Wicked Gentlemen

by Ginn Hale

Wicked Gentlemen

book data

34 ratings, 4.06 average rating, 12 reviews (more data...)

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published

May 14th 2007 by Blind Eye Books

binding

Perfect Paperback, 222 pages

isbn

0978986113 (isbn13: 9780978986117)

description

Belimai Sykes is many things: a Prodigal, the descendant of ancient demons, a creature of dark temptations and rare powers. He is also a man with a br...more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 92)

All ratings | 5 stars (13) | 4 stars (14) | 3 stars (3) | 2 stars (4) | avg 4.06

all | this edition

LdDurham

LdDurham rated it:

02/01/08

bookshelves: general-fiction, m-m-romance

Read in February, 2008

recommended to LdDurham by: CarvedWood

This was a good one. The book has two short stories and an epilogue. At first, I was disappointed that the first story ended and we moved away from the first person POV of Belimai, but the next story was even better.
My two gripes: a fade to black in the first story (I wanted to see! I'm a voyeur) and the abrupt ending. It wasn't a bad ending, just abrupt. I loved these characters and I wanted to be eased out of their lives, not dumped out.
Best part: Ginn Hale's sensual details that pull yo...more

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

2 comments

Abbie

Abbie rated it:

11/17/08

Read in January, 2008

Wicked Gentleman is a fun book, although the title and flap-copy are misleading. The two main characters are never really at odds with each other, nor are they especially wicked. I don't think it's accurate to call it gay romance, either. If the main characters were straight, it wouldn't be called straight romance. It would just be called steam-punk gothic fantasy. The setting is a well-imaged steam-punk universe where the devils of hell have been converted to Christianity, but their ancestors l...more

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Shaun

Shaun rated it:

09/19/08

Wicked Gentlemen is a different sort of fantasy than I'm used to. It is told in two sections, each separate stories in chronological order and each in the mind of a different character. Together they tell a story of forbidden love on two levels--doubly forbidden, if you will--of corruption, bigotry, fear, and religion.

Belimai Sykes is a descendant of ancient demons--or Prodigal. Sykes has a history with the Inquisition, a religious movement that uses any force necessary to get what it wants ou...more Wicked Gentlemen is a different sort of fantasy than I'm used to. It is told in two sections, each separate stories in chronological order and each in the mind of a different character. Together they tell a story of forbidden love on two levels--doubly forbidden, if you will--of corruption, bigotry, fear, and religion.

Belimai Sykes is a descendant of ancient demons--or Prodigal. Sykes has a history with the Inquisition, a religious movement that uses any force necessary to get what it wants out of people, especially the Prodigals. Because of that history, Sykes doesn't trust any members of the Inquisition and has become a drug addict. But then Captain William Harper of the Inquisition shows up on his doorstep asking for his help. Harper is looking for his sister and the people behind several grisly murders and needs Sykes, abilities and all, to help him. And when Sykes agrees, he and Harper find out they've bitten off more than they can chew, and that their relationship might become something more than just business, which may bring more trouble than they're prepared to handle.

What's most interesting about this book is how it weaves the detective elements with unrelated issues. Sykes and Harper are both men, and in the world they live it is much like what this world is like in regards to gay relationships. Adding to that is the fact that Sykes is a demon, while Harper is a member of the highly religious Inquisition. Discrimination is certainly a theme here, on two levels, and Hale does a good job developing that so it affects the characters and the reader.

The characters--Sykes and Harper--are well developed throughout the book, which proves that someone doesn't need to write a 500-page monster to create compelling characters--if Philip K. Dick could do it, then so can the rest of us. Sykes goes through a transition with the help of Harper, but Harper goes through a transition of his own with the help of Sykes--although it should be noted that neither transition is at all intentional. I also really enjoyed the use of magic here: rather than flashy, it's controlled and select in the sense that not everyone has it--and those that do rarely abuse it either because they'll be hunted down and killed or because they just don't want to. Additionally, Hale has done a fantastic job developing this world, although there are some obvious limitations for such a short work. Hell's Below is dark and fascinating in the same way that something mysterious is. The Inquisition has all of the evil, violent elements I'd hoped for--an emotional impact for me when Syke's history was brought into the story. On the cover Wicked Gentlemen is described as steampunk, but it doesn't really have any of the elements of a steampunk novel, though it certainly has the same feel to it in its grittiness.

