Creatures of Will and Temper by Molly Tanzer
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.
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Praise for 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
“An artful, witty, Oscar Wilde pastiche with the heart of a paranormal thriller.”
—Diana Gabaldon, best-selling author of Outlander
Author’s Bio
Molly Tanzer is the British Fantasy and Wonderland Book Award-nominated author of two collections: A Pretty Mouth (Lazy Fascist, 2012) and Rumbullion and Other Liminal Libations (Egaeus, 2013). Her debut novel, Vermilion (Word Horde) was an NPR Best Book of 2015. Her second novel, The Pleasure Merchant, is now available, and her next, Creatures of Will and Temper, will be available in late 2017. She is also the editrix of Congress Magazine, Swords v. Cthulhu (with Jesse Bullington), and the forthcoming Mixed Up (with Nick Mamatas).
My Review
4 stars
Evadne Grey has just been dumped by her fiancé. She then catches her sister Dorinia with another girl and tells their mother hoping to disrupt Dorinia’s trip to London. Instead Evadne is sent with Dorinia. Once in London, both girls meet Lady Henrietta, or Henry as she prefers to go by. Henry has a fencing school and connections. Although Evadne is put off by Henry dressing like a man she is enjoying the fencing lessons.
Dorinia is taken with Henry and talks her into letting her attend a club with a secret dinner where she is going to be in for more than she expected. At the same time, Evadne attends another clubs dinner with the head of the fencing school and learns that there is a paranormal connection between the two clubs. Evadne is going to be recruited to fight demons but it seems her sister may have become a part of this club.
Evadne and Dorinia are typical sisters. They care for each other but at the same time have a hard time getting along and tend to do things that will upset the other. But when they get to London they go in their own directions and find themselves on different sides in a battle.
I have to say that the story slowly progressed in the first part. Yes, there was a Victorian world to develop and I have to say that I wasn’t as interested in that as I was for the demons and fighting. I did like the fencing training and the battle at the end. Yes, I was completely thrown off guard with the twist at the end.
Over all I liked this book and will keep Molly Tanzer in mind for future book.
I received Creatures of Will and Temper from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion for it.
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