I grew up surrounded by a library of dusty vintage novels, so perhaps it wasnât that surprising that I went on to write my own gaslamp fantasy influenced by English folklore and Victorian heroines. I love historical novels that provoke wonder, and magical novels that are rich with history, and (blame it on being an only child?) most of all I love a female protagonist Iâd want to have tea with.
I love how Rowntree riffs on real history while keeping the tone thrilling and funny. The "Miss Sharpâs Monsters" series is set in the Bete Epoque (a late Victorian Europe ruled by monsters), and Liz Sharp is a lovably reckless amnesiac bodyguard to an English princess.
I would absolutely want Liz on my side if our tea party were attacked. Iâd pour the tea and let her take care of the monsters.
Murder, monstersâŚand a disreputable Victorian ladyâs maid.
A killer stalks the grimy streets of Whitechapelâbut Scotland Yard seems determined to turn a blind eye. With one look at her best friend's corpse, Liz Sharp already knows the truth: the killer is a werewolf.
No one important will hold a werewolf accountableâafter all, the monsters rule Europe. Certainly, no one will believe a werewolf victim like Liz: the very scars that make her determined to investigate Salâs death also condemn her as the sort of female whoâd sell her blood for easy money.
Isabella Farrah is one of the funniest, most exasperating leading ladies in literature. I was surprised and delighted by this loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast with murder, cake, pretty dresses, magic, intrigue, and Isabellaâs hilarious brand of ladylike mayhem.
I would probably choke on my cake laughing if I ever had tea with Isabella (and maybe sheâd slip something into my tea), but it would be worth it.
"...an inventive and funny mystery with a dynamic lead, which will make you want to pick up the next book in the series." Self-Publishing Review, 4½ Stars Beauty met the Beast and there was . . . Bloody murder? Itâs the Annual Ambassadorial Ball in Glause, and Lady Isabella Farrah, the daughter of New Civetâs Ambassador, is feeling pleasantly scintillated. In the library is Lord Pecus, a charming gentleman whose double mask hides a beastly face, and who has decided that Isabella is the very person to break the Pecus curse. In the ball-room is young Lord Topher, who isâŚ
Always Orchid is the moving, award-winning finale to the Goodbye Orchid series that Glamour Magazine called "a modern, important take on the power of love." With themes of identity, disability, and the redemptive power of love, Always Orchid is perfect for fans of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by GabrielleâŚ
I have fallen in love with the sweet chaos of Emmaâs ongoing journals, chronicling her life in the daft parish of St Crispianâs in an off-kilter version of 1880s London. Emma lives in the tiny garret of her house because her mad Cousin Archibald has stolen the rest of the house.
This witty and scapegrace young womanâs coming-of-age story will give you all the found-family and deeply cozy platonic friendships you could ask for, along with an amazing community of fans.
âIâve arrived in London without incident. There are few triumphs in my recent life, but I count this as one. My existence of the last three years has been nothing but incident.â
The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighborhood of St. Crispianâs. But Emmaâs plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispianâs.
Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents theâŚ
I love Jane Austen, and I also enjoy a swashbuckling sea-faring adventure, and I love it when the heroine is a real lady who cares about manners and ethics and has recognisable struggles. This book ticks all these boxes for me!
Elinor is ignored by her family until the day she develops superpowers as an Extraordinary Scorcher. Before she can be married off to the highest bidder, she presents herself to the Royal Navy to help them take down Napoleonâs ships. This novel has a sweet romance with a truly gentlemanly gentleman.
In 1812, Elinor Pembroke wakes to find her bedchamber in flamesâand extinguishes them with a thought. As an Extraordinary, gifted with powerful magical talent, she is respected and feared, but her father intends to control her and her talent by forcing her to marry where he insists. Trapped between the choices of a loveless marriage or living penniless and dependent on her parents, Elinor takes a third path: she joins the Royal Navy. Assigned to serve under Captain Miles Ramsay aboard the frigate Athena, she turns her fiery talent on Englandâs enemies, vicious pirates preying on English ships in theâŚ
A human child raised by the fae is an uncommon thing. But Rafi was such a child.
Now grown, half-fae but mortal, he lingers on the edge of human society in Miryoku, a nearby town sharing a border with fae territory. He doesnât want to join the human world properly;âŚ
I loved the soft and quiet governess Elaine and the way she uses her unique magic. The surprising 1820s post-apocalyptic setting draws you in immediately, and the allusions to The Lady of Shallot are perfect.
Iâd like to share a nice cup of tea with Elaine, and with her magical abilities, we would always have fresh water for the teapot.
Elaine thought sheâd be safe in Brighton. But then the sea rose up and flooded the city. Now, fish dwell in submerged ground floors, mists wreathe the ruined houses, and faery creatures roam the watery streets.
Trapped in an attic for several months, protected by small enchantments, Elaineâs supplies are running low. But she doesn't dare risk the dangers outside, until the night her hiding place is discovered by a roguish treasure hunter who brings trouble in his wake.
Forced into the open, Elaine must finally confront her past, battle an old foe, and protect the family legacyâŚ
As a Victorian clergymanâs daughter, Edith Worms has seen everythingâuntil a mythical salamander tumbles out of the fireplace into her lap. But not all of the mysteries of Ormdale are small enough to fit in her lap...and some of them have teeth.
When a letter arrives from estranged relatives, Edith is swept away to a crumbling gothic Abbey in the wilds of Yorkshire. Wormwood Abbey isn't just full of curious beasts and ancient family secrets: thereâs also a tall, dark, and entirely too handsome neighbour who is strangely reluctant for her to leave. An unexpected bond with her prickly cousin Gwendolyn gives Edith a reason to stay in this strange worldâespecially when it turns out that Edith herself may have a role in guarding her family's legacy.
A hundred years in the future, in a world where technologically enhanced bodies are valued above organic ones, Complete Life Management (CLM) is selling perfection in the form of the latest and greatest bionic model, the Apogee. As an elite runner and inadvertent spokesperson for the humanism movement, NYPD DetectiveâŚ
Conditions are Different After Dark
by
Owen W. Knight,
In 1662, a man is wrongly executed for signing the death warrant of Charles I. Awaiting execution, he asks to speak with a priest, to whom he declares a curse on the village that betrayed him. The priest responds with a counter-curse, leaving just one option to nullify it.