Books 2014 - A Case of Possession, A Case of Spirits and Flight of Magpies by K.J. Charles

[byslantedlight]

I know, you only saw this picture a couple of days ago, but I did read these books again and they are all about the darker side of real-magic Victorian London, and so I think they do actually count for the R.I.P challenge - though one of them is a short story, so I will bundle it up with one of the other two, to be fair! You know what I don't like about e-books, though? No blurb for me to read, and pages to flick through to remind me of the good bits... On the other hand, I can (mostly!) just cut and paste a blurb from t'interweb, so...

A Case of Possession: ... As he investigates a plague of giant rats sweeping London, his sudden increase in power, boosted by his blood-and-sex bond with Crane, is rousing suspicion that he’s turned warlock. With all eyes watching him, the threat of exposure grows. Stephen could lose his friends, his job and his liberty over his relationship with Crane. He’s not sure if he can take that risk much longer. And Crane isn’t sure if he can ask him to.

A Case of Spirits: There is rain in London, and Vaundrey wishes he was in Shanghai, except that Stephen wouldn't be there. Of course he has a minor case of the occult to sort out - again...

Flight of Magpies: With the justiciary understaffed, a series of horrifying occult murders to be investigated, and a young student who is flying—literally—off the rails, magical law enforcer Stephen Day is under increasing stress. And his relationship with his aristocratic lover, Lord Crane, is beginning to feel the strain. Crane chafes at the restrictions of England’s laws, and there’s a worrying development in the blood-and-sex bond he shares with Stephen. A development that makes a sensible man question if they should be together at all. When a thief strikes at the heart of Crane’s home, a devastating loss brings his closest relationships into bitter conflict—especially his relationship with Stephen. And as old enemies, new enemies, and unexpected enemies paint the lovers into a corner, the pressure threatens to tear them apart.

Although these are also m/m romances, there's something rather dark about them - the Judas jack of The Magpie Lord, the giant rats of A Case of Possession, and then...well, it's not just Victorian London with magic, it's Victorian London with a kind of dark magic, the oily actual kind that you can feel between your fingers and it comes with all the unpleasantness that humanity is capable of - luckily tempered and dealt with by a good dose of Lucien/Stephen, and all the other interesting characters in this world. Readable and hot and I would like more of these books and stories now please!

All of which brief reviewing means that at 23.34pm on the 31st October 2014 I think I can safely say that I've Imbibed my last Peril for my first R.I.P. challenge, and although I enjoyed it I wasn't quite as much in the spirit (ha!) of it as I'd planned to be. Next year I shall try not to move house (twice) at the same time! But I do rather hope that I can give it another go - when Halloween rolls around again...

(Four books, any length, that you feel fit (the very broad definitions) of R.I.P. literature.)
Lord John and the Hand of Devils by Diana Gabaldon
The Bones of Avalon by Phil Rickman
The Magpie Lord by K.J. Charles
The Heresy of Doctor Dee by Phil Rickman
Frost Hollow Hall by Emma Carroll
The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
A Case of Possession and A Case of Spirits by KJ Charles
Flight of Magpies by KJ Charles

Eleven Halloween reads - not bad for a first, distracted attempt though! I'm also halfway through another book that I'd bought for its potential ghosts, but I keep being distracted from that too...

Comments

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

Would you believe - well, yes, you probably would - I can no longer find the reference to a copy of one of the books with a deleted scene attached...

I stayed up late finishing Think of England and adored it. Plenty of mayhem and mystery with spies in an English country house in the period around the Boer war. The spies are in fact the good guys and have plenty of m/m romance, suitably interspersed with angst about the social implications. Think Forster's Maurice meets Pros and you'll have a vague idea. No magic whatsoever but the characters are magical enough. She also pays homage to the concept of fanfic by borrowing an idea from Rider Haggard.

I agree about sharing e-books. Don't get me started - it seems I'd be preaching to the converted anyway! I buy from the source publisher when I can, but convert for my Kindle and then keep a copy on my hard drive. But some things are only available on Amazon or e.g. Kobo so then I'm stuck. Think of England is available at http://www.allromanceebooks.com
There's no sign of a paperback anywhere but it's Samhain and they usually do paperback versions if things sell well.

I've been following a lot of blogs and info about Amazon and whilst I don't think they're 'good guys' in many respects (like the way they treat their staff) I do think the current attempts to discredit them are based on some untruths and lack of logic. Still, I don't particularly want to make them any richer. *g*

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Lol, I would believe it, but rats! *g*

Good to hear about Think of England, I might give it a try. I'm feeling brave about m/m books at the moment, having enjoyed Flight of the Magpie and A Death at the Dionysus Club - perhaps I've venture to someone new again! I'm keeping my eyes out for a few paperbacks that should be coming up from Samhain - the next Enlightenment one (I think that was Samhain), and I'm hoping there'll be another Magpie book too, though that might be a while away... In the meantime, thank goodness Melissa Scott publishes simultaneously in paperback! *g*

I'd like to hear that Amazon (and many other corporations) were paying their corporation tax in the UK, since they make so much money from us. I don't know quite enough about what's going on with Hatchette etc to be able to give an informed opinion right now, but as you say it's not entirely a clear-cut case in that the other side are wonderfully good guys either. There are various of Amazon's other policies that I've not liked though, trying to tie people and marketplace sellers into their own control - in their lives outside the Amazon shops as well as within them.

Mind you, I've just been reading about Workforce again, where companies and charities are being paid to hire people as workers without paying those workers so that they're no longer "unemployed" - and if they refuse to accept such appalling work conditions, their benefit is stopped in punishment... Amazon virtually pales beside that (presuming that they can't be part of it, of course, since they're not "based" in the UK...) But I shan't get started (more *g*) - I shall go fill my hot water bottle and get to bed!

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

Have searched all sites but can't think where I saw the 'deleted scene' offer. Maybe it was just for a limited period.

I agree about the Amazon tax avoidance - and that of other companies - but put stronger blame on our laws that make that avoidance possible and, for the prudent company, essential if they are to satisfy their shareholders. As you say, they aren't involved in the Workforce scandal because they aren't a British firm, but their employees do have poor conditions of service. I know more about the Hachette situation and think Hachette are largely at fault, but Amazon have done very little to publicise their side of the argument. I still use them, too. But I do try to avoid them where possible!