Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Bookish Thoughts: The Shadow Revolution by Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith

A bold moon hung over the dark London cityscape. ~ Opening of The Shadow Revolution


The Shadow Revolution (Crown & Key, #1) by Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith 
Del Rey, 2015
Fantasy (Steampunk); 320 pgs
Source: NetGalley

From Goodreads:  
They are the realm’s last, best defense against supernatural evil. But they’re going to need a lot more silver.  
As fog descends, obscuring the gas lamps of Victorian London, werewolves prowl the shadows of back alleys. But they have infiltrated the inner circles of upper-crust society as well. Only a handful of specially gifted practitioners are equipped to battle the beasts. Among them are the roguish Simon Archer, who conceals his powers as a spell-casting scribe behind the smooth veneer of a dashing playboy; his layabout mentor, Nick Barker, who prefers a good pub to thrilling heroics; and the self-possessed alchemist Kate Anstruther, who is equally at home in a ballroom as she is on a battlefield.

After a lycanthrope targets Kate’s vulnerable younger sister, the three join forces with fierce Scottish monster-hunter Malcolm MacFarlane—but quickly discover they’re dealing with a threat far greater than anything they ever imagined.

I am likely not the first one to say this book would make a great movie. Admittedly, it was hard not to picture some of the cast from the Sherlock Holmes movies (the ones with Robert Downing Jr.). There was hardly a turn in the  book that was not filled with some sort of fight or action, with occasional gore. The dialogue is quite witty, especially between Kate Anstruther and Simon Archer.

This novel is perfectly set in a steampunk Victorian London setting with magicians, alchemists, hunters and werewolves. The authors captured the atmosphere of the time period well.

Simon, Nick and Malcolm prove they are good in a fight as well as in using their brains. I have a feeling there are hidden depths to all three men that will come out in later books. I never really felt like I had a good handle on Nick. And from what Nick said towards the end of the book, I imagine there is a lot more to Simon than the reader knows as well.

Fighting alongside the strong and very capable men, Kate, an alchemist, proves she can hold her own. She doesn't hesitate to jump in when the action starts, even not quite knowing what the situation at hand is. As great a character as Kate is, however, I adore Penny Carter as well and hope to see more of her in the next two books. She doesn't appear until later in the books, but she's a force to be reckoned with.

The Shadow Revolution was an entertaining novel, a story made for the big screen. Still, I am left with a lot of questions and hope to find answers to them in the upcoming novels.


To learn more about Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith and their work, please visit the authors' websiteThey can also be found on Goodreads and Twitter.


© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

20 comments:

  1. Sounds like a good fantasy although I rarely read steampunk. I think this book would be a good one to start with if the mood calls for it. :-)

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    1. Melody - It is a fast and entertaining read. I think you might like it, Melody.

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  2. This sounds fun! I've been wanting to read more steampunk and I like how action oriented it sounds. I might wait until the second book though to see if any of those questions get answered or developed.

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    1. Katherine - It was a nice change from reality for a little while. :-) I like action, but not in place of character development. Being that this is a series, I'm a bit more forgiving, hoping it'll come in later books. We'll see. :-)

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  3. I haven't dipped into steampunk yet, but I did see this book and its follow-up at the library in paperback and I hemmed and hawed and put it back on the shelf. Maybe I should check it out next time and see what I think.

    Thanks for a timely review for me!

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    1. Rita - If you decide to give them a try, I'd like to know what you think. Hopefully you won't be disappointed. :-)

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  4. Glad to hear this is good. I will have to see about getting a copy!

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  5. I'm glad you liked it! This was one of my favorite reads of last summer. And yes, Penny Carter is featured in other books in the series. Great review, Wendy!
    ~Litha Nelle

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    1. Litha Nelle - Thank you! Penny is such an awesome character. She was like a hidden gem in this book. :-)

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  6. :) Sounds as if you made a commitment to a new series! :) Hooked by the first book!

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    1. Jenclair - Too many new commitments as of late. :-)

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  7. Loving that cover.

    Keen to read more Steampunk, this is definitely one for my wish list.

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    1. Tracy - I really like the cover too. :-) This is probably not my favorite steampunk novel, but I did enjoy it.

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  8. I don't usually read many books like these but I love the description of this one. It's reminding me of all the fun supernatural books I read a few years ago.

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    1. Athira - It was entertaining and very action packed.

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  9. This definitely sounds like a fun and action-filled story, Wendy! I haven't read any steampunk in a while, so I'm adding Shadow Revolution to my shelf :)
    Have a great weekend and happy reading.
    Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews

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    1. Lexxie - It was a fun one. :-) I don't read a lot of steampunk, but I do enjoy the sub-genre when I do. I hope you like this one if you try it!

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  10. Gonna have to add this one to my tbr. Steampunk if one of my fave science fiction sub-genres, if not *the* favorite.

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    1. Trisha - I hope they go a little more into their version of London next time. As fun as this one was, it really was more plot-driven.

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