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The Apollonian Case Files #1
The Lazarus Gate
London, 1890. Captain John Hardwick, an embittered army veteran and opium addict, is released from captivity in Burma and returns home, only to be recruited by a mysterious gentlemen’s club to combat a supernatural threat to the British Empire.
This is the tale of a secret war between parallel universes, between reality and the supernatural; a war waged relentlessly by an elite group of agents; unsung heroes, whose efforts can never be acknowledged, but by whose sacrifice we are all kept safe.
This is the tale of a secret war between parallel universes, between reality and the supernatural; a war waged relentlessly by an elite group of agents; unsung heroes, whose efforts can never be acknowledged, but by whose sacrifice we are all kept safe.
400 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2015
32 people are currently reading
1203 people want to read
About the author
Mark A. Latham
35 books140 followersMark A. Latham is a writer, editor, history nerd, proud dogfather, frustrated grunge singer and amateur baker from Staffordshire, UK. An immigrant to rural Nottinghamshire, he lives in a very old house (sadly not haunted), and is still regarded in the village as a foreigner.
Formerly the editor of Games Workshop’s White Dwarf magazine, Mark designs tabletop games, and is an author of strange, fantastical and macabre tales.
Formerly the editor of Games Workshop’s White Dwarf magazine, Mark designs tabletop games, and is an author of strange, fantastical and macabre tales.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
April 19, 2018
A science fiction tale about an opium addicted former-soldier and a mystery that could doom the whole world.
"I have learned, this past year, what fear truly is, and I doubt if I shall ever sleep well again knowing it. This then, is my story; the true and honest testimony of John Hardwick." pg 14, ebook
John Hardwick suffered in Burma for Queen and country. When he returns to London, there's a series of mysterious bombings. He is recruited for a secret society of gentlemen spies because of his fortitude.
"If you can do those things, thing you can help fight a different sort of war. One fought in secret, and one that we must win if the stability of Great Britain and the Empire is to endure." pg 34, ebook.
The Lazarus Gate is a fun story full of unexpected twists and turns.
I felt it dragged in the middle and was confusing at times, but overall, it is a different spin on the steampunk genre.
Because of my job, I got a laugh at this description of reporters: "I speak, madam, of the gutter press, the penny-a-liners, looking for some sensationalist expose for their illustrated rags. ... They do not seek to portray your profession in an honest light; merely to misrepresent you in order to print some scandalous claptrap in the Sunday papers." pg 71, ebook.
Scandalous claptrap! Heaven forbid.
I liked the character of John Hardwick until the end of the book, when he took a course of action that I felt didn't fit with his overall character.
"If he was a charlatan, he was deeply entrenched in his own delusion; for my part, I believed that whatever pain he himself was feeling, it was genuine." pg 125, ebook.
Hardwick was flawed, but had a true moral compass.
If you chance to pick this one up, let me know what you think.
Recommended for fans of sci fi and Victorian-era mysteries.
"I have learned, this past year, what fear truly is, and I doubt if I shall ever sleep well again knowing it. This then, is my story; the true and honest testimony of John Hardwick." pg 14, ebook
John Hardwick suffered in Burma for Queen and country. When he returns to London, there's a series of mysterious bombings. He is recruited for a secret society of gentlemen spies because of his fortitude.
"If you can do those things, thing you can help fight a different sort of war. One fought in secret, and one that we must win if the stability of Great Britain and the Empire is to endure." pg 34, ebook.
The Lazarus Gate is a fun story full of unexpected twists and turns.
I felt it dragged in the middle and was confusing at times, but overall, it is a different spin on the steampunk genre.
Because of my job, I got a laugh at this description of reporters: "I speak, madam, of the gutter press, the penny-a-liners, looking for some sensationalist expose for their illustrated rags. ... They do not seek to portray your profession in an honest light; merely to misrepresent you in order to print some scandalous claptrap in the Sunday papers." pg 71, ebook.
Scandalous claptrap! Heaven forbid.
I liked the character of John Hardwick until the end of the book, when he took a course of action that I felt didn't fit with his overall character.
"If he was a charlatan, he was deeply entrenched in his own delusion; for my part, I believed that whatever pain he himself was feeling, it was genuine." pg 125, ebook.
Hardwick was flawed, but had a true moral compass.
If you chance to pick this one up, let me know what you think.
Recommended for fans of sci fi and Victorian-era mysteries.
October 18, 2015
Originally published at Risingshadow.
Mark A. Latham's exciting and richly told novel, The Lazarus Gate, was a most pleasant surprise for me. It's an exceptionally entertaining novel that combines many different elements in an amazing way. It's a veritable page turner that may cause temporary literary addiction, because it hooks the reader from the start and almost forces the reader to stay up until morning, trying to finish it as fast as possible to find out how the story ends.
When I began to read this novel I didn't know what to expect from it, because I'd only heard a few things about it and was mostly unaware of its contents. I found myself enjoying the story very much, because it was a gripping and genuinely intriguing story with many twists.
To be honest, entertainment-wise this novel is one of the best and most compelling novels I've read this year, because it's first-rate entertainment with plenty of style. It's also one of the best Victorian speculative fiction novels I've ever read due to the fact that the characterisation is good and the author knows how to create an excellent atmosphere. Many Victorian speculative fiction novels have been written during the recent years, but this kind of well-researched, fluently written and entertaining novels are unfortunately rare. This novel is a bit akin to James P. Blaylock's Langdon St. Ives novels in terms of prose, quality and storytelling. It's also slightly reminiscent of the novels written by George Mann.
The Lazarus Gate can be categorised as a fantasy novel that combines fantasy, science fiction, weird science, horror and gothic elements with a dash of Sherlock Holmes. It reads like a fantastical blend of Charles Dickens and Sherlock Holmes.
Mark A. Latham blends different elements in a superb way and creates an incredibly fresh story that's full of surprises and twists. When you begin to read this novel, you'll notice that it has clearly been written out of love for storytelling, because it feels exciting and fresh.
Here's information about the story:
- The prologue: Sergeant Clegg is pursuing anarchists who are responsible for an explosion. When the policemen are about to arrest the anarchists, they disappear and only a body of a man with a mutilated hand is found... Captain John Hardwick is being held captive by Burmese rebels. He is released from the Burmese prison... The Artist has finished painting his latest works and sends his servant on an errand. He also feeds his pets...
- John Hardwick returns home, escorted by Captain James Denny. He doesn't know where to live or what to do, because he hasn't had a chance to think about financial matters. He organises his life and gets a message from Sir Toby Fitzwilliam to meet him at the Apollonian Club. He meets Sir Toby who asks him to join a group of investigators to fight a secret war (the group represents various government agencies). He accepts the proposition and joins the group.
