Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Night Shade Books
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Historical Fiction. 1864. London is a city in transition. The Constantine Affliction-a strange malady that kills some of its victims and physically transforms others into the opposite sex-has spread scandal and upheaval throughout society. Scientific marvels and disasters, such as clockwork courtesans, the alchemical fires of Whitechapel, electric carriages, and acidic monsters lurking in the Thames, have forever altered the face of the city. Pembroke "Pimm" Hanover is an aristocrat with an interest in criminology, who uses his keen powers of observation to assist the police or private individuals-at least when he's sober enough to do so. Ellie Skyler, who hides her gender behind the byline "E. Skye," is an intrepid journalist driven by both passion and necessity to uncover the truth, no matter where it hides. When Pimm and Skye stumble onto a dark plot that links the city's most notorious criminal overlord with the Queen's new consort, famed scientist Sir Bertram Oswald, they soon find the forces of both high and low society arrayed against them. Can they save the city from the arcane machinations of one of history's most monsters-and uncover the shocking origin of . . . THE CONSTANTINE AFFLICTION.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member lostinalibrary
Above Victorian England, the sky is lit up by a strange phenomenon known as the aurora anglais, Whitechapel has been walled off as alchemical fires rage inside, and London is trying to come to grips with the Constantine Affliction, a seemingly sexually transmitted disease which transforms its
However, someone is killing human prostitutes and leaving them in front of these brothels. Abel Value, both pimp for the murdered women and owner of the brothels thus targeted, blackmails Lord Pembroke 'Pimm' Halliday, younger son of a Marquess, functioning alcoholic, and brilliant detective, into investigating. Although Pimm finds the idea of working for a notorious criminal somewhat distasteful, he soon takes the case with the aid of his wife, Winnifred, who was his best friend, Freddy, before falling victim to the affliction; Adam, a brilliant scientist, hopeless romantic, and Frankenstein monster; and Eleanor Skyler, a journalist who hides her gender under the nom de plume E. Skye so that readers will take her seriously. What they discover is a conspiracy so deep and so far-reaching that all of England is in danger.
The Constantine Affliction is steam punk at its finest. Sure, the plot is improbable and occasionally, the story gets mired in long monologues which are meant to explain what's been happening but, hey, its fantasy. The characters are well-drawn, even secondary ones; there's plenty of twists and turns within the story to keep the reader involved; and the story is intelligent, dealing with issues of gender roles, class, science and ethics without sidetracking the plot or browbeating the reader. Surprisingly, under all the alchemy and adventure is the real Victorian England, the poverty, the dirt, and the overarching class system - author Payton clearly took the time to research the era, a rarity in historical fantasy. But most of all, The Constantine Affliction takes the reader on a fun ride, never forgetting for a moment that the purpose of the story is to entertain and that it does in spades.
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victims into the opposite sex, that is, if they survive the transformation. Men now frequent clockwork brothels which use automatons as prostitutes to avoid the disease.However, someone is killing human prostitutes and leaving them in front of these brothels. Abel Value, both pimp for the murdered women and owner of the brothels thus targeted, blackmails Lord Pembroke 'Pimm' Halliday, younger son of a Marquess, functioning alcoholic, and brilliant detective, into investigating. Although Pimm finds the idea of working for a notorious criminal somewhat distasteful, he soon takes the case with the aid of his wife, Winnifred, who was his best friend, Freddy, before falling victim to the affliction; Adam, a brilliant scientist, hopeless romantic, and Frankenstein monster; and Eleanor Skyler, a journalist who hides her gender under the nom de plume E. Skye so that readers will take her seriously. What they discover is a conspiracy so deep and so far-reaching that all of England is in danger.
The Constantine Affliction is steam punk at its finest. Sure, the plot is improbable and occasionally, the story gets mired in long monologues which are meant to explain what's been happening but, hey, its fantasy. The characters are well-drawn, even secondary ones; there's plenty of twists and turns within the story to keep the reader involved; and the story is intelligent, dealing with issues of gender roles, class, science and ethics without sidetracking the plot or browbeating the reader. Surprisingly, under all the alchemy and adventure is the real Victorian England, the poverty, the dirt, and the overarching class system - author Payton clearly took the time to research the era, a rarity in historical fantasy. But most of all, The Constantine Affliction takes the reader on a fun ride, never forgetting for a moment that the purpose of the story is to entertain and that it does in spades.
