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The Shadow on the Glass
When two spiritist swindlers accidentally summon something horrific from beyond the stars, they must thwart a sinister time-spanning plot, in this first Victorian-era gaslight fantasy set in the world of Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu.
London, 1891. Elizabeth Whittle and William Grant enjoy scalping London’s bourgeoise, taking on the persona of grand spiritist Cerulia Trent and her agent to connect the living and the dead. When a detective arrives, sniffing out fraud with a scientifically minded spiritualist society, the duo decides to take one last job before escaping to the continent. However, their final séance ends horrifically… and soon Lizzie isn’t Lizzie anymore. William, desperate to banish whatever monster they summoned, is soon embroiled in an electrifying eldritch mystery where he makes a deal with the devil to save his friend and stop an even greater evil from transforming the known world.
336 pages, Paperback
Published July 2, 2024
About the author
Jonathan L. Howard
62 books2,020 followersJonathan L Howard is a game designer, scriptwriter, and a veteran of the computer games industry since the early 1990s, with titles such as the 'Broken Sword' series to his credit.
After publishing two short stories featuring Johannes Cabal (Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day and Exeunt Demon King) in H. P. Lovecraft's Magazine of Horror, Johannes Cabal the Necromancer was published in 2009 as his first novel.
Since then there have been three sequels, with a fourth due in 2016. He has also written two novels in the YA SF "Russalka Chronicles" series, and the ongoing "Goon Squad" serial of superhero stories. October 2015 will see the publication of "Carter & Lovecraft," the first in a new series of novels.
He lives with his wife and daughter near Bristol.
http://www.jonathanlhoward.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/JonathanLHoward
http://jonathanlhoward.livejournal.com/
After publishing two short stories featuring Johannes Cabal (Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day and Exeunt Demon King) in H. P. Lovecraft's Magazine of Horror, Johannes Cabal the Necromancer was published in 2009 as his first novel.
Since then there have been three sequels, with a fourth due in 2016. He has also written two novels in the YA SF "Russalka Chronicles" series, and the ongoing "Goon Squad" serial of superhero stories. October 2015 will see the publication of "Carter & Lovecraft," the first in a new series of novels.
He lives with his wife and daughter near Bristol.
http://www.jonathanlhoward.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/JonathanLHoward
http://jonathanlhoward.livejournal.com/
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July 10, 2024A new Jonathan L Howard is always a pleasure. I've never played the game this is a tie in to, but you know, Lovecraft. It's a romp through foggy Victorian Britain, with a slightly HG Wells quality along with HP Lovecraft. Fake mediums, Mancunian coppers, dodgy colonials, eldritch horrors from beyond the stars, all sauced with plenty of death and mayhem, and some real pathos. Highly enjoyable.
Ebook has a few formatting glitches in the paragraph separation on Kobo, hopefully the publisher will sort that.
Ebook has a few formatting glitches in the paragraph separation on Kobo, hopefully the publisher will sort that.
June 24, 2024
In London 1891 swindlers William Grant and Lizzie Whittle decide to pull exactly one last job acting as a medium/spiritualist before leaving London and get out of the fraud game. They will sit for Sir Donovan Clay (an incredibly rich man who has come back to London from Australia), collect a massive pay day and hit the road. Unfortunately things don't go quite to plan and, after a dramatic escape into the night, Grant finds Lizzie is not quite the same and the paid soon find themselves wrapped up in a horrifying eldritch mystery that spans time and space.
So this was an easy win for me. Give me a bit of Victorian England and the idea of a séance and I'm already on board. Pepper in some Lovecraftian fun and I'm eager to consume it. Howard has a great grasp on the mythos and that is very evident through out. While there are great gruesome scenes throughout the book Howard managed to eek out a few laughs here and there and keep the flow of the story moving. While portions of this book felt slow they all are proven necessary. Yes, there is a bit of an info dump with Grant acting as the audience stand-in, but that's necessary to set up the convoluted (in the best possible way) mystery that needs to be solved.
Overall I think this is an excellent entry to a new series within the Call of Cthulhu line of books and am eager to revisit Grant down the line!