- John Hardwick begins to investigate the dynamite incidents. The mysterious people in black seem to plague the city and nobody knows anything about them, except that they are always near the explosions. Soon Hardwick finds out that the mysterious happenings may be connected to parallel universes and the dynamiters may not be from our world...
This the beginning of a wonderfully written story that's full of entertainment, adventure and surprises.
The story flows fluently and effortlessly from start to the amazing finish without any kind of problems. I appreciate it that the author takes his time to introduce the protagonist and the happenings to readers. It's great that he doesn't rush things, but lets the story unfold in a natural and compelling way.
The Lazarus Gate is Captain John Hardwick's story and it is told by him. His personal and distinct voice makes the story interesting, because he has his own views about many things. He also makes his own conclusions about certain things.
John Hardwick is a fascinating and well-created protagonist, because he's a retired army captain who has an opium addiction. Duty, honour and loyalty mean a lot him, because has served in the army. He's a resourceful man who doesn't give up easily when he's interested in something. He has to think about where his loyalties lie, because he has to be loyal to the army and also to the group of men he's working for. His courage and loyalty are tested when he begins to investigate the explosions.
Hardwick's opium addiction is handled well. He was given opium in the Burmese prison and has ever since been addicted to it. He has been cured from his addiction, but he still craves opium. The author writes well about the protagonist's feelings about his addiction and how disgusted he is by his weakness.
Hardwick's brutal experiences at the Burmese prison camp have had quite an impact on his life. He is still haunted by what happened there, because he was tortured and treated in a brutal and inhuman manner. Although he was kept alive, he was treated horribly and suffered a lot.
I enjoyed reading about John Hardwick's personal life and his family relations. It was especially enjoyable to read about his father and what kind of secrets were revealed about him. It was also interesting to read about his sister and her fate.
I also enjoyed reading about Hardwick's detective work and adventures, because his work took him to the streets of London and to such notorious and sinister places as opium dens. He was like a fish out of water in London, because he hadn't been there for a long time. He found himself a bit lost in the middle of dynamiters, gangsters, gentlemen, officers, psychics, thieves, murderers and gypsies. It was enjoyable to read about his investigations, because he met different kinds of people and visited many places.
The author writes vividly about the secondary characters. For example, Ambrose Hanlocke - a member of Sir Toby's group - is described as a likeable rogue in a splendid way. The author writes charmingly about him and his traits and shows how boldly he uses the club and its services. Rosanna is also a well-created character, because she's an approriately mysterious gypsy woman who has the gift of Sight. She helps Hardwick in her own unique way.
What happened between Hardwick and Rosanna was handled exceptionally well. The author wrote realistically about Hardwick's feelings and his difficult situation. Hardwick had to think about many things when he met Rosanna and found her attractive, because his life had changed, but he still had duties that needed to be taken care of. His feelings were explored in a convincing way.
There are many surprises and scenes in this novel that will delight readers. I won't go into details about them in order to avoid writing spoilers, but I'll mention that John Hardwick has quite an adventure ahead of him when he begins to investigate things and meets the Artist. His life changes in many ways during the investigations.
Mark A. Latham writes fascinatingly about the war between parallel universes. It was interesting to read about the Othersiders and their society, because their world was similar yet different from our world. Their world was led by an enigmatic dictator called Lazarus who was sworn to lead his people to salvation from the growing esoteric threat that was about to destroy everything. The Othersiders were afraid of the demons that lurked behind the veil, because they were breaking through, and the scientists were having problems with ghostly manifestations and violent explosions of pure chaos (the spiritualists paved the way for these incidents by contacting the dead).
The Apollonian Club plays an important part in the story, because John Hardwick is invited there to join a secret group of agents. The author's descriptions of the club and its members are delightfully vivid. Reading about what happened at the club and how the agents worked together was interesting, because the author seemed to have thought of all the necessary details. Everything felt genuine and believable.
The meeting between John Hardwick and the Artist is an excellent scene. What happens between these two characters is fascinating and brutal. It was interesting to read about the Artist's talents and his pets, because he was an extraordinary man with a talent for painting the future on canvas. He had terrifyingly deformed pets, which he kept alive by feeding meat to them.
There's an authentic and realistic atmosphere in this novel, because the author has a fantastic sense of time and style. He writes beautifully about the places and different people. He pays a lot of attention to minor details and also to certain historical details, but manages to keep the story light and entertaining. His descriptions of the different places are so vivid and vibrant that when you read about them, you can almost feel like you're in Victorian London.
There's also an intriguing sense of impending doom in this novel. The author writes surprisingly well about what the agents do to prevent the threat of the Othersiders and in what kind of trouble they find themselves when they try to do their work. The threat of the Othersiders is real and the agents have to do their best to save the world. The ending of this novel reveals how great the threat is and offers readers an astonishingly macabre sight with weirdness that has a Lovecraftian feel to it.
One of the best thing about this novel is that Mark A. Latham writes fluently about what kind of dangers and risks are involved in travelling between parallel universes. He writes realistically about what can happen to people when something goes wrong, because the consequences can be terrifying and unexpected.
I also want to mention that it's good that the protagonist isn't invincible, but just as vulnerable as any other man. He bleeds and suffers like other men, and he has his own problems and hardships. He also faces treacheries during his work.
If you're fascinated by British English and Victorian way of life, you're in for a treat when you begin to read this novel. You most likely won't be able to resist the lure of this novel, but will be totally hooked by it, because Mark A. Latham uses old sayings, experssions and words to emphasise the Victorian atmosphere and way of life. This is great, because it adds a touch of realism to the story that is lacking from several similar kind of novels. I think that readers will be delighted to read about such words as hansom, penny dreadful, Black Maria etc, because they're seldom found in speculative fiction novels.
There's wonderfully dry and witty British humour in this novel that I found charming. It's nice that the author has managed to add a bit of humour to his story, because it lightens the story in a fantastic way and makes it even more entertaining.
I look forward to reading more stories and novels by Mark A. Latham, because he's a talented wordsmith who writes entertaining speculative fiction. He's a good and passionate storyteller who has plenty of imagination. By the way, if you enjoy this novel and find it interesting, you'll be pleased to know that the second novel will be published during autumn 2016.
Mark A. Latham's The Lazarus Gate is an excellent historical speculative fiction novel to readers who love good mystery, adventure and fantasy stories. If you enjoy reading Victorian speculative fiction, this novel will impress you. I was personally very impressed by this novel and the author's storytelling skills, so all I can say is: More, please!
Excellent entertainment!
Mark A. Latham's exciting and richly told novel, The Lazarus Gate, was a most pleasant surprise for me. It's an exceptionally entertaining novel that combines many different elements in an amazing way. It's a veritable page turner that may cause temporary literary addiction, because it hooks the reader from the start and almost forces the reader to stay up until morning, trying to finish it as fast as possible to find out how the story ends.
