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Sherlock Holmes Cthulhu Casebooks #1
Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows
In the stews of London’s East End, an outbreak of insanity sees ordinary men and women reduced to gibbering, incoherent wrecks; a mysterious creeping fog hides terrifying apparitions within that rob the wits of all who see them and even inspire suicide. Sherlock Holmes, in the infancy of his detecting career, deduces a connection between these sinister “shadows� and an Oriental drug lord who is bent on expanding his criminal empire. Yet there are even more sinister forces at work, as the great detective faces a challenge so fearsome and deadly that his career may be over almost as soon as it has begun.
352 pages, ebook
First published November 15, 2016
544 people are currently reading
4634 people want to read
About the author
James Lovegrove
142Ìýbooks639ÌýfollowersJames Lovegrove is the author of several acclaimed novels and books for children.
James was born on Christmas Eve 1965 and, having dabbled in writing at school, first took to it seriously while at university. A short story of his won a college competition. The prize was £15, and it had cost £18 to get the story professionally typed. This taught him a hard but necessary lesson in the harsh economic realities of a literary career.
Straight after graduating from Oxford with a degree in English Literature, James set himself the goal of getting a novel written and sold within two years. In the event, it took two months. The Hope was completed in six weeks and accepted by Macmillan a fortnight later. The seed for the idea for the novel � a world in microcosm on an ocean liner � was planted during a cross-Channel ferry journey.
James blew his modest advance for The Hope on a round-the-world trip which took him to, among other places, Thailand. His experiences there, particularly what he witnessed of the sex industry in Bangkok, provided much of the inspiration for The Foreigners.
Escardy Gap was co-written with Pete Crowther over a period of a year and a half, the two authors playing a game of creative tag, each completing a section in turn and leaving the other to carry the story on. The result has proved a cult favourite, and was voted by readers of SFX one of the top fifty SF/Fantasy novels of all time.
Days, a satire on consumerism, was shortlisted for the 1998 Arthur C. Clarke Award (losing to Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow). The book’s genesis most probably lies in the many visits James used to make as a child to the Oxford Street department store owned by his grandfather. It was written over a period of nine months while James was living in the north-west suburbs of Chicago.
Subsequent works have all been published to great acclaim. These include Untied Kingdom, Worldstorm, Provender Gleed, The Age Of Ra and the back-to-back double-novella Gig. James has also written for children. Wings, a short novel for reluctant readers, was short-listed for several awards, while his fantasy series for teens, The Clouded World, written under the pseudonym Jay Amory, has been translated into 7 other languages so far. A five-book series for reluctant readers, The 5 Lords Of Pain, is appearing at two-monthly intervals throughout 2010.
He also reviews fiction for the Financial Times, specialising in the Young Adult, children’s, science fiction, fantasy, horror and graphic novel genres.
Currently James resides in Eastbourne on the Sussex Coast, having moved there in August 2007 with his wife Lou, sons Monty and Theo, and cat Ozzy. He has a terrific view of the sea from his study window, which he doesn’t sit staring out at all day when he should be working. Honest.
James was born on Christmas Eve 1965 and, having dabbled in writing at school, first took to it seriously while at university. A short story of his won a college competition. The prize was £15, and it had cost £18 to get the story professionally typed. This taught him a hard but necessary lesson in the harsh economic realities of a literary career.
Straight after graduating from Oxford with a degree in English Literature, James set himself the goal of getting a novel written and sold within two years. In the event, it took two months. The Hope was completed in six weeks and accepted by Macmillan a fortnight later. The seed for the idea for the novel � a world in microcosm on an ocean liner � was planted during a cross-Channel ferry journey.
James blew his modest advance for The Hope on a round-the-world trip which took him to, among other places, Thailand. His experiences there, particularly what he witnessed of the sex industry in Bangkok, provided much of the inspiration for The Foreigners.
Escardy Gap was co-written with Pete Crowther over a period of a year and a half, the two authors playing a game of creative tag, each completing a section in turn and leaving the other to carry the story on. The result has proved a cult favourite, and was voted by readers of SFX one of the top fifty SF/Fantasy novels of all time.
Days, a satire on consumerism, was shortlisted for the 1998 Arthur C. Clarke Award (losing to Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow). The book’s genesis most probably lies in the many visits James used to make as a child to the Oxford Street department store owned by his grandfather. It was written over a period of nine months while James was living in the north-west suburbs of Chicago.
Subsequent works have all been published to great acclaim. These include Untied Kingdom, Worldstorm, Provender Gleed, The Age Of Ra and the back-to-back double-novella Gig. James has also written for children. Wings, a short novel for reluctant readers, was short-listed for several awards, while his fantasy series for teens, The Clouded World, written under the pseudonym Jay Amory, has been translated into 7 other languages so far. A five-book series for reluctant readers, The 5 Lords Of Pain, is appearing at two-monthly intervals throughout 2010.
He also reviews fiction for the Financial Times, specialising in the Young Adult, children’s, science fiction, fantasy, horror and graphic novel genres.
Currently James resides in Eastbourne on the Sussex Coast, having moved there in August 2007 with his wife Lou, sons Monty and Theo, and cat Ozzy. He has a terrific view of the sea from his study window, which he doesn’t sit staring out at all day when he should be working. Honest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 616 reviews
December 6, 2020
A concept to 'squee' over, even if it has been done before; even if it has been done to death and the darkness beyond.
The idea itself is just so quaint: what if the consistently logical famous detective, who relies so keenly on observation of the tangible world, were to come up against inexplicable madness and magic? The Casebook introduces Lovecraft's Elder gods and mythos to the traditional Holmes setting and atmosphere. It is good fun.
In what sounds to be a trilogy, Lovegrove spends some of this first book rewriting the origin of Holmes and Watson's partnership. In this version, awareness of the dark magics of Lovecraft are what quickly bind them together,
Set in the voice of Arthur Conan Doyle's writing, I found the mimicked tone of Watson to be mostly true and satisfying. The actual 'mystery' of the story, while present and a useful introductory device, takes a backseat to Holmes and Watson's initial experiences of the dark and mystical Lovecraftian elements. Ultimately, this challenges the very core of what we've come to expect from Sherlock; his powers of deduction and reason become somewhat extraneous. While this opposition to Holmes' logic is theoretically interesting, most dedicated fans with a very solid picture of this hero's most unassailable characteristics may well question and possibly be disappointed by his fairly abrupt spiritual conversion. On the other hand, I myself tend to appreciate when the character of Watson is developed beyond the somewhat baser qualities that Doyle gave him. This iteration of the good doctor gets a lot more agency and usefulness, and a dash more intuitive smarts which fleshes him out beyond the role of 'narrator with a sidearm'.
