| Title | : | A Death at the Dionysus Club (Julian Lynes and Ned Mathey, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
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A Death at the Dionysus Club (Julian Lynes and Ned Mathey, #2) Reviews
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Absolutely cracking murder mystery/magic/gay romance. Lovely alt-Victorian background with a really well worked out magic system and interestingly flawed characters. Just a huge delight of a read, I enjoyed every minute.
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I'm blown out of the water by this. I had been a little reluctant to get involved in it, because the plot was striking me as "Oh another magical Victorian steampunk thingie" and Melissa Scott, while a fine writer who is enjoyed by many people, has never really worked very well for me.
I'm so, so glad I did. The premise may not be astoundingly original, but it's seldom so well handled, with an excellent grounding in Victorian sensibilities. Nothing get short shrift here. Not the mystery, not the relationship, not the magical universe. Much of the historical fiction about LGBT people, especially that of a lighter variety, glosses over historic realities. This is speculative fiction, so the author would be forgiven for taking liberties. She doesn't. Instead she weaves them into an integral part of her tale, making it yet richer.
I haven't read the first book, although I may, and I am eagerly looking forward to any sequels. I was also delighted that such an enjoyable read was available through the KU program. -
A Death at the Dionysus Club
By Melissa Scott and Amy Griswold
4.5 stars
Ned Mathey and Julian Lynes are old school chums. They also might be in love with each other. The emotional bass line of this beautifully crafted novel is how these two men, without any support from the society around them, negotiate creating a life together. What I love most about this book is the fact that this crucial theme is rarely the overt focus of the story. It is ever-present, but delicately interwoven into the complex action that pretends to be the main point. This is Holmes and Watson with a gay back-story where the back-story is, ultimately, more important.
Period novels always make me nervous. I’m too deeply immersed in the 19th century professionally (museum curator), and have read too much Victorian literature not to be aware of writing styles and anachronisms. I was well into “A Death at the Dionysus Club” when I realized that Mesdames Scott and Griswold had managed to write another novel that didn’t push any of these buttons to spoil my simple reading pleasure.
The second piece of tremendous bravado is the fact that the authors have created a believable, vivid late Victorian London in which magic—normalized into practical parlance by the term metaphysics—is as much a part of everyday life as, say, technology is today. Without making a big fuss about it, Scott and Griswold have created a false reality that rings true, even to dividing the magical into trained and amateur, and within the profession into theoretical (metaphysicists) and practicing (metaphysicians). It is all done so matter-of-factly that it barely distracts from the building of the narrative and the characters. (I can’t help but compare this with J.K. Rowling’s fevered depiction of the separate Muggle and Magical worlds in her much-loved Harry Potter books.)
This second in the Lynes/Mathey series is richer and deeper than the first. It delights less in the presence and appearance of magic (at least until the end, which is pretty hair-raising) and focuses on the lives of two gay men in Victorian London, as they work together and try to establish the boundaries of their relationship in the context of a virulently anti-homosexual world. The painful realities of living as sodomites (their word!) is more significant, ultimately, than the use and abuse of metaphysics by the citizens, high and low, of a great metropolis.
But it is magic, in the end, that casts a brilliant, painful spotlight on what Ned and Julian mean to each other, and the discreet, low-key way in which the authors make this clear touched me deeply. Because it felt right. It felt true.
This was a deeply satisfying book to read. I look forward to seeing where Scott and Griswold will take Ned and Julian next. -
I think I love this book even more than Death by Silver.
Same quality writing (still, there are a few pesky typos, but who cares, they are just that - typos), with amazing characters. Take Dolly Hall, for example. He dies in the very beginning of the book, but his presence is palpable all the way through the end. Challice, the poor soul. Stuck in a straight marriage, thinking himself an abomination at the same time longing for family and kids. There is not much of him in this story, either, but I couldn't help worrying about him and his wife.
Magic. Spells. Curses. Sex magic. Forbidden magic. Evil creatures. Half House. No, literally, Half House :) Yeah... pretty cool!
London. I was attached to both my ipad and my phone, following the streets on Google Maps and checking out the landmarks while reading. I only visited all the usual tourist traps for the most part when I was there, but it made it easier for me to orient myself. London is one of the most spectacular cities I've ever seen (step aside, Paris!) and one of my favorites.
