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alwroteabook's review
5.0
This was a fun short urban fantasy based around a team of women tasked with solving all the nasty crimes the men don't want to deal with. Turns out these ladies are good at solving them. When they are sent on a particularly awful case, all their skills (and a little help from a demon) to solve the case.
vsbedford's review
2.0
A fine way to spend an hour or so; this is a fast-paced novella, in what I think is an intriguing world, but I found the author's style not to my liking. Characters growled, paragraphs consist of only one sentence (which I think is supposed to convey drama?), and the sentence structure could use a polishing. In all, it read to me like the work of a very, very talented young writer learning their voice. My middle-aged self didn't find this super great but I would happily recommend to a high school reader.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
stephbookshine's review
3.0
*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author, Sacred Oaks Press and NetGalley. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Craven Street is a novella set in an alternative Victorian London where demons and black magic abound and just a few stalwart women have the knowledge, experience and skills to protect the public from the darker side. These women are the Whitechapel Paranormal Society: psychics and fortune tellers to the public; criminal investigators and baddie vanquishers behind the scenes.
This novella gives the reader a short glimpse into the work and relationships within the agency, and also reintroduces an old ‘friend’, in the form of Forneus – demon with moral standards, just not the same ones as humans.
It feels like a lot of plot is packed into just a few pages here, as the brutal serial killings, demon possessions and mysterious mutilating marks all hold enough intrigue to carry a full novel! I felt a bit breathless by the end, having been whisked from crime scene to confrontation with the instantly-appealing Cora and co.
As a stand-alone novella I think that this runs just a little too quickly for me to really settle into the characters and plotline. As a teaser for the main series though, I think it works perfectly!
“I don’t say this to hurt you, Cora, only to relay the facts,” she said. “Either her power transferred to you, a parting gift perhaps, or the trauma of her loss triggered the change in you. Whatever the reason, the spirits of the dead have found you.”
“And I can see them,” I said.
“So it would seem,” she said.
“Bugger.”
– E.J. Stevens, Craven Street
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/10/18/craven-street-e-j-stevens/
Craven Street is a novella set in an alternative Victorian London where demons and black magic abound and just a few stalwart women have the knowledge, experience and skills to protect the public from the darker side. These women are the Whitechapel Paranormal Society: psychics and fortune tellers to the public; criminal investigators and baddie vanquishers behind the scenes.
This novella gives the reader a short glimpse into the work and relationships within the agency, and also reintroduces an old ‘friend’, in the form of Forneus – demon with moral standards, just not the same ones as humans.
It feels like a lot of plot is packed into just a few pages here, as the brutal serial killings, demon possessions and mysterious mutilating marks all hold enough intrigue to carry a full novel! I felt a bit breathless by the end, having been whisked from crime scene to confrontation with the instantly-appealing Cora and co.
As a stand-alone novella I think that this runs just a little too quickly for me to really settle into the characters and plotline. As a teaser for the main series though, I think it works perfectly!
“I don’t say this to hurt you, Cora, only to relay the facts,” she said. “Either her power transferred to you, a parting gift perhaps, or the trauma of her loss triggered the change in you. Whatever the reason, the spirits of the dead have found you.”
“And I can see them,” I said.
“So it would seem,” she said.
“Bugger.”
– E.J. Stevens, Craven Street
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/10/18/craven-street-e-j-stevens/
annarella's review
4.0
An engrossing and entertaining novella, well written and with an interesting plot.
I look forward to reading other works by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I look forward to reading other works by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
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