When I began to read this novel I didn't know what to expect from it, because I'd only heard a few things about it and was mostly unaware of its contents. I found myself enjoying the story very much, because it was a gripping and genuinely intriguing story with many twists.
To be honest, entertainment-wise this novel is one of the best and most compelling novels I've read this year, because it's first-rate entertainment with plenty of style. It's also one of the best Victorian speculative fiction novels I've ever read due to the fact that the characterisation is good and the author knows how to create an excellent atmosphere. Many Victorian speculative fiction novels have been written during the recent years, but this kind of well-researched, fluently written and entertaining novels are unfortunately rare. This novel is a bit akin to James P. Blaylock's Langdon St. Ives novels in terms of prose, quality and storytelling. It's also slightly reminiscent of the novels written by George Mann.
The Lazarus Gate can be categorised as a fantasy novel that combines fantasy, science fiction, weird science, horror and gothic elements with a dash of Sherlock Holmes. It reads like a fantastical blend of Charles Dickens and Sherlock Holmes.
Mark A. Latham blends different elements in a superb way and creates an incredibly fresh story that's full of surprises and twists. When you begin to read this novel, you'll notice that it has clearly been written out of love for storytelling, because it feels exciting and fresh.
Here's information about the story:
- The prologue: Sergeant Clegg is pursuing anarchists who are responsible for an explosion. When the policemen are about to arrest the anarchists, they disappear and only a body of a man with a mutilated hand is found... Captain John Hardwick is being held captive by Burmese rebels. He is released from the Burmese prison... The Artist has finished painting his latest works and sends his servant on an errand. He also feeds his pets...
- John Hardwick returns home, escorted by Captain James Denny. He doesn't know where to live or what to do, because he hasn't had a chance to think about financial matters. He organises his life and gets a message from Sir Toby Fitzwilliam to meet him at the Apollonian Club. He meets Sir Toby who asks him to join a group of investigators to fight a secret war (the group represents various government agencies). He accepts the proposition and joins the group.
- John Hardwick begins to investigate the dynamite incidents. The mysterious people in black seem to plague the city and nobody knows anything about them, except that they are always near the explosions. Soon Hardwick finds out that the mysterious happenings may be connected to parallel universes and the dynamiters may not be from our world...
This the beginning of a wonderfully written story that's full of entertainment, adventure and surprises.
The story flows fluently and effortlessly from start to the amazing finish without any kind of problems. I appreciate it that the author takes his time to introduce the protagonist and the happenings to readers. It's great that he doesn't rush things, but lets the story unfold in a natural and compelling way.
The Lazarus Gate is Captain John Hardwick's story and it is told by him. His personal and distinct voice makes the story interesting, because he has his own views about many things. He also makes his own conclusions about certain things.
John Hardwick is a fascinating and well-created protagonist, because he's a retired army captain who has an opium addiction. Duty, honour and loyalty mean a lot him, because has served in the army. He's a resourceful man who doesn't give up easily when he's interested in something. He has to think about where his loyalties lie, because he has to be loyal to the army and also to the group of men he's working for. His courage and loyalty are tested when he begins to investigate the explosions.
Hardwick's opium addiction is handled well. He was given opium in the Burmese prison and has ever since been addicted to it. He has been cured from his addiction, but he still craves opium. The author writes well about the protagonist's feelings about his addiction and how disgusted he is by his weakness.
Hardwick's brutal experiences at the Burmese prison camp have had quite an impact on his life. He is still haunted by what happened there, because he was tortured and treated in a brutal and inhuman manner. Although he was kept alive, he was treated horribly and suffered a lot.
I enjoyed reading about John Hardwick's personal life and his family relations. It was especially enjoyable to read about his father and what kind of secrets were revealed about him. It was also interesting to read about his sister and her fate.
I also enjoyed reading about Hardwick's detective work and adventures, because his work took him to the streets of London and to such notorious and sinister places as opium dens. He was like a fish out of water in London, because he hadn't been there for a long time. He found himself a bit lost in the middle of dynamiters, gangsters, gentlemen, officers, psychics, thieves, murderers and gypsies. It was enjoyable to read about his investigations, because he met different kinds of people and visited many places.
The author writes vividly about the secondary characters. For example, Ambrose Hanlocke - a member of Sir Toby's group - is described as a likeable rogue in a splendid way. The author writes charmingly about him and his traits and shows how boldly he uses the club and its services. Rosanna is also a well-created character, because she's an approriately mysterious gypsy woman who has the gift of Sight. She helps Hardwick in her own unique way.
What happened between Hardwick and Rosanna was handled exceptionally well. The author wrote realistically about Hardwick's feelings and his difficult situation. Hardwick had to think about many things when he met Rosanna and found her attractive, because his life had changed, but he still had duties that needed to be taken care of. His feelings were explored in a convincing way.
There are many surprises and scenes in this novel that will delight readers. I won't go into details about them in order to avoid writing spoilers, but I'll mention that John Hardwick has quite an adventure ahead of him when he begins to investigate things and meets the Artist. His life changes in many ways during the investigations.
Mark A. Latham writes fascinatingly about the war between parallel universes. It was interesting to read about the Othersiders and their society, because their world was similar yet different from our world. Their world was led by an enigmatic dictator called Lazarus who was sworn to lead his people to salvation from the growing esoteric threat that was about to destroy everything. The Othersiders were afraid of the demons that lurked behind the veil, because they were breaking through, and the scientists were having problems with ghostly manifestations and violent explosions of pure chaos (the spiritualists paved the way for these incidents by contacting the dead).
The Apollonian Club plays an important part in the story, because John Hardwick is invited there to join a secret group of agents. The author's descriptions of the club and its members are delightfully vivid. Reading about what happened at the club and how the agents worked together was interesting, because the author seemed to have thought of all the necessary details. Everything felt genuine and believable.
The meeting between John Hardwick and the Artist is an excellent scene. What happens between these two characters is fascinating and brutal. It was interesting to read about the Artist's talents and his pets, because he was an extraordinary man with a talent for painting the future on canvas. He had terrifyingly deformed pets, which he kept alive by feeding meat to them.
There's an authentic and realistic atmosphere in this novel, because the author has a fantastic sense of time and style. He writes beautifully about the places and different people. He pays a lot of attention to minor details and also to certain historical details, but manages to keep the story light and entertaining. His descriptions of the different places are so vivid and vibrant that when you read about them, you can almost feel like you're in Victorian London.
There's also an intriguing sense of impending doom in this novel. The author writes surprisingly well about what the agents do to prevent the threat of the Othersiders and in what kind of trouble they find themselves when they try to do their work. The threat of the Othersiders is real and the agents have to do their best to save the world. The ending of this novel reveals how great the threat is and offers readers an astonishingly macabre sight with weirdness that has a Lovecraftian feel to it.