Evil sorcerer. Well, not quite a sorcerer, but he used some pretty weird messed up magic. This time he was much harder to pin. In Death by Silver the murderer was very predictable and it caused me a lot of frustration. Every time the said criminal was on page, I couldn't help but yell at the boys: Right there! See? How can you be so blind! Figure it out already!
I could not put the book down and didn't want it to end. If you love KJ Charles, you will like this, too.
The MCs are under much pressure where their affection for each other is concerned (those were the times *sign*), so don't expect prolonged or explicit sex scenes. But the tenderness is there.
Very much recommended. -
Good! I appreciate a dual-POV romance where the MCs have clear philosophical differences of opinion but you still believe they’re both committed to the relationship. Surprisingly rare! And I felt like the relationship plotline in general here was not quite as good as book #1 but still nuanced and interesting in a way that felt authentic to the characters and setting. Also a good murder mystery investigatory set up! I think it’s hardest to come up with side characters that are developed enough to have realistic, complicated motivations, and that’s done extremely well here - the stuff with Challice especially was excellent, and I liked the way it did (or didn’t) resolve emotionally for Lynes (or Lynes and Mathey).
The twist was pretty silly, and there were a few things that didn’t quite come together: the MCs had a conversation early on where they brainstormed about how exactly their two investigations might be related, but all I could think was I had missed where the book had indicated there was ANY reason to think they were related other than, uh, the fact that they were both plotlines in the same book. And when Lennox showed up at the eleventh hour (read: 84%) to smooth some things over, I thought “who’s Lennox?? I don’t remember this guy at ALL.”
But in general, this was just the tone and style I was looking for so very glad I picked it up. I don’t think there are any more to look forward to (?) but before starting book #1 I wasn’t sure if it would be worth reading if the series wasn’t “resolved,” and I ended up really enjoying it - and the exact same thing happened here. Would recommend!
ETA that as I was reading this, it also made me think about why KJC’s Death in the Spires didn’t work as well for me as I was hoping - this book and that one both have the post-university queer secret-having social crowd murder mystery thing going for them. But I felt like Death in the Spires maybe didn’t take the time to build up the side characters like this one did, so it lacked the emotional investment/punch that comes with that.
That said, I think KJC was aiming more for the Agatha Christie style and stock side characters are par for the course there. But then the tone of the two MCs in Death in the Spires fits more in *this* kind of book’s style (whereas I don’t think Agatha Christie MCs have much more depth than the side characters!). So maybe it was just the style mishmash? But idk, I think Death in the Spires might have been improved by being a little bit more expansive in how it told its story, like this one is. -
This is a solid sequel to Death by Silver. There is still no steam here, and while there is some focus on Julian and Ned's relationship, this is first and foremost a mystery. Anyone looking for romance and smex will need to either look elsewhere or adequately adjust their expectations before diving into this.
The mystery here had several layers to it and took awhile to untangle them all. The suspects were many, and the motivations just as numerous. It was fun following along as Ned and Julian tried to figure out what was going on, and learning more about how the magic in this world works. There's old magic, or non-conforming, now considered uncouth. And there's the new magic, or conforming magic, that's been designed to be more humane (no need for animal parts or blood, for instance). Of course, the two systems don't clash well at all, and when a particularly nasty bit of non-conforming magic starts to kill off men, it leaves Ned, Julian and Hatton in a bind on how to handle it, much less even figure out how it works and who is working it.
Complicating matters further, it seems that the culprit is part of the Dionysus Club, and Julian and Ned have every bit as much of an interest in keeping connections to the club and its membership away from the police investigation. They could face jail time or hanging themselves in their private inclinations become publicly known. This is not a world progressively-minded people or "as long as you're happy" platitudes, and these men have to be very careful who they trust with the truth, and even those who might know and support them - or at least be willing to turn a blind eye - aren't reckless enough to come out and say it.
We get to meet one of Miss Frost's friends, and more of Julian's crowd from his wilder days. Miss Barton is a hoot, and Julian didn't exactly have the best taste in men in his youth to say the least, lol. And then there's Challice, who I couldn't help feeling sorry for.
This is a tightly-written book, with smart characters who are actually good at their jobs (so many books that claim their characters are the best in their fields are actually filled with rampaging idiots) and who know how to communicate with each other when they discover things the other needs to know. Fancy that! They're not as good as communicating when it comes to their relationship, but Ned and Julian find ways to do that as well, no matter how uncomfortable it might make them.
