Huntington Public Library Adult Reading Challenge

 Lucy Pickett is summoned to Blackwell Manor when her cousin Kate falls ill. Kate has recently married the younger brother of Lord Miles Blackwell, a mysterious, brooding figure, whose battle scars and standoffish demeanor have earned him the nickname, the Beast of Blackwell." As Lucy delves into the mystery surrounding Kate's illness she discovers even more mysteries swirling around Blackwell Manor and its surly Lord. This chaste gothic romance incorporates touches of Victorian steampunk, vampires, werewolves, murder mysteries, and even affectionate nods to Disney's Beauty and the Beast . Not a bad way to while away a chilly winter evening.

I could get behind the fantasy genre more, if more of it looked like this. I don't want ancient elf-vampire feuds or "ash-blood plagues" or Chosen Ones. I want culturally relevant styles of magic that change the course of real history in important but sensible ways. I want people with motivations beyond fighter, thief, wizard, cleric, and bad guy. No forests, no mountain castles. This delivers in spades.