One of the best thing about this novel is that Mark A. Latham writes fluently about what kind of dangers and risks are involved in travelling between parallel universes. He writes realistically about what can happen to people when something goes wrong, because the consequences can be terrifying and unexpected.
I also want to mention that it's good that the protagonist isn't invincible, but just as vulnerable as any other man. He bleeds and suffers like other men, and he has his own problems and hardships. He also faces treacheries during his work.
If you're fascinated by British English and Victorian way of life, you're in for a treat when you begin to read this novel. You most likely won't be able to resist the lure of this novel, but will be totally hooked by it, because Mark A. Latham uses old sayings, experssions and words to emphasise the Victorian atmosphere and way of life. This is great, because it adds a touch of realism to the story that is lacking from several similar kind of novels. I think that readers will be delighted to read about such words as hansom, penny dreadful, Black Maria etc, because they're seldom found in speculative fiction novels.
There's wonderfully dry and witty British humour in this novel that I found charming. It's nice that the author has managed to add a bit of humour to his story, because it lightens the story in a fantastic way and makes it even more entertaining.
I look forward to reading more stories and novels by Mark A. Latham, because he's a talented wordsmith who writes entertaining speculative fiction. He's a good and passionate storyteller who has plenty of imagination. By the way, if you enjoy this novel and find it interesting, you'll be pleased to know that the second novel will be published during autumn 2016.
Mark A. Latham's The Lazarus Gate is an excellent historical speculative fiction novel to readers who love good mystery, adventure and fantasy stories. If you enjoy reading Victorian speculative fiction, this novel will impress you. I was personally very impressed by this novel and the author's storytelling skills, so all I can say is: More, please!
Excellent entertainment!
November 9, 2016
My biggest problem with this book is that John Hardwick is so not the right person to be a spy. He's naive, too trusting, loyal to a fault, an opium addict (though he is trying to fight this) and suffering from PTSD. Heck he hasn't been back a week from 6 months of being tortured when he is "recruited". So I struggled to believe that this super-secret spy agency picked him to fight the good fight. Just seemed to me that a spy agency would have been better at choosing it's agents.
I liked John, in the beginning, and then his character started doing things that went against the character created for him and I found this annoying. I liked the premise but unfortunately the writing didn't match up to the ideal. Definitely not a series I would continue.
I liked John, in the beginning, and then his character started doing things that went against the character created for him and I found this annoying. I liked the premise but unfortunately the writing didn't match up to the ideal. Definitely not a series I would continue.
April 5, 2016
2.5 stars.
Starts well, with some convincing descriptions of late Victorian London, but then it starts to suffer from some heavy-handedness. Plot lurches forward in fits and starts with characters providing huge chunks of exposition. Some previously unmentioned magical or supernatural device appears to get things out of a corner (a classic problem in certain fantasy fiction; even JK Rowling makes up new spells when things get stuck). The main character suddenly exhibits abilities it's hard to believe they could have mustered or mastered. And Latham can't help himself with repetitive use of some cliched turns of phrase.
And much of the action plays out in a cinematic, not literary, way. I can relate to this one, as I've been guilty of it in my own attempts at fiction. Our generation is so informed by big screen SF and fantasy, it's hard not to visualise things in those terms.
But overall it's reasonably fun, especially if you like Victoriana and multiversal fiction. In those terms, it fits in with a subgenre along things like elements of Michael Moorcock, Bryan Talbot's Adventures of Luther Arkwright, Warren Ellis's Sliding Albion in The Authority, Vol. 1: Relentless, and it's even reminiscent of His Dark Materials, sharing (borrowing?) elements such as dimensional doors beneath the aurora borealis, heroic gypsies, etc.
So yeah, I'm happy with it subgenre wise and it romps along entertainingly, but it probably needed another draft or two to hone out some of the more laboured or cliched points.
Starts well, with some convincing descriptions of late Victorian London, but then it starts to suffer from some heavy-handedness. Plot lurches forward in fits and starts with characters providing huge chunks of exposition. Some previously unmentioned magical or supernatural device appears to get things out of a corner (a classic problem in certain fantasy fiction; even JK Rowling makes up new spells when things get stuck). The main character suddenly exhibits abilities it's hard to believe they could have mustered or mastered. And Latham can't help himself with repetitive use of some cliched turns of phrase.
And much of the action plays out in a cinematic, not literary, way. I can relate to this one, as I've been guilty of it in my own attempts at fiction. Our generation is so informed by big screen SF and fantasy, it's hard not to visualise things in those terms.
But overall it's reasonably fun, especially if you like Victoriana and multiversal fiction. In those terms, it fits in with a subgenre along things like elements of Michael Moorcock, Bryan Talbot's Adventures of Luther Arkwright, Warren Ellis's Sliding Albion in The Authority, Vol. 1: Relentless, and it's even reminiscent of His Dark Materials, sharing (borrowing?) elements such as dimensional doors beneath the aurora borealis, heroic gypsies, etc.
So yeah, I'm happy with it subgenre wise and it romps along entertainingly, but it probably needed another draft or two to hone out some of the more laboured or cliched points.
August 1, 2021
DNF'd @ 50%
The Lazarus Gate (The Apollonian Case Files #1) by Mark A. Latham started off so well, but it lost me pretty quickly about a third of the way through. The main character just wasn't working for me. Given how much I enjoyed his Sherlock Holmes novel The Red Tower, this was very disappointing. I'm not going to be back for the rest of this series, but I would like to try his other Sherlock Holmes book, A Betrayal in Blood.
The Lazarus Gate (The Apollonian Case Files #1) by Mark A. Latham started off so well, but it lost me pretty quickly about a third of the way through. The main character just wasn't working for me. Given how much I enjoyed his Sherlock Holmes novel The Red Tower, this was very disappointing. I'm not going to be back for the rest of this series, but I would like to try his other Sherlock Holmes book, A Betrayal in Blood.
December 15, 2022
If you take Watson from Sherlock Holmes, combine it with with the show Fringe, and sprinkle in a hint of Lovecraft you get this novel. This is a hard novel to explain but I loved it.
The writing is well done. I loved the use of Victorian terms, I had to look most of them up, it made the setting feel more authentic. It made getting in to the story easier and more interesting.
The characters were also well done. They felt like real people that could have existed. They had their own distinct voices too. The main character, John Hardwick, was very flawed and cleverly so. He was flawed in a very likable way, a related way. He reminded me of John Watson from Sherlock Holmes. Although he had Holmes addictions. The fact that the addiction was forced on him made his character even more interesting. You read about characters choosing to do a drug and getting addicted but he did not choose to take opium. It was forced upon him and now he has to struggle with over coming the urges.
