Review - A Study in Ashes (The Baskerville Affair #3) by Emma Jane Holloway

Title: A Study in Ashes

Author: Emma Jane Holloway

Series: 3rd (A Study in Silks, A Study in Darkness

Pages: 662

Published: December 31st 2013 by Del Rey

ISBN:  9780345537201

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

Description: As part of her devil’s bargain with the industrial steam barons, Evelina Cooper is finally enrolled in the Ladies’ College of London. However, she’s attending as the Gold King’s pet magician, in handcuffs and forbidden contact with even her closest relation, the detective Sherlock Holmes.  Not even Niccolo, the dashing pirate captain, and his sentient airship can save her. But Evelina’s problems are only part of a larger war. The Baskerville Affair is finally coming to light, and the rebels are making their move to wrest power from the barons and restore it to Queen Victoria. Missing heirs and nightmare hounds are the order of the day—or at least that’s what Dr. Watson is telling the press. But their plans are doomed unless Evelina escapes to unite her magic with the rebels’ machines—and even then her powers aren’t what they used to be. A sorcerer has awakened a dark hunger in Evelina’s soul, and only he can keep her from end angering them all. The only problem is…he’s dead. 

First Line: "You are not welcome here," said the man in the quietly understated brown suit.

I Give This ...

I saw this through to the end and I must say I'm very proud of myself on this one.   It's out of my comfort zone, but it attracted my attention from the start.  Steampunk is hard for me and with no guarantee that I would like it, this was a stretch.  And with each book being hefty, this one comes in at just over 650 pages, they are time consuming as well.  

I was greatly impressed with how the characters grew in this final book.  There were definite possibilities of a love triangle in the series beginning.  But, each character followed their were they should (ok maybe not Tobias) and didn't sway.  I was pleased that even Tobias didn't always think with his head, I think he could have been happy in the end with Alice.  And really, I think Nick and Evelina are perfect for each other.  I think my favorite couple was Imogen and Bucky.  Bucky went above and beyond to prove his love for Imogen.

The events were honestly like reading about a chess match and that's were I struggled with this book.  At this many pages, you can bet there were a lot of moves.  I wasn't sure we would ever get to the final showdown.  I also seriously wondered if this story would have some sort of happy ending.  Our Gold King seemed to have all the pieces.  In the end, it all came down to Evelina and the power she could wield.  It's no wonder that she was frightened of it though.

I was completely satisfied with how this ended.  There's room for a spin off series, and I might read it just because I found it intriguing. 

 

Review - A Study in Darkness (The Baskerville Affair #2) by Emma Jane Holloway

Title: A Study in Darkness

Author: Emma Jane Holloway

Series: 2nd (A Study in Silks)

Pages: 513

Published: October 29th 2013 by Del Rey 

ISBN: 9780345537195

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Description: When a bomb goes off at 221B Baker Street, Evelina Cooper is thrown into her Uncle Sherlock’s world of mystery and murder. But just when she thought it was safe to return to the ballroom, old, new, and even dead enemies are clamoring for a place on her dance card. Before Evelina’s even unpacked her gowns for a country house party, an indiscretion puts her in the power of the ruthless Gold King, who recruits her as his spy. He knows her disreputable past and exiles her to the rank alleyways of Whitechapel with orders to unmask his foe. As danger mounts, Evelina struggles between hiding her illegal magic and succumbing to the darker aspects of her power. One path keeps her secure; the other keeps her alive. For rebellion is brewing, a sorcerer wants her soul, and no one can protect her in the hunting ground of Jack the Ripper.

I Give This ...

I'm so glad that I decided to stick with this series.  There was something in the first book that made me want to continue on despite my 3 rating.  I was right!

Evelina is really beginning to grow on me as our main character.  She's got a very unique background with her connections to the aristocracy, the lower class, and then there's her uncle the infamous Sherlock Holmes.  But, she really holds her own in this story.  She may naive enough to take the bait to be the Gold King's spy, but I can't imagine anyone else for the job.  She manages to integrate herself in place that others can't.  Plus, she learns things about her magic that likely wouldn't have happened.  I imagine that will become more key as the story progresses.

I feel the love triangle is kind of up and down this time around.  I don't necessarily think Evelina's feeling for Tobias were misplaced.  He just didn't seem to think about the repercussions their actions might have on Evelina.  Plus, he's too easily swayed by a pretty face.  Niccolo's affection seem to be much more genuine.  He would do anything for her, including walk away.  I'm hoping that Evelina will stick to what seems to be a clear cut choice.  Who knows though!

I'm really enjoying the little bit we see of Sherlock in this series.  He's an character that could easily take center stage, but he stays in the background.  He may be part of the bigger picture, but he's not the one maneuvering the pieces.   I'm curious as to what his final role will be in this series.  And I LOVED the inclusion of Jack the Ripper in this story.  This serial killer has fascinated me for years, and I loved how it played out in the story.  It stuck with the details of the original crimes and lead to the allure of how it remained unsolved.   It worked beautifully here.

I'm excited to tackle the next book in the series.  I'm not sure if it the final one, but I will savor it and hope the story has a satisfying conclusion if it is!

 

 

Review - A Study in Silks (The Baskerville Affair #1) by Emma Jane Holloway

Title: A Study in Silks

Author: Emma Jane Holloway

Series: 1st

Pages: 531

Published: September 24th 2013 by Del Rey 

ISBN: 9780345537188

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Description: Evelina Cooper, niece of Sherlock Holmes, is ready for her first London Season - except for a murderer, missing automatons, a sorcerer, and a talking mouse. In a Victorian era ruled by a ruthless steam baron council, mechanical power is the real monarch, and sorcery the demon enemy of the empire. Evelina has secretly mastered a coveted weapon - magic that can run machines. Should she trust the handsome, clever rake who speeds her breath, or the dashing trick rider who would dare anything she would ask? 

I Give This ...

I knew this one was a risk for me.  I don't have the best track record when it comes to steampunk.  But the cover and description caught me eye and I admit I was curious at how Sherlock Holmes might play into this.  

I really liked Evelina.  She has an extremely unique history.  Her mother was aristocratic but feel in love with a commoner.  She was raised in the circus.  Her grandmother brings her back into society upon her mother's death.  I love that she acknowledges that she really has no place among them but it doesn't seem to bother her at all.   The only thing really seems to bother her is not being able to fully participate in The Season along side her best friend.  Plus, she is a women with a brain.  Something that was frowned upon in this day.

It doesn't take long for our story to develop.  One of the servants is murdered in the parlor room of her best friends house.  Evelina is quickly brought to the scene because she's developed a reputation among the household as someone who knows exactly what to do.  But, this case might be to much for Evelina.  There are more people involved that she could ever imagine.  Even her famous Uncle Sherlock is pulled into the case.  Between the two of them, they manage to unlock most of the secrets hidden behind many doors.

Evelina must decide who to trust and who might be hiding things.  In the end, she must also decide if she wants to divulge the secrets of the family she has come to love.  An interesting blend of magic, steampunk, and historical fiction.  I enjoyed the characters immensely.  But, I found the story could be confusing.  Or course in case this big, there are many players.  But, I had a hard time keeping track of who was who.  The steampunk elements were ok, and not overly distracting to the storyline.  My biggest complaint was that the story really dragged in places.  And with a book at 500+ pages, that's probably not a good thing.  I found myself skimming passages and the then rereading certain details.

I make a case by case decision on whether to read the next book in the series when I give a 3 rating.   This time around, I want to know more about our characters.  Evelina and Sherlock are great.  Plus, there's an interesting love triangle building here.