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LibraryThing member rrainer
In practical terms, this book is a delightful, witty detective story set in neo-Victorian, quasi-Lovecraftian London. But what is really fabulous about it is the exploration and inversion of gender roles, not just as a result of the Affliction but in a world turned around because of it, and of the
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complex relationships that people can find themselves in. Show Less
LibraryThing member shabacus
This book starts with a standard steampunk recipe--alchemy, zombies, elder gods, Franken-creatures, all in Victorian England--and weaves them into an engaging plot with some mild social commentary. There's not a great deal of depth here, but it was a fun book, full of twists and turns and memorable
My biggest criticism is that it was too short, especially since so much of the book was spent establishing the universe. Everything thus established was tied up with a neat bow at the end, which means that any sequel (and I hope there is one) will most likely stand on its own, without doing much to continue the overall mythology.
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characters. The titular affliction, though important to the plot, was more useful for characterization (and the aforementioned social commentary) than plot progression. I fully expected it to pose a more immediate threat to the protagonists than it did.My biggest criticism is that it was too short, especially since so much of the book was spent establishing the universe. Everything thus established was tied up with a neat bow at the end, which means that any sequel (and I hope there is one) will most likely stand on its own, without doing much to continue the overall mythology.
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LibraryThing member Razinha
This is a book that doesn't know what it wants to be...steampunk, sci-fi, hack romance ("Ellie thought [...] how her heart transformed into shards of glass in her chest at that moment.." or "Ever since awakening in the cage, Pimm had wanted to pull Ellie to him and bury his face in her hair, so
...and it does none of them particularly well. The characters are caricatures, Prat inserts too many plot twists out of the blue, the wit is lacking, though the imagination does abound (gender changing pathogen ... intriguing). I found the book slow to get into and just when it did get interesting, Prat/Payton started throwing in the collection basket of spare plot parts, and it was a struggle to want to finish it. Not sure if I can muster the will to see if any sequel improves.
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glad was he to find her unharmed."), mystery, horror, detective, weak comedy, satire, superhero comics, late night infomercial "But wait! There's more!"......and it does none of them particularly well. The characters are caricatures, Prat inserts too many plot twists out of the blue, the wit is lacking, though the imagination does abound (gender changing pathogen ... intriguing). I found the book slow to get into and just when it did get interesting, Prat/Payton started throwing in the collection basket of spare plot parts, and it was a struggle to want to finish it. Not sure if I can muster the will to see if any sequel improves.
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LibraryThing member alclay
Utterly charming.
LibraryThing member bibrarybookslut
Offering up an interesting mix of genres (with an abrupt change of course in the last act), The Constantine Affliction is a fun, engaging, imaginative read that manages to succeed despite the relative blandness of its main character. That's not to say Pimm isn't an interesting character on his own,
T. Aaron Payton (better known as T.A. Pratt), has put together a story here that's equal parts thriller, mystery, horror, comedy, and adventure. At the heart of it lies the aforementioned Pimm (an aristocrat who likes to play detective - when not drowning his sorrows), the far more engaging Winifred (his best friend turned spouse - thanks to the gender-changing Constantinopolitan Affliction), and the rather remarkable Syke (investigative reporter and feminist heroine - for whom the glass is always half-full). Facing off against the unlikely trio of heroes is an even unlikelier trio of villains in Abel Value (criminal overlord), Sir Bertram Oswald (the Queen's consort), and Mr. Adams (cousin to Frankenstein's monster). Throw in some clockwork courtesans and some extra-dimensional monsters, set against the backdrop of a London under siege from darkness and disease, and you have yourself one heck of a tale.
Before we get to the story, let me take a moment to talk about the Constantine Affliction itself. Here we have a sexually transmitted disease, and one that often results in death. Nothing remarkable about that, especially for the Victorian age. Those who survive it, however, do not do so unchanged - upon being restored to health, they find that their gender has changed. Winifred is the one 'victim' we get to know best in the tale, and she is one of the strongest characters in the novel, especially in the latter stages. Hers is not the only prominent commentary on gender in the novel, however, as Syke's character has a lot to say about gender roles. Smart, independent, and damned good at her job, she is forced to masquerade as a man in print if she's to have her stories taken seriously.