This book was full of twist, subtle but addicting twists. I'm not sure if that makes any sense, I hope it does. The plot was intriguing from the very start and got better and better as it went along. One of my favorite parts was when they were trying to explain the concept of a parallel world in Victorian terms/language. The writing was also very good. It flowed well and never felt difficult to read.
Over all this was just a wonderful book. I liked everything about it, and i can't think of a single thing I disliked. Also this book falls in to my guilty pleasure reads. Any book set in Victorian era, with a mystery are addicting for me. And throw in supernatural elements even better. But a parallel world is like adding five cherries on top. I highly recommend this book. And I very much look forward to the next book!
The writing is well done. I loved the use of Victorian terms, I had to look most of them up, it made the setting feel more authentic. It made getting in to the story easier and more interesting.
The characters were also well done. They felt like real people that could have existed. They had their own distinct voices too. The main character, John Hardwick, was very flawed and cleverly so. He was flawed in a very likable way, a related way. He reminded me of John Watson from Sherlock Holmes. Although he had Holmes addictions. The fact that the addiction was forced on him made his character even more interesting. You read about characters choosing to do a drug and getting addicted but he did not choose to take opium. It was forced upon him and now he has to struggle with over coming the urges.
This book was full of twist, subtle but addicting twists. I'm not sure if that makes any sense, I hope it does. The plot was intriguing from the very start and got better and better as it went along. One of my favorite parts was when they were trying to explain the concept of a parallel world in Victorian terms/language. The writing was also very good. It flowed well and never felt difficult to read.
Over all this was just a wonderful book. I liked everything about it, and i can't think of a single thing I disliked. Also this book falls in to my guilty pleasure reads. Any book set in Victorian era, with a mystery are addicting for me. And throw in supernatural elements even better. But a parallel world is like adding five cherries on top. I highly recommend this book. And I very much look forward to the next book!
July 1, 2016
Overall it was interesting enough that it hooked me in the first chapters. However, towards the end I found the main character insufferable and the ending itself...seemed rather lacking and bothered me.
March 2, 2016
Really enjoyed this book until the ending. Hated the ending, plus if there is a 2nd book the villain is totally justified in all the bad she does, and I will be hoping she defeats the protagonist.
January 4, 2016
And I couldn't finish it, sadly. I got to the middle and it took such a radically different direction that I decided that life is too short to read rubbish.
May 22, 2017
I liked this book. We read it for our May book club book and we both enjoyed it. Yeah, it's a two-man book club. But we both liked it well enough that we're going to read the sequel, The Iscariot Sanction. Do I think it's the best book I have ever read? No. The best book I have read this year? Nope. I do love the Victorian London setting, which is why I chose it to begin with. The characters are decent. That Ambrose fellow was obnoxious, but there's one in every group. I enjoyed the multi-universe theme and the idea of everyone having a duplicate in the other universes. Strange, but interesting all the same. I almost only gave it three stars but I was on the upper end of 3.5 so I went with four. It could have used some stronger writing. We'll see how the next book plays out as per the book cover, it appears to be a prequel to the first.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2017
Alternate universe trying to take over our earth. Set in Victorian England. Very well done.
March 30, 2019
1st in this great fantasy series. Lots of plot twists
Read
June 11, 2019I'm sorry to say that this book moved exceedingly slow for me. I found some parts I read uninteresting and finally bailed. Perhaps this author or genre is not for me, I don't know.
September 12, 2017
See my other reviews at Never Enough Books
Captain John Hardwick fought for King and Country in a dozen different countries. Captured and held in Burma, his release is unexpected as is the subsequent recruitment by a mysterious gentlemen’s club. The club battles the forces of the supernatural that pose a threat not only to England but to the world as well and Hardwick is their newest member.
Dangerous explosions have rocked the city of London, the perpetrators seeming to disappear as quickly as they appear. Some believe the bombings to be random, others attribute them to less than savory groups run amok; yet others believe the truth to be far different. And far more dangerous.
I have always enjoyed books set in the Victorian age, whether they are factual or fantasy based. I can pretty much guarantee that if the book says it’s set in the Victorian age, I will give it a read. The Lazarus Gate was no exception. I had heard of the author Mark Latham before but had never read one of his books before, until now. And once again I was pleasantly pleased with what I found.
We are introduced to Captain Hardwick just as he is being released from his Burma prison. When he returns to London, things seem almost too perfect as he is immediately able to find lodgings and even a job. Captain Hardwick questions his good luck almost immediately and it is this ceaseless questioning that serves him as he is assigned to the most recent spate of bombings. Many of his peers in the club take the events at face value but Hardwick believes there is something more. Something beneath the surface and he finds he is not far from the truth.
Too many details will of course give the ending away, and that would spoil all the fun. Mr. Latham does an excellent job of leading the reader down one lane of thinking, making them believe they know the who and the how of what happens next, only to have the truth be something quite different. Several times I thought I knew how the scene would play out only to be surprised.
Lush descriptions of the city and surrounding countryside truly bring the setting of the story to life. The prose is evocative of novels from the Victorian era itself, being both gritty and fanciful. I found the beginning a little slow but once the action really started I found it difficult to put the book down.
While this is the first book in a series, it easily can stand on its own as a single novel. The ending is done in a way that even if the reader does not pick up the second book they are not left feeling at loose ends. Plot threads are tied up neatly enough but little pieces are left for a second or third book to explore.
Fast paced and nicely written, I enjoyed The Lazarus Gate. Fans of sci-fi and fantasy type genres will want to give this one a read.
Captain John Hardwick fought for King and Country in a dozen different countries. Captured and held in Burma, his release is unexpected as is the subsequent recruitment by a mysterious gentlemen’s club. The club battles the forces of the supernatural that pose a threat not only to England but to the world as well and Hardwick is their newest member.
Dangerous explosions have rocked the city of London, the perpetrators seeming to disappear as quickly as they appear. Some believe the bombings to be random, others attribute them to less than savory groups run amok; yet others believe the truth to be far different. And far more dangerous.
I have always enjoyed books set in the Victorian age, whether they are factual or fantasy based. I can pretty much guarantee that if the book says it’s set in the Victorian age, I will give it a read. The Lazarus Gate was no exception. I had heard of the author Mark Latham before but had never read one of his books before, until now. And once again I was pleasantly pleased with what I found.
We are introduced to Captain Hardwick just as he is being released from his Burma prison. When he returns to London, things seem almost too perfect as he is immediately able to find lodgings and even a job. Captain Hardwick questions his good luck almost immediately and it is this ceaseless questioning that serves him as he is assigned to the most recent spate of bombings. Many of his peers in the club take the events at face value but Hardwick believes there is something more. Something beneath the surface and he finds he is not far from the truth.
Too many details will of course give the ending away, and that would spoil all the fun. Mr. Latham does an excellent job of leading the reader down one lane of thinking, making them believe they know the who and the how of what happens next, only to have the truth be something quite different. Several times I thought I knew how the scene would play out only to be surprised.
