, 2023
5, 5 an absolute 5. I've followed Newbury and Hobbes with their adventures and Mann did a fantastic job wrapping everything up. There were several plotlines and it was very difficult to see how everything fit together, but once the connections were brought to light, everything made sense. I would love for another series with these phenomenal characters.
July 27, 2023
[SPOILERS WARNING]
The final book in the Newbury and Hobbes series was a bit of a let down for me. As previously, the writing is breezy and the plot moves along apace, but for me the story was unsatisfactory.
Newbury and Co are executing the Albion Initiative, a long gestated plan to oust the corrupt Queen Victoria and put her son Albert on the throne, bringing about a fresh spirit to the British Empire.
However, their plan appears to be "break Prince Albert out from his captivity, break into Buckingham Palace with the Prince, and convince Victoria to step down of her own accord by asking her nicely and appealing to her better judgement".
Even if the plan wasn't so laughably weak, it's execution is even worse. Communication is virtually non-existent between the conspirators (Newbury & Veronica are absent for much of the middle half of the book, because they are out having dinner while other characters are forced to start the plan early). They enter the palace virtually unarmed. The Palace is totally absent of any guards. And the Queen's self-defence mechanisms in her mechanical life-support chair are totally forgotten (despite the fact that they were greatly highlighted in a previous book).
What makes it worse is the way other characters continually laud Newbury's cunning and the elaborate schemes and ploys that he contrives. And yet, there is never any evidence of this, but quite the opposite.
The final book in the Newbury and Hobbes series was a bit of a let down for me. As previously, the writing is breezy and the plot moves along apace, but for me the story was unsatisfactory.
Newbury and Co are executing the Albion Initiative, a long gestated plan to oust the corrupt Queen Victoria and put her son Albert on the throne, bringing about a fresh spirit to the British Empire.
However, their plan appears to be "break Prince Albert out from his captivity, break into Buckingham Palace with the Prince, and convince Victoria to step down of her own accord by asking her nicely and appealing to her better judgement".
Even if the plan wasn't so laughably weak, it's execution is even worse. Communication is virtually non-existent between the conspirators (Newbury & Veronica are absent for much of the middle half of the book, because they are out having dinner while other characters are forced to start the plan early). They enter the palace virtually unarmed. The Palace is totally absent of any guards. And the Queen's self-defence mechanisms in her mechanical life-support chair are totally forgotten (despite the fact that they were greatly highlighted in a previous book).
What makes it worse is the way other characters continually laud Newbury's cunning and the elaborate schemes and ploys that he contrives. And yet, there is never any evidence of this, but quite the opposite.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2022
George Mann https://www.georgemann.net is the author of more than 30 novels. The Albion Initiative was published in 2022 and is the 6th and the final book in the Newbury & Hobbes series.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher with the expectation of delivering a fair and honest review. Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this book/novel as R. The series is set in a steampunk Elizabethan alternative universe.
Newbury & Hobbes, along with their fellow Secret Service agents, find themselves set upon by Queen Victoria’s men. They come to the realization that the Queen is no longer in her right mind. To save the Empire they must enact the ‘Albion Initiative’ to break Prince Edward out of Bedlam.
Their investigation reveals the depths of madness to which the Queen has fallen. Will they be able to put things right? Will the Empire survive?
I enjoyed the 7 hours I spent reading this 244-page steampunk thriller. The novel can be read stand-alone, but it would be best to have read the prior works. I was fortunate to read book 5 of the series _The Revenant Express _ in the summer of 2019. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4 out of 5.
You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher with the expectation of delivering a fair and honest review. Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this book/novel as R. The series is set in a steampunk Elizabethan alternative universe.
Newbury & Hobbes, along with their fellow Secret Service agents, find themselves set upon by Queen Victoria’s men. They come to the realization that the Queen is no longer in her right mind. To save the Empire they must enact the ‘Albion Initiative’ to break Prince Edward out of Bedlam.
