Review by Booklist Review
The latest Bannon and Clare adventure finds Archibald Clare, the alternate Victorian-era London's version of Sherlock Holmes, desperately in need of some rest. But Emma Bannon, sorceress to the queen, has some troubling news: someone is killing women in the Whitechapel district of Londinium, and only Clare, with his unique gifts of logic and reason, can solve the mystery. Readers unfamiliar with the previous two novels in this very clever series will have fun piecing together the clues to the book's time and place: Londinium is the name of the original Roman Empire settlement, and there's a brief mention of a Rome-approved funeral service, but the Whitechapel murders, not to mention the book's title, are a clear reference to Jack the Ripper, so is this set in an alternate London that might have existed had the Roman Empire not fallen? On the other hand, readers who are up to speed on the series' environment and characters will dive right in and immerse themselves in the story, which promises excitement and chills and delivers the goods. Keep 'em coming.--Pitt, David Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Sorceress Emma Bannon and mentath Archibald Clare face a truly dastardly foe in their intricate third pseudo-Victorian adventure (after The Red Plague Affair). When the Queen herself comes to ask Bannon to investigate a series of murders in the Whitchapel area, the sorceress reluctantly agrees to come out of her self-imposed retirement. With the ever-faithful Clare aiding her, though he's still recovering from a near-fatal explosion, she delves into the bloody heart of the matter. Together and separately, they learn that a renegade Prime sorcerer has raised a spirit that could undermine the fabric of all Britannia. Part history, part steampunk, laced with magic and a healthy dose of Manners, this fantasy may evoke a certain bloody Jack, but Saintcrow takes as many liberties with that story as she does with the rest of her uniquely fascinating setting. The layers of subtext run deep as the heroes say everything but what's truly on their minds, but at times the complicated dance of emotions and restraint feels too leisurely and indirect. Agent: Miriam Kriss, Irene Goodman Literary Agency. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
