A STUDY IN ASHES by Emma Jane Holloway

Publisher:  Del Rey
Published:   December 31, 2013
ISBN:  978-0345537201
Genre:   Steampunk, Fantasy
Format:  Paperback
Obtained via:  Publisher
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

Four -1/2 Hearts

A year after her friend Imogen fell into a Sleeping Beauty-like sleep Evelina Cooper is trapped in a different kind of world.  While she yearned to attend University and has finally achieved that goal, she is the embodiment of “be careful what you wish for.”  While she enjoys the process of learning and at times feels as if she is coming closer to understanding the marriage of science and magic, her life is not her own.  Restrained by silver bracelets, placed on her by the Gold King, Jasper Keating, her movements are restricted, painfully so.  He has forbidden her, as well, from contact with her beloved Uncle Sherlock.  Yes, that Sherlock, as in Holmes.  But the famed detective and his intelligent and creative niece have found ways of communicating.  Magic users, those of “the blood” are still pursued, captured and either killed her sent to what is referred to as Her Majesty’s laboratories.  But the queen is little more than a pawn of men like Keating and the other “kings”.  But her determined uncle has a plan, one that may reunite her with a man from her past. 

As war brews between the self-proclaimed kings of England, rebel forces continue to grow.  Indeed, they rally behind a man known only as “The Schoolmaster.”  Gold King Keating sends his son-in-law, who once loved Evelina, to be her jailor and together then venture to the laboratories ostensibly to put down the rebellion.  But once Evelina arrives Sherlock Holmes manages to spirit her away…or does he? 

Characters long thought dead and gone affect the changes wrought by the pending war and Evelina finds herself in the middle of the battle.  Can she survive as the woman she wants to be?

Wow.  In a word. Wow.  I thought with its 662 page length there were be moments or chapters in Emma Jane Holloway’s A STUDY IN ASHES where I’d have a chance to catch my reading breath.  No way!  This story starts with a bang—figuratively and literally—and doesn’t come up for air until the very last page is read.  Even then, threads now seemingly woven together appear on the verge of unwinding with just a tug. 

I wasn’t overly impressed with A STUDY IN DARKNESS, book two of this series and was on the fence about continuing.  Creepy Chuckie-like dolls, sorcery and Twilight Zone-esque events just aren’t my thing in reading.  I am so I continued on with the series because A STUDY IN ASHES is a fantastic read.  Emma Jane Holloway doesn’t just tell a good story, she paints each page with vivid detail.  If you think in terms of the Wizard of Oz and the black and white of Kansas contrasted with the dramatic and colourful imagery of the Emerald City you will have an idea of how Ms. Holloway brings the story to life.  But you want to read and see it for yourself.  It is not a quick read for the simple reason that each sentence enhances the imagery of the sentence before while at the same time firing your own imagination. 

There is the hint at the end that the story may go on but there is no indication that this is so on her website.  You do want to read all three books of the series and this is one series that does need to be read in order.  Don’t let the sheer size of the books put you off—the stories are so well told you will be entertained from the first word till the last.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

A STUDY IN DARKNESS by Emma Jane Holloway

Publisher:  Del Rey
Published:   October 29, 2013
ISBN:  978-0345537195
Genre:   Fantasy, Steampunk, Horror
Book format:  Paperback
Obtained via:  Publisher   
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

Four

Evelina Cooper’s childhood friend has turned pirate.  But not your run of the mill, sailing across the ocean pirate.  He, with the help of the mysterious Athena, rules the skies.

Evelina meanwhile has returned to London after doing her time of penance at her grandmother Holmes.  But when she arrives at her Uncle Sherlock’s door she is greeted with a rather disconcerting bomb blast.

A letter arrives from Evelina’s dear friend, Imogen, asking her to come to the country to spend some time with her. While she misses her friend the prospect of running into her former lover, Imogen’s brother, Tobias, raises a rather unpleasant spectre.  Anticipating her refusal, Imogen assures Evelina that Tobias will not be in residence.  With a lighter heard she heads to the county estate where Imogen is staying. 

But despite his engagement to Alice Keating—a match he never sought—when Tobias learns Evelina is in residence he cannot resist and rushes to join her.  Happy at being reunited Evelina and Tobias find their way to each other’s arms…but their joy is short lived when Alice’s doting rather, the Gold King, discovers them together.  The price to keep their families safe they agree to the Gold King’s terms.  Evelina is forced to embark on a journey not only into the dredges of London, but into a world of dark magic where even Nick with all his skill in the air or Sherlock Holmes cannot save her.