Thank you to Aconyte and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
So this was an easy win for me. Give me a bit of Victorian England and the idea of a séance and I'm already on board. Pepper in some Lovecraftian fun and I'm eager to consume it. Howard has a great grasp on the mythos and that is very evident through out. While there are great gruesome scenes throughout the book Howard managed to eek out a few laughs here and there and keep the flow of the story moving. While portions of this book felt slow they all are proven necessary. Yes, there is a bit of an info dump with Grant acting as the audience stand-in, but that's necessary to set up the convoluted (in the best possible way) mystery that needs to be solved.
Overall I think this is an excellent entry to a new series within the Call of Cthulhu line of books and am eager to revisit Grant down the line!
Thank you to Aconyte and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
July 3, 2024
I will be completely honest when I say that this book was always going to be a win for me. Or at least I hoped it would and it did not disappoint. We have all the things I love and enjoy, Victorian setting, séances and spiritualism, the Call of Cthulhu Table Top Game, and a bit of Lovecraftian horror and mythos without the bigotry. I am pleased to say that this did not disappoint.
Howard is a fantastic author for this series, breathing life into the mythos and taking it and making it his own. The atmosphere is perfect for the setting and pace. You are dragged into the gaslit version of England and you are not let go.
I will say while a pet peeve can be information dumping, and despite there being a little bit in this one. Howard does use this device in such a way that I can accept and understand why it was there. In fact I would go as far as to say that I think it was needed.
All in all this is perfect for horror fans, fans of Lovecraft who don’t want the racism and bigoty and of course fans of Call Cthulhu.
Thank you as always to Aconyte Books and Netgalley for the ARC. This review is left voluntarily and is completely honest.
Howard is a fantastic author for this series, breathing life into the mythos and taking it and making it his own. The atmosphere is perfect for the setting and pace. You are dragged into the gaslit version of England and you are not let go.
I will say while a pet peeve can be information dumping, and despite there being a little bit in this one. Howard does use this device in such a way that I can accept and understand why it was there. In fact I would go as far as to say that I think it was needed.
All in all this is perfect for horror fans, fans of Lovecraft who don’t want the racism and bigoty and of course fans of Call Cthulhu.
Thank you as always to Aconyte Books and Netgalley for the ARC. This review is left voluntarily and is completely honest.
June 27, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and Aconyte Books for an early copy of this book in an exchange for my honest review.
Actual Rating: 3,5 ⭐️
I was so excited to read this book and I was very much enjoying the first half, but the second part just let me down.
A quick disclaimer: I've never played Call of Cthulhu or read the original works by H. P. Lovecraft. So, my opinion is based solely on this story alone. Also, I don't think you need to know very much about the game or the original work. The story makes perfect sense even without prior knowlegde of the Cthulhu Mythos.
Why I wanted to read this in the first place when I am not a fan of Call of Cthulhu? Well, the premise was what sold me on this book. Two fraud spiritists in Victorian London get thrown right into the middle of a war between two enemy races of cosmic creatures. That sounds amazing, right?
But... Where is the atmosphere? The author had all the ingredients I like, to create an amazing atmosphere, but he didn't take them. I've never felt transported into a different place and time and like I am actually there with the characters. Only a few scenes actually felt atmospheric and kind of scary to me. Otherwise, this just didn't feel like a horror to me. Yes, we have a bunch of cosmic creatures, but the main villain is a human. And that I struggled with. Because we weren't actually fighting the cosmic creatures, but a human who allied with them. And I wanted to see how they are going to fight creatures that are thousand's of years old and not trying to outsmart a human and stop their evil plan.
Also, in my opinion the characters aren't fully developed, they feel a bit flat to me and the character development is nonexistent. At some point two characters refer to each other as friends and at that point, I just felt a bit confused, because when exactly did they become friends? What bonding experience did they have to call each other a friend? I liked our main character Grant and detective sergeant Bradley but that's probably it. We also follow the main villain and occasionally some random side characters. But all of them are man. Very briefly we see into the head of Miss Cerulia Trent, but otherwise there is no other female character POV. And I wanted to see more prominent characters that are women. Of course there is Lizzie Whittle, but she's not present for most of the story, so I didn't really become attached to her, and Miss Church, who is just kind of there because the plot needs it. And there is head-hopping as well, which is a big pet-peeve of mine.