I think Lovegrove wrote this with genuine admiration for his source materials, and I enjoyed it without getting much caught up by it. I'll likely try the next offering in the series, but it is not any kind of compulsive priority for me.
as an aside, I don't think I've come across any mash-ups written in a Lovecraftian tone which pull the Baker Street Duo into that world. I'm sure they exist, I just don't know what they are. I think that may be a very different experience.
The idea itself is just so quaint: what if the consistently logical famous detective, who relies so keenly on observation of the tangible world, were to come up against inexplicable madness and magic? The Casebook introduces Lovecraft's Elder gods and mythos to the traditional Holmes setting and atmosphere. It is good fun.
In what sounds to be a trilogy, Lovegrove spends some of this first book rewriting the origin of Holmes and Watson's partnership. In this version, awareness of the dark magics of Lovecraft are what quickly bind them together,
Set in the voice of Arthur Conan Doyle's writing, I found the mimicked tone of Watson to be mostly true and satisfying. The actual 'mystery' of the story, while present and a useful introductory device, takes a backseat to Holmes and Watson's initial experiences of the dark and mystical Lovecraftian elements. Ultimately, this challenges the very core of what we've come to expect from Sherlock; his powers of deduction and reason become somewhat extraneous. While this opposition to Holmes' logic is theoretically interesting, most dedicated fans with a very solid picture of this hero's most unassailable characteristics may well question and possibly be disappointed by his fairly abrupt spiritual conversion. On the other hand, I myself tend to appreciate when the character of Watson is developed beyond the somewhat baser qualities that Doyle gave him. This iteration of the good doctor gets a lot more agency and usefulness, and a dash more intuitive smarts which fleshes him out beyond the role of 'narrator with a sidearm'.
I think Lovegrove wrote this with genuine admiration for his source materials, and I enjoyed it without getting much caught up by it. I'll likely try the next offering in the series, but it is not any kind of compulsive priority for me.
as an aside, I don't think I've come across any mash-ups written in a Lovecraftian tone which pull the Baker Street Duo into that world. I'm sure they exist, I just don't know what they are. I think that may be a very different experience.
December 9, 2021
“Civilizaton rests on the assumption that the universe is kindly disposed towards mankind and intended for our benefit. Imagine the upheaval were it to become widespread knowledge that that is not so.�
There was something both fun and campy about James Lovegrove's Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows. In it, the logical Sherlock Holmes is pitted against cultists of the very irrational Elder Gods from HP Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. Lovegrove set the stage well (making the book sound like a tale that Dr. Watson had written but purposefully "buried"), but it didn't feel like much actually happened. Although I wouldn't be adverse to trying out a sequel in this series, liked this book better at the beginning than by the time I'd finished it. 3.25 stars
There was something both fun and campy about James Lovegrove's Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows. In it, the logical Sherlock Holmes is pitted against cultists of the very irrational Elder Gods from HP Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. Lovegrove set the stage well (making the book sound like a tale that Dr. Watson had written but purposefully "buried"), but it didn't feel like much actually happened. Although I wouldn't be adverse to trying out a sequel in this series, liked this book better at the beginning than by the time I'd finished it. 3.25 stars
May 15, 2019
Holmes and Watson in the world of Lovecraft's supernatural Mythos. Fun but very lightweight and doesn't add anything to either body of source material.
In terms of length, it is shorter than it looks, as the paper is expended generously. Also there is a lot of exposition of both the Holmes and Cthulhu background, which is skimmable if you've already read both authors.
Only read it in a non-demanding mood and don't expect accurate period dialogue.
There are humorous moments but it isn't overall comedic, so if you're looking for funny haha Holmes try instead.
In terms of length, it is shorter than it looks, as the paper is expended generously. Also there is a lot of exposition of both the Holmes and Cthulhu background, which is skimmable if you've already read both authors.
Only read it in a non-demanding mood and don't expect accurate period dialogue.
There are humorous moments but it isn't overall comedic, so if you're looking for funny haha Holmes try instead.
February 5, 2017
How, oh how, am I supposed to resist a book that offers me a mash-up of two of my favorite fictional universes? I am not ashamed to be one of those people that looses all sense and reason when the words "Cthulhu" or "Sherlock Holmes" are uttered, so when they both are on the cover of the same book, well, all I can do is grab a copy and take it home.
Now the issue with H.P. Lovecraft and Conan Doyle pastiches is that everybody and their dog wrote one. The two canons are religiously beloved by their fans (myself included), and when they are not treated with respect, talent and a certain measure of panache, they are great disapointments. I bought the book, but I was as terrfied as I was excited about reading it.
The introduction offers the reader a lovely fable about a distant relation of H.P. Lovecraft having hidden an antique manuscript allegedly written by a certain doctor John Watson, manuscript which was subsequently sent to the author who seems to believe this is either a "monstruous hoax" or a game-changing historical document� Eight pages in and I was giggling gleefully.
The story is told from the perspective of an older Doctor Watson who feels that he must unburden his soul and put down on paper the "real" version of the events that took place through his many years as Sherlock Holmes' dearest friend and colleague. Together, they come to realize that a secret, underground cult worshipping the Elder Gods is active in 1880 London, and that its followers are hunting the low-lives of the city to satisfy their deities' appetite for human sacrifice.
This is pure penny dreadful material, with plenty of action, creepy creatures and twists and turns. I really enjoyed the rollicking adventure, but two elements bothered me through my read. The first is that while Lovegrove obviously did his research, both historical and of the Doyle and Lovecraft universes, he sometimes drops the ball on keeping the language quite Victorian. A few anachronistic expressions and turns of phrase crept up here and there, and this grated me because I felt pulled out of the story. I seriously doubt that anyone refered to apartments as "flats" in Victorian London, for example.
The other point of annoyance was that Lovegrove made Watson very hot-tempered and beligerent. Certainly, the character is a retired army doctor, and he is often described as carrying a gun and knowing how to use it in several stories of the Holmesian canon, but nowhere in Conan Doyle's stories do you ever see him simply offering to beat someone up to get them to talk or dessist whatever criminal activity they are suspected of. The fact that he is willing - and even eager - to punch someone's clock out in "Shadwell Shadows" felt out of character.
These nitpickings aside, this is a fun read for fans of both universes, filled with clever references to the original works. I will be looking for the sequel, due to come out this fall.
Now the issue with H.P. Lovecraft and Conan Doyle pastiches is that everybody and their dog wrote one. The two canons are religiously beloved by their fans (myself included), and when they are not treated with respect, talent and a certain measure of panache, they are great disapointments. I bought the book, but I was as terrfied as I was excited about reading it.
