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A review by ojtheviking
Dreadful Company by Vivian Shaw
4.0
3.7 rounded up.
The second installment of the Dr. Greta Helsing series successfully continues the delightful mix of urban fantasy and old Victorian vibes. I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one, if not even more in some aspects. This one feels a little more balanced in terms of pacing, almost like a comfortable slow burn, and we start out with two seemingly separate storylines, and we'll have to keep reading to eventually see how they are connected.
Compared to the first book, Shaw's writing is fairly consistent overall, both when it comes to positive things and some minor gripes.
Regarding the slow burn, it may sound a bit ironic that the story feels more balanced when it's less action-packed, but this allows for the actual plot to be more fleshed out and feel less disjointed than the previous book. The light, dry humor combined with the concept of these creatures living among humans, reminds me a little bit of other fantasy stories like Good Omens or the True Blood series, but without being derivative.
I do enjoy the combination of these books having a stand-alone main story, but with some continuity, mostly in the form of a handful of characters returning. That's not to say there aren't any new characters introduced. In addition to a new main adversary, there are some interesting new supporting characters that prove to be entertaining enough to read about.
But on this matter, there is an aspect I'm conflicted about as to whether I should consider it a gripe or something I am able to forgive. I've previously said that I try to judge a book by what it sets out to be. Some books don't intend to go too deep and want to just be a quick, fun little adventure. I feel that the Dr. Helsing series leans heavily toward that category. But with that said, I feel like the character development is rather minimal at times. This is especially noticeable with the recurring characters; they are now two books into the series, and they aren't that much more fleshed out compared to how they started out.
It gives a sense of not allowing the reader to fully get to know them beyond the direct actions they take and specific situations they are in, yet they are interesting characters. I guess therein lies my internal conflict; do I consider it a negative that they don't go deeper, or do I respect that this is a highly plot-driven series?
But there are still plenty of things to enjoy, so I am mostly positive about this book. The series certainly has its own quirky feel.
Some of Shaw's most interesting bits of writing are moments when Dr. Helsing provides information on the nature of the various mythical creatures from the perspective of medical science, for example something simple as how a vampire's aversion to garlic is due to severe allergies. It's both creative and entertaining. Plus, Shaw avoids making it come across as ham-fisted exposition by introducing a newly created - thus inexperienced - vampire to whom Dr. Helsing can offer these facts in an organic way.
The way Dr. Helsing lists three main categories of vampires is a cheeky way to account for how differently vampires are depicted in various movies. The not-so-subtle nod to Twilight is also quite funny, as a group of vampires is covered in glitter, thus they sparkle.
I also appreciate the occasional elements of social commentary, although it can be borderline on the nose. Especially how it's implied that the antagonist group of vampires is willing to turn girls into vampires against their will; it's very clearly described as similar to sexual assault, and even among the vampire community in general, it is considered immoral when it's non-consensual.
The main plot - the main threat, if you will - is also interesting, involving a group of terrorist-like vampires with a sinister, destructive plan, with a very fitting sense of vampire melodrama and intrigue.
So, again, there is a lot to enjoy. But one thing that continues to be a bit odd, is that Dr. Helsing herself, while she's supposed to be the main character, is sometimes not given that much to do. The book can go on for several longer segments that don't even involve her, and for a large part of this book, she finds herself stuck in a very specific situation, forcing the other characters to take action. It's almost as if Shaw gets so caught up writing about and exploring the supernatural community that she forgets to include the human main character.
I might have been less aware of this if it weren't for the aforementioned fact that not all the characters have a feel of being sufficiently fleshed out. But either way, most of the book was enjoyable enough for me to want to continue with the series!
The second installment of the Dr. Greta Helsing series successfully continues the delightful mix of urban fantasy and old Victorian vibes. I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one, if not even more in some aspects. This one feels a little more balanced in terms of pacing, almost like a comfortable slow burn, and we start out with two seemingly separate storylines, and we'll have to keep reading to eventually see how they are connected.
Compared to the first book, Shaw's writing is fairly consistent overall, both when it comes to positive things and some minor gripes.
Regarding the slow burn, it may sound a bit ironic that the story feels more balanced when it's less action-packed, but this allows for the actual plot to be more fleshed out and feel less disjointed than the previous book. The light, dry humor combined with the concept of these creatures living among humans, reminds me a little bit of other fantasy stories like Good Omens or the True Blood series, but without being derivative.
I do enjoy the combination of these books having a stand-alone main story, but with some continuity, mostly in the form of a handful of characters returning. That's not to say there aren't any new characters introduced. In addition to a new main adversary, there are some interesting new supporting characters that prove to be entertaining enough to read about.
But on this matter, there is an aspect I'm conflicted about as to whether I should consider it a gripe or something I am able to forgive. I've previously said that I try to judge a book by what it sets out to be. Some books don't intend to go too deep and want to just be a quick, fun little adventure. I feel that the Dr. Helsing series leans heavily toward that category. But with that said, I feel like the character development is rather minimal at times. This is especially noticeable with the recurring characters; they are now two books into the series, and they aren't that much more fleshed out compared to how they started out.
It gives a sense of not allowing the reader to fully get to know them beyond the direct actions they take and specific situations they are in, yet they are interesting characters. I guess therein lies my internal conflict; do I consider it a negative that they don't go deeper, or do I respect that this is a highly plot-driven series?
But there are still plenty of things to enjoy, so I am mostly positive about this book. The series certainly has its own quirky feel.
Some of Shaw's most interesting bits of writing are moments when Dr. Helsing provides information on the nature of the various mythical creatures from the perspective of medical science, for example something simple as how a vampire's aversion to garlic is due to severe allergies. It's both creative and entertaining. Plus, Shaw avoids making it come across as ham-fisted exposition by introducing a newly created - thus inexperienced - vampire to whom Dr. Helsing can offer these facts in an organic way.
The way Dr. Helsing lists three main categories of vampires is a cheeky way to account for how differently vampires are depicted in various movies. The not-so-subtle nod to Twilight is also quite funny, as a group of vampires is covered in glitter, thus they sparkle.
I also appreciate the occasional elements of social commentary, although it can be borderline on the nose. Especially how it's implied that the antagonist group of vampires is willing to turn girls into vampires against their will; it's very clearly described as similar to sexual assault, and even among the vampire community in general, it is considered immoral when it's non-consensual.
The main plot - the main threat, if you will - is also interesting, involving a group of terrorist-like vampires with a sinister, destructive plan, with a very fitting sense of vampire melodrama and intrigue.
So, again, there is a lot to enjoy. But one thing that continues to be a bit odd, is that Dr. Helsing herself, while she's supposed to be the main character, is sometimes not given that much to do. The book can go on for several longer segments that don't even involve her, and for a large part of this book, she finds herself stuck in a very specific situation, forcing the other characters to take action. It's almost as if Shaw gets so caught up writing about and exploring the supernatural community that she forgets to include the human main character.
I might have been less aware of this if it weren't for the aforementioned fact that not all the characters have a feel of being sufficiently fleshed out. But either way, most of the book was enjoyable enough for me to want to continue with the series!