I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked this book. I have a weakness for ghost stories especially Victorian ghost stories, and this fit the bill wonderfully. I loved how the author worked in period stories, and characters. They worked with the characters, but never felt like they were talking over, or added where they weren't needed. It added to the period feel of the story for me plus it lead me to more of the sort of stories I like which is a nice bonus for me.
I had read the original story, and while I didn't work all that well as a stand alone for me, seeing it in the larger context made it work that much better for me. I liked seeing Simon and Robert's relationship develop. Simon's powers are interesting, and I liked that they weren't without their problems. I also love that Robert was special in his own right, and that he refused to see himself as just Simon's assistant or subordinate. I liked how well they learned to work together, and how hard they worked to make their relationship work in an unforgiving era. The secondary cast was well developed, and interesting. I enjoyed how Simon and Robert's friendships with other characters added to the story. They weren't living in a vacuum, or a world of two, and I appreciated that.
The ghost stories were a nice mix. I liked the variety, and that not every spirit was "evil." It made for entertaining reading, and helped set the story firmly in the time period. I liked how the format of the story also allowed the reader glimpses into the future, so we had ideas of what happened to the people involved after the case was finished. The ending was well done, and felt honest to the characters the times they lived in. A really good read, and everything I had hoped for.
Yay I got the ARC!
I really liked this book. I have a weakness for ghost stories especially Victorian ghost stories, and this fit the bill wonderfully. I loved how the author worked in period stories, and characters. They worked with the characters, but never felt like they were talking over, or added where they weren't needed. It added to the period feel of the story for me plus it lead me to more of the sort of stories I like which is a nice bonus for me.
I had read the original story, and while I didn't work all that well as a stand alone for me, seeing it in the larger context made it work that much better for me. I liked seeing Simon and Robert's relationship develop. Simon's powers are interesting, and I liked that they weren't without their problems. I also love that Robert was special in his own right, and that he refused to see himself as just Simon's assistant or subordinate. I liked how well they learned to work together, and how hard they worked to make their relationship work in an unforgiving era. The secondary cast was well developed, and interesting. I enjoyed how Simon and Robert's friendships with other characters added to the story. They weren't living in a vacuum, or a world of two, and I appreciated that.
The ghost stories were a nice mix. I liked the variety, and that not every spirit was "evil." It made for entertaining reading, and helped set the story firmly in the time period. I liked how the format of the story also allowed the reader glimpses into the future, so we had ideas of what happened to the people involved after the case was finished. The ending was well done, and felt honest to the characters the times they lived in. A really good read, and everything I had hoped for.
Yay I got the ARC!
