gregoreads's review
5.0
4.5 stars. *taps mic* I’m here to announce that we have decided to stan. Queer women, cross dressing, soft boys, wholesome friendships, creepy mysteries, Victorian London setting, this series has it all.
shelbymarie64's review against another edition
Honestly I had no idea this was a second book in a series, perhaps it's why I couldn't get into it. I read over 100 pages and did not care at all about any of the main characters, or the murder being investigated.
westrany's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I know not where to begin reviewing this masterpiece. Such thrilling paragraphs, engaging story line, mindblowing character development!
This book froze the blood in my veins, crushed my heart, threw me in a rollercoaster of emotional despair and fear for my beloved characters.
When I thought I had figured out who the murderer was, Thomson strikes again with her exceptional reasoning and shocking plot twists.
I avidly recommend this book to lovers of the crime genre, Victorian settings, apothecary aesthetics and the intricate knowledge of herbs and poisons!
***
I would like to leave you with the following quote which, in my humble opinion, defines the astonishing levels of emotion this book contains:
«"I had to protect her. I said I would. I would not have her sent back to the gallows. (...)"
"And she never knew who you were?"
Thank God she did not. But I had to protect her. I said I would."»
This book froze the blood in my veins, crushed my heart, threw me in a rollercoaster of emotional despair and fear for my beloved characters.
When I thought I had figured out who the murderer was, Thomson strikes again with her exceptional reasoning and shocking plot twists.
I avidly recommend this book to lovers of the crime genre, Victorian settings, apothecary aesthetics and the intricate knowledge of herbs and poisons!
***
I would like to leave you with the following quote which, in my humble opinion, defines the astonishing levels of emotion this book contains:
«"I had to protect her. I said I would. I would not have her sent back to the gallows. (...)"
"And she never knew who you were?"
Thank God she did not. But I had to protect her. I said I would."»
alcea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
happlepider's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This book somehow felt less atmospheric than the others, and the amount of characters who all had interconnected or related back stories but didn't recognise each other felt a bit absurd. I did enjoy the book however.
emma_salome's review against another edition
5.0
Personally I liked this one better than the first one. Read it in one day
charissh's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
marcatili's review against another edition
3.0
A fascinating insight into 1850s London, and the medical profession of that time in particular. Thomson writes a nice, complex murder mystery novel with plenty of twists and turns. In this one, I had an inkling of how things were connected quite early on, but there was enough in the book to make me doubt myself throughout and keep things interesting. This particular mystery had a few too many coincidences for my liking (no spoilers) which marked it down a bit in terms of credibility, and I would have liked to see the relationship between Jem and Will as a little more complex than the standard Holmes/Watson routine, but it was enjoyable nevertheless. I'll look forward to reading The Blood next.
screamdogreads's review against another edition
4.0
The second offering in the Jem Flockhart series, Dark Asylum transports its readers back to the 1850s, to a time when the treatment of those deemed to be 'insane' bordered on unthinkable. The stunning amount of research done by E.S Thomson has made this into a novel that is so vividly described, it's almost as if you can hear, and even smell the surroundings. From the grime caked back alleys of London, to the dilapidated asylum itself, you get a real sense for everything.
In contrast to the first novel, this one comes packed with a much more gloomy and tense atmosphere, leaving it a much darker offering. Similar to the first novel, however, is the fact that once again, Jem Flockhart steals the show. Even though every character springs to life on the page, it's Jem's signature snarky wit that makes them such a pleasure to follow.
This is shaping up to be an absolutely cracking mystery series.
In contrast to the first novel, this one comes packed with a much more gloomy and tense atmosphere, leaving it a much darker offering. Similar to the first novel, however, is the fact that once again, Jem Flockhart steals the show. Even though every character springs to life on the page, it's Jem's signature snarky wit that makes them such a pleasure to follow.
This is shaping up to be an absolutely cracking mystery series.