The introduction offers the reader a lovely fable about a distant relation of H.P. Lovecraft having hidden an antique manuscript allegedly written by a certain doctor John Watson, manuscript which was subsequently sent to the author who seems to believe this is either a "monstruous hoax" or a game-changing historical document� Eight pages in and I was giggling gleefully.
The story is told from the perspective of an older Doctor Watson who feels that he must unburden his soul and put down on paper the "real" version of the events that took place through his many years as Sherlock Holmes' dearest friend and colleague. Together, they come to realize that a secret, underground cult worshipping the Elder Gods is active in 1880 London, and that its followers are hunting the low-lives of the city to satisfy their deities' appetite for human sacrifice.
This is pure penny dreadful material, with plenty of action, creepy creatures and twists and turns. I really enjoyed the rollicking adventure, but two elements bothered me through my read. The first is that while Lovegrove obviously did his research, both historical and of the Doyle and Lovecraft universes, he sometimes drops the ball on keeping the language quite Victorian. A few anachronistic expressions and turns of phrase crept up here and there, and this grated me because I felt pulled out of the story. I seriously doubt that anyone refered to apartments as "flats" in Victorian London, for example.
The other point of annoyance was that Lovegrove made Watson very hot-tempered and beligerent. Certainly, the character is a retired army doctor, and he is often described as carrying a gun and knowing how to use it in several stories of the Holmesian canon, but nowhere in Conan Doyle's stories do you ever see him simply offering to beat someone up to get them to talk or dessist whatever criminal activity they are suspected of. The fact that he is willing - and even eager - to punch someone's clock out in "Shadwell Shadows" felt out of character.
These nitpickings aside, this is a fun read for fans of both universes, filled with clever references to the original works. I will be looking for the sequel, due to come out this fall.
October 10, 2020
2.5
One would think that the two of my favourite authors/fictional worlds mixing would be awesome. It sounds interesting. In practice, though, not so much.
I can't pinpoint the exact things that aren't what I expected. However, I'll list a couple of those that may have ruined parts of this book for me.
Firstly, Sherlock Holmes is twenty-six and while you see tiny glimpses of the Holmes most of us love (Jeremy Brett is the only TV Sherlock Holmes, won't even listen to other suggestions), he takes a while to get going in this book. I don't know if I liked this one because of my idea of Holmes or not. Let's leave it at I liked him.
Watson is twenty-eight in this story, but he is like an old old man. He is annoying as hell. His occasionally xenophobic self shows every now and then. He is one of those people who lists the wrongdoings of an empire and follows it up with a but after that. He is boring and not very smart. It doesn't help that he is the one who tells us this story, so you spend a lot of time with him.
As for Moriarty, I'll just leave him at underwhelming.
The story itself promises a lot. At least to a Lovecraft lover it does. At first, Holmes tries to explain certain things the way you'd expect him to do. However, it only takes a second to convert him to a believer in the Old gods and such. The story needed that, I understand. And I'm fine with it.
What it didn't need was Watson reminding us that the Sherlock Holmes stories we all know from before are lies. It was quite enough to say that in the prologue and move on. However, the author chose to insert Watson's reminders every now and then. You'd get into the story and all of a sudden you get: Remember this story? Well, I lied there too.
As a reader, I can suspend my disbelief easily enough, so I started Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows with the idea that it's not exactly Sherlock I am familiar with, but rather a paranormal Lovecraftian version of his stories.
I'll keep that attitude and hope in the next one Watson doesn't do it more than once or twice.
The thing I loved the most is the narrator. I listened to it and he is quite good and, to be honest, the reason I'm not rating this lower.
One would think that the two of my favourite authors/fictional worlds mixing would be awesome. It sounds interesting. In practice, though, not so much.
I can't pinpoint the exact things that aren't what I expected. However, I'll list a couple of those that may have ruined parts of this book for me.
Firstly, Sherlock Holmes is twenty-six and while you see tiny glimpses of the Holmes most of us love (Jeremy Brett is the only TV Sherlock Holmes, won't even listen to other suggestions), he takes a while to get going in this book. I don't know if I liked this one because of my idea of Holmes or not. Let's leave it at I liked him.
Watson is twenty-eight in this story, but he is like an old old man. He is annoying as hell. His occasionally xenophobic self shows every now and then. He is one of those people who lists the wrongdoings of an empire and follows it up with a but after that. He is boring and not very smart. It doesn't help that he is the one who tells us this story, so you spend a lot of time with him.
As for Moriarty, I'll just leave him at underwhelming.
The story itself promises a lot. At least to a Lovecraft lover it does. At first, Holmes tries to explain certain things the way you'd expect him to do. However, it only takes a second to convert him to a believer in the Old gods and such. The story needed that, I understand. And I'm fine with it.
What it didn't need was Watson reminding us that the Sherlock Holmes stories we all know from before are lies. It was quite enough to say that in the prologue and move on. However, the author chose to insert Watson's reminders every now and then. You'd get into the story and all of a sudden you get: Remember this story? Well, I lied there too.
As a reader, I can suspend my disbelief easily enough, so I started Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows with the idea that it's not exactly Sherlock I am familiar with, but rather a paranormal Lovecraftian version of his stories.
I'll keep that attitude and hope in the next one Watson doesn't do it more than once or twice.
The thing I loved the most is the narrator. I listened to it and he is quite good and, to be honest, the reason I'm not rating this lower.
October 24, 2021
Fun easy listen.
December 4, 2020
Sherlock Holmes? Lovecraftian horror? What's not to enjoy??
Turns out a lot, actually. Which is rather upsetting because I was so excited for the concept of this book. Maybe that's more on me, going into this with a presumed notion of how the novel would play out. Here I was thinking that the Great Sherlock Holmes, in all his genius and charisma, would try his hardest to unearth mysteries and connect dots that simply weren't there, only to have the logical conclusion hit him in the face that, "No, you can't apply the art of detection to literal demons." I was hoping for a book that read more like a horror novel with our hero of Baker Street slowly grasping the fact that he is waaaay out of his element when facing the Old Gods.
I wanted a story where it seemed difficult for Sherlock Holmes to win, or a story that made him seem mortal in the eyes of much greater, older powers. Much like how the James Bond film "Skyfall" played with the concept of the master spy losing his touch due to age (to much success I might add), I was hoping for a story where Sherlock Holmes, another seemingly immortal character through media, would be tested to his limits on aspects he could not control; in this case, monsters and horrors that broke all his ideas of logic, observation, and reality.
