Review: A Study in Ashes

A Study in Ashes by Emma Jane Holloway

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



The Baskerville Affair Trilogy was one of my reading highlights in 2013. I discovered it through NetGalley, and was lucky to receive all three books as arcs. I would have gladly paid for them, and will end up buying my own copies so I can re-read at some point and support the author. But without the arcs, I would have had to wait much longer to finish the series (3 months!). I couldn't wait even that long. I love that the three books were released so close together so that I didn't forget why I cared while waiting for the sequels. A Study in Ashes will be released on December 31, 2013 and I've been saving up my full review for the release.

The series is probably not for everyone, but for me it had the perfect blend of genres and elements that I can't resist - a Victorian historical setting, fantasy, mystery, politics, and a romance that doesn't overwhelm the plot. I didn't really have an opinion on Steampunk before reading this trilogy, but I enjoyed the mix of Steam and Magic in this world as well.

Although the middle book was actually a bit too dark for my tastes, A Study in Ashes rises out of that darkness. There's a better balance of despair and hope, and it moves a lot quicker. It doesn't all take place in one small area, and while the characters are on the move, they are also with each other much more than in the previous book.

So much happened in this book that it felt like it ended up in a completely different world, one that is detailed and complex and full of promise. It never got bogged down or slowed. I was completely satisfied with how it all wrapped up. A Study of Ashes was a wonderful read far surpassing the potential I saw at the beginning of the trilogy.

Action abounds in A Study of Ashes. It's not really in the historical mystery category anymore, even with the references to the Hound of Baskerville and cameo appearances by Sherlock Holmes. It has solidly moved into historical fantasy / steampunk adventure, with rebellion, an entire social order collapsing, and magic either clashing or combining with Steam. Yet with all this social upheaval, every character has their moment and their own personal struggle or challenge so that it never feels too big or remote. There are lots of threads, but each is given the right amount of attention.

I love a story that's complex enough for the multiple threads to combine seamlessly into a unified whole. This ranks in that category easily. I was happy with every bit of it (how often can you say that?). It looks like there's room for more to be written in this world although this is definitely an ending to the Baskerville Affair. I'll be snatching it up when that happens.

**Received free arc for review

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Oct 30, 2013:

Fresh from finishing, I can't think of anything I would change about this book. Full review to come once it's soaked in for a while.



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