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Rory and Longinus are relegated to working under Cruikshank's thumb in the workshop. Having nothing to do as of late, they are bored out of their minds. When they sneak out and Longinus finds out there is o black silk in Damsport (gasp) he decides he must solve this case. The next day, the Marchioness assigns Rory to investigate a body, who turns out to be her friend from the Rookery. After some investigating, it starts to look like their cases may be related and there is more going on than they could have imagined. Now Rory and Longinus must keep a visiting dignitary safe while trying to stay one step ahead of the most likely suspect, Myran.
Longinus was definitely more of a MC in this book for me. Rory was definitely still up front and center, but it was Longinus who really connected with the reader in this book. He starts to have old feelings of abandonment from his childhood resurface and he has a difficult time splitting up from Rory in this book. He shows more than just his haughty attitude, and it really made him more relatable. Rory does the bulk of the more difficult investigating, and we get see some of her insecurities as well. She realizes a certain character may be interested in her, but she doesn't know how to handle it. I'm hoping that her reaction at the end of the book isn't the way she leaves things.
This was another fun book to try to solve along with Rory and Longinus. There are so many clues but you never know who to trust with everything going on. While some of it was slightly more obvious there are definitely subtle clues hidden in that when you find out the entire conspiracy you kind of slap your forehead. There was more of the mystery that I loved from the first book as well. We are taken to different areas of the city than the previous book and really get a feel for the "seedy underworld" in that section as well. I enjoyed this book and can't wait to venture outside of Damsport for the next book.
I loved receiving this!! It is such a beautiful book and I recommend all Phantom of the Opera fans should get one.
Rory is a young woman raised on the streets of Damsport. She makes a living being a pickpocket with her partner Jake, trying to earn enough to be taken on as an apprentice of a well known sword master. Once she has finally earned enough to pay her passage, her plans are derailed by Jake. When she stumbles upon a man getting sick over stabbing, she finds the perfect opportunity to get her apprenticeship, even if she has to blackmail the man, Longinus, to make it happen. When Longinus' alter ego, the assassin The Viper, is threatened and it appears they are after Rory as well, they must work together to solve the case.
I met these characters in the Razor's Edge Chronicles and knew I had to read more about them. Rory is 18, but has the appearance of a 14 year old and uses that to her advantage in her schemes. She is tough as nails, having no other choice growing up on the street. She’s snarky, honest and gritty. Longinus is her opposite. He’s a worldly gentleman who can’t stand anything remotely “beneath” him. He is fussy, snobby and arrogant. I’m not sure if he has a humorous bone in his body (yet). He reminds me a bit of the Gentleman Pirate in Our Flag Means Death, so consumed with his own wants everyone else be damned. It was fun to watch them slowly come to rely on each other.
This is a gaslamp/steampunk fantasy book and the author does a great job creating a new world. This book focuses on Damsport and running from the slums to the more affluent areas. I love the steampunk coach, lamps and the invention featured at the end of this book. There is a definite build up of the mystery as well, I was trying to decide if a certain character was behind the attacks on Rory most of the book. I also enjoyed that even though they do help save the day, they do not get off scot-free and can’t wait to see how the punishment turns out (and it is very fitting).