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A review by archytas
Gentlemen Formerly Dressed by Sulari Gentill
4.25
This is rapidly becoming one of my favourite series - I make myself read other things on my TBR before reading the next one, which is becoming quite the wait. For the first couple, I think the books wavered a little between historical immersion and a nod-wink tone. This entry firmly settles into the nod-wink territory (the last scene is hilariously perfect, and relies entirely on the reader being aware that they are the reader) and amps up the absurdist fun. This allows Gentill to explore relevant themes around fascism - and the inherent darkness of that topic - while keeping the books thoroughly escapist. As we see a resurgence of fascism, her clear-eyed view of fascist sympathisers, and how influential they were in the 1930s, is timely but she is careful never to draw that to the reader's attention.*
Gentlemen Formerly Dressed also succeeds because the plot at the centre is as interesting as the context, which is not always the case in previous entries, and the historical cameos are relatively tangential to it. There is still a lot going on, but it all feels much more seamless than some previous. I remain unconvinced that the unrequited passion at the centre of the only regular female character's arc is a good idea, but I will wait to see where she takes it.
*Although I do note that this was published in 2013, when fascism seemed less of a current issue.
Gentlemen Formerly Dressed also succeeds because the plot at the centre is as interesting as the context, which is not always the case in previous entries, and the historical cameos are relatively tangential to it. There is still a lot going on, but it all feels much more seamless than some previous. I remain unconvinced that the unrequited passion at the centre of the only regular female character's arc is a good idea, but I will wait to see where she takes it.
*Although I do note that this was published in 2013, when fascism seemed less of a current issue.