Vanished. By Nicole McKeon/Nicole York. 2023.
Fantasy. Gaslamp fantasy. Alternative history. Scotland Yard mystery.
An eccentric social outcast discovers a plot in which common criminals are using rare magic to kidnap orphans from the streets of New London. While investigating this crime, the Lady, herself, comes under suspicion by a gruff but sincere Scotland Yard inspector.
This is the first in a series of five books called The Gwen St. James Affair. The series is further supported by a prequel and a separate standalone.
The voice of this story—carried entirely through the point-of-view of an iconoclastic female aristocrat—is unflinchingly feminine. While this voice is also generally feminist, Lady Gwen is aware of the boundaries that have been placed around her, and she takes care not to obliterate them entirely.
The vibe of this story is very much in the tradition of The Parasol Protectorate in that we have an alternative London characterized by Victorian manners overlaid with a gaspunk aesthetic. While the stakes are high and the crimes are serious, the author insists, in many scenes, on keeping her tongue firmly planted in her cheek.
I enjoyed this story more than I expected. My web serial, The Last Coffle, is similar to this one in that the author has reimagined an existing society and added several Tolkienian elements to it, including magic, fairies, elves, and dwarves. But where my story is dark and desperate, McKeon’s is light and fun.
AUTHORS – I write short book reviews that focus on voice and vibe. They are useful to querying authors searching for comp titles. There are more on my website.