This is definitely a plot-driven story, so if you are a more character-driven reader, maybe don't pick this up, because I don't think you would enjoy this. Also, almost nothing happens and the scenes just feel a bit drown out. And the resolution was too quick and a bit convenient too. The final battle is mostly from the villain's POV which I didn't really enjoy. I was hoping to see our good guys fighting and struggling to win, some emotional scenes that would made me tear up, but we don't get that. The final battle just kind of happens and suddenly is done. There is an epilogue as well, that sets up the sequel, and it sounds interesting but I don't know if I'll continue this series. I guess I decide when we get the news about the sequel.
Overall, this was just very middle of the road for me. But it read quickly, the dialogue was good and sometimes the narration was pretty funny.
Actual Rating: 3,5 ⭐️
I was so excited to read this book and I was very much enjoying the first half, but the second part just let me down.
A quick disclaimer: I've never played Call of Cthulhu or read the original works by H. P. Lovecraft. So, my opinion is based solely on this story alone. Also, I don't think you need to know very much about the game or the original work. The story makes perfect sense even without prior knowlegde of the Cthulhu Mythos.
Why I wanted to read this in the first place when I am not a fan of Call of Cthulhu? Well, the premise was what sold me on this book. Two fraud spiritists in Victorian London get thrown right into the middle of a war between two enemy races of cosmic creatures. That sounds amazing, right?
But... Where is the atmosphere? The author had all the ingredients I like, to create an amazing atmosphere, but he didn't take them. I've never felt transported into a different place and time and like I am actually there with the characters. Only a few scenes actually felt atmospheric and kind of scary to me. Otherwise, this just didn't feel like a horror to me. Yes, we have a bunch of cosmic creatures, but the main villain is a human. And that I struggled with. Because we weren't actually fighting the cosmic creatures, but a human who allied with them. And I wanted to see how they are going to fight creatures that are thousand's of years old and not trying to outsmart a human and stop their evil plan.
Also, in my opinion the characters aren't fully developed, they feel a bit flat to me and the character development is nonexistent. At some point two characters refer to each other as friends and at that point, I just felt a bit confused, because when exactly did they become friends? What bonding experience did they have to call each other a friend? I liked our main character Grant and detective sergeant Bradley but that's probably it. We also follow the main villain and occasionally some random side characters. But all of them are man. Very briefly we see into the head of Miss Cerulia Trent, but otherwise there is no other female character POV. And I wanted to see more prominent characters that are women. Of course there is Lizzie Whittle, but she's not present for most of the story, so I didn't really become attached to her, and Miss Church, who is just kind of there because the plot needs it. And there is head-hopping as well, which is a big pet-peeve of mine.
This is definitely a plot-driven story, so if you are a more character-driven reader, maybe don't pick this up, because I don't think you would enjoy this. Also, almost nothing happens and the scenes just feel a bit drown out. And the resolution was too quick and a bit convenient too. The final battle is mostly from the villain's POV which I didn't really enjoy. I was hoping to see our good guys fighting and struggling to win, some emotional scenes that would made me tear up, but we don't get that. The final battle just kind of happens and suddenly is done. There is an epilogue as well, that sets up the sequel, and it sounds interesting but I don't know if I'll continue this series. I guess I decide when we get the news about the sequel.
Overall, this was just very middle of the road for me. But it read quickly, the dialogue was good and sometimes the narration was pretty funny.
May 10, 2024
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Aconyte Books for an advance copy of this novel set in the time of gaslights and spiritualism where a duo who think they are clever are caught in ancient game of gods, cults and wannabes.
