Status
Available
Call number
Publication
DAW
Description
The threat of Moriarty is gone--but so is Sherlock Holmes. Even as they mourn the loss of their colleague, psychic Nan Killian, medium Sarah Lyon-White, and Elemental Masters John and Mary Watson must be vigilant, for members of Moriarty's network are still at large. And their troubles are far from over: in a matter of weeks, two headless bodies of young brides wash up in major waterways. A couple who fears for their own recently-wedded daughter hires the group to investigate, but with each new body, the mystery only deepens. The more bodies emerge, the more the gang suspects that there is dangerous magic at work, and that Moriarty's associates are somehow involved. But as they race against the clock to uncover the killer, it will take all their talents, Magic, and Psychic Powers--and perhaps some help from a dearly departed friend--to bring the murderer to justice.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member readinggeek451
Sherlock Holmes has been reported killed, although a few associates know better. Unfortunately, there is a necromancer in London. The Watsons and psychics Sarah and Nan are called in when the headless bodies of young women start turning up, but they do not have anything like Holmes's expertise. But
Not as good as the rest of Lackey's Elemental Masters series, but not awful. Fans will want to read this.
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they do have other skills....Not as good as the rest of Lackey's Elemental Masters series, but not awful. Fans will want to read this.
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LibraryThing member eyes.2c
Holmsian horror!
Lackey's Sherlock Holmes trope with a touch of horror is vastly engaging.
Sherlock and Moriaty have perished over Ravensbruck Falls. Elemental masters John and Mary Watson, occultists Nan Killian and Sarah Lyon-White find themselves enmeshed in a struggle with a necromancer who just
Disturbing developments see the Watson's targeted by the unknown adversary. All must be vigilant as danger looms on all sides.
The introduction of the spirit Caro, is an interesting addition to the mix. Sarah and Nan along with their feathered companions, Neville the raven and Grey the African parrot, fierce protectors of the girls in the occult adventures.
I initially started reading with a somewhat jaundiced attitude but as the story moved on I became well and truly ensnared in its twists and turns.
A NetGalley ARC
Lackey's Sherlock Holmes trope with a touch of horror is vastly engaging.
Sherlock and Moriaty have perished over Ravensbruck Falls. Elemental masters John and Mary Watson, occultists Nan Killian and Sarah Lyon-White find themselves enmeshed in a struggle with a necromancer who just
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might have had links to Moriaty's network. Headless bodies are beginning to turn up, dressed in white garments. Brides! But for what purpose?Disturbing developments see the Watson's targeted by the unknown adversary. All must be vigilant as danger looms on all sides.
The introduction of the spirit Caro, is an interesting addition to the mix. Sarah and Nan along with their feathered companions, Neville the raven and Grey the African parrot, fierce protectors of the girls in the occult adventures.
I initially started reading with a somewhat jaundiced attitude but as the story moved on I became well and truly ensnared in its twists and turns.
A NetGalley ARC
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LibraryThing member Jean_Sexton
Bluebeard and Holmes and Magic, Oh My! I thoroughly enjoy Holmesian fiction, so I expected to like this book and I did. Holmes is really least in sight, so Nan, Sarah, and Watson shine in this tale. And Lestrade? My favorite quotation was about him: Sarah had thought Lestrade couldn’t get any
So with all this going for it, why was I not totally thrilled with the book? I think the gruesomeness of the murders got to me. And for the first time that I can remember Mercedes Lackey has put an easily recognizable political figure in the book and done it in a highly uncomplimentary fashion. I read fantasy to escape from some of the unpleasantness in real life and don't enjoy real life rearing its ugly head so obviously.
Fans of the series will most likely enjoy the book as will those who enjoyed the earlier Holmes books in the series.
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redder. She had been wrong. He turned from the color of a strawberry to the color of a beet.So with all this going for it, why was I not totally thrilled with the book? I think the gruesomeness of the murders got to me. And for the first time that I can remember Mercedes Lackey has put an easily recognizable political figure in the book and done it in a highly uncomplimentary fashion. I read fantasy to escape from some of the unpleasantness in real life and don't enjoy real life rearing its ugly head so obviously.
Fans of the series will most likely enjoy the book as will those who enjoyed the earlier Holmes books in the series.