Emma Jane Holloway’s A STUDY IN DARKNESS follows book 1 of the Baskerville Affair, A STUDY IN SILKS, closely in time.   While A STUDY IN SILKS a rather hopeful book with the bloom of young love between the characters, book 2 is a very, very dark story.  There were any number of times I wanted to put the book down for the elements of sheer horror in some of the pages.  This is no light-hearted fantasy but takes the reader down the darkest alleys of London and a person’s mind.  That said, I started the book on a Saturday night and pretty much read it straight through till Monday morning.  One would think the 531 pages would be a long read, but the story is consuming.  You might even wonder, especially when you read the last paragraph, if Magnus has woven you into the story so that you cannot put the book down.

If you ask anyone who really knows me they would tell you the likelihood of me choosing to read a story with sorcerers, dark magic and creepy Chuckie-like dolls is pretty much nil.  They really are so not my thing.  But I didn’t stay up reading till the end because of the creep-factor.  It was clearly an intense and entertaining story. 

Did I say entertaining?  Yes, I did.  It’s not entertaining like a feel good movie.  Far from it. But rather from Ms. Holloway’s wonderful story-telling style.  As I mentioned in my review of A STUDY IN SILKS, she has some entertaining quips and truly fascinating characters.  Even at the very end where she leaves readers dangling – a true cliff hanger that normally turns me off on an author and a series, I knew there was no other way to end it.  That said, I wouldn’t be saying that if I didn’t already have book 3, A STUDY IN ASHES, at the top of my TBR and ready to read.  A STUDY IN DARKNESS is not a frivolous or remotely happy read.  It is dark and filled with turmoil.  But if you read book 1 – which was a super read – you won’t want to miss this one.  I’ll be checking back soon about book 3.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

A STUDY IN SILKS by Emma Jane Holloway

Publisher:  Del Rey
Published:   September 24, 2013
ISBN:  EU994794743US
Genre:   Fantasy, Steampunk
Book format:  Paperback
Obtained via:  Publisher   
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

Five

Evelina Cooper has quite the family history with a well-known circus troupe on one side and Sherlock Holmes on the other.  While she allowed her Grandmamma Holmes to take her away from the so-called less savory side of her family, Evelina has a host of talents to recommend her: a scientific mind and a gift of magic.  Okay, so those attributes aren’t the most popular for a Victorian woman to possess and especially in a world where magic is forbidden.  School was a struggle for her not because of her intelligence but because of where she came from.  That was, until, she was befriend by the daughter of a peer, Imogen Roth.  Now she resides at Hilliard House as a guest of Imogen’s.  She is pleased to be there but as ever she lives with a foot in two worlds.  Making her life at Hilliard House all the more interesting is Imogen’s brother, Tobias.  Tobias is most definitely a man of his times—or rather a classic rake of his time.   But beneath the image a ne'er-do-well philanderer, Tobias is actually a caring and rather intelligent man.  He also finds himself quite attracted to Evelina.

Not all is well about town though.  The carefully constructed world of the Roths’ and their friends is about to come tumbling down.  It begins with the murder of a housemaid moments after Tobias innocently spirits her into the house one evening.  Or as it all that innocent.

Evelina is once again torn between helping her friend and the family she lives with and desire to find Grace’s murderer.  She considers what her famous Uncle would do and toys with asking his advice on the one hand and on the other she very much wants to solve the crime on her own.  But magic is as magic does…and a dark magic looms.  Can she find the killer without losing her own life?

The moment I saw “Sherlock Holmes niece” written in the blurb for A STUDY IN SILKS by Emma Jane Holloway I had to read it. I’m a huge Conan Doyle / Sherlock Holmes fan and I do like a strong female heroine.  While billed as a romance, A STUDY IN SILKS is also a wonderful mystery and I do like a good mystery.  The romance tends toward sweet – but not that overwhelming where you feel like you’ve had a sugar overload.  It has a nice pace to it and the tension of which man she will choose develop over the course of the story.  It is neither rushed or overpowering.  It lulls the reader in with taste and style.

I liked Ms. Holloway’s characters from the very beginning—even the nasty nefarious ones because they were so fun to hate.  It was so very nice to see at least one of the bad guys get his due and in such style!

The magic and science aspects were woven together in a nice, believable blend.  At 531 pages there is time to get to know each character and become completely involved in the story.  There were a few places the story lagged—but it quickly picked up.  One thing I really enjoyed is the way Ms. Holloway turns a phrase.  Some of her quips were so funny I laughed out loud.  She has a wonderful way of storytelling.  I’m looking forward to book 2, A STUDY IN DARKNESS.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.