A thrilling new Victorian-era urban fantasy for fans of Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid Chronicles, the Showtime series Penny Dreadful, and the Sherlock Holmes movies featuring Robert Downey, Jr.
The Crown and Key Society face their most terrifying villain yet: Gaios, a deranged demigod with the power to destroy Britain.
To avenge a centuries-old betrayal, Gaios is hell-bent on summoning the elemental forces of the earth to level London and bury Britain. The Crown and Key Society, a secret league consisting of a magician, an alchemist, and a monster-hunter, is the realm’s only hope—and to stop Gaios, they must gather their full strength and come together as a team, or the world will fall apart.
But Simon Archer, the Crown and Key’s leader and the last living magician-scribe, has lost his powers. As Gaios searches for the Stone of Scone, which will give him destructive dominion over the land, monster-hunter Malcolm MacFarlane, alchemist extraordinaire Kate Anstruther, gadget geek Penny Carter, and Charlotte the werewolf scramble to reconnect Simon to his magic before the world as they know it is left forever in ruins.
Praise for The Conquering Dark
“Yet another fantastic addition to the amazing Crown & Key series . . . I didn’t want the book to end.”—Word Gurgle
“The previous novels, The Shadow Revolution and The Undying Legion, set a high standard that The Conquering Dark not only meets, but surpasses. . . . If you are looking for an exciting fantasy series with memorable characters, look to the Crown & Key trilogy. You won’t be disappointed.”—The Mutt Cafe
“The Conquering Dark is the final book of the Crown & Key trilogy, and it was a wonderful ride! . . . I cannot stress enough how good this series was. It was such a fun read!”—Bibliophage
“The Conquering Dark is the perfect conclusion to the Crown & Key trilogy, although I’m hoping we’ll see more of these characters in future books. Clay and Susan Griffith have crafted an action-packed, steampunk-laced dark fantasy filled with likable and memorable characters. I can’t rave about the Crown & Key series enough!”—Fresh Fiction
“With lovable characters that will leave a lasting impression on you, this series truly is stand out and I can’t recommend it enough.”—My Guilty Obsession
Praise for Clay and Susan Griffith’s The Shadow Revolution
“Team Griffith creates a number of really compelling characters whose exploits will keep readers glued to the pages! Terrific!”—RT Book Reviews
“A fast-paced, action-filled dark fantasy that is just sheer fun to read . . . The Shadow Revolution kicks off the Crown & Key series in spectacular fashion!”—Fresh Fiction
“Werewolves, mad science, and plenty of smiting. Pass the popcorn.”—Emma Jane Holloway, author of The Baskerville Affair series
"A thrilling read! Clay and Susan Griffith have crafted a gritty, action-packed Victorian-era fantasy world full of dark creatures, mystery, and magic—a must read for steampunk fans!”—Shawntelle Madison, author of the Coveted series
Gaios and his minions are plotting and the members of the Crown and Key Society band together to stop his evil plot. Ooo and what fun it was. The Griffiths delivered plenty of suspense as Simon has lost his abilities. The adventure was vivid from incredible battle scenes to the comradery between the characters.
While the Conquering Dark and its predecessors are plot driven - it is the unique and colorful characters that truly bring this tale to life. Simon is brilliant even if he is sometimes a little stubborn. *snort* Kate Anstruther our beloved alchemist is fearless. The aid she gives Simon had me holding my breath. Malcolm MacFarlane monster-hunter and heart of the group makes me smile and I know the descriptions do not quite match but I see him as cleaner looking version of Hagrid from Harry Potter. Geek girl, Penny Carter is another favorite with her impressive gadgets. Our werewolf Charlotte and Imogen, Kate’s sister, impressed me and did a fine job of assisting our crew.
The action was intense as Gaios’ minions create chaos when they attack the royal coronation. Our courageous heroes pursue them and mayhem ensues. The climactic last battle has the team working together to save all of Britain. The scenes are vivid and I bow to these authors. Their ability to bring the scenes to life gave me thrills. I could smell the fire, taste the fear and hear the war cries. One particular scene involving a dead man hanging from a tree was creeptastic. If you appreciate world-building and thrive on the details you will quickly become lost within these pages. The gadgets, villains and city sprang to life before my eyes. It was brilliant and quite the adventure.
Nothing makes me happier than a series arc having a satisfying conclusion. Nothing felt rushed and if anything, I was saddened that this is the end of our journey. After finishing the trilogy, I lay in bed and dreamed of new obstacles for our motley crew.
Nicholas Guy Smith added an extra layer of enjoyment to the tale. His voices he created for our characters brought them to life. His ability to deliver the snarky banter between the crew and the creeptastic tones of the villains gave me goosebumps.
Audio provided by publisher This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Reading updates
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Started reading
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7 August, 2015:
Finished reading
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7 August, 2015:
Reviewed