3 Stars
Men on opposite sides.
Nathaniel Roy and Justin Lazarus are two miserable bastards that don't really evoke sympathy at the onset of the book. Possessing diametrically opposed viewpoints of the world it makes for an interesting discussion as the book progresses. I can't say that either character is endearing, but the gulf between the two has a bridge and it is traversed as they begin to understand the basis for each other's stance. But, I just never felt invested in either one.
While I enjoy Charles' writing this lacked the depth of historical data of Charles' "Society of Gentlemen" and the drama of "A Charm of Magpies". I suppose Victorian England has never been my favorite period so this might not have been as good a fit as the others. But, it was Justin's similarity in character to Jonah from "Jackdaw", which makes for a flawed protagonist. You can understand their decisions, but it's hard to admire them. In fact, the interaction between Ben and Jonah in "Jackdaw" is quite similar to Nathaniel and Lazarus, here.
Ultimately, the one thing that annoyed me most, and I was wondering as the available pages left to read dwindled, that it literally ends with a To be continued. There is a major plot point that is left dangling while the characters' romance seems to be wrapped up. I did not find the series arc plotting as seamless as "Society of Gentlemen".
Enjoyable read, but not compelling as I put it down many times without a problem.
Nathaniel Roy and Justin Lazarus are two miserable bastards that don't really evoke sympathy at the onset of the book. Possessing diametrically opposed viewpoints of the world it makes for an interesting discussion as the book progresses. I can't say that either character is endearing, but the gulf between the two has a bridge and it is traversed as they begin to understand the basis for each other's stance. But, I just never felt invested in either one.
While I enjoy Charles' writing this lacked the depth of historical data of Charles' "Society of Gentlemen" and the drama of "A Charm of Magpies". I suppose Victorian England has never been my favorite period so this might not have been as good a fit as the others. But, it was Justin's similarity in character to Jonah from "Jackdaw", which makes for a flawed protagonist. You can understand their decisions, but it's hard to admire them. In fact, the interaction between Ben and Jonah in "Jackdaw" is quite similar to Nathaniel and Lazarus, here.
Ultimately, the one thing that annoyed me most, and I was wondering as the available pages left to read dwindled, that it literally ends with a To be continued. There is a major plot point that is left dangling while the characters' romance seems to be wrapped up. I did not find the series arc plotting as seamless as "Society of Gentlemen".
Enjoyable read, but not compelling as I put it down many times without a problem.
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