Study in Silks (Baskerville Affair, #1)

by Emma Jane Holloway

Evelina Cooper, the niece of the great Sherlock Holmes, is poised to enjoy her first Season in London Society. But there’s a murderer to deal with—not to mention missing automatons, a sorcerer, and a talking mouse.
 
In a Victorian era ruled by a council of ruthless steam barons, mechanical power is the real monarch and sorcery the demon enemy of the Empire. Nevertheless, the most coveted weapon is magic that can run machines—something Evelina has secretly mastered. But rather than making her fortune, her special talents could mean death or an eternity as a guest of Her Majesty’s secret laboratories. What’s a polite young lady to do but mind her manners and pray she’s never found out?
 
But then there’s that murder. As Sherlock Holmes’s niece, Evelina should be able to find the answers, but she has a lot to learn. And the first decision she has to make is whether to trust the handsome, clever rake who makes her breath come faster, or the dashing trick rider who would dare anything for her if she would only just ask.

Praise for A Study in Silks
 
“This book has just about everything: magic, machines, mystery, mayhem, and all the danger one expects when people’s loves and fears collide. I can’t wait to return to the world of Evelina Cooper!”—Kevin Hearne, New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Druid Chronicles
 
“As Sherlock Holmes’s niece, investigating murder while navigating the complicated shoals of Society—and romance—in an alternate Victorian England, Evelina Cooper is a charming addition to the canon.”—Jacqueline Carey, New York Times bestselling author of the Kushiel’s Legacy series
 
“Holloway takes us for quite a ride, as her plot snakes through an alternate Victorian England full of intrigue, romance, murder, and tiny sandwiches. Full of both thrills and frills.”—Nicole Peeler, author of the Jane True series
 
“A Study in Silks is a charming, adventurous ride with a heroine who is both clever and talented. The brushes with the Sherlock Holmes mythos only add to the fun of this tale, and readers are bound to fall in love with Evelina and the London she inhabits.”—Philippa Ballantine, author of Geist
 
“In A Study in Silks, Emma Jane Holloway has created a wonderful reimagining of the Sherlock Holmes mythos set in a late-Victorian Britain ruled by nefarious industrial titans called steam barons. Holloway’s clever writing, attention to detail, and sublime characters forge a fascinating world that combines brass-plated steampunk technology with magic. By turns a coming-of-age story, a gas-lamp thriller, and a whimsical magical fantasy, A Study in Silks is the premiere novel of an author to watch.”—Susan Griffith, author of the Vampire Empire series
 
“Holloway stuffs her adventure with an abundance of characters and ideas and fills her heroine with talents and graces, all within a fun, brisk narrative.”—Publishers Weekly
 
“Splendid . . . The characters are thoroughly charming and the worldbuilding is first-rate.”—RT Book Reviews (four stars)

• ISBN10: 1299852068
• ISBN13: 9781299852068
• Publish Date: 1 January 2013
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 12 May 2015
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Del Rey Books
• Format: eBook
• Language: English

Reviews

[Berls]

This review was published first at Fantasy is More Fun.

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Wow. A Study in Silks took me FOREVER to read! I started it April 21, shortly after y'all selected it for My TBR List, and didn't finish until May 24 (meaning I didn't get it read in time for my TBR List Review). That's probably the longest it's taken me to read a book in years - but here's the thing: I never wanted to quit reading it. A Study in Silks had great characters, a compelling plot, and a solid mystery. It just came at a point in my life where I fell asleep every time I tried to read. Bad luck:/

I'm particularly interested in the world Emma Jane Holloway created in A Study in Silks. It's very steam punk - filled with mechanical devices of all kinds - but it also has this fascinating magical element that is very different from anything I've read. There's these nature spirits -air, earth, plant, etc- called devas and it's a magic users connection with them (I think) that gives them power. I would have liked to see it a little more fleshed out - I have questions about what's unique to the main character and what's "normal".

Which brings me to the characters - I love them all, even the ones I love to hate. They're so fully developed and complicated - each and every one of them. There's a bit of a love triangle - but for me it was a but different because I equally liked and had problems with both guys making it really hard to see a clear choice. I was really happy with how it was dealt with by the end as well.

For those reading this for it's connection to Sherlock Holmes - I have no idea if it will satisfy you. I wasn't reading it for that, but I was very happy with his role in the story. For one, the mystery was a convoluted and fixed on tiny details as I remember Sherlock Holmes's stories being, which is both cool and frustrating. And he's in it a good amount - but not so much that Holloway took many liberties with his character, which I thought was appropriate.

All in all, really good and worth your time. I gave it 34 days and I don't regret it, so I suspect you won't regret the much shorter time it's likely to take you to read :)