The problem with being alive is that we never know when the end is coming. Even in this age of medical wonders a 6-month warning about end of life can stretch out for years. Or last only hours. So many things are left unsaid. I'll apologize tomorrow, I'll tell them where the gold is hidden soon, I'll confess my love to her...hey that bus isn't stopping. To quote a band who could be the soundtrack in many ways to this book, 'Plans that either come to naught. Or half a page of scribbled lines." There is no wonder that people through the ages have wanted to act as a messenger to the dead, a medium to share thoughts unsaid, and exist only behind the veil. And since humans love to make money by means both foul and fair, there are many that pretend their gift of communing with the dead is real, honest, and worth a good payout. The only problem is as a philosopher once said, "..If you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." The Shadow on the Glass :A Cthulhu by Gaslight Novel by Jonathan L Howard is the story of a two pseudo-mediums who find that instead of rapping on tables, they are wrapped in a game of the Old gods, a game that is heavily rigged against them.
London, England in the year of our Lord, 1891. William Grant was a low level schemer and scammer who after a time on the run has hit lucky streak in the rise of spiritualism. His partner Elizabeth Whittle is better known as the medium Cerulia Trent, and have gained a certain reputation for the communications with the deceased. Elizabeth is very good at conveying messages, though she is finding it harder and harder to remember who she is, as Cerulia Trent seems to be taking up all her time. A chance encounter with a local detective pushes the duo to move their scam to the Continent. Before they go, they plan one last seance, with a recently arrived Sir Donovan Clay, from Australia. Clay has been hiring mediums both good, bad and indifferent and paying out huge sums to get in contact with his recently deceased wife. The night goes wrong, from a storm that suddenly rolls in, Clay's lack of affection for his dead wife, his ancient Uncle, and a ceremony that goes wrong leaving Elizabeth changed. The darkened alleys of London are full of threats for Grant and his companion, leaving him few chances but to go deeper and deeper in the madness that is around them.
A spooky story that is both strong on atmosphere and strong on characters. Howard known for his books about Johannes Cabal the Necromancer, has a good grasp on this subject matter, and it carries over in the writing. Situations are creepy, with lots of potential for cheap scares, but Howard is better than that, dragging the feeling out, and making for some uneasy page flipping. Howard really brings in a lot of elements, early detective stories, penny dreadful story, all mixed with Cthulhu. Quite a lot of fun, and a worthy start to a new series of stories.
Fans of the game Call of Cthulhu will enjoy this, as Howard really nails the atmosphere. Fans of Howard's other books will enjoy this also, as one can feel his signature style, and humor on each page.
The problem with being alive is that we never know when the end is coming. Even in this age of medical wonders a 6-month warning about end of life can stretch out for years. Or last only hours. So many things are left unsaid. I'll apologize tomorrow, I'll tell them where the gold is hidden soon, I'll confess my love to her...hey that bus isn't stopping. To quote a band who could be the soundtrack in many ways to this book, 'Plans that either come to naught. Or half a page of scribbled lines." There is no wonder that people through the ages have wanted to act as a messenger to the dead, a medium to share thoughts unsaid, and exist only behind the veil. And since humans love to make money by means both foul and fair, there are many that pretend their gift of communing with the dead is real, honest, and worth a good payout. The only problem is as a philosopher once said, "..If you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." The Shadow on the Glass :A Cthulhu by Gaslight Novel by Jonathan L Howard is the story of a two pseudo-mediums who find that instead of rapping on tables, they are wrapped in a game of the Old gods, a game that is heavily rigged against them.
London, England in the year of our Lord, 1891. William Grant was a low level schemer and scammer who after a time on the run has hit lucky streak in the rise of spiritualism. His partner Elizabeth Whittle is better known as the medium Cerulia Trent, and have gained a certain reputation for the communications with the deceased. Elizabeth is very good at conveying messages, though she is finding it harder and harder to remember who she is, as Cerulia Trent seems to be taking up all her time. A chance encounter with a local detective pushes the duo to move their scam to the Continent. Before they go, they plan one last seance, with a recently arrived Sir Donovan Clay, from Australia. Clay has been hiring mediums both good, bad and indifferent and paying out huge sums to get in contact with his recently deceased wife. The night goes wrong, from a storm that suddenly rolls in, Clay's lack of affection for his dead wife, his ancient Uncle, and a ceremony that goes wrong leaving Elizabeth changed. The darkened alleys of London are full of threats for Grant and his companion, leaving him few chances but to go deeper and deeper in the madness that is around them.