This could have used another pass through by an editor, since there was some unnecessary repetition and a lot of missing words. A less misleading title wouldn't have gone amiss either. But those are my only quibbles. -
A delightful sequel! I enjoyed seeing more of these characters and this world, though there were definitely still a lot of bits of the magic system that were a little unclear, and I wish the authors had spent a bit more time explaining it. Which is something I've notices in Scott's other books--they tend to leave a lot up to the reader, which I generally appreciate, but sometimes I just want a bit of extra help! I liked getting to see Julian & Ned's relationship deepen, and while I was a little frustrated by the return of the miscommunication trope, it wasn't dragged out *too* long. Interesting case, and an enjoyable read all around! This is one of those series that feels satisfying as it is, but could also easily be added to in the future should the authors be so inclined.
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My goodness that was good. With a rousing finale. I normally am not a big mystery fan, but it’s a shame this series never continued. Love the characters. And it’s so intelligently written.
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Truth in advertising requires that I divulge that there actually is not a death at the Dionysus Club at all. There is a "molly club" known as the Dionysus Club (frequented by one of our MCs, Julian Lynes); and there are also deaths aplenty (assuming you don't require Jack the Ripper numbers), BUT, there actually isn't a death at the club. The club and the death(s) never actually overlap, except as a starting point for a series of rather unique deaths, as well as to show us in a delicately explicit way that, even in Victoria's era, grown-up boys did, in fact, continue to be boys in true m/m fashion.
To the story. The time is a few months subsequent to the meet-and-greet that occurred between Lynes and Mathey in the first novel (Death by Silver.) Julian (Lynes) is hosting a bemused Ned (Mathey) at one of his clubs, said Club Dionysus. After a glossed-over look at the Dionysian goings-on - authors Scott and Griswold are charter members of the Sean Kennedy school of eyes averted during actual acts of sexual congress - our lads (literally) bump into an extremely intoxicated and frightened fellow member of the club, one Charles (Dolly) Hall. Dolly is quickly bundled into a cab babbling about something metaphysical getting "out of hand" because "he" isn't being sensible, and things are going to turn into an "utter disaster." Exit Dolly from the club and, subsequently, life itself. It seems that next morning his seemingly undisturbed body is discovered in his bed, cold and dead, dead, dead. An autopsy discovers that somehow Dolly's heart has been removed without any physical evidence of how said removal has been accomplished.
Mathey has accepted a continuing position under Scotland Yard's Inspector Hatton (met first in Silver) as metaphysician to their newly-minted Metaphysical Crimes Squad. Ned quickly deduces (as, to be fair, does Inspector Hatton) that evil metaphysical things are afoot. This is only the first of several identically perplexing deaths; and that's really all the plot, along with the secondary blackmail scheme, you need to know. The true meat of this novel lies in our continuing discoveries about the pasts of both Lynes and Mathey, as well as whether their relationship is going to actually go anywhere, or just turn into another of les affaires du coeur that each has had in his (rather active) past.
At this point, I have to confess to a somewhat misbegotten mental conflation of the MCs of the Mathey/Lynes series with that of the somewhat similar, in MCs only, Whybourne & Griffin series. I think it's the common occupation of detective by one MC in each series, along with the other two MCs being in singularly esoteric professions. Whatever. In any case, I was extremely surprised to discover that Ned and Julian's "thing" is not nearly as steady and committed as that of Messrs. Whybourne and Griffin. I mention this only to preview what our younger readers have to look forward to as the cobwebs gather in the temporal lobes of their cerebral cortex(es), and to preview what is one of the most interesting plot points in this novel. Neither man is absolutely sure about the level of commitment of his partner. The beginning of a resolution of that worry makes for fascinating reading. Page-turner reading, in fact.
This is a long way around saying that, as excellent as Death by Silver was, this novel is far, far better. The mystery of the deaths; the presentation of the problems of being gay in England in the late 19th Century; along with a veritable smörgasbord of wonderful secondary characters (especially the increasingly necessary Miss Frost); our wonderfully quirky MCs, of course; and a dark humor, as dry as a winter wind off the Sahara, all combine to provide a top-tier novel that I had to force myself to apportion in one or two-hour segments to keep from reading the thing in one sitting.
Very, very highly recommended. -
В общем, я разочарована. Вторая книга мне понравилась гооораздо меньше первой. Поэтому, под конец уже читала по-диагонали.
