Reviews

Unseemly Science by Rod Duncan

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almondcookies's review against another edition

4.0

This book was a very pleasant surprise after the Bullet Catcher's Daughter. The world building was a lot more consistent and fleshed out for my tastes, and the plot less self contained, but that isn't saying much.

A feeling I haven't been able to shake is this series gives me a Series of Unfortunate Events vibe. (In terms of the plot, not the setting. Although the Victorian AU isn't completely dissimilar). in ASOUE, each book is a standalone - they're headed towards this eventual end goal, but all the events that happen in each individual book is relatively minor in the grand scheme of things. ASOUE does that so you can pick up any book and start reading, even if you haven't read the earlier instalments. Maybe that's what Duncan is going for here, but it gives the unfortunate drawback of the storylines not connecting particularly well, evidenced by how we still have yet to see the fall of the gas-lit empire, or even a general plan towards how it could fall.

That being said, there were other nice things about the book. The thriller aspect - who is following them? Why won't they reveal themselves? The mystery and intrigue! This series is pretty plot driven (albeit self contained), as are most mystery books. Not my personal preference, but I definitely still enjoyed it.

We learn more about Julia, whose character is more fleshed out and three dimensional. Tinker returns again, although I wish we could see more of him and his motivations - I'd like a deep dive into him and his relationship with Elizabeth please. However we have yet to see why, oh why is the Duke so hell bent on capturing Elizabeth? I don't want to go into another plot rant, but this seems to be either massive plot point that hasn't been touched upon, OR something used simply as plot device. I've yet to decide which.

alyinsx's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I wasn’t as in love with the Bullet Catcher’s Daughter as I wanted to be but I was completely taken by Elizabeth Barnabus and I wanted to know what else was going to Helen so I had my fingers cromsswed this second book would be better. It was! So much better plotting, and pacing when it came to the story and the characters. Absolutely adored this book and I’m so glad I stuck with this series.

emilyrandolph_epstein's review against another edition

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5.0

This series is so frickin' awesome. It's got a talented genderbending intelligence gather for a protagonist, an awesome steampunk alternate history, and a plot straight out of a Victorian penny dreadful. Can't wait to read the next one.

radbear76's review against another edition

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3.0

Good but not as good as the first book. A long complex build up with a quick resolution that wasn't very satisfying. Definitely written as a transition book for the setting of the series. That being said I'll be checking out the next book soon.

elizpeace's review against another edition

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4.0

Liked it better than the first, though much darker of a story.

crasscasualty's review against another edition

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5.0

Another awesome showing. The plot, lore, and characters continue to be excellent. Something I really admire about this author is his ability to combine and reimagine different detective and speculative fiction tropes into something that's new and engaging. I think the pacing suffered a bit in this installment compared to the last, but that's the only change in quality. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

EDIT: Apparently I received a free ARC of this novel through First Reads, but didn't realize it before I bought the ebook and wrote this review!