These Ruthless Deeds by Tarun Shanker, Kelly Zekas

These Ruthless Deeds (These Vicious Masks, #2)

by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas

Everyone’s favorite sarcastic Victorian healer is back in the sequel to These Vicious Masks, and this time she’s struggling with both a sinister secret society and an increasingly tangled love life...

England, 1883. Recovering from a devastating loss, Evelyn has become determined to use her powers to save other gifted people from those who would study and oppress them. But when her rescue of a young telekinetic girl goes terribly wrong, Evelyn finds herself involved with a secret society devoted to recruiting and protecting people like Evelyn and her friends.

Like magic, Evelyn’s problems start to disappear. Her reputation is repaired, her friends are provided for, and her parents are thrilled at all her new suitors. She’s even been reunited with the dashing Mr. Kent and the reclusive Mr. Braddock (who is much less brooding now that the society is helping him to control his dangerous power). Yet, somehow Evelyn can’t help fearing that there is something sinister going on…

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

4 of 5 stars

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This story starts with a daring rescue and had my blood pumping from the very beginning. We had a learned a that the Society of Aberrations existed in the last book, and here we are immersed into their world, as Evelyn tries to deduce if they are good or bad.

This book was not a typical second book (I am assuming from that ending this will be a trilogy). Many times you read a series and the second books drag, because its real purpose is to link book 1 and book 3. Absolutely, without a doubt, not the case with These Ruthless Deeds. This book brought me deeper into the magical world, and had several extremely surprising plot twists that have me wanting more....now.

There was a lot of action in the beginning of the book, and the authors bring us right into one of the major plot lines and some excellent new characters. However, something was missing, and that something was Braddock. I really missed Sebastian, and reiterated the sentiment expressed by Evelyn:
TO SEBASTIAN BRADDOCK: COME BACK, YOU BROODING FOOL.

Many people complained that book 1 did not have much of a swoon factor. Well, let me tell you why. It's because it was all saved up for this book. There is lots of swoony talk and lots of kissing! Upon Braddock's return, the love triangle really ramps up. It was quite fun when the three were together, and the men were obviously competing for Evelyn's affections. Kent's rake factor was turned all the way to its maximum setting. He was dropping fun and flirty lines left and right.
"Any time is the time to flirt with you," he murmured. A slow smile.

"Before I met you, I went to brothels, gambling halls, scandalous music halls, all sorts of indecent places."
"And let me guess, ever since you met me, you've changed?"
He shook his head. "No, I just want to do these indecent things with you."

The jokes about Braddock and his moods also continued:
If you don't wish me to think of you as some kind of tragic Gothic figure, you really must stop acting like one.

I shook my head slightly and he seemed to brood harder, if such a thing were possible.

Comparing this to book 1 I would say it was just more. There was more action, more details regarding the society and it's "members", more romance, more surprises, and definitely more heartbreak. I thought I was heartbroken at the end of the last book, but this ending is devastating.

Overall: An engaging tale of magic, mystery, and mayhem, which is fraught with romance, humor, and camaraderie. That story and that ending left me yearning for the next book.

**I would like to thank NetGalley and Swoon Reads for the advanced copy of this book

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 25 January, 2017: Finished reading
  • 25 January, 2017: Reviewed