So, my bad for looking too deep into this. What I got instead was an enticing premise with a "faux Van Helsing" finish. Sherlock Holmes stands triumphant yet again without much of a fight, and the villain (plus Lovecraft terrors) thwarted despite all his Machiavellian tactics. In the end there was no true twist to the classic Sherlock tale, and this Holmes story read more like Rambo with its generic thriller finale. Next time I would prefer less Moriarty and more Mh'ithrha.
Turns out a lot, actually. Which is rather upsetting because I was so excited for the concept of this book. Maybe that's more on me, going into this with a presumed notion of how the novel would play out. Here I was thinking that the Great Sherlock Holmes, in all his genius and charisma, would try his hardest to unearth mysteries and connect dots that simply weren't there, only to have the logical conclusion hit him in the face that, "No, you can't apply the art of detection to literal demons." I was hoping for a book that read more like a horror novel with our hero of Baker Street slowly grasping the fact that he is waaaay out of his element when facing the Old Gods.
I wanted a story where it seemed difficult for Sherlock Holmes to win, or a story that made him seem mortal in the eyes of much greater, older powers. Much like how the James Bond film "Skyfall" played with the concept of the master spy losing his touch due to age (to much success I might add), I was hoping for a story where Sherlock Holmes, another seemingly immortal character through media, would be tested to his limits on aspects he could not control; in this case, monsters and horrors that broke all his ideas of logic, observation, and reality.
So, my bad for looking too deep into this. What I got instead was an enticing premise with a "faux Van Helsing" finish. Sherlock Holmes stands triumphant yet again without much of a fight, and the villain (plus Lovecraft terrors) thwarted despite all his Machiavellian tactics. In the end there was no true twist to the classic Sherlock tale, and this Holmes story read more like Rambo with its generic thriller finale. Next time I would prefer less Moriarty and more Mh'ithrha.
August 10, 2019
Quite a jolly little romp and although the style, for the most part, is authentic, the subject matter is certainly not.
There are rather too many occasions where Watty needs to explain how and why Sherl has launched himself a considerable distance from reason, and why he has contradicted earlier (and original) explanations. But... a good read all round!
There are rather too many occasions where Watty needs to explain how and why Sherl has launched himself a considerable distance from reason, and why he has contradicted earlier (and original) explanations. But... a good read all round!
June 2, 2020
Definitelyyy not for Sherlock Holmes purists, but what a fun romp for those of us who are down for a little fanfiction. Loved it! Can’t wait for the next one. Review to come!
November 10, 2018
Exactly what you would expect from a Sherlock Holmes-lovecraftian mashup. I, personally, could have used more Sherlockian deductive wizardry to balance out the Cthulhu mythos, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
December 29, 2022
I found myself utterly enjoying this book. It provided an alternate story for Sherlock and Watson being set as a "here's how it really happened, but it's secret shhh" through Dr. Watson's writings. I look forward to continuing reading through the series.
December 24, 2024
In the opening pages, there are two South Asian men pimping a white girl as a sex slave. That did not seem like a great beginning, but I thought I would give it the benefit of the doubt. I kept reading.
Holmes and Watson arrive in Chinatown where "Asians in coolie hats outnumbered white westerners five to one." Er, didn't know Limehouse was known for its rice farmers, but Lovegrove has clearly got his idea of Chinese people directly from a Halloween catalogue. Well, I thought it might be ironic. I kept reading.
Watson reflects, Well I guess us British were kinda mean to the Chinese what with imperialism and all, but why are all the Chinese glaring at us? "All the same I did not care for being regarded as an interloper in my own city. It put me on my mettle." I mean, ok, my dawg, even if they are glaring at you which is not always comfortable, you are a middle class white man in Victorian London, you can literally go anywhere in London and it's not going to be that weird, why is it so important to you that you need to also be welcome in Limehouse? Well, I thought maybe he is going to change his mind. There is such a thing as character development. I read on.
They arrive at THE GOLDEN LOTUS HOTEL. (Golden Lotus is a term for bound feet and also the name of a very famously bad woman (who is also pretty interesting see and its fan fiction of "Gee, Pan Jinlian is actually pretty interesting what if she DIDN'T get offed immediately?" ) This is like this hotel being named the Pussy Galore Hotel and we're supposed to take this seriously) They are greeted by "a tiny and very old Chinese woman clad in a tight fitting [most Cantonese women wore loose fitting shirts and pants and older women generally wear dark colors] mandarin gown [er, I think he means qipao/cheongsam] decorated with flowers [see previous comment]. Her hair was coiffed in a tight, glossy bun, which was secured by a pair of chopsticks [???!!!!! Because Asians never invented hairpins.] inserted crosswise."And then I was just done. Forget this book.
Lovegrove has clearly just described a Seeking Asian Female picture from the neck down and then pasted an old lady head on the top. I did not read further. This is embarrassingly lazy and racist writing, at the level of simplicity and unoriginal thinking of "dark men threaten virginal white girls," "all East Asian men are interchangeable and unfriendly" etc etc and this is all within the first....50 pages?
If you have to read a supernatural Sherlock Holmes adaptation, read by Katherine Addison or by Alexis Hall. You can lovingly send up Victorian era fiction without replicating Victorian era racism. Or you know, just go directly to the source of Victorian era racism and read some Fu Manchu.
Holmes and Watson arrive in Chinatown where "Asians in coolie hats outnumbered white westerners five to one." Er, didn't know Limehouse was known for its rice farmers, but Lovegrove has clearly got his idea of Chinese people directly from a Halloween catalogue. Well, I thought it might be ironic. I kept reading.
Watson reflects, Well I guess us British were kinda mean to the Chinese what with imperialism and all, but why are all the Chinese glaring at us? "All the same I did not care for being regarded as an interloper in my own city. It put me on my mettle." I mean, ok, my dawg, even if they are glaring at you which is not always comfortable, you are a middle class white man in Victorian London, you can literally go anywhere in London and it's not going to be that weird, why is it so important to you that you need to also be welcome in Limehouse? Well, I thought maybe he is going to change his mind. There is such a thing as character development. I read on.
They arrive at THE GOLDEN LOTUS HOTEL. (Golden Lotus is a term for bound feet and also the name of a very famously bad woman (who is also pretty interesting see and its fan fiction of "Gee, Pan Jinlian is actually pretty interesting what if she DIDN'T get offed immediately?" ) This is like this hotel being named the Pussy Galore Hotel and we're supposed to take this seriously) They are greeted by "a tiny and very old Chinese woman clad in a tight fitting [most Cantonese women wore loose fitting shirts and pants and older women generally wear dark colors] mandarin gown [er, I think he means qipao/cheongsam] decorated with flowers [see previous comment]. Her hair was coiffed in a tight, glossy bun, which was secured by a pair of chopsticks [???!!!!! Because Asians never invented hairpins.] inserted crosswise."And then I was just done. Forget this book.
Lovegrove has clearly just described a Seeking Asian Female picture from the neck down and then pasted an old lady head on the top. I did not read further. This is embarrassingly lazy and racist writing, at the level of simplicity and unoriginal thinking of "dark men threaten virginal white girls," "all East Asian men are interchangeable and unfriendly" etc etc and this is all within the first....50 pages?
If you have to read a supernatural Sherlock Holmes adaptation, read by Katherine Addison or by Alexis Hall. You can lovingly send up Victorian era fiction without replicating Victorian era racism. Or you know, just go directly to the source of Victorian era racism and read some Fu Manchu.
April 13, 2018
Voici un roman pastiche des aventures de Sherlock Holmes. L'univers de Conan Doyle y côtoie celui de H. P. Lovecraft, en un cross-over réussi.
James Lovegrove, joue avec son lecteur dés la préface, où il se présente (à coups de fausse généalogie) comme un lointain parent de Lovecvraft qui aurait reçu de la part des exécuteurs testamentaires du dernier descendant direct de Lovecraft, des manuscrits que le célèbre auteur de Providence conservait chez lui.
Ces écrits seraient signés de la main du Docteur Watson, et retraceraient trois aventures inédites de Sherlock Holmes (dont ce roman est la première). Ces trois enquêtes auraient été gardées secrètes par Watson, suite à une promesse qu'il avait faite à Sherlock Holmes, car elles sont toutes liés à l'occulte, et notamment au mythe de Cthulhu.
En terme d'écriture, le pastiche est honorable sans être scrupuleux, mais on retrouve avec plaisir les personnages de Doyle, et l'ambiance surannée de l'Angleterre victorienne. L'amalgame avec le monde lovecraftien se fait sans accrocs, et même avec une déconcertante facilité.
On retrouve plusieurs personnages emblématiques des aventures du premier détective conseil, et quelques Grands Anciens dont on taira le nom pour des raisons évidentes de salubrité mentale.
Un roman qui fonctionne bien, et qui devrait combler les amateurs de ces deux auteurs.
James Lovegrove, joue avec son lecteur dés la préface, où il se présente (à coups de fausse généalogie) comme un lointain parent de Lovecvraft qui aurait reçu de la part des exécuteurs testamentaires du dernier descendant direct de Lovecraft, des manuscrits que le célèbre auteur de Providence conservait chez lui.
Ces écrits seraient signés de la main du Docteur Watson, et retraceraient trois aventures inédites de Sherlock Holmes (dont ce roman est la première). Ces trois enquêtes auraient été gardées secrètes par Watson, suite à une promesse qu'il avait faite à Sherlock Holmes, car elles sont toutes liés à l'occulte, et notamment au mythe de Cthulhu.
En terme d'écriture, le pastiche est honorable sans être scrupuleux, mais on retrouve avec plaisir les personnages de Doyle, et l'ambiance surannée de l'Angleterre victorienne. L'amalgame avec le monde lovecraftien se fait sans accrocs, et même avec une déconcertante facilité.
On retrouve plusieurs personnages emblématiques des aventures du premier détective conseil, et quelques Grands Anciens dont on taira le nom pour des raisons évidentes de salubrité mentale.
Un roman qui fonctionne bien, et qui devrait combler les amateurs de ces deux auteurs.
January 31, 2023
Not as pitch-perfect as Horowitz's addition to the Holmes "universe", but a weird and entertaining mash-up with obvious love and diligence towards the original(s) shown.
May 31, 2018
The world of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle descends into the world of HP Lovecraft.
Right up front, I should say that this story probably isn’t for everyone. Watson states that all of the canon stories have been falsified. We are not talking of his discrete changing of names and places, nor of his placing his stories in misleading dates. This is flat out saying that the stories were made up and that the truth was too horrible for him to present to his readers.
We discover that Watson encountered Cthulhu Mythos creatures during his service years in Afghanistan. Returning wounded, weary, and badly frightened, he encounters Stamford and Holmes in very different circumstances! Holmes learns the horror of the Great Old Ones, and the two share adventures and the rooms at Baker Street, but with a sinister twist as men who know the truth of the mythos world.
The reader will find the books of the mythos mentioned, such as De Vermis Mysteriis, Unaussprechlichen Kulten, and the worst of them all, the Necronomicon! There is death stalking Shadwell, and the reports mention shadows. Holmes suspects a killer like Jack the Ripper, hiding in shadows. A mysterious Chinaman in the vein of Fu Manchu seems to be behind the shadows, but it is the shadows themselves that kill. A worse master of evil than the Chinaman is pulling strings, a man called Moriarty�
I really like the book as a sort of alternate universe Sherlock Holmes novel. The pace is frantic, the characters well developed, the horrors vividly portrayed and the mystery properly presented! I give the book five stars!
Quoth the Raven�
Right up front, I should say that this story probably isn’t for everyone. Watson states that all of the canon stories have been falsified. We are not talking of his discrete changing of names and places, nor of his placing his stories in misleading dates. This is flat out saying that the stories were made up and that the truth was too horrible for him to present to his readers.
We discover that Watson encountered Cthulhu Mythos creatures during his service years in Afghanistan. Returning wounded, weary, and badly frightened, he encounters Stamford and Holmes in very different circumstances! Holmes learns the horror of the Great Old Ones, and the two share adventures and the rooms at Baker Street, but with a sinister twist as men who know the truth of the mythos world.
The reader will find the books of the mythos mentioned, such as De Vermis Mysteriis, Unaussprechlichen Kulten, and the worst of them all, the Necronomicon! There is death stalking Shadwell, and the reports mention shadows. Holmes suspects a killer like Jack the Ripper, hiding in shadows. A mysterious Chinaman in the vein of Fu Manchu seems to be behind the shadows, but it is the shadows themselves that kill. A worse master of evil than the Chinaman is pulling strings, a man called Moriarty�
I really like the book as a sort of alternate universe Sherlock Holmes novel. The pace is frantic, the characters well developed, the horrors vividly portrayed and the mystery properly presented! I give the book five stars!
Quoth the Raven�
November 24, 2020
A fun, pulpy Sherlock Holmes vs. the Cthulhu Mythos story.
