sumad's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
silverina_js's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
bibliotheca_draconum's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
squishies's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
The story was thoroughly engaging, even if the characters and dialogue are a bit stilted.
Okay, so I thought they got together at the end of book 1, but apparently they didn't?! Felt a bit jipped.
In any case, very interested to see where book 3 takes our protagonists!
The story was thoroughly engaging, even if the characters and dialogue are a bit stilted.
Okay, so I thought they got together at the end of book 1, but apparently they didn't?! Felt a bit jipped.
In any case, very interested to see where book 3 takes our protagonists!
gavreads's review against another edition
The Osiris Ritual is the second full length adventure of detectives Newbury & Hobbs (The Affinity Bridge being the first), who are employees in the British Museum when not being called on to solve problems for the Crown by an artificially life-prolonged Queen Victoria.
We are in steadampunked London with Sherlock but not Watson-esque heroes. Actually that is a little misleading. There are going to be comparisons though. It’s only natural. Especially when you add in the conversations with the police chief but it’s also mixed in with James Bond heroics. So not really Sherlock Holmes but it has that same feeling of intellectual and gentlemanly crime.
Sir Maurice Newbury, Gentlemen Investigator for the Crown, and his assistant, Miss Veronica Hobbes, have already been introduced so it’s straight into their respective cases. Hobbes is investigating a series of missing girls and Newbury has an errand to escort an agent to Buckingham Palace.
Unsurprisingly both stories end up being mixed and they merge into central mystery of the mummy’s curse. Interestingly Mann keeps Newbury & Holmes apart for most the tale though the reasons are explained I’d have liked to have seen them more of a team.
Unfortunately it feels more like an expanded short story rather than a novel even with the multiple story threads. And that’s where I think that Mann doesn’t quite reach the potential that he has in the situation or the characters. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a thrilling tale that moves along at a pace but it seems to lack depth.
And that might be because there seems to be believable occult elements that could have been explored to add more mystery, the mystery itself could have played out a little deeper and a little darker and I’d like to have seen a big more investigation rather than ‘chance’ meetings.
But that isn’t to say it’s not fun and enjoyable. It is. And I’m excited enough by the characters and the setting as well as the Mann’s tone and style. I’m just looking for a bit for oomph somehow.
Overall, a fun romping read that doesn’t quite soar.
We are in steadampunked London with Sherlock but not Watson-esque heroes. Actually that is a little misleading. There are going to be comparisons though. It’s only natural. Especially when you add in the conversations with the police chief but it’s also mixed in with James Bond heroics. So not really Sherlock Holmes but it has that same feeling of intellectual and gentlemanly crime.
Sir Maurice Newbury, Gentlemen Investigator for the Crown, and his assistant, Miss Veronica Hobbes, have already been introduced so it’s straight into their respective cases. Hobbes is investigating a series of missing girls and Newbury has an errand to escort an agent to Buckingham Palace.
Unsurprisingly both stories end up being mixed and they merge into central mystery of the mummy’s curse. Interestingly Mann keeps Newbury & Holmes apart for most the tale though the reasons are explained I’d have liked to have seen them more of a team.
Unfortunately it feels more like an expanded short story rather than a novel even with the multiple story threads. And that’s where I think that Mann doesn’t quite reach the potential that he has in the situation or the characters. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a thrilling tale that moves along at a pace but it seems to lack depth.
And that might be because there seems to be believable occult elements that could have been explored to add more mystery, the mystery itself could have played out a little deeper and a little darker and I’d like to have seen a big more investigation rather than ‘chance’ meetings.
But that isn’t to say it’s not fun and enjoyable. It is. And I’m excited enough by the characters and the setting as well as the Mann’s tone and style. I’m just looking for a bit for oomph somehow.
Overall, a fun romping read that doesn’t quite soar.
majkia's review against another edition
3.0
Better than the first book of the series, The Infinity Bridge. In The Osiris Ritual, we get a bit more depth in the characters and Mann moves them into the prime position rather than the steampunk world they exist in.
That isn't to say the world is any less complex and well-formed, only that the setting is now backdrop to the main characters.
Mysteries abound, and whilst some are solved, yet others arise.
That isn't to say the world is any less complex and well-formed, only that the setting is now backdrop to the main characters.
Mysteries abound, and whilst some are solved, yet others arise.
anywiebs's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a fun read, I really like the main characters and the dynamic between them. The setting is a fascinating steampunk world mixed with some occult. I highly recommend the series for escapism.
hobbleit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
clsl's review against another edition
1.0
Didn't care much for the first one, so why did I read the second? Because I'm no quitter. And while I liked this one no better, perhaps even far less, I am intrigued by the ongoing arc that connects the characters through their, as the flap says, "penny dreadful" exploits. Just like many British television shows, the main stories of each episode are far less important and interesting than the throw away interstitials and final lines. Still, not sure I'll be up for a third, if there is one.
shoelessgirl's review against another edition
2.0
There are really great elements here, but the writing is a little stilted, and the slow-burn romance feels pasted on and unnecessary. I like the characters and the story a great deal, but I'd like a bit more editing.