One thing that I felt was a little weak was how Hale did the ending. Instead of showing how all the bad guys get caught, etc. we're giving an epilogue style ending where everything has already happened and things are starting to right themselves. While I like that this is there, it makes me wonder what was happening when the truth finally got out because of Harper and Sykes. I think there is a lot to be told about this part of the story, particularly when you see who is actually involved in it. I would have liked to see what sort of threats come Harper's way, or what happens after that too. What other adventures do Harper and Sykes have? Perhaps this is just my desire for more rather than an actual complaint, though, and for a book that isn't 500 pages, you're going to want more, not because Wicked Gentlemen doesn't deliver, but because it gives you exactly what you want and once your literary thirst is quenched, you'll just want more.

Over all I was really impressed with this work. I like it when authors try to deal with issues of racism (in this case speciesism) and discrimination and issues of religion and how it can sometimes affect our lives, or try to control it, but without preaching or allowing it to control the story. Hale kept a good balance between the serious elements and humor and did a good job developing this world where demons live amongst humans, without overloading me on the worldbuilding. I hope to see more from Hale in this universe. There are some interesting characters here and plenty of good stories to be told. For being only 217-pages, this is an epic fantasy tale with the gritty, dark elements of urban fantasy and steampunk, the thrill and excitement of detective mysteries, and the intrigue of a quasi-alternate history tale....less

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Alex

Alex rated it:

09/03/08

Read in August, 2008

recommends it for: gay fiction fans

My first impression after reading this book is there must be more of the adventures of Belimai Sykes and his lover Captain William Harper. Just inside the front cover, Hale includes two maps of the world of Wicked Gentlemen; one depicting the layout of Crowncross, the Holy Capitol; and Hopetown, also called Hell’s Below. Both are elaborate and descriptive with Hopetown having the most detail, but many of the features of the maps do not figure into the novel, which is actually two shor...more

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Nicolle

Nicolle rated it:

04/04/08

Read in December, 2007

"Wicked Gentlemen" is the perfect dark fairytale. A cross between steampunk and slash and oddly, for me, the Sherlock Holmes stories (maybe it was all the descriptions of Victorian style drawing rooms). From page one I was hooked, instantly drawn into Belimai and Harper's world, with the gestapo-esque Inquistioners, the horrific prayer engines, the nightmare landscape of Hell's Below and the promise of an illicit love affair.

All the ingredients of a good read were there for me, wel...more

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Jin

Jin rated it:

11/15/08

bookshelves: gay-romance, sci-fi-fantasy

A dark and gloomy setting but a story that is warm and touching. Interesting characters, made that much more likable for their imperfections. Decent plot, though it's more a backdrop for the story than its main focus. Elegant, descriptive writing. The two things keeping me from giving it a full 5/5 are that a) it felt a little detached to me (emotions were not conveyed very well), and 2) I would've liked to have seen more of their first couple of months together (the time-skipped bit between the...more

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Josh

Josh rated it:

10/19/08

It's a long time since I've relished a book this much -- or had that sense of having lost myself in another world. Hale's marvellous creation of a Barrie-esque AU England and her wonderful characters held me spell-bound for an entire evening. I was very sorry when it ended as I could have followed the adventures of Captain Harper and Belimai Sykes very contentedly for another 300 pages.

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Catherine

Catherine rated it:

10/12/08

Just read this one on the way back from the Spectrum Awards where it won for Best Novel. I really enjoyed this quirky steampunk love story. The world-building held up well and I'd like to spend more time with the characters.Looking forward to seeing more from this author.

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linnea

linnea rated it:

01/19/08

Read in January, 2008

Interesting ideas, executed mediocrely. Her prose is workman-like, and she's much better at writing action an intrigue than people's emotions. Lots of telling rather than showing.

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Anne

Anne rated it:

01/24/08

Read in January, 2008

What an intriguing premise! Too bad the author wasn't able to really develop the characters or, well, the story into anything substantial.

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Kelly

Kelly marked it as to-read

07/17/08

bookshelves: to-read

Well, doesn't this look like a lush little slice of fun?

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Jet

Jet rated it:

09/02/08

Beautiful writing!

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Ally

Ally marked it as to-read

01/07/09

bookshelves: to-read

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Guenevere

Guenevere marked it as to-read

01/06/09

bookshelves: to-read

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Greg

Greg is currently reading it

01/05/09

bookshelves: currently-reading, fantasy

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Camille

Camille added it

12/30/08

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Jc marked it as to-read

12/10/08

bookshelves: to-read

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Sara

Sara rated it:

12/09/08

bookshelves: fantasy-sci-fi, queer

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Emily

Emily marked it as to-read

12/09/08

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Bee

Bee marked it as to-read

12/08/08

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quotes from this book

"I'm so glad to be grouped with the men you've seen in rotten shape. My hope is that someday I will reach the pinnacle of that appalling list." More quotes...