Elsewhere, there is an awful lot going on, but Payton manages to keep it all on track, all the while building towards a pair of key revelations that quite cleverly connect the dots between the mixed genres. At times chilling, amusing, and altogether fascinating, this is the kind of book where you just have to give yourself permission to settle in and enjoy the ride. It's paced exceptionally well, so much so that you never begrudge Payton the opportunity to explore a few bizarre tangents (and of those there are aplenty). Perhaps Skye's intimate investigation of the clockwork courtesans goes into a bit too much detail, but it's fascinating, and it does help to justify some plot elements further on. Similarly, Mr. Adam's researches into life-after-death may be a bit too grotesque for some readers, but you'll come away believing in the possibility for romance with a disembodied brain.
Where the story faltered a bit, for me, was in the Lovecraftian insanity of the final act. It almost seemed as if, having so deftly handled so many genres already, Payton simply couldn't resist the urge to go all the way with the monstrous finale. The strength of the characters keeps it from becoming too fantastic, but it was so far removed from what I was expecting that I struggled a bit to keep my disbelief willingly suspended. It does give Winifred, our gender-bent heroine, a chance to shine, and does allow for a fitting resolution to the character of Mr. Adams, but it also cast Pimm a bit further out of the limelight.
All-in-all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read, with enough plot lines to fill a trilogy of novels. Unfortunately, it seems as if this is to be our one-and-only adventure with Pimm and Skye, but there's always hope for a crowdfunded or self-published follow-up (depending, of course, on what rights the publisher has to the series).
As reviewed by Bob at Bending the Bookshelf
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but he lacks the quirks and personality traits that make the other characters leap off the page.T. Aaron Payton (better known as T.A. Pratt), has put together a story here that's equal parts thriller, mystery, horror, comedy, and adventure. At the heart of it lies the aforementioned Pimm (an aristocrat who likes to play detective - when not drowning his sorrows), the far more engaging Winifred (his best friend turned spouse - thanks to the gender-changing Constantinopolitan Affliction), and the rather remarkable Syke (investigative reporter and feminist heroine - for whom the glass is always half-full). Facing off against the unlikely trio of heroes is an even unlikelier trio of villains in Abel Value (criminal overlord), Sir Bertram Oswald (the Queen's consort), and Mr. Adams (cousin to Frankenstein's monster). Throw in some clockwork courtesans and some extra-dimensional monsters, set against the backdrop of a London under siege from darkness and disease, and you have yourself one heck of a tale.
Before we get to the story, let me take a moment to talk about the Constantine Affliction itself. Here we have a sexually transmitted disease, and one that often results in death. Nothing remarkable about that, especially for the Victorian age. Those who survive it, however, do not do so unchanged - upon being restored to health, they find that their gender has changed. Winifred is the one 'victim' we get to know best in the tale, and she is one of the strongest characters in the novel, especially in the latter stages. Hers is not the only prominent commentary on gender in the novel, however, as Syke's character has a lot to say about gender roles. Smart, independent, and damned good at her job, she is forced to masquerade as a man in print if she's to have her stories taken seriously.
Elsewhere, there is an awful lot going on, but Payton manages to keep it all on track, all the while building towards a pair of key revelations that quite cleverly connect the dots between the mixed genres. At times chilling, amusing, and altogether fascinating, this is the kind of book where you just have to give yourself permission to settle in and enjoy the ride. It's paced exceptionally well, so much so that you never begrudge Payton the opportunity to explore a few bizarre tangents (and of those there are aplenty). Perhaps Skye's intimate investigation of the clockwork courtesans goes into a bit too much detail, but it's fascinating, and it does help to justify some plot elements further on. Similarly, Mr. Adam's researches into life-after-death may be a bit too grotesque for some readers, but you'll come away believing in the possibility for romance with a disembodied brain.
Where the story faltered a bit, for me, was in the Lovecraftian insanity of the final act. It almost seemed as if, having so deftly handled so many genres already, Payton simply couldn't resist the urge to go all the way with the monstrous finale. The strength of the characters keeps it from becoming too fantastic, but it was so far removed from what I was expecting that I struggled a bit to keep my disbelief willingly suspended. It does give Winifred, our gender-bent heroine, a chance to shine, and does allow for a fitting resolution to the character of Mr. Adams, but it also cast Pimm a bit further out of the limelight.
All-in-all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read, with enough plot lines to fill a trilogy of novels. Unfortunately, it seems as if this is to be our one-and-only adventure with Pimm and Skye, but there's always hope for a crowdfunded or self-published follow-up (depending, of course, on what rights the publisher has to the series).
As reviewed by Bob at Bending the Bookshelf
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Original publication date
2012-08-07
DDC/MDS
| Fic SF Payton |