Lush descriptions of the city and surrounding countryside truly bring the setting of the story to life. The prose is evocative of novels from the Victorian era itself, being both gritty and fanciful. I found the beginning a little slow but once the action really started I found it difficult to put the book down.
While this is the first book in a series, it easily can stand on its own as a single novel. The ending is done in a way that even if the reader does not pick up the second book they are not left feeling at loose ends. Plot threads are tied up neatly enough but little pieces are left for a second or third book to explore.
Fast paced and nicely written, I enjoyed The Lazarus Gate. Fans of sci-fi and fantasy type genres will want to give this one a read.
May 12, 2020
I very much wanted to like this book, as it seemed to skate close in topic and form (although it's set about 80 years later) to one of my very favorite novels, The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers. Indeed, although that book is not referenced, I can't help but feel that the author here owes a debt to Mr. Powers, even if just in terms of inspiration.
The novel, set in London in 1890, sees a disillusioned former soldier recruited by a secretive agency to fight in a war against foes from a mysterious "other Earth"--a copy of his own world, but in another dimension. The books starts off well enough--nowhere near as well written as Powers, but Latham does a fair job of scene setting and even employs the Powersian habit of poking, cutting, chopping, or shooting pieces off his hero. The story goes off the rails about one third of the way through, however, when--rather than discovering things for himself--the main character attends a briefing that basically lays the entire detail out for us: the war, the people from the other dimension, etc. etc. The remainder of the novel is patchy--some decent parts, but not enough to salvage it. Like Powers, Latham also brings in a clan of gypsies, though unlike Powers, Latham has his hero get sidetracked by a passionate gypsy beauty in a set of scenes that didn't work at all.
The final showdown is also less than perfectly done. It takes place on a ship that's emerging from a dimensional gateway on the River Thames, but there's FAR too much action crammed in to the short time it would take the ship to cross the barrier (or maybe it was just a very, very, very long ship, I dunno).
Overall, it's not a terrible start--there appear to be two more already published in the series--but I think it would have benefited greatly from the direction of a good editor who might have helped the author to better shape the story. I'll put it down as a missed opportunity, but I may give Part II a go and see if the shaky start turns into something worthy.
The novel, set in London in 1890, sees a disillusioned former soldier recruited by a secretive agency to fight in a war against foes from a mysterious "other Earth"--a copy of his own world, but in another dimension. The books starts off well enough--nowhere near as well written as Powers, but Latham does a fair job of scene setting and even employs the Powersian habit of poking, cutting, chopping, or shooting pieces off his hero. The story goes off the rails about one third of the way through, however, when--rather than discovering things for himself--the main character attends a briefing that basically lays the entire detail out for us: the war, the people from the other dimension, etc. etc. The remainder of the novel is patchy--some decent parts, but not enough to salvage it. Like Powers, Latham also brings in a clan of gypsies, though unlike Powers, Latham has his hero get sidetracked by a passionate gypsy beauty in a set of scenes that didn't work at all.
The final showdown is also less than perfectly done. It takes place on a ship that's emerging from a dimensional gateway on the River Thames, but there's FAR too much action crammed in to the short time it would take the ship to cross the barrier (or maybe it was just a very, very, very long ship, I dunno).
Overall, it's not a terrible start--there appear to be two more already published in the series--but I think it would have benefited greatly from the direction of a good editor who might have helped the author to better shape the story. I'll put it down as a missed opportunity, but I may give Part II a go and see if the shaky start turns into something worthy.
October 11, 2015
This started with John returning from Burma. A former solider suffering from PTSD since he had been tortured and was no addicted to opium. Yeah, it was not good to be John.
The setting was Victorian London. A very nice setting for a mystery if I may add.
And the story is about John getting a new job, a case to work and sets out to solve a mystery.
A nice normal historical mystery.
Paranormal things going on you say? Poppycock. John seconds that.
*read a bit more* Right, I should have trusted that blurb. Balderdash. No, this Victorian mystery just turned weird. And by weird I mean weeeird. There is more things under the heavens than you and I know. John gets beaten, finds an unknown world. Meets new friends, and that mystery is a slippery one. He does question everything and even I turned whaat? another time- Sure threw me a surprise there.
So it is a paranormal mystery, and there is an ending. One crisis is averted, but more seems to be coming. Victorian London is not safe.
The setting was Victorian London. A very nice setting for a mystery if I may add.
And the story is about John getting a new job, a case to work and sets out to solve a mystery.
A nice normal historical mystery.
Paranormal things going on you say? Poppycock. John seconds that.
*read a bit more* Right, I should have trusted that blurb. Balderdash. No, this Victorian mystery just turned weird. And by weird I mean weeeird. There is more things under the heavens than you and I know. John gets beaten, finds an unknown world. Meets new friends, and that mystery is a slippery one. He does question everything and even I turned whaat? another time- Sure threw me a surprise there.
So it is a paranormal mystery, and there is an ending. One crisis is averted, but more seems to be coming. Victorian London is not safe.
April 28, 2019
I was really into this book for about the first 100 pages, then it took a turn that I was not particularly happy about. I'm just not a big fan of stories that involve issues that only one person can fix. It just seems a bit to contrived for a good story. Also the main character started to make some really shady, really bad decisions near the end. If this one had continued in the same vein it had started I think it would have been a lot better. I will only be reading the rest of the books in the series if I run out of other things to read and that seems highly unlikely.
May 18, 2018
So this was an interesting book. This was one of those "just looking through the shelf at the library" books. And honestly, I found myself enjoying it quite a bit.
The story itself had a pretty neat premise. There's parallel worlds and one is trying to take over ours because they screwed their own over. It's a neat premise and i found myself liking the main character.
Since this is the first book, it has a lot of world building and the main character is definitely a fish out water protagonist as we learn about this stuff as well as the secret society through him.
The language wasn't too difficult and the main character was pretty cool. I only had 2 real problems with this book. The first being about halfway through the main character is tortured and they pull out one of his eyes. I've always hated eye violence and that scene kind of made me feel uncomfortable. And it wasn't like it affected the story at all, like it was an integral part, it was just something that happened. It could have easily been removed.
The other thing was, right around the same time, he ends up being saved by a bunch of gypsies and then for about 70 pages he goes off cavorting with a group of gypsies. It basically brings the story to a screeching halt and takes a sideline into boring.
They introduce this female character who's to be the love interest and it puts the main story on hold while we have him have some visions and fall in love with this chick. It wasn't intertwined very well and felt like two separate stories.
However, i DID like how at the end, when he has to choose country or girl, he chooses his country. That was pretty awesome and why, with sitting on this book at a 3.5, i'm giving it a 4. It was different from what i was expecting and actually caught me offguard, which is hard to do with books and other media. So just for that cool twist, i bump it up.
I'm definitely going to read book 2 when i can get ahold of it. All in all, fun read, with a few stumbles along the way. 3.5/5 bumped up to a 4 for this website.
The story itself had a pretty neat premise. There's parallel worlds and one is trying to take over ours because they screwed their own over. It's a neat premise and i found myself liking the main character.
Since this is the first book, it has a lot of world building and the main character is definitely a fish out water protagonist as we learn about this stuff as well as the secret society through him.
The language wasn't too difficult and the main character was pretty cool. I only had 2 real problems with this book. The first being about halfway through the main character is tortured and they pull out one of his eyes. I've always hated eye violence and that scene kind of made me feel uncomfortable. And it wasn't like it affected the story at all, like it was an integral part, it was just something that happened. It could have easily been removed.
The other thing was, right around the same time, he ends up being saved by a bunch of gypsies and then for about 70 pages he goes off cavorting with a group of gypsies. It basically brings the story to a screeching halt and takes a sideline into boring.
They introduce this female character who's to be the love interest and it puts the main story on hold while we have him have some visions and fall in love with this chick. It wasn't intertwined very well and felt like two separate stories.
However, i DID like how at the end, when he has to choose country or girl, he chooses his country. That was pretty awesome and why, with sitting on this book at a 3.5, i'm giving it a 4. It was different from what i was expecting and actually caught me offguard, which is hard to do with books and other media. So just for that cool twist, i bump it up.
I'm definitely going to read book 2 when i can get ahold of it. All in all, fun read, with a few stumbles along the way. 3.5/5 bumped up to a 4 for this website.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2023
London, 1890.
Captain John Hardwick, a broken bitter army veteran and opium addict, is released from captivity in Burma and returns home, only to be recruited by a mysterious gentlemen’s club to combat a supernatural threat to the British Empire. The story is of a secret war between parallel universes, one ravaged by monsters, with people so desperate to flee that they Will commit whole-scale genocide of our world, to achieve this.
John Hardwick is an honourable man where duty to Queen and country are ingrained into his soul. The son of a military man - Captain Marcus Hardwick - John has lived in his father’s shadow all of his life. Throughout the story he wrestles with this and it soon becomes clear how important a part this dynamic will play.
The villains in the story, are portrayed as not purely evil, but rather desperate people trying to save themselves and this leads to them doing bad things. Their actions involve murder but at the same time, the reader is able to see the reasons for their actions.
I’m not going to write any spoilers here.
I found the story gripping from the get go! It was difficult to put the books down and I’m looking forward to the next one. The themes evolve around the Supernatural and intrigue. It’s like Gothic Horror and Steampunk meet Sherlock Holmes. There is also tragedy in the story, such as the story around the Gypsy Princess Rosanna and her sister’s, and John’s final betrayal of them. There were times I wanted to shout at John Hardwick, other times I was cheering him on.
This is a thrilling book that is captivating and intriguing. I would highly recommend this
Captain John Hardwick, a broken bitter army veteran and opium addict, is released from captivity in Burma and returns home, only to be recruited by a mysterious gentlemen’s club to combat a supernatural threat to the British Empire. The story is of a secret war between parallel universes, one ravaged by monsters, with people so desperate to flee that they Will commit whole-scale genocide of our world, to achieve this.
John Hardwick is an honourable man where duty to Queen and country are ingrained into his soul. The son of a military man - Captain Marcus Hardwick - John has lived in his father’s shadow all of his life. Throughout the story he wrestles with this and it soon becomes clear how important a part this dynamic will play.
The villains in the story, are portrayed as not purely evil, but rather desperate people trying to save themselves and this leads to them doing bad things. Their actions involve murder but at the same time, the reader is able to see the reasons for their actions.
I’m not going to write any spoilers here.
I found the story gripping from the get go! It was difficult to put the books down and I’m looking forward to the next one. The themes evolve around the Supernatural and intrigue. It’s like Gothic Horror and Steampunk meet Sherlock Holmes. There is also tragedy in the story, such as the story around the Gypsy Princess Rosanna and her sister’s, and John’s final betrayal of them. There were times I wanted to shout at John Hardwick, other times I was cheering him on.
This is a thrilling book that is captivating and intriguing. I would highly recommend this
November 25, 2020
I'm a steampunk fan and a writer myself. So when I found Latham's book, I jumped at the chance. I was at first impressed by his technical writing skills, as I'm often disappointed by published authors' inability to construct a coherent sentence. Latham knows how to write. There is no question. However, where he struggles is in the storytelling.
At just about every turn, he gives his characters the easy and predictable way out. There never seems to be any real agency or exigency behind what's happening. Additionally, he never throws them any curve balls. What the reader might expect to happen, is in fact, what happens. The characters never need work for the information they're given or their ability to progress the plot forward. It merely happens. They are carried along, like the reader, with the tide of the tale. Along the same lines, the characters make a lot of assumptions about each other or the happenings of the plot. Those assumptions 100% of the time turn out to be true, even when there is little rational or logical basis for the assumption. It is a very lazy type of writing. The author, the characters, and the reader put minimal effort in and the story seems to resolve itself almost of its own accord.
I don't think I could've been more disappointed with Latham's work and while I purchased book II of the series prior to completing book I, I don't think I'll be reading it. Back to eBay.
At just about every turn, he gives his characters the easy and predictable way out. There never seems to be any real agency or exigency behind what's happening. Additionally, he never throws them any curve balls. What the reader might expect to happen, is in fact, what happens. The characters never need work for the information they're given or their ability to progress the plot forward. It merely happens. They are carried along, like the reader, with the tide of the tale. Along the same lines, the characters make a lot of assumptions about each other or the happenings of the plot. Those assumptions 100% of the time turn out to be true, even when there is little rational or logical basis for the assumption. It is a very lazy type of writing. The author, the characters, and the reader put minimal effort in and the story seems to resolve itself almost of its own accord.
I don't think I could've been more disappointed with Latham's work and while I purchased book II of the series prior to completing book I, I don't think I'll be reading it. Back to eBay.
March 21, 2018
Well that was AWESOME.
I went in expecting a solid read in a genre I enjoy and found a completely new world filled with characters that spoke to me. The characters were rich and interesting and actually seemed to develop in ways I found logical based on the events they were living through. Additionally, for me, the pacing was spot on. The story develops organically rather than in some "blockbuster" manner that is all too frequent these days. It felt like not only a novel set in Victorian England, but also like an homage to the style of writing common to the era. The writing style of H.G. Wells in the Time Machine and War of the Worlds pop instantly to mind. Congratulations Mr. Latham since I am very aware that an author NEVER does anything by accident!
I found myself caught up in the life of Captain Hardwick--celebrating his triumphs and mourning his tragedies. I even found myself wanting him to make different choices on occasion but understanding why he made the choices he did.
