[I was provided this as an Advance Review Copy]
Lady of Brass is an incredible, utterly consuming experience deeper into what lurks in the fantastic, shadowed corners of Victorian England. An intricately woven tale of suffering, sacrifice and of tragedy so profound that we cannot help but feel as though it clutches at our own heart.
I was provided this book as an ARC. The thoughts and opinions are my own… though after reading this novel, I cannot help but reflect and ask what that really means. From gut-wrenching twists, to plot points that might seem obvious on their face, until they deliver a vicious blow with a single sequence. Jon has crafted a masterful narrative that stretches across the ages, from a time when Science Fiction began, filled with the burgeoning sparks of a hope rekindled—to the depths of sorrow as they are snatched away to die in darkness
Once again, the narrative follows Bartholomew Bartleby as he seeks answers to questions that, while he may not regret them, he both rues and laments them all the same. Jean Reynard, our stoic and often feral hunter, drags poor Barty along as he digs into a mystery that began two centuries ago, and left readers craving more. We follow in horrified fascination as we watch our protagonist evolve from constant, insecure terror to witnessing the embers of a true hero flaring into life.
I loved watching the characters grow throughout the story, uncovering the depths of love and despair, and answering the question of who is worse; us or the monsters? It will always be humans that prove to be ever more monstrous. Every character leaps off the page, and seeing them not only recognise their own faults, but trying to do something about those flaws shows a deep, abiding love for his creation.
Dearly looking forward to more, Mr. Maloney.
Before I begin, please note I signed this author and was secondary editor on this manuscript.
Lady of Brass is the second in the Method of the Kill series, and the instalment that brilliantly displays Maloney's mastery of character development and arcs.
As our main characters, Barty and Jean, move into this next chapter of their adventures, they do so with a cast of familiar faces and evolving relationships. Along with their companions, the city around them is fleshed out in beautiful detail, growing the landscape and delivering new opportunities for intriguing side characters to make their appearances.
Delving into the Society's dark history and past members, more mysteries present themselves and test our intrepid investigators' resilience. As they "retire to the country" and take up residence in the Society of the Hound's ancestral home with a new entity who turns everything upside down, the residents of the Manor find themselves chasing lost threads of dangerous research in a desperate race against time.
Maloney's writing style has evolved and developed, displaying a growing sense of comfort within his world and characters. These books can be read cover to cover as individual stories, with an overarching storyline that teases morsels of ongoing development - and in Lady, we're eating well. Maloney, while delivering a novel that will delight and destroy you, masterfully sets up the following books and promises satisfying, ongoing character development that, frankly, I feel we've been starved for in the modern media landscape.
Lady of Brass will haunt you, in the most delicious way a piece of literature can.
[Disclosure: I received an Advance Review Copy of this book, and know the author personally.]
Method of the Kill volume two by Jonathan Maloney is a fantastic sequel. It has improved on many aspects of the first volume, making it an important milestone not only for the story but for the author as well.
From a technical perspective, Maloney's writing has sharpened, and is brimming with richness and punch while still maintaining a solid pace throughout as it continues to build upon the foundations from the first volume. While the characters in the first book adhered to archetypes in order to acclimate the reader quickly, the second volume develops these characters organically and appropriately in response to the events that occur throughout the story.
I found the story to be an enjoyable if occasionally heart-wrenching pastiche of the works it is inspired from - focussing around the themes of loss, grief and trauma, but just as importantly around love, acceptance and forgiveness. Wisely, the emotional highs and lows are spread out in such a way as to not make the story too overwhelming a read. On a personal note, there is a part towards the end of the novel which I thought was a wonderful and very tasteful nod to one of the books' inspirations.
If you were to ask me if you should buy this book, then my answer would be yes, you should. If you were on the fence with the first, I think that this second volume is well worth your time as I expect that the series will only get better from here.