December 28, 2024
On paper, it seems the combination of Sherlock Holmes and the Cthulhu Mythos should be a perfect match. I certainly had high hopes for this series, being a fan of both Victorian mystery fiction and the Lovecraftian brand of vintage horror.
Indeed, I was initially encouraged by the stylistic qualities of this book. The language is perhaps a bit heavy-footed and ornate, but it does possess a certain eloquence and old-fashioned charm that evokes the spirit of Sherlock Holmes (or perhaps more accurately: Arthur Conan Doyle).
However, it soon becomes apparent that the prose is really the only redeeming quality of this book, as the plot is virtually nonexistent and could have been summarized in a tweet. Also, more problematically, it turns out that the two concepts are actually at odds on a rather fundamental level.
Where Doyle's stories emphasized the rational, empirical nature of Holmes' deduction process, and strove to gradually and methodically strip the plots of their obscured truths and convoluted mysteries, Lovecraft was keen on lingering on the unspeakable, irrational and inherently inexplicable in his writing.
If you subject the mysteries of the Great Old Ones to the deductions of Sherlock Holmes, they inevitably lose their appeal, become mere literary parlor tricks (like shadow puppets if you will), which robs the narrative of its cosmic scope and requisite sense of wonder.
If, on the other hand, you envelop Holmes in the paranoid superstitions, folksy fears and supernatural boogeyman tropes of the Lovecraft universe, he is stripped of that which is his very essence: the stern, unwavering adherence to facts.
This book is an interesting experiment, but I unfortunately have to conclude that it is a failed one.
Indeed, I was initially encouraged by the stylistic qualities of this book. The language is perhaps a bit heavy-footed and ornate, but it does possess a certain eloquence and old-fashioned charm that evokes the spirit of Sherlock Holmes (or perhaps more accurately: Arthur Conan Doyle).
However, it soon becomes apparent that the prose is really the only redeeming quality of this book, as the plot is virtually nonexistent and could have been summarized in a tweet. Also, more problematically, it turns out that the two concepts are actually at odds on a rather fundamental level.
Where Doyle's stories emphasized the rational, empirical nature of Holmes' deduction process, and strove to gradually and methodically strip the plots of their obscured truths and convoluted mysteries, Lovecraft was keen on lingering on the unspeakable, irrational and inherently inexplicable in his writing.
If you subject the mysteries of the Great Old Ones to the deductions of Sherlock Holmes, they inevitably lose their appeal, become mere literary parlor tricks (like shadow puppets if you will), which robs the narrative of its cosmic scope and requisite sense of wonder.
If, on the other hand, you envelop Holmes in the paranoid superstitions, folksy fears and supernatural boogeyman tropes of the Lovecraft universe, he is stripped of that which is his very essence: the stern, unwavering adherence to facts.
This book is an interesting experiment, but I unfortunately have to conclude that it is a failed one.
July 5, 2017
If you are going to attempt to add to or modify the Holmes canon you have to at least try to get the tone right. Horowitz has done this in his 'The House of Silk' as did Nicholas Meyer in his 'The 7% Solution'. Lovecraft was a writer of prodigious imagination but not much literary ability but, again, if you want to work with the Cthulhu mythos it is not enough to throw 'fhtagn' around. Holmes is always serious. Lovecraft is often ridiculous but is never silly. This mash-up fails on every level: it is, overwhelmingly so, silly. Not one character speaks in a genuine Holmesean manner. 'Watson, you blockhead!' The great detective would never belittle the good doctor so. Mycroft and Holmes mesmerized? It just does not ring true. But, most unforgivable, is the way the author resorts to Deus ex machina whenever he needs to advance the 'plot'. It's almost Potteresque. I would not have been surprised if Holmes had suddenly said: "Needius Escapimus". It is all very much from the 'With a bound Jack was free!' school of writing. Awful, awful nonsense.
June 26, 2018
An engrossing, if apocryphal, riff on Holmes and Watson with a hard dash of Lovecraft. Although it's a bit long in the lead-up and a bit predictable in the denouement, it turns into one of the most engrossing Holmes novels I've read in a long, long time. Lovegrove has a keen ear for the particular voices of the necessary bits (the members of the Yard, Moriarty, etc etc) and I found that his Holmes most matched the Basil Rathbone one who'll forever be 'my' Holmes. His Watson, blessedly, is a bit more along the Jude Law/Martin Freeman lines. And the book has some genuine spooks and scares. I'm looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.
June 22, 2017
It's very fair to say that I had some initial misgivings over this book - due mainly to the mash-up involved, but its fair to say that it won me round, the penny finally dropping just over half way through as I came to terms with this interpretation of Lovecraft's Mythos (I can't comment on how it stacks up as a Holmes homage).
And ultimately it is fun. Basically a read along version of one of Chaosium's Cthulhu By Gaslight scenarios, with a passing nod to Sax Rohmer, its a very pleasant way to pass a few hours. Looking forward to the next instalment!
And ultimately it is fun. Basically a read along version of one of Chaosium's Cthulhu By Gaslight scenarios, with a passing nod to Sax Rohmer, its a very pleasant way to pass a few hours. Looking forward to the next instalment!
March 25, 2019
DNF Ã 38%
Je n'ai pas grand-chose à dire sur ce livre, à l'exception qu'il m'ennuie profondément, raison pour laquelle j'interromps ma lecture. Je trouve l'écriture alambiquée dans un effort d'imiter le style de Doyle et de Lovecraft, mais ça ne marche pas avec moi. Je lui redonnerai peut-être une chance à un autre moment.
Je n'ai pas grand-chose à dire sur ce livre, à l'exception qu'il m'ennuie profondément, raison pour laquelle j'interromps ma lecture. Je trouve l'écriture alambiquée dans un effort d'imiter le style de Doyle et de Lovecraft, mais ça ne marche pas avec moi. Je lui redonnerai peut-être une chance à un autre moment.
March 6, 2023
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SHADWELL SHADOWS is a fun book that has the premise of Doctor Watson and Sherlock Holmes having secretly been warriors against the forces of the Cthulhu Mythos. It's a bit of a stretch, even with the clever introduction that the manuscripts were found by a modern day person and are being mistaken for a Lovecraft/Arthur Conan Doyle pastiche. I think the best part of the book is the titular Shadwell mystery before events shift over to the typical conflict with Professor Moriarty, reinvisioned here as an evil sorcerer. Still, I had a lot of fun and recommend it.
October 5, 2024
J'adore ! En même temps, Sherlock Holmes et Cthulhu réunis, comment résister ?
