European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman
When Mary Jekyll receives a telegram that Lucinda Van Helsing has been kidnapped, the Athena Club must travel to the Austro-Hungarian Empire to rescue yet another young woman who has been subjected to horrific experimentation. Where is Lucinda, and what has Professor Van Helsing been doing to his daughter? Can Mary, Diana, Beatrice, and Justine reach her in time? Racing against the clock to save Lucinda from certain doom, the Athena Club embarks on a madcap journey across Europe. From Paris to Vienna to Budapest, Mary and her friends must make new allies, face old enemies, and finally confront the fearsome, secretive Alchemical Society. It’s time for these monstrous gentlewomen to overcome the past and create their own destinies.
I didn’t expect European Travel to be as long as it was, but Goss wrote in such a way where I didn’t mind the length. It was a fast-paced, entertaining read that spanned continents. I missed these monstrous ladies and was glad to return for another adventure where The Athena Club went off to save a girl from the hands of her alchemist father. After getting used to the narrative interruptions from the girls in the first book, I didn’t mind those inserts in this book. Part of me looked forward to them!
Unlike the last book, European Travel added a bit of romance, which I certainly appreciated. Beatrice’s developing friendship-turned-romance with Clarence was sweet to read, if not a little bittersweet, seeing as her poisonous nature makes it almost impossible to be close to anyone. I understood Catherine’s concern about Clarence; he’s one of her good friends and she knows what happened to Beatrice’s first lover. But Clarence’s determination to be with Beatrice overrode Catherine’s fear. I’m excited to see where their romance leads!
One of my favourite parts of European Travel was when The Athena Club came face to face with the Alchemist Society. Goss did a good job balancing the members’ hatred for the society with the understanding that the society wasn’t going to just disappear, or stop their experiments. They managed to make a compromise with the society; with Beatrice as a member of a committee to oversee certain experiments, they could keep an eye on the society and its members.
European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman is a globe-trotting adventure that will entertain readers.
European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman Rating: ★★★★
I didn’t expect European Travel to be as long as it was, but Goss wrote in such a way where I didn’t mind the length. It was a fast-paced, entertaining read that spanned continents. I missed these monstrous ladies and was glad to return for another adventure where The Athena Club went off to save a girl from the hands of her alchemist father. After getting used to the narrative interruptions from the girls in the first book, I didn’t mind those inserts in this book. Part of me looked forward to them!
Unlike the last book, European Travel added a bit of romance, which I certainly appreciated. Beatrice’s developing friendship-turned-romance with Clarence was sweet to read, if not a little bittersweet, seeing as her poisonous nature makes it almost impossible to be close to anyone. I understood Catherine’s concern about Clarence; he’s one of her good friends and she knows what happened to Beatrice’s first lover. But Clarence’s determination to be with Beatrice overrode Catherine’s fear. I’m excited to see where their romance leads!
One of my favourite parts of European Travel was when The Athena Club came face to face with the Alchemist Society. Goss did a good job balancing the members’ hatred for the society with the understanding that the society wasn’t going to just disappear, or stop their experiments. They managed to make a compromise with the society; with Beatrice as a member of a committee to oversee certain experiments, they could keep an eye on the society and its members.
European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman is a globe-trotting adventure that will entertain readers.
European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman Rating: ★★★★