A spooky story that is both strong on atmosphere and strong on characters. Howard known for his books about Johannes Cabal the Necromancer, has a good grasp on this subject matter, and it carries over in the writing. Situations are creepy, with lots of potential for cheap scares, but Howard is better than that, dragging the feeling out, and making for some uneasy page flipping. Howard really brings in a lot of elements, early detective stories, penny dreadful story, all mixed with Cthulhu. Quite a lot of fun, and a worthy start to a new series of stories.
Fans of the game Call of Cthulhu will enjoy this, as Howard really nails the atmosphere. Fans of Howard's other books will enjoy this also, as one can feel his signature style, and humor on each page.
July 14, 2024
[ Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC! ]
~ ~ ~
In Victorian-era London, Lizzie Whittle and William Grant run a con on London's elite providing séance services. Under the name Cerulia Trent, Lizzie pretends to contact the dead on behalf of their rich patrons. However, when what promises to be a quick and profitable evening of hustling suddenly turns sour, Lizzie and Grant find themselves drawn into an otherworldly plot.
~ ~ ~
This story seemed to have all of the hallmarks of a fun Lovecraftian romp. Fake psychics? Eldritch mysteries? Horrors from beyond the stars!? All wrapped up in Victorian England? Sign me up!
Unfortunately, the reality was less exciting than I was hoping for. If I were to describe this book in a word, it would be boring. There just wasn't a whole lot of kick to this story. The horror and tension I expected were nowhere to be found. Throw in some bland characters, and you can see why I might've been falling asleep trying to finish this one. While I did enjoy some of the aspects of the writing, for example the little witticisms sprinkled throughout, sadly it just wasn't enough to save it from itself.
~ ~ ~
In Victorian-era London, Lizzie Whittle and William Grant run a con on London's elite providing séance services. Under the name Cerulia Trent, Lizzie pretends to contact the dead on behalf of their rich patrons. However, when what promises to be a quick and profitable evening of hustling suddenly turns sour, Lizzie and Grant find themselves drawn into an otherworldly plot.
~ ~ ~
This story seemed to have all of the hallmarks of a fun Lovecraftian romp. Fake psychics? Eldritch mysteries? Horrors from beyond the stars!? All wrapped up in Victorian England? Sign me up!
Unfortunately, the reality was less exciting than I was hoping for. If I were to describe this book in a word, it would be boring. There just wasn't a whole lot of kick to this story. The horror and tension I expected were nowhere to be found. Throw in some bland characters, and you can see why I might've been falling asleep trying to finish this one. While I did enjoy some of the aspects of the writing, for example the little witticisms sprinkled throughout, sadly it just wasn't enough to save it from itself.
June 11, 2024
I received an eARC of “The Shadow on the Glass” in exchange for an honest review.
The Shadow on the Glass in the glass is the first in a series of Cthulhu by Gaslight novels set in the Victorian era. The events follow two “mediums” who unwittingly unleash an ancient evil during a failed seance for a wealthy client. Nothing good ever happens during a “one last job”.
The characters are well developed and undergo a certain amount of growth through their journey. I also liked that the true nature of cosmic horrors were kept under wraps until the final confrontation and it focused mostly on the human interactions throughout.
I feel the author did a great job of bringing the Cthulhu mythos to the Victorian era. Fans of gothic horror or Sherlock Holmes will enjoy this book.
I will forward to any future books in the series and I will definitely check out Howard’s other titles as well.
The Shadow on the Glass in the glass is the first in a series of Cthulhu by Gaslight novels set in the Victorian era. The events follow two “mediums” who unwittingly unleash an ancient evil during a failed seance for a wealthy client. Nothing good ever happens during a “one last job”.
