What do you think?
Rate this book
Beasts of London
Darker than the night, like a piece of reality had been ripped out of the world to grant a view into the endless abyss of the void, a shape rose from the low hills of the moor, towering above all.
Sherlock Holmes, his brother Mycroft, and their associate Mary Morstan are some of the most adept mages in London, safeguarding the peace of the city. Their daily life of solving crimes is interrupted when an ancient threat rises in Dartmoor. The magical entity of London herself forces the Holmes brothers to throw themselves against the attackers to protect her citizens at the cost of their lives.
Secrets and betrayal, heartbreak and blackmail force the trio apart, yet they can only stand against the Beasts of London together. The Hound is coming.
Sherlock Holmes, his brother Mycroft, and their associate Mary Morstan are some of the most adept mages in London, safeguarding the peace of the city. Their daily life of solving crimes is interrupted when an ancient threat rises in Dartmoor. The magical entity of London herself forces the Holmes brothers to throw themselves against the attackers to protect her citizens at the cost of their lives.
Secrets and betrayal, heartbreak and blackmail force the trio apart, yet they can only stand against the Beasts of London together. The Hound is coming.
336 pages, Paperback
Published November 23, 2021
1 person is currently reading
14 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 10, 2022
A fast-paced and imaginative new take on Holmes and other familiar faces!
There was one sad and unnecessary event, I thought, which I'll put at the very bottom because it is a spoiler.
Aside from that, the magic did take some learning, as it's deeply embedded into the world. However, I adored the concept of the beasts (and want to know what the others are!) and I liked how everything came together. My absolute favorite storyline was Mycroft's, which was a nice change from usual depictions of him.
I will say that for the first few chapters I felt like I was reading book 3 in a series, not book 1. But by the end, I was definitely interested in any sequels that might come along. :)
The [SPOILER] I mentioned earlier . . . the dog dies. :( Really not necessary, I thought, and it took me out of the story. But then, I am very soft-hearted. And I did very much enjoy that the dog (and other side characters) was there at all, because he's a reference to one of the short stories (if I remember my names right!).
There was one sad and unnecessary event, I thought, which I'll put at the very bottom because it is a spoiler.
Aside from that, the magic did take some learning, as it's deeply embedded into the world. However, I adored the concept of the beasts (and want to know what the others are!) and I liked how everything came together. My absolute favorite storyline was Mycroft's, which was a nice change from usual depictions of him.
I will say that for the first few chapters I felt like I was reading book 3 in a series, not book 1. But by the end, I was definitely interested in any sequels that might come along. :)
The [SPOILER] I mentioned earlier . . . the dog dies. :( Really not necessary, I thought, and it took me out of the story. But then, I am very soft-hearted. And I did very much enjoy that the dog (and other side characters) was there at all, because he's a reference to one of the short stories (if I remember my names right!).
February 9, 2022
I enjoy a good fantasy novel and especially one with an exciting plot with twists and turns. This book had all those things.
It was also billed as a Sherlock AU. The characters in the book bore familiar names and only had a passing similarity to the characters from Sherlock. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I hadn’t expected more commonality between The Beasts of London and Sherlock.
I also had hoped for more in the way of illustrations. The ones in the book are beautiful. But there are less than a handful.
It was also billed as a Sherlock AU. The characters in the book bore familiar names and only had a passing similarity to the characters from Sherlock. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I hadn’t expected more commonality between The Beasts of London and Sherlock.
I also had hoped for more in the way of illustrations. The ones in the book are beautiful. But there are less than a handful.
February 27, 2025
Sherlock Holmes and Mycroft Holmes with many familiar names are in a magical London, were the sleuths favorite form of transportation is floating and flying without any devices.
March 6, 2022
I couldn't pass up what was described as a Sherlockian read with manga-influenced art. However, I should have known that I wouldn't care for the heavy fantasy aspects, as I am not a fan of that genre. The well-known characters are all magic users here. (I am, in contrast, a fan of the original, logical Sherlock Holmes, who said, "This agency stands flat-footed upon the ground, and there it must remain. The world is big enough for us. No ghosts need apply.")
John Watson is not much more than a trading card in this story, passed around as a token, so I missed the Holmes/Watson partnership. The art is minimal, only four pieces. Mycroft Holmes is besotted, pining from afar, so much that he lets himself be blackmailed into potentially harming both Sherlock and the city, a character twist I had a hard time believing. There were too many magic battles, not enough character work for my taste. The book is heavily plot-driven; I wanted more emotional or interactive scenes between the characters.
In short, the author made choices I didn't care for, so this wasn't an enjoyable book for me to read. If you're looking for twists on the well-known characters to make them work in a fantasy world full of magical showdowns, you might like this. I thought that the story would have worked just as well (perhaps better) with different names for the cast, which makes this not particularly Sherlockian (or Mycroftian).
John Watson is not much more than a trading card in this story, passed around as a token, so I missed the Holmes/Watson partnership. The art is minimal, only four pieces. Mycroft Holmes is besotted, pining from afar, so much that he lets himself be blackmailed into potentially harming both Sherlock and the city, a character twist I had a hard time believing. There were too many magic battles, not enough character work for my taste. The book is heavily plot-driven; I wanted more emotional or interactive scenes between the characters.
In short, the author made choices I didn't care for, so this wasn't an enjoyable book for me to read. If you're looking for twists on the well-known characters to make them work in a fantasy world full of magical showdowns, you might like this. I thought that the story would have worked just as well (perhaps better) with different names for the cast, which makes this not particularly Sherlockian (or Mycroftian).
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews