Reviewer: Andrea
I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
The Summary:
London, 1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet newly down from Oxford, finds lodging with a charming young aristocrat. Through this new friendship, he is introduced to the drawing-rooms of high society, and finds love in an unexpected quarter. Then, suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Unnerved, his sister, Charlotte, sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In the sinister, labyrinthine city that greets her, she uncovers a secret world at the margins populated by unforgettable characters: a female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling “Doctor Knife.” But the answer to her brother’s disappearance ultimately lies within the doors of one of the country’s preeminent and mysterious institutions: The Aegolius Club, whose members include the most ambitious, and most dangerous, men in England.
In her first novel, Lauren Owen has created a fantastical world that is both beguiling and terrifying. The Quick will establish her as one of fiction’s most dazzling talents.
The Review:
I was confused by the basic story in this novel. The beginning was well-written and interesting, and when the novel switched narration (for the first time) to James’s POV, I still found the story easy to follow and intriguing. A gay man in Victorian England, while probably not uncommon, isn’t often the central figure in a novel, but when the story’s POV changed again and the plot began to involve a secretive vampire cult, I began to lose interest. A gay, Victorian vampire? According to this novel, Queen Vicky’s London was lousy with them. While this is a unique idea, I became bored with the pacing and the overwhelming number of characters and changing POV. I normally enjoy an omniscient novel, but I had difficulty keeping up with all the side plots.
The writing style is in keeping with the time period, and the secrecy of the Aegolius Club was interesting; however, at times, the novel just lagged. The real action didn’t begin until around forty percent into the novel, and I had to force myself to keep going sometimes. Oddly enough, the story is both connected and disjointed.
2.5 Stars