The next two installments in this series will get slots on the "things I plan to read when I want something guaranteed to give me pure, effortless enjoyable reading".
You've made my short list of authors I trust to deliver quality.
I went in expecting a solid read in a genre I enjoy and found a completely new world filled with characters that spoke to me. The characters were rich and interesting and actually seemed to develop in ways I found logical based on the events they were living through. Additionally, for me, the pacing was spot on. The story develops organically rather than in some "blockbuster" manner that is all too frequent these days. It felt like not only a novel set in Victorian England, but also like an homage to the style of writing common to the era. The writing style of H.G. Wells in the Time Machine and War of the Worlds pop instantly to mind. Congratulations Mr. Latham since I am very aware that an author NEVER does anything by accident!
I found myself caught up in the life of Captain Hardwick--celebrating his triumphs and mourning his tragedies. I even found myself wanting him to make different choices on occasion but understanding why he made the choices he did.
The next two installments in this series will get slots on the "things I plan to read when I want something guaranteed to give me pure, effortless enjoyable reading".
You've made my short list of authors I trust to deliver quality.
December 31, 2018
The story started strong, and I liked the basic premise. I made it to part two, and couldn’t bear to go further. From the beginning the protagonist is presented as an experienced soldier who’s travelled and campaigned throughout Asia.
Hardwick’s behaviour throughout the story belies this, his naïveté in every scene is frustrating and dissatisfying. He immediately trusts everyone he’s introduced to as a supposed ally, and is constantly surprised when they turn out not to be.
The story is a continual cycle of a) Hardwick gets into a scrape, b) Hardwick escapes scrape with injuries ranging from debilitating to life-threatening in any normal human, c) Hardwick is back into the fray a day or so later, despite still carrying injuries that should still incapacitate him. He doesn’t seem to learn anything or grow in any way as the story proceeds.
The final straws for me were the major confrontation at the end of part one, when my credulity hit its breaking point at Hardwick’s ability to execute an escape run following the torture episode, and the subsequent scene with the gypsy crew.
Ultimately I couldn’t buy into Hardwick’s basic credulity, and I liked him less and less as the story proceeded. My journey with this story ended at page 259.
Hardwick’s behaviour throughout the story belies this, his naïveté in every scene is frustrating and dissatisfying. He immediately trusts everyone he’s introduced to as a supposed ally, and is constantly surprised when they turn out not to be.
The story is a continual cycle of a) Hardwick gets into a scrape, b) Hardwick escapes scrape with injuries ranging from debilitating to life-threatening in any normal human, c) Hardwick is back into the fray a day or so later, despite still carrying injuries that should still incapacitate him. He doesn’t seem to learn anything or grow in any way as the story proceeds.
The final straws for me were the major confrontation at the end of part one, when my credulity hit its breaking point at Hardwick’s ability to execute an escape run following the torture episode, and the subsequent scene with the gypsy crew.
Ultimately I couldn’t buy into Hardwick’s basic credulity, and I liked him less and less as the story proceeded. My journey with this story ended at page 259.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2023
I liked this in parts. I hoped to enjoy it more than I did, but it disappointed.
The setup is great; the setting with London connected to a secondary world is fun, and the main character as a kind of spy working on the case is cool. The main character, Hardwick, is okay, though it's hard to warm to him. However, the bit in the middle where he's recuperating with the help of a group of people (being vague to not give too many spoilers) is nice, and I thought it was leading somewhere.
It didn't. Lots of unfinished threads. Characters we never see again.
And the very ending, with a hurried last few pages, includes Hardwick doing such a terrible thing (as a patriot, supposedly) that I just can't like him. I don't want to read another book with him in it. I guess the author was going for complexity and nuance and morally gray blah blah blah. I hated it.
Three stars. I'm not giving it a 1 or 2 because it's pretty well written and others may enjoy it. I won't recommend it, though.
I might read one of his Sherlock books, because those still look good, but I'm feeling kinda burned right now. We'll see.
The setup is great; the setting with London connected to a secondary world is fun, and the main character as a kind of spy working on the case is cool. The main character, Hardwick, is okay, though it's hard to warm to him. However, the bit in the middle where he's recuperating with the help of a group of people (being vague to not give too many spoilers) is nice, and I thought it was leading somewhere.
It didn't. Lots of unfinished threads. Characters we never see again.
And the very ending, with a hurried last few pages, includes Hardwick doing such a terrible thing (as a patriot, supposedly) that I just can't like him. I don't want to read another book with him in it. I guess the author was going for complexity and nuance and morally gray blah blah blah. I hated it.
Three stars. I'm not giving it a 1 or 2 because it's pretty well written and others may enjoy it. I won't recommend it, though.
I might read one of his Sherlock books, because those still look good, but I'm feeling kinda burned right now. We'll see.
February 5, 2022
This was a tense and dark adventure in an alternate nineteenth century. Much of the action occurred in Victorian London and I certainly felt as if I had been transported back in time. The ‘hero’ Captain Harwicke grows in strength, both mental and physical as the book progresses. There is a lot of action as a strange war is waged against people from a parallel universe. There is bloodshed and multiple betrayals on the way to the end. Much of the ending is satisfying, but there was one group of people very badly treated- it is probably historically accurate, but I didn’t like it. Overall a well written dark adventure through an alternate version of our world.
June 5, 2019
This was an interesting read. When I picked it up, I had in mind that it would be rather steampunkish. It is not. There are allusions to steampunk, but they are few. Latham captures the main character pretty well. This is the first book I’ve read where I’ve gotten a pretty good sense of the idea of an anti-hero. The main character left a bad taste in my mouth all through the end. While I can empathize with him, I don’t like him. That’s all I’ll say so as not to spoil anything else regarding the book. I gave it four stars, because it was wordy, but otherwise very good.
January 3, 2019
Good alternate worlds plot. Slow to start and that was compounded by the Victorian England setting. The ideas of psychics opening doors into other places was believable done. Ending was not what I expected of our hero, and he was shown to be as ethically pathetic as everyone else. This was a good ending, I was really disappointed in his actions towards his previous allies. I was emotionally affected so will not forget this for a while.
June 3, 2018
This is one of those books that was just good enough for me to want to keep reading because the plot and the action were ok. The problem is that the characters and some of the incidents are coincidences bordering on the unbelievable just to propel the action along. If you like kind of fantasy / sci-fi crossover, it's not bad, but it's not really that good either.
December 22, 2019
Took a long time to build, which I don't mind, but I never really connected with any of the characters. Ultimately I didn't find the story compelling, although I do think it could be adapted into a nifty series on TV or streaming.
June 24, 2018
Starts off like a Victorian mystery, then adds sci-fi, psychics, and violence. Didn't fully work for me.
June 13, 2019
a good story and characters with a decent plot
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