Первая книга была открытием, подарком, мелочи и детали были просто великолепны. Вторая - безбожно затянута. Слишком много внимания уделено заклинаниям, их объяснениям и прочей белиберде. Мы же понимаем, что никаких заклинаний не существует, зачем нагораживать эти фантазии? Для реализма? Так меня все это только утомило. Кроме заклинаний, слишком много описаний лишних действий, хождения и диалоги, переливающиеся из пустого в порожнее, передвижения, описанные до мелочей. К чему? Лучше бы постельные утехи парочки поподробнее хоть капельку. Я не извращенка (вру, конечно), но мне не хватило. -
4.5 stars
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Holy hell, this was an absolutely magnificent follow-up to the first Lynes and Mathey novel! Far, far better than its predecessor, the murder mystery was engaging, bizarre and thrilling this time and I wasn’t bored at any point or felt my thoughts wander. Our two friends slash romantic partners, an investigator and a metaphysician, have become one of my favorite duos in a very short time, their relationship feels organic and natural, unsentimental and believable.
The writing is excellent, fresh and sharp without a single superfluous word. There’s no purple prose to be found in a ten mile radius. I adore the setting in Victorian London, I love the view into the discreet gentlemen’s clubs where men of mutural “interests” met - and in this one we run into sweet Harry “Bunny” Manders, from E W Hornung’s Raffles the gentleman thief stories. It’s brief but as I love Bunny and Raffles, I admit to squealing in delight.
I also for probably the first time ever actually like a magic system, which feels very specific and much like math - or metaphysics as it is, and I finally understand what a wand is used for.
5 stars for bringing something new to this genre, 5 stars for characters, 5 stars for the story. -
EXACTLY the kind of gleeful adventure that I needed after these brutally good books I've been reading. Murderous writing desks! Blackmail! Scandalous schoolteachers! Magical grammatical problems distorting space and time! Awkward victorian sex clubs! Police bro-friendships! The look the coroner gives you when you bring him a body that sometimes shoots ice shards! This was so much FUN.
The series doesn't take itself too seriously, but at the same time it absolutely commits itself to the logical end of all its ideas, from magical grammar gone wrong (Do NOT bring a poet to a magic fight) to the social implications of magic (magicians are gentlemen, unlike those dirty tradesmen romance writers). It has the same sort of tone as Leverage.
And oh my word the QUOTES. -
Fantastic sequel to
Death by Silver.
Ned and Julian as a couple are getting there, and the magical mystery in this book feels slightly more complicated.
The feeling of an other worldly London is beautifully evoked, as is the society that Julian mainly, but now by association Ned, inhabits.
I loved the language , some minor niggles -sidewalk instead of pavement ? Ned and Julian work beautifully as detectives and romantically, and the removal of some of their relationship doubts pleased me no end.
There should be more of these books. -
This was even more enjoyable than the first one. While the first book did have a murder that was committed with magic, the motive could still have been from a regular mystery. This one has magic and murder much more intertwined and the plot simply wouldn't work in a non-fantastical world. That means the solution wasn't quite as predictable this time.
The atmosphere also feels much more Victorian than Death by Silver (and don't we all love some proper Victorian fog? With perhaps some sinister chasing you?)
Julian and Ned (and Miss Frost) remain delightful and it was also a joy to see the romance/friendship develop further between them. -
Another fun mystery with these two. The relationship progress was fun, the mystery plot was twisty and well-paced, and there were plenty of interesting side characters to both love and hate.
Again, CW for abuse, this time centered on a side character, but relevant to the mystery and mentioned numerous times. -
I really like what the authors of this series did with magic and how it’s integrated into British society. And the characters themselves are great. But both books are let down by excessive use of miscommunication as the sole source of conflict, well beyond the point of reason… half the drama in this book would not have needed to happen if Ned and Julian just had a single conversation about their feelings.
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Really quite delightful, apart from the heart-eating magic thief.
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4.5 stars
An absolutely wonderful read that makes me wish there were more books in this series. Ned and Julian need an HEA. -
I really liked the first murder mystery book starring Ned and Julian, so I bought the second one. Holy wow, I loved A Death at the Dionysus Club. The reason for the murders was different, the method for the murders was different, and the book took place in a hidden part of Victorian England I knew very little about; clubs for upper class men. Specifically gay men, who had to choose between marriage and hiding who they were, or living a lie outside their club.
And it was a lonely, frequently dangerous life, subject to all the perils of living on the margins and dealing with blackmail, assault, and knowing that many, many people saw your life, and who you chose to love as a crime. Ned and Julien were lucky, and they found someone to fall in love with, and who loved them. Life is easier if you're not heart crushingly lonely.
