The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss
Fun Victorian romp with the daughters -- actual and created -- of certain eminent Victorian gentlemen; it could be retitled The League of Extraordinary Daughters. Mary Jekyll's mother dies leaving the death of her father a mystery, and impoverishing young Mary. Afer disbanding her household, Mary finds information that pushes her to seek help which then propels her into several adventures. Goss incorporates the circumscribed opportunities of a Victorian woman of good birth in narrowing the range of experience and action for someone like Mary, while also deftly characterizing how those challenges are met and sometimes circumvented. In the process Mary meets a group of women who become comrades in adventures. I enjoyed this and look forward to reading the sequel later this summer; a third book will be published late this year, as well.
Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner
Hadn't read this before, apparently the first salvo in what became fantasy-of-manners novels. I'm impressed by Kushner's concision when delineating the city of Riverside and environs, both the spare physical description and the social/cultural setting. Politics, governmental and sexual, mingle and provide motivation for the action as a swordsman of impeccable repute and accomplishment gets absorbed into power plays. Good read and I look forward to reading the sequel later this year.
Now I'm dipping into Time Burial by Howard Wandrei, a collection of pulp short stories that are proving fast-paced, fun and imaginative.
Randy M.