The characters are well developed and undergo a certain amount of growth through their journey. I also liked that the true nature of cosmic horrors were kept under wraps until the final confrontation and it focused mostly on the human interactions throughout.
I feel the author did a great job of bringing the Cthulhu mythos to the Victorian era. Fans of gothic horror or Sherlock Holmes will enjoy this book.
I will forward to any future books in the series and I will definitely check out Howard’s other titles as well.
July 7, 2024
A pair of con artist spiritualists find themselves exposed to something both beyond this world…and beyond time…
The Shadow on the Glass: A Cthulhu by Gaslight Novel by Jonathan L. Howard is a fun Victorian horror story that could easily work for readers with limited knowledge of the world.
Grant and Whittle are a pair of “spiritualists” performing seances for the rich and gullible. When they get an offer to work for a noble outside of London, they would be crazy to turn down the opportunity, right?
What follows is a gripping story beyond time and space as Mr Grant and Miss Whittle find themselves forced to confront the reality of their fake professions…as creatures beyond their human understanding pose a threat to humanity…
The book draws heavily from the short story The Shadow Out of Time by HP Lovecraft (one of my favorites), but it’s not necessary for you to have read it. Most of it’s fairly open to fresh readers.
The Shadow on the Glass: A Cthulhu by Gaslight Novel by Jonathan L. Howard is a fun Victorian horror story that could easily work for readers with limited knowledge of the world.
Grant and Whittle are a pair of “spiritualists” performing seances for the rich and gullible. When they get an offer to work for a noble outside of London, they would be crazy to turn down the opportunity, right?
What follows is a gripping story beyond time and space as Mr Grant and Miss Whittle find themselves forced to confront the reality of their fake professions…as creatures beyond their human understanding pose a threat to humanity…
The book draws heavily from the short story The Shadow Out of Time by HP Lovecraft (one of my favorites), but it’s not necessary for you to have read it. Most of it’s fairly open to fresh readers.
June 17, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC
The Shadow on the Glass follows William Grant and Elizabeth "Lizzie" Whittle as they swindle their way through Victoria era London performing seances and staying one step ahead of the local police.
Grant and Lizzie plan to do one more job and head to France, when they unwittingly summon a new entity and suddenly Lizzie isn't Lizzie anymore. There is a feeling of danger throughout the novel as Grant makes a deal to do anything to save his friend.
Caught in a dangerous game of cosmic beings Grant learns that nothing good can come from greed or ancient alien races.
A gothic horror novel where the setting is so strong that it sometimes feels like you are walking the streets of London along with the characters.
The Shadow on the Glass follows William Grant and Elizabeth "Lizzie" Whittle as they swindle their way through Victoria era London performing seances and staying one step ahead of the local police.
Grant and Lizzie plan to do one more job and head to France, when they unwittingly summon a new entity and suddenly Lizzie isn't Lizzie anymore. There is a feeling of danger throughout the novel as Grant makes a deal to do anything to save his friend.
Caught in a dangerous game of cosmic beings Grant learns that nothing good can come from greed or ancient alien races.
A gothic horror novel where the setting is so strong that it sometimes feels like you are walking the streets of London along with the characters.
July 11, 2024
As much as I loved the book, I can't give it 5 stars because of the frustrating cliffhanger at the end.
That being said, I did like it immensely, even in audiobook format (which is not my preferred way of reading books) and the narrator did a wonderful job conveying the dark undertones of the book. The sneaky bits of humor were also very entertaining. The characters were properly fleshed out, with the surprisingly charming supporting cast like detective Bradley winning my affections. I can't say more because spoilers spoilers spoilers
All in all, I can't wait to get a physical copy of the book when it releases worldwide in September! The Johannes Cabal book series remains my favorite but this was a welcome entry to a new series and I am excited for more.
That being said, I did like it immensely, even in audiobook format (which is not my preferred way of reading books) and the narrator did a wonderful job conveying the dark undertones of the book. The sneaky bits of humor were also very entertaining. The characters were properly fleshed out, with the surprisingly charming supporting cast like detective Bradley winning my affections. I can't say more because spoilers spoilers spoilers
All in all, I can't wait to get a physical copy of the book when it releases worldwide in September! The Johannes Cabal book series remains my favorite but this was a welcome entry to a new series and I am excited for more.
