The Shadow Revolution (Crown & Key #1) by Clay and Susan Griffith

The Shadow Revolution Series: Crown & Key #1
Published by Del Rey on June 2, 2015
Genres: Action & Adventure, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal, Steampunk
Pages: 320
Format: eBook
ISBN: 0345539508
Goodreads

A thrilling new Victorian-era urban fantasy for fans of Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid Chronicles, the Showtime series Penny Dreadful, and the Sherlock Holmes movies featuring Robert Downey, Jr.
 
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.

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Barnes and Noble

Buy on iTunes

 

This free book was provided Netgalley for an honest review.

This was the first book of a three book series that will be published late Spring and Summer.  I was excited to start this series as I am a fan of the Griffiths writing style.  This first book is the introduction to a group of interesting characters, all with different backgrounds and strengths.  The world building of this historical urban fantasy was well done and the action and the fight scenes kept the book at a fairly fast pace. There were parts however where the fight scenes were a bit too long for me, but this did not distract too much.

Simon Archer was a favorite character of mine.  I would have loved to have seen a more detailed transition from playboy to all out hero. I love to see a character’s personal struggle and envision what his personal motivations were in becoming a hero figure. I only seem to see a small glimpse of this in the beginning of the book. But I was impressed with his leadership skills, as well as the powers as a spell casting scribe. I thought it was quite unique.

Kate was another favorite character, an eccentric woman of science able to deal with everything that comes at her. Everything except her sister that is.  The authors are well known for writing strong female characters, and that is what attracts me to their work. So I guess that is why I did not have too much sympathy with Imogen’s fate. But the book is early, maybe there will be a change in her characteristics in the next book. Imogen is Kate’s sister and suffers a very traumatic change. But here again is an opportunity for her to become something more than she is. Here is where I see a real change even though Imogen irritated me. I really hope she accepts who she is and here’s to hoping that she becomes a hero like figure in the next book!

I’m very much looking forward to book 2.

You can read an excerpt of the book by clicking here.