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LibraryThing member quondame
Not quite as bad as The Wizard of London but it is a slog until the final action scene, with the obvious course of action stumbled upon until almost the last minute. The characters aren't interesting enough or the emotional weight heavy enough to involve me in this Bluebeard retelling, though the
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basic plot had some promise. Show Less
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Mildly enjoyable - it's the girls again, which is great, but it's Sherlock and allies again, which is rather boring. Not so Lovecraftian, though, so that's better. A necromancer, which they explain as a Master of the Fifth Element, Spirit. And then they (Alderscroft, in particular) manage to pin
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the girls down as Elemental Mages rather than as using a completely different system of magic. I wonder if they'll decide that all the occultists, psychics, etc are Spirit Mages? That would explain why they're so "rare" - just not recognized. The fairy tale is Bluebeard (which I guessed from the title, anyway). Neville gets to be a very dangerous bird, on several occasions - much to his pleasure. It's not bad, but definitely not a favorite. Show Less
LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
The latest Elemental Masters book is another one with Nan and Sarah as the main POV characters. It is set after the death of Sherlock and how those closest to him deal with it. The only good is Moriarty is also dead, but his gang lives on and they plan to exact revenge on all that have helped
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley
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Sherlock over the years and they focus their attacks on John and Mary Watson. Lestrade also asks them to investigate the headless corpses of young women that are appearing in the Thames. All the threads tie up by the end of the story and if there are any more stories that feature the Watson’s they will certainly be hitting new ground with it. Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley
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LibraryThing member kmartin802
The newspapers are shouting that Sherlock Holmes is dead, and only those closest to him know the truth. But he needs to stay dead in order to track down and eliminate the remaining members of Moriarty's gang. That leaves only the Watsons, Nan, and Sarah to try to deal with Sherlock's usual cases.
Someone is dumping the headless bodies of young women in the sewer. Each is dressed in what could be a wedding gown. Lestrade is baffled and none of the Watsons or Nan and Sarah's magical or psychical talents are giving them any help in finding out who or why this is happening.
Meanwhile, we know that a Spirit Master named Spencer is the killer. He is a high-up member of Moriarty's gang and has been trying to hold it together. He also managed to grab Moriarty's spirit and confine it in a talisman and now is working very hard to find a new body for him and transfer him from the spirit world back to the physical world.
Spencer is binding these young women to him in a sort of wedding ceremony and using their power to fill batteries he has developed. He needs the power if he is ever to reanimate Moriarty. Spencer is also trying to keep the Watsons out of the way. In fact, he sends a basket of poison fruit along with a compulsion spell in a Snow White attempt to kill Mary Watson after a physical attack on John is unsuccessful because of Nan and Sarah's intervention. Nan and Sarah's birds do manage to foil the attempt on Mary but they are pretending she is dead to give them more working room.
Nan and Sarah learn more about their abilities in this one as they use all their talents to locate Spencer and get rid of him.
I like the worldbuilding in this story. It is a very well detailed Victorian world that surrounds the various adventures and magical elements. Even some commentary on woman's rights, or rather the lack of them is inserted into this story in a few places and in the person of a spirit named Caro. Gemma Dawson does a great job with the voices and the pacing.
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Right now they have a very difficult one. Someone is dumping the headless bodies of young women in the sewer. Each is dressed in what could be a wedding gown. Lestrade is baffled and none of the Watsons or Nan and Sarah's magical or psychical talents are giving them any help in finding out who or why this is happening.
Meanwhile, we know that a Spirit Master named Spencer is the killer. He is a high-up member of Moriarty's gang and has been trying to hold it together. He also managed to grab Moriarty's spirit and confine it in a talisman and now is working very hard to find a new body for him and transfer him from the spirit world back to the physical world.
Spencer is binding these young women to him in a sort of wedding ceremony and using their power to fill batteries he has developed. He needs the power if he is ever to reanimate Moriarty. Spencer is also trying to keep the Watsons out of the way. In fact, he sends a basket of poison fruit along with a compulsion spell in a Snow White attempt to kill Mary Watson after a physical attack on John is unsuccessful because of Nan and Sarah's intervention. Nan and Sarah's birds do manage to foil the attempt on Mary but they are pretending she is dead to give them more working room.
Nan and Sarah learn more about their abilities in this one as they use all their talents to locate Spencer and get rid of him.
I like the worldbuilding in this story. It is a very well detailed Victorian world that surrounds the various adventures and magical elements. Even some commentary on woman's rights, or rather the lack of them is inserted into this story in a few places and in the person of a spirit named Caro. Gemma Dawson does a great job with the voices and the pacing.
Show Less
Original publication date
2018
Local notes
Elemental Masters, 14
DDC/MDS
| Fic SF Lackey |