June 20, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and Aconyte books for this e-ARC.
I don't have much to say about this book other than it was boring. For such an interesting concept, I felt it was wasted as nothing was really explored in depth.
The characters received little development and were all flat. I don't know why were supposed to care so much about Lizzie since we barely got to know her. The book kept bouncing from POV to POV which meant we never really spent time with any one character enough to flesh them out.
The plot was okay but not groundbreaking. I did enjoy the style of the writing but that was about it.
Overall, a bit of a let down.
I don't have much to say about this book other than it was boring. For such an interesting concept, I felt it was wasted as nothing was really explored in depth.
The characters received little development and were all flat. I don't know why were supposed to care so much about Lizzie since we barely got to know her. The book kept bouncing from POV to POV which meant we never really spent time with any one character enough to flesh them out.
The plot was okay but not groundbreaking. I did enjoy the style of the writing but that was about it.
Overall, a bit of a let down.
March 28, 2024
ARC from Netgalley.
I liked the plot of the book fine. Some elements didn't work for me. There were points where I thought the point of view shifted, and there were times I questioned the author's decisions, like attempting to inject some humor in at odd points.
But in general I liked it. Trent reminded me a bit of Bella Baxter from Poor Things. I liked the layer added by including the police presence. Overall, a nice read.
I liked the plot of the book fine. Some elements didn't work for me. There were points where I thought the point of view shifted, and there were times I questioned the author's decisions, like attempting to inject some humor in at odd points.
But in general I liked it. Trent reminded me a bit of Bella Baxter from Poor Things. I liked the layer added by including the police presence. Overall, a nice read.
July 18, 2024
I received this copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Lizzie Whittle and William Grant are partners in creating the spirit medium, Cerulia Trent. On what they are planning to be their last "experiment" (never a seance), things go wrong. This draws them into the world of Lovecraft's Eldrich horrors. Howard did a great job in bringing these creatures into Victorian London.
I hope this becomes a series. I truly came to care about these protagonists and want their story to continue.
I hope this becomes a series. I truly came to care about these protagonists and want their story to continue.
April 8, 2024
A hugely entertaining tale of dark secrets, human greed and cruelty, and cosmic horrors. I loved the characters and the setting, and Howard tells the story in a throwback, old-school way that my Sherlock Holmes-loving heart definitely appreciated. There's a real sense of danger and adventure here, and I really had no idea where the ending was going to take me. Fair warning: I had some really intense nightmares about giant sky-monsters after reading this book so be warned!
July 21, 2024
I struggled with this one, if I'm being honest. It took a long time to get invested in the characters, and the plot was pretty slow going, but it absolutely picked up in the last 20% of the book. The author does a great job of using English slang that was appropriate for the times. Not my favorite Cthulhu book, but certainly not a disaster! I liked the flying polyps the best. Hideous.
July 6, 2024
I think this book may need sensitivity readers, if it hasn’t already. And if there were, well.. I don’t know what to say about that. I believe there are also needs to be a content warning. I did not finish this book. It’s not because I didn’t like the story. I didn’t get far enough into it to really see what the story was. I got to 7% when the first person of color came into the storyline. The POC is described by the main character as: “his first impression of him was mixed, but not good”, he was muscular as a boxer, the man was out of place in an area the main character was in, he says “he had seen men like this often and they were always violent”, he “was pushed hard to believe he was South Africa”, when the man looks at him he finds it disturbing, and he had the sense that “he is sharing the room with a dangerous animal and wanted to be done with this man as soon as he could”. Now, this could all be descriptors and there could be an improvement arc for the main character. HOWEVER, the name for the character that the author chose…is LYNCH? I understand that if you’re not from the US, you may not have a clear understanding of what lynchings were. Please do your research if that’s the case. But for me, this was unacceptable and I couldn’t move past this point in the book, even to see if there was a redemption arc.
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