Not a perfect book, but 5 stars for sure. An accurate picture of what life was like for upper class men and women who were nonetheless marginalized always gets five stars from me. Compassion is important if you're going to write.
And another five stars for the creature, who at times scared the stuffing out of me, and for parts of the book being deeply tongue in cheeks. I liked this book!
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Holy heck.
Okay it's now 3am, and I stayed up reading this because leaving the metaphysical issue mid-resolution would have kept me up anyway. I rather like my metaphysical issues resolved so the more paranoid parts of my mind can't agonize on "but what if they ARE real, and out there, and going to get you?" which it rather will anyway, but getting myself to the resolution hopefully will help mitigate that. Thomas Harris by way of Hannibal (TV) rather hit the nail on the head when Alanna said fear was the price of imagination 8)
This really managed to create and capture the ambiance of creepiness, along the lines of Weeping Angels (as they were with 10). That aside, I found the characters quite compelling, and unlike with the first book, which left me rather unsatisfied wigh where the main characters were interpersonally, I think this one got them to a good place which solidified them. Authors led into it nicely, too.
And I didn't mention before, but the world is quite fascinating. The concepts of metaphysics are quite involved, and does touch upon and delve into some rather complex implications which I appreciated. They unsettled me - in a "how DO you manage when someone literally fucks with the laws of physics" sort of way - but rather a good way because it indicates the concept and world are fleshed out.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'll have to lay here in darkness being unsettled by as I attempt to fall asleep -
After demolishing the second novel in this brilliant series I am left truly left wanting more. Ned Mathey and Julian Lynes are old school friends and lovers in victorian England. The book is extremely special because the authors craft these two men, who must navigate creating a life together in a world that will never see them as lovers. But this crucial theme of the book is overlooked and is definitely not the overt focus of the novel. it is ever present but interwoven into the complex action of this story which pretends to be the main plot. this is Holmes and Watson with a backstory, which is more important than the action taking place at the forefront.
I found this second novel in the series richer and more engaging as we saw more into Lynes and Mathey's struggle to create boundaries of their relationship in a very anti- homosexual world. It is only at the end of this book when magic comes into play are we shown with a brilliant and painful spotlight what Ned and Julian mean to one another, through the discrete low key way these authors have capture Victorian England brilliantly. this scene made it very clear how these two cared and it touched me deeply as it felt right and true. -
Just as good as the first book. Great magical mystery, and the romance is lovely. I wish there were more of this - as it is, I will give The Astreiant series a try instead.
ETA: I finished listening to the audiobook and if anything, I like it even better now. I adore Julian and Ned, and while there is suspense and drama, it has a very understated feeling to it that I just love. I still haven't gotten around to reading the Astreiant series but I will start it during my holidays. -
Loved it. Hope there is more to come in this series.
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Not as good as the first in the series, but still a nice read.
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******REVISED EDITIONS RELEASED DEC 2023*********
Edward “Ned” Mathey has become quite the expert in theoretical metaphysics, enchantments, magic, hocus, sigils and the wand. He’s very perceptive when it comes to non-conforming magic. He spends most of his time at the Commons along with Cordelia Frost who still works as his secretary. She is still very much involved in learning all she can about metaphysics and her suggestions are well accepted by Ned.
Ned has a special friend in Julian Lynes. Julian is a private investigator in metaphysics but deals with seedier clients. Ned and Julian had been friends since the age of twelve but entering Oxford they lost that connection. Ned was more interested in sports and L
Lynes got involved with the literary and theatre set. That connection went further with a particular group of men who attend the Dionysus Club. The club is a place where men socialized and is known for men who like other men. Even though Ned attends the club with Julian, he has often heard enough suggestive statements about Julian.
Arriving at the Commons Ned is surprised to have Insp. Hatton of Scotland Yard, waiting for him. Seems Hatton has been given a new position as head of the newly established Metaphysical Crime Squad. Hatton has some men to do normal work but he needs an expert. Working with Ned on a previous case and having the budget to put a metaphysician on retainer he’s offering it to Ned. Ned can’t afford to refuse the position and the price is right. Hatton also sees a way for people to feel safer, with a young metaphysician, with modern methods, an Oxford man and who already solved a murder. But there’s more too it, Hatton already has an unidentified body found in the street and it’s a puzzling situation. But it doesn’t stop there as the bodies pile.