April 11, 2019
When I saw this at the book store (yes, a real, brick and mortar store... thank you Amherst Books!), I was just too curious to pass it up. I've read quite a few Holmes stories where he's pitted against some other Victorian era hero or villain, but most of them time they make some sense.
Taking the master of logic and deduction, and mixing in Lovecraft? How could that possibly work?
Somehow, it does. I loved how Lovegrove homages the time with his prologue of 'I'm a distant relative of Lovecraft and he left me these lost papers of Dr Watson).. it both gives him a good excuse to mimic Doyle and shouts out to what I find to be a fun literary device.
Rather than try to squeeze tentacled beasties into the 'normal' Holmes timeline, or make it a retirement story as many others, instead this we get 'everything you read before is wrong'... which is both annoying and interesting at the same time.
To tell your reader one of the great collections of stories at all time are 'fake' definitely takes a certain arrogance, but Lovegrove pulls it off. He writes Watson very closely to the original in tone.. some of the language is off, but nothing that throws you out of the story.
My main complaint is couldn't there have been a bad guy from the Lovecraft mythos? Why does it always have to be Moriarty? I get it, everyone loves an arch nemesis.. but it would have feel more like a true mash up and less an alternate Holmes if they did so.
I'd can't really comment on how well the Lovecraft stuff was handled, but it worked for me and my passing knowledge of the lore. I'm not certain I'll actually shell out retail to buy the other too books of the series (that was as much to support an actual store still existing as desire for the book), but I'll definitely read them at some point.
Taking the master of logic and deduction, and mixing in Lovecraft? How could that possibly work?
Somehow, it does. I loved how Lovegrove homages the time with his prologue of 'I'm a distant relative of Lovecraft and he left me these lost papers of Dr Watson).. it both gives him a good excuse to mimic Doyle and shouts out to what I find to be a fun literary device.
Rather than try to squeeze tentacled beasties into the 'normal' Holmes timeline, or make it a retirement story as many others, instead this we get 'everything you read before is wrong'... which is both annoying and interesting at the same time.
To tell your reader one of the great collections of stories at all time are 'fake' definitely takes a certain arrogance, but Lovegrove pulls it off. He writes Watson very closely to the original in tone.. some of the language is off, but nothing that throws you out of the story.
My main complaint is couldn't there have been a bad guy from the Lovecraft mythos? Why does it always have to be Moriarty? I get it, everyone loves an arch nemesis.. but it would have feel more like a true mash up and less an alternate Holmes if they did so.
I'd can't really comment on how well the Lovecraft stuff was handled, but it worked for me and my passing knowledge of the lore. I'm not certain I'll actually shell out retail to buy the other too books of the series (that was as much to support an actual store still existing as desire for the book), but I'll definitely read them at some point.
March 31, 2024
This genre mash up of Sherlock Holmes and HP Lovecraft is terrific. It's a fun, dark, Gothic adventure that follows Holmes and Watson as they encounter all sorts of supernatural beings and terrifying gods. It's a nod to both Doyle and Lovecraft, and while it definitely shows the age of its setting, it's nonetheless a good time.
The author has a clear love for both Doyle and Lovecraft, and I think he did an excellent job depicting two of fiction's oldest and greatest characters. There are definitely winks and nudges that fans of Holmes will find and appreciate, as well as little tidbits for Lovecraft's readers.
What I appreciated the most about this book is that it never strayed from getting weird. It embraces the supernatural and doesn't reason it out with logic, which is what I always worry about with mystery novels since I'm a fan of the supernatural. In embracing the weirdness, the story is elevated and all the more exciting.
Much of the plot focuses on solving the mystery, and while the end is thrilling, it does move a little quicker. I would have loved a bit more intensity in the action, but again, I'm likely not the target audience.
If you're a fan of either Sherlock Holmes or HP Lovecraft, I think you will enjoy this book. It's something that can be read in a cozy setting over a weekend, since it doesn't make too many emotional demands. Check it out if it appeals to you!
The author has a clear love for both Doyle and Lovecraft, and I think he did an excellent job depicting two of fiction's oldest and greatest characters. There are definitely winks and nudges that fans of Holmes will find and appreciate, as well as little tidbits for Lovecraft's readers.
What I appreciated the most about this book is that it never strayed from getting weird. It embraces the supernatural and doesn't reason it out with logic, which is what I always worry about with mystery novels since I'm a fan of the supernatural. In embracing the weirdness, the story is elevated and all the more exciting.
Much of the plot focuses on solving the mystery, and while the end is thrilling, it does move a little quicker. I would have loved a bit more intensity in the action, but again, I'm likely not the target audience.
If you're a fan of either Sherlock Holmes or HP Lovecraft, I think you will enjoy this book. It's something that can be read in a cozy setting over a weekend, since it doesn't make too many emotional demands. Check it out if it appeals to you!
February 24, 2020
Great first and last lines.* The pages turned. GREAT bus book. There were passages I marked to read aloud to my husband.
But it was more ephemeral than eldritch. It did not strike to the little deeper level I expect from my Cthulhu fan fiction. It scratches the itch The Laundry Files, The Study in Emerald, and Carter and Lovecraft gave me while those pages turned. But not after.
The IDEA is magnificent. Sherlock Holmes, the exemplar of Victorian Rationality and Cross Referencing comes up against The Crawling Chaos! He will stand between the firelight and the darkness and wipe the blood of something inhuman from his sword! The Rational Man will Hold off the Colors from Space!
The prose is lovely. The execution is competent. But if there was the little deeper level I expect from stories that strive with Elder Gods, I missed it.
(Have checked out the next book though.)
*the first and last lines are quotes from H.P. Lovecraft.
But it was more ephemeral than eldritch. It did not strike to the little deeper level I expect from my Cthulhu fan fiction. It scratches the itch The Laundry Files, The Study in Emerald, and Carter and Lovecraft gave me while those pages turned. But not after.
The IDEA is magnificent. Sherlock Holmes, the exemplar of Victorian Rationality and Cross Referencing comes up against The Crawling Chaos! He will stand between the firelight and the darkness and wipe the blood of something inhuman from his sword! The Rational Man will Hold off the Colors from Space!
The prose is lovely. The execution is competent. But if there was the little deeper level I expect from stories that strive with Elder Gods, I missed it.
(Have checked out the next book though.)
*the first and last lines are quotes from H.P. Lovecraft.
May 27, 2019
I love H.P. Lovecraft and I love Sherlock Holmes. This novel is a mix of these, so I thought "Why the hell not?".
This isn't a bad novel by any means, it's well written by someone who nows the original material very well. And yet, it somehow falls short. This simply felt like a Lovecraftian tale where the main characters happend to be Holmes and Watson. The whole is not greater than sum of the parts.
Another thing I didn't praticularly like. There's a (probably necessary) trick the author uses (a little too often) to have Lovecraft's and Conan Doyle's canons fit together: Watson at some point states something like "You know when in 'A study in red' I said that thing? Well, that's wasn't true. This is what really happened.". Well, it feels a little too much like cheating to me.
This isn't a bad novel by any means, it's well written by someone who nows the original material very well. And yet, it somehow falls short. This simply felt like a Lovecraftian tale where the main characters happend to be Holmes and Watson. The whole is not greater than sum of the parts.
Another thing I didn't praticularly like. There's a (probably necessary) trick the author uses (a little too often) to have Lovecraft's and Conan Doyle's canons fit together: Watson at some point states something like "You know when in 'A study in red' I said that thing? Well, that's wasn't true. This is what really happened.". Well, it feels a little too much like cheating to me.
October 6, 2021
I could not wait for this book to finish. I've read/watched many an iteration of Sherlock Holmes, and this one ranks the lowest. The concept sounds interesting, but to portray this as Holmes first experience with the Elder Gods and him accept them immediately just because it was so creepy? I don't think so. I also didn't like Watson's propensity to want to use fists over words.
February 10, 2025
Now I am hardly the expert nor a purist when it comes to Sherlock Holmes or Lovecraft. One more than the other, I admit, but I can appreciate creative liberties being taken for the sake of a good story. In my book, this was certainly a sweet treat! I simply devoured these pages, clearly laced with crack, to me at least. Had me giggling my little feet in the air, frown in confusion, and laugh out loud. Which does not happen often. The dialogue fueled me and breathed fire into my soul.
Now, if I have to be honest I was the tiniest bit disappointed with the speed at which everything escalated, seeing as there are about three more books in this series. I love Lovecraftian concepts. A lot of the joy I experience in stories like these is the the main characters A: fucking around, B: Finding out, and C: The denial of the sheer incomprehensibility of it all/The lack of understanding. I thought Sherlock to be the perfect vessel for this trope, seeing as he wishes to understand everything. What would he do in the face of something truly inexplicable? How does he fare when plunged into a world that defies all logic and explanation? I wanted to see him deny, and try to rationalize things more. Perhaps only coming to accept it in a later volume of the series.
This book was easy on the mind in a way that there were no real stakes. The book takes the cannon events of Sherlock as true, but somewhat altered, but the characters are still very much the same as the original Sherlock books. You know these characters will still be alive at a later date. So the ''high stakes'' at the climax are more or less just theatrics. It's much like a Sherlock Holmes AU fanfiction, in that sense. A very well written one, but it feels like fanfiction nonetheless.
In Eldritch horror, the climax and the revelations are often at the end of the story. This was true in a way for this book, yes. But seeing that Sherlock was so quick to accept the Lovecraftian concepts and learn about a lot of it over the course of this book, one is left with high expectations. There is a reason Lovecraftian stories are short ones. I wonder where the other volumes in the series will take me.
I certainly hope there will be more women or just diversity done right in general.
Now, if I have to be honest I was the tiniest bit disappointed with the speed at which everything escalated, seeing as there are about three more books in this series. I love Lovecraftian concepts. A lot of the joy I experience in stories like these is the the main characters A: fucking around, B: Finding out, and C: The denial of the sheer incomprehensibility of it all/The lack of understanding. I thought Sherlock to be the perfect vessel for this trope, seeing as he wishes to understand everything. What would he do in the face of something truly inexplicable? How does he fare when plunged into a world that defies all logic and explanation? I wanted to see him deny, and try to rationalize things more. Perhaps only coming to accept it in a later volume of the series.
This book was easy on the mind in a way that there were no real stakes. The book takes the cannon events of Sherlock as true, but somewhat altered, but the characters are still very much the same as the original Sherlock books. You know these characters will still be alive at a later date. So the ''high stakes'' at the climax are more or less just theatrics. It's much like a Sherlock Holmes AU fanfiction, in that sense. A very well written one, but it feels like fanfiction nonetheless.
In Eldritch horror, the climax and the revelations are often at the end of the story. This was true in a way for this book, yes. But seeing that Sherlock was so quick to accept the Lovecraftian concepts and learn about a lot of it over the course of this book, one is left with high expectations. There is a reason Lovecraftian stories are short ones. I wonder where the other volumes in the series will take me.
I certainly hope there will be more women or just diversity done right in general.
December 15, 2018
This was a very enjoyable read.Ìý
I have a massive weak for anything Sherlock Holmes, and The Husband loves his Lovecraft... so it only made sense for him to give this to me for my birthday. Lovegrove obviously did his research very well (which is clear from the many references in this book) and did a decent job in recreating both 'universes'. I'm not a Lovecraft expert myself (having read only 2 of his stories), but I was able to pick up on quite a lot. The main characters felt a bit off (Watson was too hot tempered, Sherlock relied purely on alchemy to get him out of tricky situations and barely used his intellect) but in general were better representations than most authors create.
My main issue with this book is that the mystery is very lacking. This is a great and very enjoyable adventure story, but it isn't a detective. I guess this is a personal issue, seeing as how I went into it wanting a Sherlock Holmes story. On the other hand, if you went into it from the other side of the mash-up wanting a Lovecraft adaptation, you will be disappointed as well. The horror isn't that great either.Ìý
This was a fun and fast paced read, and a series I will continue for sure. It is set a few years after this first book, and later on in Sherlock's career... so I hope to see more brilliance from this man in the sequel.Ìý
I have a massive weak for anything Sherlock Holmes, and The Husband loves his Lovecraft... so it only made sense for him to give this to me for my birthday. Lovegrove obviously did his research very well (which is clear from the many references in this book) and did a decent job in recreating both 'universes'. I'm not a Lovecraft expert myself (having read only 2 of his stories), but I was able to pick up on quite a lot. The main characters felt a bit off (Watson was too hot tempered, Sherlock relied purely on alchemy to get him out of tricky situations and barely used his intellect) but in general were better representations than most authors create.
My main issue with this book is that the mystery is very lacking. This is a great and very enjoyable adventure story, but it isn't a detective. I guess this is a personal issue, seeing as how I went into it wanting a Sherlock Holmes story. On the other hand, if you went into it from the other side of the mash-up wanting a Lovecraft adaptation, you will be disappointed as well. The horror isn't that great either.Ìý
This was a fun and fast paced read, and a series I will continue for sure. It is set a few years after this first book, and later on in Sherlock's career... so I hope to see more brilliance from this man in the sequel.Ìý
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