Their investigation reveals the depths of madness to which the Queen has fallen. Will they be able to put things right? Will the Empire survive?
I enjoyed the 7 hours I spent reading this 244-page steampunk thriller. The novel can be read stand-alone, but it would be best to have read the prior works. I was fortunate to read book 5 of the series _The Revenant Express _ in the summer of 2019. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4 out of 5.
You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).
June 15, 2022
The Albion Initiative by George Mann
Sir Maurice, Inspector Bainbridge and Veronica are back. Amelia is given a larger role in this book. Queen Victoria decides that the Secret Service is a threat and uses her personal agents to clean house. Our characters are caught in her paranoia.
Mann does a good job with his plot and characters. Amelia, as an example, is allowed to grow from a minor, physically frail character into a main protagonist.
The amount of carnage would seem to preclude these books getting a young adult categorization.
This was a good story and it is a series I recommend.
Sir Maurice, Inspector Bainbridge and Veronica are back. Amelia is given a larger role in this book. Queen Victoria decides that the Secret Service is a threat and uses her personal agents to clean house. Our characters are caught in her paranoia.
Mann does a good job with his plot and characters. Amelia, as an example, is allowed to grow from a minor, physically frail character into a main protagonist.
The amount of carnage would seem to preclude these books getting a young adult categorization.
This was a good story and it is a series I recommend.
September 13, 2022
George Mann completes his Newbury & Hobbes Sherlockian series of mysteries with The Albion Initiative (hard from Tor). The series takes place in an alternate England in which, using horrific science, Queen Victoria is kept alive long after her natural life span. Our heroes along with the head of Scotland Yard, and the head of the British Secret Service, first rescue the Prince of wales from Bedlam, a place where horrible experiments are prerformed on inmates. Some of the inmates are surgically transformed into boltheads, able to electrocute the Queen’s enemies. Eventually all is revealed with a proper conclusion. Disturbing
July 8, 2023
A rollicking, quick, and enjoyable conclusion to the Newbury and Hobbes series, “The Albion Initiative” follows our titular heroes as they try to stop Queen Victoria once and for all.
I got the feeling that George Mann stopped caring about writing on Newbury and Hobbes after books two and three. The books got smaller and simpler, and this conclusion may well be the shortest of them all at just over 230 pages with not a lot of plot in it.
With that being said, however, what is there is not fluff, and the story reaches a conclusion that fans have been clamoring for for years.
If you are a fan, don’t forget to pick this up and join the ride.
I got the feeling that George Mann stopped caring about writing on Newbury and Hobbes after books two and three. The books got smaller and simpler, and this conclusion may well be the shortest of them all at just over 230 pages with not a lot of plot in it.
With that being said, however, what is there is not fluff, and the story reaches a conclusion that fans have been clamoring for for years.
If you are a fan, don’t forget to pick this up and join the ride.
May 26, 2022
The finale is here. This has been a fantastic steampunk series and this is a fitting conclusion. Newbury and Hobbes are wrestling with the final problem - how to remove Queen Victoria from the throne. The queen has become a twisted shadow of her former self, kept alive unnaturally by machines and murder. Can Newbury, Veronica, Amelia and Bainbridge defeat her?
Without giving anything away if you've followed the series then you'll enjoy this. It's action packed throughout and it's a welcome return of familiar characters.
Thank you to Macmillan Publishers for the review copy.
Without giving anything away if you've followed the series then you'll enjoy this. It's action packed throughout and it's a welcome return of familiar characters.
Thank you to Macmillan Publishers for the review copy.
September 11, 2022
Superb! Excellent end to this hexagy(!). Really rocketed along, flipping from thread to thread with ease and excellent timing. Shame about this bit and that thing happening (that's got you worried, eh?). Loved the character of Quint (reminded me of Stephen Rea in V for Vendetta film) and look forward to more on him. Nothing to say but I do hope George does continue with this universe despite it's major overhaul.
