richmondo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
shaeilidh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
hal8752's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
efnelson12's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
gray5217's review against another edition
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
gregoreads's review against another edition
4.0
Maybe 4.5 stars? This was so good, I read it in 24 hours. I thought it might be fun and creepy, but wow, it was very evocative and engrossing, and populated by such interesting characters. I couldn’t put it down and it read so fluidly that it was easy to keep reading. I’m really interested to keep reading the series and see where the characters’ relationships take them. I have a pet peeve for snippets of “I could never have imagined what came next” and there were a lot of those in this, but I can forgive it. The ending also depressed me a lot. :( But never mind. If you like mystery and historical fiction and cross dressing and queer rep (unsure as to whether the MC is bi or lesbian but there is wlw here) and creepy atmospheres, you will like this book!
bmbriar's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A fantastic opener to one of my favourite series. E. S. Thomson's London is so vivid in its grit and dirt, and her characters are artfully drawn. This mystery kept me on my toes right up until the conclusion, as well as hitting all the emotional notes pitch perfectly.
Pay close attention to the content warnings on this one (and the series as a whole) since it does contain some very dark topics. Dr Thomson's knowledge of medical history adds incredible texture to the series, but that texture doesn't always make for comfortable reading!
Pay close attention to the content warnings on this one (and the series as a whole) since it does contain some very dark topics. Dr Thomson's knowledge of medical history adds incredible texture to the series, but that texture doesn't always make for comfortable reading!
Graphic: Violence, Medical content, Excrement, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Abortion, and Rape
The incest mentioned isjmatkinson1's review against another edition
4.0
St Saviour's is a old infirmary which is due to be replaced by a train line. When the developers send in a team to clear the graveyard a rather disturbing discovery is made, a set of six small coffins containing strange wooden dolls. Shortly after this Dr Bain, one of the medical team, is found dead. Jem Flockhart is the child of the apothecary and carries personal secrets, not least of which is that fact that Jem is woman, disguised as a man. However as Jem becomes implicated, the death of the wife of another doctor and also a local ruffian mean that case is close to being solved.
I picked up this book as I was really intrigued by the medical setting and also the gothic nature of a crumbling infirmary in Victorian England. In this respect the book did not disappoint, the atmosphere is carefully created and the medical knowledge is excellent. In fact much of the book was very enjoyable, my main gripes are with the sketchy nature of many of the characters beyond Jem and the plot which had been so promising seemed to degenerate into a slightly hysterical denouement.
I picked up this book as I was really intrigued by the medical setting and also the gothic nature of a crumbling infirmary in Victorian England. In this respect the book did not disappoint, the atmosphere is carefully created and the medical knowledge is excellent. In fact much of the book was very enjoyable, my main gripes are with the sketchy nature of many of the characters beyond Jem and the plot which had been so promising seemed to degenerate into a slightly hysterical denouement.
aang_arang's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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? No
2.5
Very slow start, you don't really get anywhere until about 40~50%
Way too many characters introduced way too quickly and poor character descriptions as well.
There were a few intense scenes that I did enjoy but the ending was rather anticlimactic in my opinion and I was just reading to complete and not actually because I was interested.
Eliza's character might be the most poorly written In the whole book. I was not a fan of her characrer arc at all.
Will was the best part of the book and I did enjoy his friendship with Jem the most out of anything, even though I didn't care much for Jem themself.
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Sexual assault and Rape