Julian and Ned will also be involved in a case of blackmail, that involves two different authors who write romance novels. Is the blackmail connected with the six men that have succumbed to a strange death. How is it connected to the Dionysus Club and those of a particular group of men? Ned and Julian will find they can’t escape the danger. Will Ned be able to battle this evil created by non-conforming enhancements?
“A Death at the Dionysus Club” is the second installment to the “Lynes & Mathey” Victorian 18th century series. The collaboration of Mellisa Scott and Amy Griswold is just as good as the first book “Death by Silver” if not better. With “A Death at the Dionysus Club” the authors take the readers into the world of metaphysics and those who dabble in the dangers of non-conforming magic. It’s very much, a little bit of knowledge is dangerous, especially when those who don’t truly understand magic mix it with evil. The authors bring forth interesting subject matter: mummified Hand of Glory, Alberti Parvi Lucii Libellus, Grimorium Serum that address black magic, cabalistic interpretation of magic and devil worship. And Julian’s still has the strange Urtica Mordax.
With all the chaos, Ned and Julian at times have doubts about their relationship. Even though Ned seems more secure there are still things that he learns of Julians past.
Julian will have to face Challice someone from his past, who suffers from a secret. Julian and Ned will have to put that all aside as they have a battle to prepare for. They will also have to be careful as their own relationship can ruin them if it ever get’s into the public eye. They also have to seek out Nicholas Oppenshaw, the Commons expert on non-conforming magic and allows Ned and Julian to enter the dangerous and mysterious Half-House.
The story has a big line-up of characters: Special Constable Garmin, Bolster, Mrs. Digby and young Digby, Mrs. Clewett and Madeleine Barton. Dionysus Club group: Auberon Kennett, Linford Farrell, Charles “Dolly” Hall, Ryder Leach, Alfie Punton, Pinky Dorrington and Petter Lennox and more.
There is an audio for “A Death at the Dionysus Club” released in June 2015 and is narrated by Michael Ferraiuolo. Ferraiuolo does an entertaining narration, as I did a listen/read along with this new version of the book. There may be a few little differences from the book and audio, but it’s still worth listening too. Ferraiuolo does quite well with bringing the British accent and wording. The characters are very easy to identify with the change of voice tones. I thought the narrator also does well in bringing out all the various emotions and wittiness of Julian and Ned.
I highly recommend, “A Death at the Dionysus Club” it’s just as entertaining now as it was in 2014, when it first published. I am hoping that Melissa Scott and Amy Griswold have another Lynes & Mathey story in the works. The story isn’t just about the mysteries but the eerie world of metaphysics. -
A beautifully written, imaginative novel that works on all levels
In their second novel featuring Julian Lunges and Ned Mathey, Melissa Scott and Amy Griswold conjure magic worth remembering. Unlike the somewhat uninspiring debut novel featuring these Victorian magicians, A Death at the Dionysus Club works at just about every level - and especially in giving the tentative relationship between Ned and Julian a passion that many readers might relate to in its halting, hide and seek, yet ultimately undeniable dynamics. The writing is beautiful - historically detailed and rich without being pedantic, dramatically (and sometimes comically) paced and pitch perfect, evocative and, ultimately, deeply humane. At one point, our metaphysical magicians are revealed as men who love men to the Scotland Yard inspector working with them, who responds by saying:
"Little girls from the country who only wanted a decent place as a scullery maid, and wind up in a bawdy-house being slapped about by the madam and robbed of every sixpence they earn. Boys sleeping ten to a room in the worst kind of lodgings because it’s better than the workhouse, and getting lessons in every indecent act you can do for a shilling. Not that they wouldn’t learn that in the workhouse as well. There’s rape and brutality and ill-treatment I wouldn’t wish on a dog, and we do what we can to stop it. And we might as well try to empty the sea with a spoon."
We encounter this "morality against the odds" several times in this book, always seamlessly integrated into the texture of the story. The authors make us feel what it's like to act on a moral belief rather than rather treating it as a tired literary cliche.
Perhaps the novel's most successful feature is the layered complexity of its magic and the way the authors' inventiveness builds a convincing alternate history. In the London on the novel, magic is as common as an umbrella while still being as potentially dangerous as a natural gas explosion. I found myself earnestly wanting to know more about the metaphysical Law of Similitudes, and wanting to get lost in an imaginative reverie of sigils and hooks and non-confirming magic. I think you will too. Unlike my review of the first book in this series, I HIGHLY recommend A Death at the Dionysus Club. It's an absolute jewel.
