Reviews

The Magistrates of Hell by Barbara Hambly

ewalrath's review against another edition

4.0

Creepy fun. Also- why is this called the "James Asher" series when it's both of the Ashers?

slowlauris's review against another edition

Anyway I'm going to vibrate through the wall now

fizzy_lizard's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

kentcryptid's review against another edition

5.0

Oh God, I'm an emotional wreck. YSIDRO!!!

Spoiler

I wanted to yell at James and Lydia, GO DOWN THE FUCKING MINE IN DAYLIGHT. GET HIM OUT!.

Yes, I know he's a killer thousands of times over, but I have a Don Simon-shaped problem.

annasirius's review against another edition

4.0

3.5
A well crafted adventure set in early 20th century Peking. I just wish I felt that over the course of the series I got to know the main characters more intimately or that their relationship made more of a development. Ms. Hambly seemed to make an attempt at that here, but it fell short for me.

jeansbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

lottpoet's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

lkeipp's review against another edition

1.0

Normally, I like Barbara Hambly's work, so I picked it up on author's credentials alone. While the history is sound, this book is just too contrived for me - stiff characters, unhappy prose - just had to put it down. Sorry, Ms. Hambly, but I'm going to have to skip this one.

tsbowman1124's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

wealhtheow's review against another edition

3.0

After decades of spycraft, Asher chose to leave the clandestine war behind in favor of a history professorship. But he and his scientist wife Lydia stumbled upon a terrible truth--the existence of vampires living among us, hidden by glamours and humans' disbelief in the supernatural. Over the years they became troublingly close with a particularly old and chivalrous vampire, one Don Ysidro. Each of the three is drawn to the others, but Asher and Lydia are also repelled by Ysidro's murderous nature, and are conflicted about their friendship with him. Nevertheless, their goals are entangled, and when the vampire Masters of Europe hear rumors of a growing ghoul population in China, all three characters travel to Peking.

This is set in 1912, and Hambly does a masterful job of describing both colonial China and the political mindsets that will lead to the first world war. The characters are equally well described and memorable. And the action veers between a mysterious murder, petty social manueverings, and an intensely creepy series of battles with the ghouls.