May 27, 2024
And with that, the series comes to an end. Reading this series has been a whirlwind. Twists at every turn, amazing characters, impressive worldbuilding, and immaculate storytelling. I have enjoyed this series since page one and I am both happy and sad that my journey with Newbury and Hobbes is over. Sad that I no longer get to spend time in this incredible world, but happy to read more of George Mann's books.
Thank you George Mann for writing such an incredible series.
Thank you George Mann for writing such an incredible series.
November 10, 2022
I’m sad to see the end of this series. It being one of the first steampunk series I found years ago. I found Mann’s ending to this series very well done in tying up all the loose ends of the overall story. It does make me want to go back & read/listen to the whole series again in order for all the nuances I’d missed or characters I don’t remember.
September 7, 2025
I love the partnership of Newbury and Hobbes and always look forward to reading more of their adventures, but have struggled a bit with the brevity and pace of recent books.
A lot happens in this one and there is much peril, but there seemed to be more space for the characters too. Really enjoyed it, even though it was pretty terrifying and gruesome at times.
A lot happens in this one and there is much peril, but there seemed to be more space for the characters too. Really enjoyed it, even though it was pretty terrifying and gruesome at times.
August 23, 2022
Another great adventure with Newbury and Hobbes. In fact the last adventure ion this great series.
In this final chapter we have the ultimate villian in the form of Queen Victoria.
Plots, counter plots and unsuccessful plots creates a fast paced story.
Highly recommended Author and Series
In this final chapter we have the ultimate villian in the form of Queen Victoria.
Plots, counter plots and unsuccessful plots creates a fast paced story.
Highly recommended Author and Series
January 13, 2023
This was the last installment of the Newberry and Hobbes series, and although I was sad to see it come to an end, this book nicely tied up the loose ends for a satisfying conclusion. The series as a whole was fun and entertaining, a nice break from my usual reads.
July 16, 2022
How can this be the last book!?
August 7, 2023
Exciting conclusion to Newbury & Hobbes series, though other characters were more involved in action.
Read
October 29, 2023Was a solid read, but not the best of the series.
February 12, 2024
NEED 6 MORE!!
March 4, 2024
Major plot armor, weak romance, and apparent literal magic round out this otherwise enjoyable series as a let down.
March 25, 2024
An exciting romp which brings the series to a satisfying resolution.
May 6, 2024
Great ending
November 2, 2024
Too many characters. Too much exposition. Not enough Newbury and Hobbes. Mann’s ability as a writer saves a humdrum book.
May 3, 2023
The time has finally come.
Queen Victoria has given the order for her agents to move against the Secret Service -- to eliminate the fledgling organisation with extreme prejudice. Caught in the middle of the conflict, Newbury, Veronica and Bainbridge are forced to face up to the truth: that the Queen no longer represents the best interests of the Empire. Now rogue and in league with the Queen's enemies, they must enact the "Albion Initiative" a desperate plan to break Prince Edward out of Bedlam and install him on the throne in the Queen's stead. But with the Queen's executioner and his army on their trail, as well as a possible traitor in their midst, can they do enough to stop the malign tyrant from destroying everything they once swore to protect?
With everything falling apart around them, Newbury and Veronica must uncover the macabre truth behind the crown, and in doing so, unravel the very foundations of the Empire.
Queen Victoria has given the order for her agents to move against the Secret Service -- to eliminate the fledgling organisation with extreme prejudice. Caught in the middle of the conflict, Newbury, Veronica and Bainbridge are forced to face up to the truth: that the Queen no longer represents the best interests of the Empire. Now rogue and in league with the Queen's enemies, they must enact the "Albion Initiative" a desperate plan to break Prince Edward out of Bedlam and install him on the throne in the Queen's stead. But with the Queen's executioner and his army on their trail, as well as a possible traitor in their midst, can they do enough to stop the malign tyrant from destroying everything they once swore to protect?
With everything falling apart around them, Newbury and Veronica must uncover the macabre truth behind the crown, and in doing so, unravel the very foundations of the Empire.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews