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Creatures of Will and Temper
“A delightful, dark, and entertaining romp . . . Molly Tanzer is at the top of her form in this beautifully constructed novel.”—Jeff VanderMeer, best-selling author of the Southern Reach trilogy
Victorian London is a place of fluid social roles, vibrant arts culture, fin-de-siècle wonders . . . and dangerous underground diabolic cults. Fencer Evadne Gray cares for none of the former and knows nothing of the latter when she’s sent to London to chaperone her younger sister, aspiring art critic Dorina.
At loose ends after Dorina becomes enamored with their uncle’s friend, Lady Henrietta “Henry” Wotton, a local aristocrat and aesthete, Evadne enrolls in a fencing school. There, she meets George Cantrell, an experienced fencing master like she’s always dreamed of studying under. But soon, George shows her something more than fancy footwork—he reveals to Evadne a secret, hidden world of devilish demons and their obedient servants. George has dedicated himself to eradicating demons and diabolists alike, and now he needs Evadne’s help. But as she learns more, Evadne begins to believe that Lady Henry might actually be a diabolist . . . and even worse, she suspects Dorina might have become one too.
Combining swordplay, the supernatural, and Victorian high society, Creatures of Will and Temper reveals a familiar but strange London in a riff on Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray that readers won't soon forget.
“An artful, witty, Oscar Wilde pastiche with the heart of a paranormal thriller.”—Diana Gabaldon, best-selling author of Outlander
Victorian London is a place of fluid social roles, vibrant arts culture, fin-de-siècle wonders . . . and dangerous underground diabolic cults. Fencer Evadne Gray cares for none of the former and knows nothing of the latter when she’s sent to London to chaperone her younger sister, aspiring art critic Dorina.
At loose ends after Dorina becomes enamored with their uncle’s friend, Lady Henrietta “Henry” Wotton, a local aristocrat and aesthete, Evadne enrolls in a fencing school. There, she meets George Cantrell, an experienced fencing master like she’s always dreamed of studying under. But soon, George shows her something more than fancy footwork—he reveals to Evadne a secret, hidden world of devilish demons and their obedient servants. George has dedicated himself to eradicating demons and diabolists alike, and now he needs Evadne’s help. But as she learns more, Evadne begins to believe that Lady Henry might actually be a diabolist . . . and even worse, she suspects Dorina might have become one too.
Combining swordplay, the supernatural, and Victorian high society, Creatures of Will and Temper reveals a familiar but strange London in a riff on Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray that readers won't soon forget.
“An artful, witty, Oscar Wilde pastiche with the heart of a paranormal thriller.”—Diana Gabaldon, best-selling author of Outlander
368 pages, Paperback
First published November 14, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 309 reviews
January 3, 2018
This book has been
ABSOLUTELY WOW
and if we hang out, I've already told you countless times that you need to read it. If I haven't? Well, YOU NEED TO READ IT. There.
And now onto the reasons why!
[If you want to read this with proper formatting, you can read it on my blog here.
Essentially, it's a retelling of Dorian Gray. But it's also very different! First of all, the main characters are girls. Two sisters, Evadne and Dorina could not be more different from each other – Evadne is homely, but strong, loves fencing and is a simple person, while Dorina is a beauty, brimming with life and hoping to experience everything passionately. Over a disagreement, they both get marched off to London to visit their uncle, where they meed Lady Henry, who is quite progressive for her time, and... Well, is a diabolist (it means, summons demons). Things move on from there…
This story is about so many things! Love, passion of life, passion in general... Appreciation of beauty, and even just finding yourself. Also, with impeccable style and fabulousness!
Reason #1.
The Sisters' Clashing Characters Propel The Story
The story is told in the third person, but between two perspectives – Dorina and Evadne's. What's amazing is that they are basically polar opposites, and the author does a great job representing both of their points of view! Which means, it presents both of their hurts and complaints about the other, and does not defend either one. It's very objective, doesn't demonize or defend either of them either, does not judge. You can't pick a side between Evadne and Dorina, and that's the charm of it.
(Wrong story, I know! But the GIF totally works!)
Reason #2.
Queer In The 19th Century And Not Bothered
Truly in Oscar Wilde's tradition! Most of the characters are queer in this book, and very vibrantly and enjoyably so! It really works for them. I can't tell you whether the quality of the rep was good or not cause it falls out of my realm of experience, but all I know is that these characters were a pleasure to read. There's no pathos about characters being queer ("look! I'm being diverse just to be diverse!" - you know what I'm talking about, some books do this). They just are. In a very honest and natural way.
Reason #3.
The Battle Between New And Old
The intersection of the 19th and 20th century: challenges ideas of class, dress and society, especially regarding women and sexual orientation, or just societal norms. Dorina and Evadne symbolize two generations – one is willing to embrace it, the other is unwittingly angered about it, and although she'd like to go with it, she can't shake propriety. Lady Henry, meanwhile, challenges every belief that of those times by basically flat-out acting like a man. Of course, I find it hard to believe a woman wouldn't be institutionalized for something like wearing men's clothes back in that day, or consuming tobacco in public. No matter who she was, or how rich she was. So this calls for some suspension of disbelief, but all in good cause. And it certainly spiced up the story!
Reason #4.
Demons And Swords! ...And Vigilantes!
Come on. Do I have to elaborate? They summon demons and some of them fence. It's brilliant! The demons here aren't evildoers necessarily – they are not always interested in our affairs or meddling with the world. Some of them are pure consciousness that wants merely to appreciate, to enjoy through human eyes. I believe this fits SO well with the Oscar Wilde theme of Dorian Gray – embodies the hedonism so well. You will also read about Lady Henry's society of appreciation of beauty. Would it be really corny to say I appreciated that a lot? (YES.) As for the swords? No, but seriously. It should just speak for itself!
Reason #5.
It's Just So Incredibly Epic
Just take my word on it! Alright, so you'll have to suspend your disbelief at times, but hey, isn't all urban fantasy kind of like that? I particularly like books like this though! It's not just ever so slightly (and stylishly...) paranormal, it's also a little bit steampunk through being based in Victorian times (I wouldn't say full on steampunk, though), and it's got just the right amount of darkness in it – a mere pinch, all it needs! It reads incredibly comfortably, the characters are great and it moves at just the right pace. What I also liked was all the art appreciation. I mean, it was about an appreciation society! And so much drama between the sisters, and you're unable to take a single side! I absolutely loved this book and I believe you probably will too.
More Books Like This:
[bookcover:Brother’s Ruin|29964674]
I thank the publisher for giving me an early copy of this book in exchange to my honest opinion.
Read Post On My Blog | My Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
Essentially, it's a retelling of Dorian Gray. But it's also very different! First of all, the main characters are girls. Two sisters, Evadne and Dorina could not be more different from each other – Evadne is homely, but strong, loves fencing and is a simple person, while Dorina is a beauty, brimming with life and hoping to experience everything passionately. Over a disagreement, they both get marched off to London to visit their uncle, where they meed Lady Henry, who is quite progressive for her time, and... Well, is a diabolist (it means, summons demons). Things move on from there…
This story is about so many things! Love, passion of life, passion in general... Appreciation of beauty, and even just finding yourself. Also, with impeccable style and fabulousness!
Reason #1.
The Sisters' Clashing Characters Propel The Story
The story is told in the third person, but between two perspectives – Dorina and Evadne's. What's amazing is that they are basically polar opposites, and the author does a great job representing both of their points of view! Which means, it presents both of their hurts and complaints about the other, and does not defend either one. It's very objective, doesn't demonize or defend either of them either, does not judge. You can't pick a side between Evadne and Dorina, and that's the charm of it.
(Wrong story, I know! But the GIF totally works!)
Reason #2.
Queer In The 19th Century And Not Bothered
Truly in Oscar Wilde's tradition! Most of the characters are queer in this book, and very vibrantly and enjoyably so! It really works for them. I can't tell you whether the quality of the rep was good or not cause it falls out of my realm of experience, but all I know is that these characters were a pleasure to read. There's no pathos about characters being queer ("look! I'm being diverse just to be diverse!" - you know what I'm talking about, some books do this). They just are. In a very honest and natural way.
Reason #3.
The Battle Between New And Old
The intersection of the 19th and 20th century: challenges ideas of class, dress and society, especially regarding women and sexual orientation, or just societal norms. Dorina and Evadne symbolize two generations – one is willing to embrace it, the other is unwittingly angered about it, and although she'd like to go with it, she can't shake propriety. Lady Henry, meanwhile, challenges every belief that of those times by basically flat-out acting like a man. Of course, I find it hard to believe a woman wouldn't be institutionalized for something like wearing men's clothes back in that day, or consuming tobacco in public. No matter who she was, or how rich she was. So this calls for some suspension of disbelief, but all in good cause. And it certainly spiced up the story!
Reason #4.
Demons And Swords! ...And Vigilantes!
Come on. Do I have to elaborate? They summon demons and some of them fence. It's brilliant! The demons here aren't evildoers necessarily – they are not always interested in our affairs or meddling with the world. Some of them are pure consciousness that wants merely to appreciate, to enjoy through human eyes. I believe this fits SO well with the Oscar Wilde theme of Dorian Gray – embodies the hedonism so well. You will also read about Lady Henry's society of appreciation of beauty. Would it be really corny to say I appreciated that a lot? (YES.) As for the swords? No, but seriously. It should just speak for itself!
Reason #5.
It's Just So Incredibly Epic
Just take my word on it! Alright, so you'll have to suspend your disbelief at times, but hey, isn't all urban fantasy kind of like that? I particularly like books like this though! It's not just ever so slightly (and stylishly...) paranormal, it's also a little bit steampunk through being based in Victorian times (I wouldn't say full on steampunk, though), and it's got just the right amount of darkness in it – a mere pinch, all it needs! It reads incredibly comfortably, the characters are great and it moves at just the right pace. What I also liked was all the art appreciation. I mean, it was about an appreciation society! And so much drama between the sisters, and you're unable to take a single side! I absolutely loved this book and I believe you probably will too.
More Books Like This:
[bookcover:Brother’s Ruin|29964674]
I thank the publisher for giving me an early copy of this book in exchange to my honest opinion.
Read Post On My Blog | My Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
November 16, 2017
Molly Tanzer’s Creatures of Will and Temper is the kind of novel that looks up at you with a mischievous smirk. It is the story of two Victorian-era sisters, Dorina and Evadne Gray, who go to spend a summer in London with their Uncle Basil. Dorina, 17 years old and the younger of the two, wants to be an art critic and is eager to soak up the culture of the big city; Evadne, eleven years Dorina’s senior, is conscripted against her will and charged with keeping her sibling’s wilder impulses in check. Once in London, the two are introduced to Lady Henrietta Wotton (Henry for short), a wealthy dandy who takes an interest in mentoring Dorina, to Evadne’s consternation. Unbeknownst to the Gray sisters, Henry traffics with a demon, one that seems to have something to do with the untimely death of Henry’s beloved twin brother, who was also Basil’s lover.
The novel’s greatest strength is its depiction of the Gray sisters’ combative relationship, which overlies their zealous devotion to each other. Even motives born of affection and goodwill seem to turn into grounds for conflict between them. The raffish Lady Henry makes the perfect deciding agent for their mutual antagonism, as she, by her very nature, leans to encouraging the very behavior in Dorina that Evadne was sent along to quash. But as Evadne grows more exhausted in a battle she seems destined to lose, she begins to pursue her own interests, which spins their story in quite an unforeseen direction.
Without delving into anything too spoilery, let me say that the final act of Creatures of Will and Temper is not for the faint of heart. It took me a minute to reorient myself from the supernaturally tinged melodrama I had been reading to the Grand Guignol horror show that it became, so I am compelled to pass along a friendly warning. But if your tolerance for viscera is sturdy enough, at least know that the novel stays true to the heart at its core, and is buoyed throughout by Tanzer’s lucid and lustrous prose.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.
The novel’s greatest strength is its depiction of the Gray sisters’ combative relationship, which overlies their zealous devotion to each other. Even motives born of affection and goodwill seem to turn into grounds for conflict between them. The raffish Lady Henry makes the perfect deciding agent for their mutual antagonism, as she, by her very nature, leans to encouraging the very behavior in Dorina that Evadne was sent along to quash. But as Evadne grows more exhausted in a battle she seems destined to lose, she begins to pursue her own interests, which spins their story in quite an unforeseen direction.
Without delving into anything too spoilery, let me say that the final act of Creatures of Will and Temper is not for the faint of heart. It took me a minute to reorient myself from the supernaturally tinged melodrama I had been reading to the Grand Guignol horror show that it became, so I am compelled to pass along a friendly warning. But if your tolerance for viscera is sturdy enough, at least know that the novel stays true to the heart at its core, and is buoyed throughout by Tanzer’s lucid and lustrous prose.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.
September 4, 2020
Creatures of Will and Temper is a historical fiction and fantasy novel that takes some of the magic contained in The Portrait of Dorian Gray and mixes it with some demons, and a pair of extraordinary sisters.
"Death is an illusion, just like anything else - like distance, for example, or time, or the separateness of one thing from another. The whole universe is only matter forming and reforming itself, endlessly, beautifully." pg 6
The author, Molly Tanzer, builds layered characters with distinctive personalities who are a pleasure to read about. However, she takes so long doing this, that I nearly put the book down before I hit page 200 and the main story arc took off.
"Never let anyone tell you demons are unnatural things - they are perpetual, like fragile flowers that blossom anew each year, like the majestic pine that never goes brown." pg 53
Prior to around page 200, Creatures of Will and Temper reads like a historical fiction with magical realism rather than the fantasy it actually is. The pace was incredibly slow.
But once I was over that two-thirds slump, the rest of the story (another 150 or so pages) was fantastic. I couldn't put the book down at that point.
"We must give in to beauty, surrender ourselves to pleasure and enjoyment. We must return to hedonism, but we must also make it our own - for we are not sentimentalists, seeking to recreate an emotion time and again. It is our holy duty to create a new hedonism, a philosophy of passionate experience." pg 170
The strength of this book is in the complex demonic world Tanzer hints at throughout. I wish she had focused on that world instead of this one! What a unique story it would have been.
As it stands, only recommended for readers who can tolerate a glacial pace on the way to a breath-taking ending.
"Death is an illusion, just like anything else - like distance, for example, or time, or the separateness of one thing from another. The whole universe is only matter forming and reforming itself, endlessly, beautifully." pg 6
The author, Molly Tanzer, builds layered characters with distinctive personalities who are a pleasure to read about. However, she takes so long doing this, that I nearly put the book down before I hit page 200 and the main story arc took off.
"Never let anyone tell you demons are unnatural things - they are perpetual, like fragile flowers that blossom anew each year, like the majestic pine that never goes brown." pg 53
Prior to around page 200, Creatures of Will and Temper reads like a historical fiction with magical realism rather than the fantasy it actually is. The pace was incredibly slow.
But once I was over that two-thirds slump, the rest of the story (another 150 or so pages) was fantastic. I couldn't put the book down at that point.
"We must give in to beauty, surrender ourselves to pleasure and enjoyment. We must return to hedonism, but we must also make it our own - for we are not sentimentalists, seeking to recreate an emotion time and again. It is our holy duty to create a new hedonism, a philosophy of passionate experience." pg 170
The strength of this book is in the complex demonic world Tanzer hints at throughout. I wish she had focused on that world instead of this one! What a unique story it would have been.
As it stands, only recommended for readers who can tolerate a glacial pace on the way to a breath-taking ending.
Read
November 30, 2017The best way I can think of to describe this weird fantasy set in fin-de-siecle London one universe over is to compare it to Shostakovich's Eleventh Symphony, which blends classical and modern musical themes as it tells the story of the 1905 Revolution.
It starts with deceptive slowness, as Victorian novels do, sedate, with attention to late-Victorian detail, but with contemporary viewpoints skewing the Victoriana, and period language mixed with modern.
Here and there sharp thematic hints: the mention of demons, pooh poohed, of course, by modern thinkers. Unabashedly queer-friendly, at a time when there were life-destroying courtroom dramas on this very subject.
Central are two sisters, ten years apart, Dorina Gray and Evadne. Dorina is seventeen, pretty and socially savvy, and knows what she wants. Evadne is not pretty, socially awkward, disappointed at pretty much everything, except her fencing. At that, she's very, very good.
The girls do not get along, though deep down they do care for each other, and wonder how to communicate. This aspect kept me reading, painful as it was a times, but Tanzer is very deft at characterization, never letting even minor characters remain one note, or predictable.
I totally believed in the sisters' arc (I have a sister exactly four years younger, and all the time we had to share a room we fought like hyenas, but as soon as we got our own rooms, we got along great; our blend of tearing at each other and yet having each other's back matches the difficult emotional arc I read here), which is very important. Meanwhile the demonic theme is tantalizingly dangled before the reader.
Then, like the Shostakovich, the relatively quiet beginning slowly begins to intensify, until the bloody and thunderous rush of the climax.
Very engrossing, vivid, intense, a real page turner.
Copy provided by NetGalley
It starts with deceptive slowness, as Victorian novels do, sedate, with attention to late-Victorian detail, but with contemporary viewpoints skewing the Victoriana, and period language mixed with modern.
Here and there sharp thematic hints: the mention of demons, pooh poohed, of course, by modern thinkers. Unabashedly queer-friendly, at a time when there were life-destroying courtroom dramas on this very subject.
Central are two sisters, ten years apart, Dorina Gray and Evadne. Dorina is seventeen, pretty and socially savvy, and knows what she wants. Evadne is not pretty, socially awkward, disappointed at pretty much everything, except her fencing. At that, she's very, very good.
The girls do not get along, though deep down they do care for each other, and wonder how to communicate. This aspect kept me reading, painful as it was a times, but Tanzer is very deft at characterization, never letting even minor characters remain one note, or predictable.
I totally believed in the sisters' arc (I have a sister exactly four years younger, and all the time we had to share a room we fought like hyenas, but as soon as we got our own rooms, we got along great; our blend of tearing at each other and yet having each other's back matches the difficult emotional arc I read here), which is very important. Meanwhile the demonic theme is tantalizingly dangled before the reader.
Then, like the Shostakovich, the relatively quiet beginning slowly begins to intensify, until the bloody and thunderous rush of the climax.
Very engrossing, vivid, intense, a real page turner.
Copy provided by NetGalley
November 11, 2017
This book ticked all my boxes! Victoriana, demons, romance and surprise. By the halfway mark I was looking up what else this author has written. A thumping good read, a great action scene near the end and a twist and reversal in the story that I wasn’t expecting!
Recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
January 20, 2020
I don’t know how I feel about this book. Loosely based on “The Portrait of Dorian Gray” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), “Creatures of Will and Temper” was made to entice me: turn-of-the-century London, period-appropriate fascination with occultism, cross-dressing and decadent aristocrats… fencing! And of course, Molly Tanzer’s sharp and elegant writing! On the other hand, the uneven pacing and expedited world-building made what could have been an enchanting story feel rushed and weirdly delivered…
The Gray sisters, Dorina and Evadne, couldn’t be more different: the youngest is all charm and curls, while the eldest is awkward and tomboyish. When Evadne catches her sister mid-indiscretion, she is drafted to accompany Dorina to London, where the young aspiring art critic was meant to spend a season with their Uncle Basil, a famous painter. No one is very pleased with this chaperoning arrangement, especially when Dorina meets the strange and seductive Lady Henrietta Wotton, and becomes a part of her rather unusual social circle.
I always enjoy stories about Victorian occultism: séances, the dark arts and all that stuff were quite the fad for the rich and bored in the early 1900s, and Tanzer brings that little demi-monde to live wonderfully. In her London, demons are not just real, they have personalities and can control those who would seek to control them… The tantalizing tidbits of information she shares with her readers about them are exciting and intriguing, but we never really get much more details than the occult grimoire excerpts that opens every chapter: being left in the dark about her “system” makes some events feel a bit arbitrary and rushed.
I love that the characters’ sexual preferences are part of the book, but do not feel shoehorned or didactic. Dorina just happens to be a lesbian in Victorian London, and some people make a big deal out of it, and others don’t – which I suspect must have happened. I was also happy to see that Tanzer also kept the language era-appropriate: there had been the occasional anachronist turn of phrase in “Vermilion” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), which had irked me, and I was happy to see that this wasn’t a problem here. But again, the great rush to get to the story’s conclusion means that as diverse and fun as her characters are, they feel undeveloped. We are told how they behave, but rarely see their personalities truly unfold on the page.
I enjoyed the book a lot, and thought the story was unique and fun, but it could have used about 100 more pages to flesh out the world and the characters more fully: do not let me 3 stars deter you from checking it out, but temper your expectations.
The Gray sisters, Dorina and Evadne, couldn’t be more different: the youngest is all charm and curls, while the eldest is awkward and tomboyish. When Evadne catches her sister mid-indiscretion, she is drafted to accompany Dorina to London, where the young aspiring art critic was meant to spend a season with their Uncle Basil, a famous painter. No one is very pleased with this chaperoning arrangement, especially when Dorina meets the strange and seductive Lady Henrietta Wotton, and becomes a part of her rather unusual social circle.
I always enjoy stories about Victorian occultism: séances, the dark arts and all that stuff were quite the fad for the rich and bored in the early 1900s, and Tanzer brings that little demi-monde to live wonderfully. In her London, demons are not just real, they have personalities and can control those who would seek to control them… The tantalizing tidbits of information she shares with her readers about them are exciting and intriguing, but we never really get much more details than the occult grimoire excerpts that opens every chapter: being left in the dark about her “system” makes some events feel a bit arbitrary and rushed.
I love that the characters’ sexual preferences are part of the book, but do not feel shoehorned or didactic. Dorina just happens to be a lesbian in Victorian London, and some people make a big deal out of it, and others don’t – which I suspect must have happened. I was also happy to see that Tanzer also kept the language era-appropriate: there had been the occasional anachronist turn of phrase in “Vermilion” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), which had irked me, and I was happy to see that this wasn’t a problem here. But again, the great rush to get to the story’s conclusion means that as diverse and fun as her characters are, they feel undeveloped. We are told how they behave, but rarely see their personalities truly unfold on the page.
I enjoyed the book a lot, and thought the story was unique and fun, but it could have used about 100 more pages to flesh out the world and the characters more fully: do not let me 3 stars deter you from checking it out, but temper your expectations.
November 2, 2018
Creatures of Will and Temper by Molly Tanzer is an absolute fabulous read and I am very thankful (yet again) I follow the right people on Goodreads, otherwise I would never have found this jewel. So thank you Heather Jones for writing that fantastic review and pointing me towards this book (I knew it was wise to follow a historian). I did not know Molly Tanzer but now I do and I will make sure to read more of her work.
I’m not going into the story, it’s done very expertly already and I wouldn’t have anything to add to it at this point (so read Heather Jones’ review and Evelina’s as well). Evelina made a point that I agree with – the two sisters are as different as night and day and I couldn’t decide who to favor. At first I hoped for Evadne to be the heroin but then she turned out to be so straight laced in thought and action that I gravitated towards Dorina, especially when she meets Lady Henry in London. But due to exciting twists in the plot I had to reevaluate yet again. And I just love it when an author does that to me! Turns out you simply can’t chose one sister above the other and when you read the book you will find out why.
It was an excellent story from start to finish with fantastic characters, a riveting plot, a yummy Sapphic romance, a wonderful Victorian setting and demons!
f/f
Themes: sisters, fencing, London, the lady loves to get her hands in the dirt, diabolists, demons, art, ginger is the thing, there is always a price to pay, graphic fight scenes, I just loved the epilogue.
5 stars
I’m not going into the story, it’s done very expertly already and I wouldn’t have anything to add to it at this point (so read Heather Jones’ review and Evelina’s as well). Evelina made a point that I agree with – the two sisters are as different as night and day and I couldn’t decide who to favor. At first I hoped for Evadne to be the heroin but then she turned out to be so straight laced in thought and action that I gravitated towards Dorina, especially when she meets Lady Henry in London. But due to exciting twists in the plot I had to reevaluate yet again. And I just love it when an author does that to me! Turns out you simply can’t chose one sister above the other and when you read the book you will find out why.
It was an excellent story from start to finish with fantastic characters, a riveting plot, a yummy Sapphic romance, a wonderful Victorian setting and demons!
f/f
Themes: sisters, fencing, London, the lady loves to get her hands in the dirt, diabolists, demons, art, ginger is the thing, there is always a price to pay, graphic fight scenes, I just loved the epilogue.
5 stars
November 6, 2017
Tanzer's written a fantasy novel of great focus and balance, a chamber drama of demons, romance, and swashbuckling, where the plot hinges on characters' misapprehensions of one another and of themselves. Evadne and Dorina, the sister protagonists, have a well-drawn tense and tender relationship—tender, at least, in the sense a wound's tender—and the occult mysteries, demon hunting, and so on, reinforced and heightened the character drama without dissolving it into plot.
I'd advise against going into Creatures of Will and Temper hunting Dorian Gray parallels, though they are there. Just treat the book as its own thing, and let it unfold.
I'd advise against going into Creatures of Will and Temper hunting Dorian Gray parallels, though they are there. Just treat the book as its own thing, and let it unfold.
October 19, 2021
I was enjoying this until I realized that the lesbian romance Tanzer was writing was between the seventeen-year-old and the thirty-five-year-old. Miss me please with adults having sexual relationships with teenagers, thanks!
January 7, 2018
A surprisingly light, amusing read that comes across more as romantic urban fantasy in late Victorian drag than any sort of serious attempt to address or reimagine Wilde's Dorian Gray.
Featuring lots of fencing and lesbian love, the novel gathers together a motley group of characters and puts them through their paces rather than developing them in any significant way. That's all right though, as this is a clearly a story of adventure and the fast pace through the last half of the book hardly allows for subtlety of any sort. The first half dragged a bit and I think Tanzer spent too much time setting up a conflict between the Gray sisters, and between their guardian uncle and his late lover's twin sister; neither had true payoffs and weren't worth the bother.
This was a fun book in a genre I rarely venture into. I enjoyed the read but I'm not likely to pursue further stories in this vein.
Featuring lots of fencing and lesbian love, the novel gathers together a motley group of characters and puts them through their paces rather than developing them in any significant way. That's all right though, as this is a clearly a story of adventure and the fast pace through the last half of the book hardly allows for subtlety of any sort. The first half dragged a bit and I think Tanzer spent too much time setting up a conflict between the Gray sisters, and between their guardian uncle and his late lover's twin sister; neither had true payoffs and weren't worth the bother.
This was a fun book in a genre I rarely venture into. I enjoyed the read but I'm not likely to pursue further stories in this vein.
April 29, 2020
I absolutely adored this book. One of the rare instances where I loved all the characters, even the nasty ones. The writing sucked me in, the story so fast paced and the action on point. Evadne and Dorina were wonderful, believable characters and Lady Henry was complicated but, likeable. I bought this book on whim thinking it looked like it would amuse me. The book had me in its clutches and would not let go. Highly recommend.
August 31, 2018
seductive, decadent, victorian and feminist?
be still my morally grey heart.
be still my morally grey heart.
October 10, 2018
There is nothing quite so frustrating to me as coming late to a wonderful book because the cover synopsis deliberately concealed the information that would lead me to put it on my TBR list. And given my reading habits, that usually happens when the publisher has decided to erase all but the vaguest hint of queer content.
I loved Molly Tanzer’s weird western Vermillion, so I’d idly glanced at Creatures of Will and Temper a few times in hopes of something similar, but put it down again thinking about the stacks of books already waiting for me that cheerfully embraced and telegraphed their queer female characters. Then, one day, I happened to encounter clear confirmation that some of the female characters were involved in a same-sex romance and found myself shaking my fist at the sky shouting, “Why did you think this was not important information?”
Ahem.
The book bills itself as inspired by Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Grey, but other than the rather obvious naming of one character Dorina Grey, and the minor plot point of a painting that is not entirely what it seems, in a Victorian setting, I don’t see a particularly strong connection. Instead we get two ill-matched sisters: the beautiful free-spirited young aspiring art critic Dorina who is fond of smoking, scandal, and girls; and the older, plainer, more strait-laced Evadne who has just been Disappointed In Love and drowns her sorrows in fencing practice. (I love how my expectations were upended by making Evadne the dashing swordswoman.) Evadne becomes an unwilling companion on her sister’s jaunt to take in the sights of London, in care of their Uncle Basil the painter. And when Dorina becomes enraptured by Basil’s outrageously decadent friend Lady Henry, Evadne is only distracted from her growing protective outrage by the prospect of being welcomed into a prestigious London fencing school and winning the respect...and perhaps more...of one of the personable instructors.
And then there are the demons.
There are a lot of things to like about this fantasy adventure: the painfully realistic relations between the sisters in which neither is hero nor villain, The gradual revealing of who or what the demons are and the part they have to play in the eventual climax, but most especially the way the plot twists and turns and tumbles about. I was never entirely surprised that the twists happened, but I couldn’t predict what they were going to be. If I found any flaw, it would be that the climax felt ever so slightly off balance--not rushed, not slow, but like that last step that turned out not to be as tall as you thought it was.
If you want your paranormal Victorian demonic romp with a delightfully non-tragic queer encounter, this is your book. (There’s also a sequel, but I’m back to trying to guess whether it hits my “must buy” marks.)
I loved Molly Tanzer’s weird western Vermillion, so I’d idly glanced at Creatures of Will and Temper a few times in hopes of something similar, but put it down again thinking about the stacks of books already waiting for me that cheerfully embraced and telegraphed their queer female characters. Then, one day, I happened to encounter clear confirmation that some of the female characters were involved in a same-sex romance and found myself shaking my fist at the sky shouting, “Why did you think this was not important information?”
Ahem.
The book bills itself as inspired by Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Grey, but other than the rather obvious naming of one character Dorina Grey, and the minor plot point of a painting that is not entirely what it seems, in a Victorian setting, I don’t see a particularly strong connection. Instead we get two ill-matched sisters: the beautiful free-spirited young aspiring art critic Dorina who is fond of smoking, scandal, and girls; and the older, plainer, more strait-laced Evadne who has just been Disappointed In Love and drowns her sorrows in fencing practice. (I love how my expectations were upended by making Evadne the dashing swordswoman.) Evadne becomes an unwilling companion on her sister’s jaunt to take in the sights of London, in care of their Uncle Basil the painter. And when Dorina becomes enraptured by Basil’s outrageously decadent friend Lady Henry, Evadne is only distracted from her growing protective outrage by the prospect of being welcomed into a prestigious London fencing school and winning the respect...and perhaps more...of one of the personable instructors.
And then there are the demons.
There are a lot of things to like about this fantasy adventure: the painfully realistic relations between the sisters in which neither is hero nor villain, The gradual revealing of who or what the demons are and the part they have to play in the eventual climax, but most especially the way the plot twists and turns and tumbles about. I was never entirely surprised that the twists happened, but I couldn’t predict what they were going to be. If I found any flaw, it would be that the climax felt ever so slightly off balance--not rushed, not slow, but like that last step that turned out not to be as tall as you thought it was.
If you want your paranormal Victorian demonic romp with a delightfully non-tragic queer encounter, this is your book. (There’s also a sequel, but I’m back to trying to guess whether it hits my “must buy” marks.)
November 30, 2017
Set in Victorian London, we learn of two sisters who are about as opposite as you can get. While they struggle in their relationship with each other, their trip introduces other characters who become vast influences on each of them. The beginning of the book lays a foundation of their individual characters and their sisterly fights while still having that underlying loyalty of love that only siblings share. Then as we get into parts 2 and 3, the book starts to take off.
I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction, but I LOVE Dorian Gray and books about demons and the dark arts. This book is a mix of both and as such, I have mixed feelings with this story. The writing itself is fine but the slow start had my attention being pulled away from the pages. I struggled to continue at certain points but was really curious where the demon and Dorian Gray feel would enter into play as the first half was pretty deplete of any inkling of either of these two things. Keeping in mind this book is INSPIRED by the story and not a retelling, it's fitting it played more into the subplot rather than into the main storyline. By the time we are introduced to the diabolists, demons and the dark side of the book, I was just "eh" about it. It did get interesting but the demons still had little influence... Demons aside, this felt like more of a story of sisterly love and finding that chord that solidifies their relationship than anything darker or supernatural.
I think those who like historical fiction will be more apt to enjoy this book more than I did. I think I may have expected more than what I ended up getting and was hoping for a darker read.
Thank you to Mariner Books for this copy!
I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction, but I LOVE Dorian Gray and books about demons and the dark arts. This book is a mix of both and as such, I have mixed feelings with this story. The writing itself is fine but the slow start had my attention being pulled away from the pages. I struggled to continue at certain points but was really curious where the demon and Dorian Gray feel would enter into play as the first half was pretty deplete of any inkling of either of these two things. Keeping in mind this book is INSPIRED by the story and not a retelling, it's fitting it played more into the subplot rather than into the main storyline. By the time we are introduced to the diabolists, demons and the dark side of the book, I was just "eh" about it. It did get interesting but the demons still had little influence... Demons aside, this felt like more of a story of sisterly love and finding that chord that solidifies their relationship than anything darker or supernatural.
I think those who like historical fiction will be more apt to enjoy this book more than I did. I think I may have expected more than what I ended up getting and was hoping for a darker read.
Thank you to Mariner Books for this copy!
March 10, 2018
I was initially interested in the premise but after finishing it, it seems as if it took too long to get going. All of the actual plot relevant events seemed to take place in the last 25% of the book and was good when it happened although it took far too long to get there.
Both of the main characters were almost insufferable which made it difficult to read as well. Evadne being hyper focused on propriety, except when it suited her,and constantly abrasive made it very difficult to. Dorina being selfish and unable to consider her sister's perspective for more than a literal minute also extended the sibling conflict until the final conflict.
The world building was also lackluster for me as they visit a handful of locations repeatedly and the actual demonology aspect, which is integral to the story, is again in the last 25%. A large portion of the book was "sibling A goes to do a thing, enjoys it, and comes home to create conflict with sibling B." For being a slow burn, I don't feel as if the end or the final conflict was worth the lead up and dealing with the sibling conflict or their personalities.
Both of the main characters were almost insufferable which made it difficult to read as well. Evadne being hyper focused on propriety, except when it suited her,and constantly abrasive made it very difficult to. Dorina being selfish and unable to consider her sister's perspective for more than a literal minute also extended the sibling conflict until the final conflict.
The world building was also lackluster for me as they visit a handful of locations repeatedly and the actual demonology aspect, which is integral to the story, is again in the last 25%. A large portion of the book was "sibling A goes to do a thing, enjoys it, and comes home to create conflict with sibling B." For being a slow burn, I don't feel as if the end or the final conflict was worth the lead up and dealing with the sibling conflict or their personalities.
December 28, 2017
Originally published at TheBibliophage.com.
In Creatures of Will and Temper, Molly Tanzer gives us an urban fantasy. As long as you don’t mind defining urban as Victorian era London. Alternately, it’s historical fiction with a distinct supernatural twist. Either way, it’s a romp on the wild side of an oh-so-cultured time.
At first I thought the titular creatures were the main characters, Evadne and Dorina. Dorina, a 17-year old art critic wannabe, is headed to her uncle’s London home for a few months. The older of the sisters, Evadne, catches her in an indiscretion and is included somewhat unwillingly in the trip as chaperone. In London, Uncle Basil introduces them straightaway to Lady Henrietta Wooton (Henry for short). Lady Henry becomes their connection to a circle of aesthetes that Dorina gobbles up, and Evadne immediately rejects.
Sister-related melodrama ensues, with neither one feeling entirely comfortable in this new environment. Soon enough, though, Dorina settles into a close relationship with Lady Henry and Evadne finds her place as a fencing student.
Tanzer takes this setting and injects demons in a very cultured way, indicative of the time and place. The demons aren’t running rampant in an overt way. They have subtle power and control over humans who allow them into their minds. And, truthfully, the connection isn’t always subtle. But don’t expect actual creatures on the streets of London.
However, in Tanzer’s imagined world, their are multiple demons each with its own goals and desires. Hence, the simple sister-sister conflict ramps up considerably. This is the part where I tell you very little because I’m a non-spoiler reviewer. But, trust me, there’s plenty of mystery and action once the fantasy clicks into the story.
Tanzer’s writing style is easy to read. She combines modern and Victorian sensibilities well in the world building and character development. I found the sisters to be fairly annoying and unsympathetic at first. But they grew on me. Just like demons in my own mind, I’d catch myself wondering what would come next while I was living other parts of my life. And in that regard, Tanzer pulls some cracking good plot twists that I hadn’t envisioned.
I’d give this 3.5/5 stars, and will look out for Tanzer’s earlier writing as well.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and John Joseph Adams/Mariner Books for the opportunity to read the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
In Creatures of Will and Temper, Molly Tanzer gives us an urban fantasy. As long as you don’t mind defining urban as Victorian era London. Alternately, it’s historical fiction with a distinct supernatural twist. Either way, it’s a romp on the wild side of an oh-so-cultured time.
At first I thought the titular creatures were the main characters, Evadne and Dorina. Dorina, a 17-year old art critic wannabe, is headed to her uncle’s London home for a few months. The older of the sisters, Evadne, catches her in an indiscretion and is included somewhat unwillingly in the trip as chaperone. In London, Uncle Basil introduces them straightaway to Lady Henrietta Wooton (Henry for short). Lady Henry becomes their connection to a circle of aesthetes that Dorina gobbles up, and Evadne immediately rejects.
Sister-related melodrama ensues, with neither one feeling entirely comfortable in this new environment. Soon enough, though, Dorina settles into a close relationship with Lady Henry and Evadne finds her place as a fencing student.
Tanzer takes this setting and injects demons in a very cultured way, indicative of the time and place. The demons aren’t running rampant in an overt way. They have subtle power and control over humans who allow them into their minds. And, truthfully, the connection isn’t always subtle. But don’t expect actual creatures on the streets of London.
However, in Tanzer’s imagined world, their are multiple demons each with its own goals and desires. Hence, the simple sister-sister conflict ramps up considerably. This is the part where I tell you very little because I’m a non-spoiler reviewer. But, trust me, there’s plenty of mystery and action once the fantasy clicks into the story.
Tanzer’s writing style is easy to read. She combines modern and Victorian sensibilities well in the world building and character development. I found the sisters to be fairly annoying and unsympathetic at first. But they grew on me. Just like demons in my own mind, I’d catch myself wondering what would come next while I was living other parts of my life. And in that regard, Tanzer pulls some cracking good plot twists that I hadn’t envisioned.
I’d give this 3.5/5 stars, and will look out for Tanzer’s earlier writing as well.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and John Joseph Adams/Mariner Books for the opportunity to read the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
December 20, 2017
This book reminded me of Gail Carriger's series, but instead of how much I find the characters in those books to feel genuine and have a lot of depth, the ones in this book I just could not get behind at all. I found virtually all of them wildly inconsistent throughout the book, or if not, didn't have enough of a character to be consistent or not. I found the worldbuilding and the demons in particular poorly explained. Without clear motivations of the characters and without clear establishment of what the stakes are with the demons, I got to the end of the book and wasn't really sure how to feel about the book's conclusion. I think it was supposed to be a happy ending, but I don't think that was earned based on the outstanding questions I have and flimsy relationships between the characters.
August 26, 2018
DNF at 30%
I don't have any interest in debating what's immoral in a f/f Dorian Gray retelling but I also have no interest in reading about 17-year-olds dating people in their thirties
Anyway this was seriously boring.
I don't have any interest in debating what's immoral in a f/f Dorian Gray retelling but I also have no interest in reading about 17-year-olds dating people in their thirties
Anyway this was seriously boring.
October 4, 2017
This book was...odd. I am really having a difficult time summarizing how I feel about this novel. At first it seemed to check off tons of my boxes - London, Victorian age, women breaking from their expected roles, a supernatural element, and a complex sister relationship. I went into this book expecting to devour it and then as for some more. Instead I found myself struggling through the slow first half and considered abandoning it, then speeding through the back half but questioning every characters actions!
Let's start with the bits I enjoyed...overall the writing was good throughout. The pacing was slow to moderate, but it made sense for the plotting. My only issue was that the language was not consistent. For the most part the author maintained a 19th century tone, but every once in a while a modern phrase would sneak its way into the character's dialogue which at the beginning of the book made me second guess if the time frame actually was 19th century London, or if this was meant to be an alternant timeline/universe. Things like "Actually, I was thrown for a loop yesterday..." and "I did not come here for my MRS degree." That last one is especially not period appropriate.
The book felt very familiar at times, but it reminded me greatly of Sense and Sensibility as we had 2 sisters, the elder, more mature sister, and the younger, more vivacious and carefree. The differences in personality often led to conflicts and their ideas of proper actions and associations were a spectrum. Their strained relationship forms the basis of most of the conflicts throughout the plot and was very believable and well thought through. I loved that the sister's relationship, and its ups and downs, was a focus throughout the novel, and often trumped the other relationships in terms of importance and pages dedicated to it.
The best part was the inclusion of same sex couples, and that their relationships were a non-issue. Everyone seemed free to love whomever they wanted and not judged for it.
Some things I had an issue with was the supernatural element, Demons, which were extremely sparse throughout the first half of the book. It read more as a historical fiction novel that an urban-fantasy/supernatural novel. Even in the second half of the book where we finally learn more of Demons and their role in our world is minimal. The idea is that anyone from our world can summon a demon and meld their existences in that the Demon's mind would take up residence within the summoner's mind. The only issue though is that the summoner have no way of summoning a specific demon. In this case the 'good people' ended up with a 'good demon' and the 'evil people' with an 'evil demon' but it could have gone completely the other way. If you can't guarantee that the demon you summon won't instantly influence you to start murdering children why would you even take the risk of summoning one at all?!
This last bit is a bit difficult to explain and is totally spoiler-y so read at your own risk!
So far this book seems to be a stand alone novel. It definitely set up the possibility of it becoming a series at the end you, but I don't think I would read it.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Let's start with the bits I enjoyed...overall the writing was good throughout. The pacing was slow to moderate, but it made sense for the plotting. My only issue was that the language was not consistent. For the most part the author maintained a 19th century tone, but every once in a while a modern phrase would sneak its way into the character's dialogue which at the beginning of the book made me second guess if the time frame actually was 19th century London, or if this was meant to be an alternant timeline/universe. Things like "Actually, I was thrown for a loop yesterday..." and "I did not come here for my MRS degree." That last one is especially not period appropriate.
The book felt very familiar at times, but it reminded me greatly of Sense and Sensibility as we had 2 sisters, the elder, more mature sister, and the younger, more vivacious and carefree. The differences in personality often led to conflicts and their ideas of proper actions and associations were a spectrum. Their strained relationship forms the basis of most of the conflicts throughout the plot and was very believable and well thought through. I loved that the sister's relationship, and its ups and downs, was a focus throughout the novel, and often trumped the other relationships in terms of importance and pages dedicated to it.
The best part was the inclusion of same sex couples, and that their relationships were a non-issue. Everyone seemed free to love whomever they wanted and not judged for it.
Some things I had an issue with was the supernatural element, Demons, which were extremely sparse throughout the first half of the book. It read more as a historical fiction novel that an urban-fantasy/supernatural novel. Even in the second half of the book where we finally learn more of Demons and their role in our world is minimal. The idea is that anyone from our world can summon a demon and meld their existences in that the Demon's mind would take up residence within the summoner's mind. The only issue though is that the summoner have no way of summoning a specific demon. In this case the 'good people' ended up with a 'good demon' and the 'evil people' with an 'evil demon' but it could have gone completely the other way. If you can't guarantee that the demon you summon won't instantly influence you to start murdering children why would you even take the risk of summoning one at all?!
This last bit is a bit difficult to explain and is totally spoiler-y so read at your own risk!
So far this book seems to be a stand alone novel. It definitely set up the possibility of it becoming a series at the end you, but I don't think I would read it.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 26, 2018
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
I finished CREATURES OF WILL AND TEMPER in one day. I must confess I have a particular weakness for Victorian settings, courting, and excessive blushing. Combine that with fencing, demons, and queer characters and you have my very devoted attention. Finishing this novel had me desperately searching for more of Molly Tanzer's work.
Each of the point of view characters in CREATURES OF WILL AND TEMPER is relatable and fleshed out. I felt so deeply for Evadne, the protective elder sister and fencer who believes she’s a joke in comparison to Dorina. But I also felt for Dorina, who was so certain of herself despite her youth, but still capable of being hurt. And let’s not forget my favorite, Henry, an instantly admirable character that is also flawed.
Readers intrigued because of the promise of a riff on The Picture of Dorian Gray should be warned that the connection is thin. If it weren't for a few scenes involving a painting and the use of the name Dorina, I may have completely forgotten that claim in the novel's blurb.
I only have two complaints, which largely did not detract from my enjoyment of the novel. The title initially turned me off, as I found it completely nonsensical. Secondly, I dislike one-year later epilogues. I'd almost prefer to end on a cliffhanger, rather than to miss an entire year of development and experiences, only to be provided a quick summation. CREATURES OF WILL AND TEMPER'S last chapter does not end on a cliffhanger, but rather on an earned and emotional climax. However, I suspect that many readers will appreciate the inclusion of the epilogue.
Sexual Content: Kissing, discussions of sex, nondescriptive sex scene
I finished CREATURES OF WILL AND TEMPER in one day. I must confess I have a particular weakness for Victorian settings, courting, and excessive blushing. Combine that with fencing, demons, and queer characters and you have my very devoted attention. Finishing this novel had me desperately searching for more of Molly Tanzer's work.
Each of the point of view characters in CREATURES OF WILL AND TEMPER is relatable and fleshed out. I felt so deeply for Evadne, the protective elder sister and fencer who believes she’s a joke in comparison to Dorina. But I also felt for Dorina, who was so certain of herself despite her youth, but still capable of being hurt. And let’s not forget my favorite, Henry, an instantly admirable character that is also flawed.
Readers intrigued because of the promise of a riff on The Picture of Dorian Gray should be warned that the connection is thin. If it weren't for a few scenes involving a painting and the use of the name Dorina, I may have completely forgotten that claim in the novel's blurb.
I only have two complaints, which largely did not detract from my enjoyment of the novel. The title initially turned me off, as I found it completely nonsensical. Secondly, I dislike one-year later epilogues. I'd almost prefer to end on a cliffhanger, rather than to miss an entire year of development and experiences, only to be provided a quick summation. CREATURES OF WILL AND TEMPER'S last chapter does not end on a cliffhanger, but rather on an earned and emotional climax. However, I suspect that many readers will appreciate the inclusion of the epilogue.
Sexual Content: Kissing, discussions of sex, nondescriptive sex scene
November 16, 2017
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Victorian Era London is a wonder that's known for it's fluid social roles, vibrant arts scene, and underground diabolic cults. Evadne Gray, a fencer, isn't interested in those first two and doesn't know about the last, but she finds herself in the city against her wishes to act as a chaperone for her younger sister, Dorina, an aspiring art critic. After Dorina meets their uncle’s friend, Lady Henrietta “Henry” Wotton, an aristocrat and aesthete, Evadne enrolls in a fencing school where she meets George Cantrell, a top tier fencing master. George shows her more than she bargained for - a hidden world of demons and their servants. George has dedicated himself to fighting demons and diabolists, and he needs Evadne’s help. In fact, Lady Henry might actually be a diabolist - and worse yet, Evadne suspects Dorina have turned as well.
As soon as I realized that Molly Tanzer's newest novel, Creatures of Will and Temper, was inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, I knew I had to find a copy for myself. Luckily, I actually managed to get myself approved for an ARC on NetGalley. This is my first time trying Tanzer's work, but overall I was really impressed with the quality of it all. Although the story is slower paced than what I usually like and takes a little while to really get going, the writing is gorgeous. I really enjoyed getting to know our two flawed sisters, Evadne and Dorina, since they have such a close connection. Neither are completely likable, but I couldn't help but root for both of them. I loved the fencing and action in the story. I don't often see fencing in historical fantasy, so this was a lot of fun seeing Evadne get to go toe-to-toe with a master. It's also was also good to see an f/f relationship take the spotlight - between Dorina and Lady Henry, especially since Dorina's one of the leading characters and taking the setting into account - plus, there are other LGBTQ+ characters featured.
Overall, if you're looking for a refreshing new historical fantasy with a great cast, epic sword fights, and a realistic connection between sisters, then you absolutely need to try Creatures of Will and Temper by Molly Tanzer. Just be warned the first half of the book sets a slow pace as we are introduced to the characters and their world, but it's definitely worth sticking with it. Like Cat Winters, The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, then you'll probably like this new release.
Victorian Era London is a wonder that's known for it's fluid social roles, vibrant arts scene, and underground diabolic cults. Evadne Gray, a fencer, isn't interested in those first two and doesn't know about the last, but she finds herself in the city against her wishes to act as a chaperone for her younger sister, Dorina, an aspiring art critic. After Dorina meets their uncle’s friend, Lady Henrietta “Henry” Wotton, an aristocrat and aesthete, Evadne enrolls in a fencing school where she meets George Cantrell, a top tier fencing master. George shows her more than she bargained for - a hidden world of demons and their servants. George has dedicated himself to fighting demons and diabolists, and he needs Evadne’s help. In fact, Lady Henry might actually be a diabolist - and worse yet, Evadne suspects Dorina have turned as well.
As soon as I realized that Molly Tanzer's newest novel, Creatures of Will and Temper, was inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, I knew I had to find a copy for myself. Luckily, I actually managed to get myself approved for an ARC on NetGalley. This is my first time trying Tanzer's work, but overall I was really impressed with the quality of it all. Although the story is slower paced than what I usually like and takes a little while to really get going, the writing is gorgeous. I really enjoyed getting to know our two flawed sisters, Evadne and Dorina, since they have such a close connection. Neither are completely likable, but I couldn't help but root for both of them. I loved the fencing and action in the story. I don't often see fencing in historical fantasy, so this was a lot of fun seeing Evadne get to go toe-to-toe with a master. It's also was also good to see an f/f relationship take the spotlight - between Dorina and Lady Henry, especially since Dorina's one of the leading characters and taking the setting into account - plus, there are other LGBTQ+ characters featured.
Overall, if you're looking for a refreshing new historical fantasy with a great cast, epic sword fights, and a realistic connection between sisters, then you absolutely need to try Creatures of Will and Temper by Molly Tanzer. Just be warned the first half of the book sets a slow pace as we are introduced to the characters and their world, but it's definitely worth sticking with it. Like Cat Winters, The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, then you'll probably like this new release.
October 31, 2017
This was absolutely phenomenal. It blew my mind in this Picture of Dorian Gray f/f reinterpretation except EVEN BETTER. It's about sisters, standing out, and demons. It features two sisters at the heart of this novel which inspires me to say all sorts of emotional mushy stuff to mine. It's not perfect, constantly surprising you and giving you all the turbulent emotions. This is a must read for anyone who loved The Picture and sisters and demons, and all of these combined!
Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley
Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley
December 4, 2017
Before I begin my real review, I'm going to do something I've wanted to do for a long time. And that is, I want to compile all the "notes" I took on my Kindle while reading this book. Together, they form a sort-of review, an overall impression of this very strange story. So forgive me for indulging in this experiment! Without further ado, here are the NOTES I took on my Kindle, in order:
his niece
dum dum (as in, an expression of anticipated terror)
I love evadne
she can sense the demon
something to do with the demon?
something to do with the demon? (yes, I literally made the same note twice)
snuff makes her understand the demon?
gay
it's like a drug
the demon wants her?
I love that she fences
I love the descriptions of fencing gear
this seems out of place
the painting has a kind of power
superheroes
I still don't understand why she really wants the demon in her. I feel very distant from the idea of the demon, unless she's going to really explain things.
what's up with him?
a huge twist!
at its core, this is a story of the strong bond of sisters
it seems this is an excuse not to have to make the demon a character
interesting
so the demon is going to help her save them
the painting was keeping him captive
you have to take risks to truly live
Anyone who reads with a Kindle (which is most of us, right?) will totally understand these random, seemingly unrelated notes, LOL. There might be minor spoilers in my notes, I just realized, but I don't think there is anything that really gives the story away, seeing as most of these are sentence fragments!
But, this story does deserve an actual review, so now that I've had some fun, let's get to it!
The nitty-gritty: A delicious tale of manners, trysts, fencing and demons, although a little too heavy on the romance for my taste.
Creatures of Will & Temper is a retelling of Oscar Wilde's The Portrait of Dorian Gray , a book I read before I started blogging and then promptly forgot about. (I'll admit I had to look up the summary on Wikipedia to jog my memory!) In Molly Tanzer's version, she's done some gender swapping to make this a much more interesting story. Dorian Gray is now Dorina Gray, a young, beautiful and flighty girl who enjoys the company of other women, who loves art and is determined to become an art critic. Her older sister Evadne is the proverbial spinster, a woman who loves the sport of fencing more than finding a future husband. One summer, the girls are invited to stay at their Uncle Basil's home in London. Dorina's goal is to observe and interview her uncle, who is an artist, but the real reason she wants to go to London is to have fun, meet new people and explore the city. Evadne is forced to go with her sister as a chaperone, but all she really wants to do is stay home and practice her fencing maneuvers.
Once in London, the girls meet the worldly and intimidating Lady Henrietta Wotton, or "Henry" as she calls herself, and Dorina is immediately smitten with the much older woman. Evadne, on the other hand, dislikes Lady Henry immediately, and suspects that her sister will try to seduce her. As Henry takes Dorina under her wing and begins to introduce her to her friends, Evadne discovers a fencing club in the neighborhood and boldly starts taking fencing lessons (not a normal activity for women at that time). As the girls drift further and further apart, both begin to notice odd characteristics about their new acquaintances. Dorina observes Henry's obsession with ginger: she smokes ginger infused cigarettes, sucks on ginger flavored candy, and even grows ginger in her garden. Meanwhile, Evadne notices the strange behavior of her uncle Basil, who is obsessed with a portrait of his dead lover Oliver. Evadne herself seems drawn to the painting, which seems to have a mesmerizing effect on whoever looks at it.
But soon enough, both girls are drawn into the secret world of demons, unbeknownst to each other. Dorina begs to join Henry's secret "aesthete club," where members explore their five senses in tantalizing ways, while Evadne meets a demon hunter at the fencing academy named George. They don't realize it, but both girls are on a collision course that is sure to end badly, and maybe even in death.
This is a tough story to summarize, because there isn't really a quick "elevator pitch" that I can use to describe it. Maybe that's one reason that I ended up with mixed feelings about this story. On one hand, I enjoyed the Jane Austen-esque story about manners, romance and family bonds, but I went into this thinking it was going to be much more focused on the speculative aspects than it was. Because of this, the first half of the story was extremely slow for me. By itself, it worked well as a story about the complex relationship between Dorina and Evadne and their introduction into the sophisticated world of Victorian London. But I kept waiting for something to happen, and although the author drops hints about the supernatural events to come—the world of diabolists (people who coexist with demons)—it wasn't until the last 20% of the story that the reader really gets to see the demons in action.
But I want to talk about what I really enjoyed. First of all, I loved the queer relationships, and I especially loved that Dorina is so open about her sexuality. For a girl of seventeen, it seemed very unusual, and even more so because of the strict and proper time period that the story takes place in. Romance lovers will really enjoy this book, because there is plenty of "shipping" going on. Dorina falls in love with Henry, a man named Jonas falls for Evadne, Evadne falls for George, and so on. It was quite entertaining, although not quite what I was expecting.
I also loved the fencing scenes! Evadne's passion is fencing (again, highly unusual for a woman at that time) and when she finds her tribe at the fencing club in London, I was so happy for her. Tanzer has clearly done lots of research on the subject and gives plenty of details about the sport, the equipment, and the sheer physical strength required to fence correctly.
The story's downfall, at least for me, was the supernatural element. To briefly sum up the relationship between humans and demons, in Tanzer's world, a demon's essence can be absorbed by humans by eating plants or other food that has been infused with the spirit of the demon. Confused yet? Well, I'm not surprised. If a human makes a deal with a demon to enter his or her body, the demon can provide wonderful benefits, like staying young forever (and that's where the similarities to The Picture of Dorian Gray come in) or giving someone superhuman strength. As long as the human keeps eating that particular substance, the demon can pass on those gifts. But as in all dealings with the devil, there is always a price to pay. It's a pretty cool concept, but unfortunately the demons involved were barely even characters in the story. A demon can only communicate with impressions or dreams, so you can't even talk to it directly.
But when the story hits about the 80% mark, I started flying through the rest of the pages. Tanzer's final showdown had several twists that I didn't see coming and she brought everything together beautifully. My only wish is that the pace had been consistent from the beginning, but I can't deny that Molly Tanzer is a talented writer, and I'm eager to read more of her work.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
his niece
dum dum (as in, an expression of anticipated terror)
I love evadne
she can sense the demon
something to do with the demon?
something to do with the demon? (yes, I literally made the same note twice)
snuff makes her understand the demon?
gay
it's like a drug
the demon wants her?
I love that she fences
I love the descriptions of fencing gear
this seems out of place
the painting has a kind of power
superheroes
I still don't understand why she really wants the demon in her. I feel very distant from the idea of the demon, unless she's going to really explain things.
what's up with him?
a huge twist!
at its core, this is a story of the strong bond of sisters
it seems this is an excuse not to have to make the demon a character
interesting
so the demon is going to help her save them
the painting was keeping him captive
you have to take risks to truly live
Anyone who reads with a Kindle (which is most of us, right?) will totally understand these random, seemingly unrelated notes, LOL. There might be minor spoilers in my notes, I just realized, but I don't think there is anything that really gives the story away, seeing as most of these are sentence fragments!
But, this story does deserve an actual review, so now that I've had some fun, let's get to it!
The nitty-gritty: A delicious tale of manners, trysts, fencing and demons, although a little too heavy on the romance for my taste.
Creatures of Will & Temper is a retelling of Oscar Wilde's The Portrait of Dorian Gray , a book I read before I started blogging and then promptly forgot about. (I'll admit I had to look up the summary on Wikipedia to jog my memory!) In Molly Tanzer's version, she's done some gender swapping to make this a much more interesting story. Dorian Gray is now Dorina Gray, a young, beautiful and flighty girl who enjoys the company of other women, who loves art and is determined to become an art critic. Her older sister Evadne is the proverbial spinster, a woman who loves the sport of fencing more than finding a future husband. One summer, the girls are invited to stay at their Uncle Basil's home in London. Dorina's goal is to observe and interview her uncle, who is an artist, but the real reason she wants to go to London is to have fun, meet new people and explore the city. Evadne is forced to go with her sister as a chaperone, but all she really wants to do is stay home and practice her fencing maneuvers.
Once in London, the girls meet the worldly and intimidating Lady Henrietta Wotton, or "Henry" as she calls herself, and Dorina is immediately smitten with the much older woman. Evadne, on the other hand, dislikes Lady Henry immediately, and suspects that her sister will try to seduce her. As Henry takes Dorina under her wing and begins to introduce her to her friends, Evadne discovers a fencing club in the neighborhood and boldly starts taking fencing lessons (not a normal activity for women at that time). As the girls drift further and further apart, both begin to notice odd characteristics about their new acquaintances. Dorina observes Henry's obsession with ginger: she smokes ginger infused cigarettes, sucks on ginger flavored candy, and even grows ginger in her garden. Meanwhile, Evadne notices the strange behavior of her uncle Basil, who is obsessed with a portrait of his dead lover Oliver. Evadne herself seems drawn to the painting, which seems to have a mesmerizing effect on whoever looks at it.
But soon enough, both girls are drawn into the secret world of demons, unbeknownst to each other. Dorina begs to join Henry's secret "aesthete club," where members explore their five senses in tantalizing ways, while Evadne meets a demon hunter at the fencing academy named George. They don't realize it, but both girls are on a collision course that is sure to end badly, and maybe even in death.
This is a tough story to summarize, because there isn't really a quick "elevator pitch" that I can use to describe it. Maybe that's one reason that I ended up with mixed feelings about this story. On one hand, I enjoyed the Jane Austen-esque story about manners, romance and family bonds, but I went into this thinking it was going to be much more focused on the speculative aspects than it was. Because of this, the first half of the story was extremely slow for me. By itself, it worked well as a story about the complex relationship between Dorina and Evadne and their introduction into the sophisticated world of Victorian London. But I kept waiting for something to happen, and although the author drops hints about the supernatural events to come—the world of diabolists (people who coexist with demons)—it wasn't until the last 20% of the story that the reader really gets to see the demons in action.
But I want to talk about what I really enjoyed. First of all, I loved the queer relationships, and I especially loved that Dorina is so open about her sexuality. For a girl of seventeen, it seemed very unusual, and even more so because of the strict and proper time period that the story takes place in. Romance lovers will really enjoy this book, because there is plenty of "shipping" going on. Dorina falls in love with Henry, a man named Jonas falls for Evadne, Evadne falls for George, and so on. It was quite entertaining, although not quite what I was expecting.
I also loved the fencing scenes! Evadne's passion is fencing (again, highly unusual for a woman at that time) and when she finds her tribe at the fencing club in London, I was so happy for her. Tanzer has clearly done lots of research on the subject and gives plenty of details about the sport, the equipment, and the sheer physical strength required to fence correctly.
The story's downfall, at least for me, was the supernatural element. To briefly sum up the relationship between humans and demons, in Tanzer's world, a demon's essence can be absorbed by humans by eating plants or other food that has been infused with the spirit of the demon. Confused yet? Well, I'm not surprised. If a human makes a deal with a demon to enter his or her body, the demon can provide wonderful benefits, like staying young forever (and that's where the similarities to The Picture of Dorian Gray come in) or giving someone superhuman strength. As long as the human keeps eating that particular substance, the demon can pass on those gifts. But as in all dealings with the devil, there is always a price to pay. It's a pretty cool concept, but unfortunately the demons involved were barely even characters in the story. A demon can only communicate with impressions or dreams, so you can't even talk to it directly.
But when the story hits about the 80% mark, I started flying through the rest of the pages. Tanzer's final showdown had several twists that I didn't see coming and she brought everything together beautifully. My only wish is that the pace had been consistent from the beginning, but I can't deny that Molly Tanzer is a talented writer, and I'm eager to read more of her work.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
January 13, 2018
Dear Molly Tanzer, I love you. You know this, because halfway through this book, I tweeted at you that you had ruined my life. Having finished the book, that continues to be the case, because Creatures of Will and Temper is phenomenal.
Dorina and Evadne Gray are as little alike as two sisters have ever been. Dorina, flighty and foolish per her elder sister's estimation, is a would-be art critic who longs for something more than their country life, and also she's shamelessly into women. Evadne, if you ask Dorina, is stodgy and prudish with no sense of fun, but also devoted and awkward and an extremely skilled fencer. Sent, reluctantly, together to London to stay with their Uncle Basil, a painter, the two meet Baz's friend, Lady Henrietta Wotton, with whom Dorina becomes smitten. Angry, Evadne goes to a local fencing school where she meets the dashing George Cantrell, which absorbs her time. Sisterly misunderstandings, hurt feelings, love, and occult adventures ensue.
Tanzer gives her readers a multitude of beautiful gifts throughout the length of the novel. Replete with interesting, artful, and relatable female characters, they come to life under Tanzer's aesthetically pleasing, Victorian-but-not-too-Victorian-inspired prose. The plot moves along at an exhilarating pace, while still carefully exploring themes of aestheticism, interpersonal relationships, right and wrong, good and evil. It's a must-read for anybody who likes Victorian literature, quasi-horror, occultism, positive and unabashed LGBTQ themes with healthy relationships, and sword-fighting lady badasses. What I appreciated the most about this was that though Dorina and Evadne are very much two different women, both are interesting and strong and given flaws and qualities that make them colourful and whole and human. I related to each in turn, and appreciated how well they complement each other. My heart ached for both of them, and I appreciated being given the opportunity to cheer each of them on.
Also, there are lesbians. Fuck yeah, lesbians. Thanks, Molly! I can't wait for your next one!
Dorina and Evadne Gray are as little alike as two sisters have ever been. Dorina, flighty and foolish per her elder sister's estimation, is a would-be art critic who longs for something more than their country life, and also she's shamelessly into women. Evadne, if you ask Dorina, is stodgy and prudish with no sense of fun, but also devoted and awkward and an extremely skilled fencer. Sent, reluctantly, together to London to stay with their Uncle Basil, a painter, the two meet Baz's friend, Lady Henrietta Wotton, with whom Dorina becomes smitten. Angry, Evadne goes to a local fencing school where she meets the dashing George Cantrell, which absorbs her time. Sisterly misunderstandings, hurt feelings, love, and occult adventures ensue.
Tanzer gives her readers a multitude of beautiful gifts throughout the length of the novel. Replete with interesting, artful, and relatable female characters, they come to life under Tanzer's aesthetically pleasing, Victorian-but-not-too-Victorian-inspired prose. The plot moves along at an exhilarating pace, while still carefully exploring themes of aestheticism, interpersonal relationships, right and wrong, good and evil. It's a must-read for anybody who likes Victorian literature, quasi-horror, occultism, positive and unabashed LGBTQ themes with healthy relationships, and sword-fighting lady badasses. What I appreciated the most about this was that though Dorina and Evadne are very much two different women, both are interesting and strong and given flaws and qualities that make them colourful and whole and human. I related to each in turn, and appreciated how well they complement each other. My heart ached for both of them, and I appreciated being given the opportunity to cheer each of them on.
Also, there are lesbians. Fuck yeah, lesbians. Thanks, Molly! I can't wait for your next one!
February 12, 2019
Well, this was very charming. Queer characters in Victorian England with a little demon fun and sword-fighting thrown in? YES PLEASE.
Not sure I understood why the author felt like she needed to include a big author's note about the philosophy behind Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray at the beginning of the book. Based on that, I expected to see a lot more parallels between the two stories, but in the end, Creatures of Will and Temper contains at most a slight nod towards The Picture of Dorian Gray, and most of that nod was "using the names of the characters" from Oscar Wilde's story. Not sure that was necessary, as the story stood well on its own.
Not sure I understood why the author felt like she needed to include a big author's note about the philosophy behind Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray at the beginning of the book. Based on that, I expected to see a lot more parallels between the two stories, but in the end, Creatures of Will and Temper contains at most a slight nod towards The Picture of Dorian Gray, and most of that nod was "using the names of the characters" from Oscar Wilde's story. Not sure that was necessary, as the story stood well on its own.
June 17, 2018
Rating 4.5
Oh my, there might come a longer review for this.
If you like character driven plot, paranormal historical, queer rep, some suspense and romance, then...
GO READ THIS.
Oh my, there might come a longer review for this.
If you like character driven plot, paranormal historical, queer rep, some suspense and romance, then...
GO READ THIS.
November 14, 2017
3.5 stars.
There are so many things I want to say about this book, but at the same time, I feel like a short and sweet review will do it much more justice.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this when I started reading, but even with the slow build to the action and actual plot, I got sucked into the world and wanted to know more and more about the characters. We focus on two sisters, who are a mish-mash of tropes, but the exact opposite of what their general look would clue you in on. I loved the contrast between the two of them, and it really allowed each of their two storylines to stand separate from each other, while still melding excellently together in the end.
The pacing is excellent and while I suspicious of almost every character, I was still surprised exactly how everything played out in the end. While the entire demonology aspect did seem a bit lacking in straightforward explanations, there was still enough divulged to understand what exactly was going on.
This was slightly inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, but I found the similarity to that to be more of a sub-plot than a part of the main plot. However, it does end up playing into the demon explanation in the end, so it’s a fun Easter egg of sorts to follow throughout.
Definitely recommended to those who enjoy paranormal thrillers!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy to review!
(Cross posted on my blog.)
There are so many things I want to say about this book, but at the same time, I feel like a short and sweet review will do it much more justice.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this when I started reading, but even with the slow build to the action and actual plot, I got sucked into the world and wanted to know more and more about the characters. We focus on two sisters, who are a mish-mash of tropes, but the exact opposite of what their general look would clue you in on. I loved the contrast between the two of them, and it really allowed each of their two storylines to stand separate from each other, while still melding excellently together in the end.
The pacing is excellent and while I suspicious of almost every character, I was still surprised exactly how everything played out in the end. While the entire demonology aspect did seem a bit lacking in straightforward explanations, there was still enough divulged to understand what exactly was going on.
This was slightly inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, but I found the similarity to that to be more of a sub-plot than a part of the main plot. However, it does end up playing into the demon explanation in the end, so it’s a fun Easter egg of sorts to follow throughout.
Definitely recommended to those who enjoy paranormal thrillers!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy to review!
(Cross posted on my blog.)
Read
November 28, 2017this was strange but delightful. I just love reading about monsters and the supernatural set in a Victorian era. it warms me.
and in the center of all this, are sisters Evadne and Dorina, who on their trip to London to visit their uncle, meet Lady Henry. Dorina is quickly enamored while Evadne gets a bad feeling about her.
... they soon discover a world full of demons and rituals. and these people called diabolist who, in a way, live to serve them.
my only complaint? I wanted to see more demon-worshiping or whatever the hell they do. or maybe it was boring and I should be thankful there wasn’t any? who knows.
and in the center of all this, are sisters Evadne and Dorina, who on their trip to London to visit their uncle, meet Lady Henry. Dorina is quickly enamored while Evadne gets a bad feeling about her.
... they soon discover a world full of demons and rituals. and these people called diabolist who, in a way, live to serve them.
my only complaint? I wanted to see more demon-worshiping or whatever the hell they do. or maybe it was boring and I should be thankful there wasn’t any? who knows.
Read
August 14, 2023Woof. I should start by saying that this was another book I went into knowing it probably wouldn’t be my thing—I added it to my TBR ages ago when I was looking for very different stuff from the books I read, but I decided to give it a chance anyway. Some of the issues I had were definitely because of that, but…
I’ve seen other reviews stating that the character work in this book is its strength, but I completely disagree. Creatures of Will and Temper centers around the sisterly relationship between Evadne and Dorina, and unfortunately I didn’t find that relationship pleasant or interesting to follow. Nor was I particularly interested in following either of the sisters’ individual journeys as they came to be acquainted with London and their respective diabolist societies.
Dorina is the younger sister, 17 years old (which they just LOVE to remark on whenever there’s a chance), and she is the reason we’re in London to begin with. She wants to be an art critic, but mostly she wants to find more women to convince to sleep with her. Dorina is immediately drawn to the MUCH OLDER Lady Henry, and much of the novel consists of Henry insisting to Dorina that she’s too old for her, only for them to wind up in a relationship anyway. This was really unpleasant to read about for several reasons: firstly, Henry is well into her 30s or 40s (I’m not sure it’s ever stated exactly, but as much as they remark on Dorina’s youth, they remark on Henry’s lack thereof), and from a modern perspective this is a huge red flag. I know this is historical fiction, but because the characters themselves were so focused on the age difference, I couldn’t move past it or otherwise justify it while reading. Additionally, the way their relationship progresses feels like it falls into pretty harmful stereotypes: Dorina is the one constantly pushing for sexual intimacy, and Henry finally relents not because circumstances have changed, but because Dorina is just so irresistible and convincing it’s impossible not to. Because Dorina has always been dominant in her relationships with women and is the one pursuing, it comes off as though she’s a young predatory lesbian who has seduced an older woman. It left a really bad taste in my mouth.
Evadne’s relationships were equally frustrating. She is much older than Dorina, perhaps early 30s, and unmarried because she’s been deeply in love with her only male friend for years and he doesn’t reciprocate. We are told constantly that Evadne is nothing much to look at, especially when compared to Dorina, and she is really only interested in being a better fencer and eventually becoming a homemaker. She feels very much like a Not Like Other Girls girl, which is added to because every eligible man introduced in this book is immediately enthralled with her, and she winds up in a weird love triangle that she seemingly has little interest in. The one she ends up with in the epilogue has shown consistent unrequited interest for the entire novel, and there’s really no character development to explain why Evadne becomes interested in him as well (other than that she now has demonic influence within her, which, well, in a narrative of this sort is absolutely not a satisfying reason for an entire relationship to be built upon).
The majority of the text is taken up with Dorina and Evadne squabbling when they’re together, and then thinking about how stupid the other is when they’re apart. Surrounding that is the world building, which is actually pretty interesting, but wasn’t substantial enough to keep me fully engaged. It takes at least until the 50% mark to get into the actual plot, which I guess is understandable because it’s a series, but luckily for me the first entry wraps up well enough that I don’t feel obligated to pick up anything else in this series.
I’ve seen other reviews stating that the character work in this book is its strength, but I completely disagree. Creatures of Will and Temper centers around the sisterly relationship between Evadne and Dorina, and unfortunately I didn’t find that relationship pleasant or interesting to follow. Nor was I particularly interested in following either of the sisters’ individual journeys as they came to be acquainted with London and their respective diabolist societies.
Dorina is the younger sister, 17 years old (which they just LOVE to remark on whenever there’s a chance), and she is the reason we’re in London to begin with. She wants to be an art critic, but mostly she wants to find more women to convince to sleep with her. Dorina is immediately drawn to the MUCH OLDER Lady Henry, and much of the novel consists of Henry insisting to Dorina that she’s too old for her, only for them to wind up in a relationship anyway. This was really unpleasant to read about for several reasons: firstly, Henry is well into her 30s or 40s (I’m not sure it’s ever stated exactly, but as much as they remark on Dorina’s youth, they remark on Henry’s lack thereof), and from a modern perspective this is a huge red flag. I know this is historical fiction, but because the characters themselves were so focused on the age difference, I couldn’t move past it or otherwise justify it while reading. Additionally, the way their relationship progresses feels like it falls into pretty harmful stereotypes: Dorina is the one constantly pushing for sexual intimacy, and Henry finally relents not because circumstances have changed, but because Dorina is just so irresistible and convincing it’s impossible not to. Because Dorina has always been dominant in her relationships with women and is the one pursuing, it comes off as though she’s a young predatory lesbian who has seduced an older woman. It left a really bad taste in my mouth.
Evadne’s relationships were equally frustrating. She is much older than Dorina, perhaps early 30s, and unmarried because she’s been deeply in love with her only male friend for years and he doesn’t reciprocate. We are told constantly that Evadne is nothing much to look at, especially when compared to Dorina, and she is really only interested in being a better fencer and eventually becoming a homemaker. She feels very much like a Not Like Other Girls girl, which is added to because every eligible man introduced in this book is immediately enthralled with her, and she winds up in a weird love triangle that she seemingly has little interest in. The one she ends up with in the epilogue has shown consistent unrequited interest for the entire novel, and there’s really no character development to explain why Evadne becomes interested in him as well (other than that she now has demonic influence within her, which, well, in a narrative of this sort is absolutely not a satisfying reason for an entire relationship to be built upon).
The majority of the text is taken up with Dorina and Evadne squabbling when they’re together, and then thinking about how stupid the other is when they’re apart. Surrounding that is the world building, which is actually pretty interesting, but wasn’t substantial enough to keep me fully engaged. It takes at least until the 50% mark to get into the actual plot, which I guess is understandable because it’s a series, but luckily for me the first entry wraps up well enough that I don’t feel obligated to pick up anything else in this series.
December 23, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I think how you feel about this book will depend on how much you like historical fiction and also how important it is to you that everything is 'accurate'. I don't read a lot of historical fiction but I do enjoy it on occasion, although really I prefer the writing style to be a bit more modern even on things set in the past. I know I saw a few reviews floating around here complaining that the style was too modern and the characters said and mentioned a lot of things that weren't accurate to the time period. However for me it was almost TOO 'old fashioned' in the writing style, at least at first, and although I noticed a few slips up with phrases that were probably not in use at the time, overall I didn't think it was anything that took away from my enjoyment of the story. As for the writing style, the prologue seemed to start out very stiff and formal like the author was trying to mimic the Victorian style, but it very quickly loosened up and [to me] started to flow better.
Although the plot really took a long time to get off the ground [I feel like not very much 'happens' for the first ...3/4ths of the book], I still found it very enjoyable to read and I liked that there were elements here from Dorian Gray but it wasn't just a straightforward gender-swapped retelling and managed to weave a very interesting and unique story. Also I really enjoyed all of the characters - even though I didn't necessarily always like them. I think one of the strong points of this book is that the characters are all very real and have their own flaws and weaknesses and there are a lot of shades of gray surrounding who is the 'bad guy' etc. It was definitely an interesting read, even though the technical plot was a long time coming.
I think how you feel about this book will depend on how much you like historical fiction and also how important it is to you that everything is 'accurate'. I don't read a lot of historical fiction but I do enjoy it on occasion, although really I prefer the writing style to be a bit more modern even on things set in the past. I know I saw a few reviews floating around here complaining that the style was too modern and the characters said and mentioned a lot of things that weren't accurate to the time period. However for me it was almost TOO 'old fashioned' in the writing style, at least at first, and although I noticed a few slips up with phrases that were probably not in use at the time, overall I didn't think it was anything that took away from my enjoyment of the story. As for the writing style, the prologue seemed to start out very stiff and formal like the author was trying to mimic the Victorian style, but it very quickly loosened up and [to me] started to flow better.
Although the plot really took a long time to get off the ground [I feel like not very much 'happens' for the first ...3/4ths of the book], I still found it very enjoyable to read and I liked that there were elements here from Dorian Gray but it wasn't just a straightforward gender-swapped retelling and managed to weave a very interesting and unique story. Also I really enjoyed all of the characters - even though I didn't necessarily always like them. I think one of the strong points of this book is that the characters are all very real and have their own flaws and weaknesses and there are a lot of shades of gray surrounding who is the 'bad guy' etc. It was definitely an interesting read, even though the technical plot was a long time coming.
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