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Craven Street by E.J. Stevens
In this spellbinding novella, E.J. Stevens weaves a tale of murder, necromancy, and demonic possession.
Title: Craven Street
Author: E.J. Stevens
Series: The Whitechapel Paranormal Society #.5
Publish Date:
Source: Purchased by reviewer
Publisher’s Description: In this spellbinding novella, E.J. Stevens weaves a tale of murder, necromancy, and demonic possession that brings together characters from her Whitechapel Paranormal Society Victorian horror series and award-winning Ivy Granger Psychic Detective urban fantasy series on the fog-shrouded cobblestones of Craven Street.
The discovery of bricked up skeletal remains at 36 Craven Street point to something more diabolical than an illegal anatomy school. The tool marks on the bones, arcane sigils of great power, indicate more than mere butchery, more than enlightened experimentation. The signs, omens, and portents support the crown’s greatest fears. A great evil is being unleashed upon the gaslit streets of London, a blood-drenched shadow reaching skeletal fingers beyond the slums of Whitechapel.
Nervous Nellie’s nervousness necessitates knowledge of the novel. In other words …SPOILERS. *BEWARE*
Nervous Nellie says…
This story takes place in Victorian London. The “Society” as they affectionately call themselves, are women that investigate the paranormal happenings of the city. They have male counterparts, but those counterparts make light of their contribution to the point of butts of jokes. The concept of this book is awesome, the story itself, was just a teaser.
This book is a novella that introduces the horrifying elements that are terrorizing London. Each woman has a special gift to bring to the table, and while Cora (who can see the dead) and Flan (is a wiz with a knife) are starting their own romance, they have to figure out who is killing all the women they are dragging from the river. Then there is a demon that is involved. It is first and foremost a Demon Lord, but a Demon Lord with a conscience. It doesn’t like how the bad guy is treating the demon “puppies” of the realm, so it helps Cora, Flan, Edith, and Anna find and lock up the human power seeker. But that is just the beginning.
While this book doesn’t have a cliffhanger, it is definitely a lead into the series. There is no sex, but there is a F/F hot kiss. The story isn’t graphic in it’s description of the deceased and lets your mind do the work there. The one thing that detracted from the story (for me) was the use of $500,000 words that I had to look up in the dictionary to find the meaning. However, to be fair, that’s how those that lived in the Victorian era spoke, so it was my fault for not having the knowledge, not the book.
I’m not positive I will keep on with this series, but who knows? The first book releases in October 2022.
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Series Spotlight: Kate Connor, Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom Series
Title: The Trouble With Demons Collection
Author: Julie Kenner
Series: Kate Connor, Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom Books 1-5
Publish Date: November 21, 2014
Kate Connor is your average, everyday mom with two kids, a husband, and one very big secret … she used to be a Demon Hunter. Now retired, she’s more interested in the domestic than the demonic. So when she catches sight of a demon in Wal-Mart, she tells herself it’s some other Hunter’s problem. But when that demon attacks her in her kitchen, retirement is no longer an option…
Warner Brothers Television has optioned the Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom (DHSM) series for the CW Network! To celebrate, for a limited time, you can get the first five books in Julie Kenner’s Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series for only $.99! The Trouble With Demons collection includes:
You’ll also want to pick up The Demon You Know, a novella that takes place between the fourth and fifth books, and the final book in the series, Pax Demonica.
Though I am not a mom, let alone a soccer mom, I really enjoyed this series. The balancing of the mundane with the supernatural and the attempt to keep such a massive secret makes for really good storytelling. The characters are fantastic — I particularly love Laura, the clued-in best friend; Kate’s daughter, Allie; and Eddie, the adopted “grandpa” and retired demon hunter. The cast of characters in this series is really great.
This is another series I could have erroneously dismissed as “fluff,” but it’s really not. Balancing our responsibilities in life — during the good times and the bad — is something everyone can relate to, regardless of what your “demons” may be. This series not only pokes some fun at the life of a stay-at-home mom, but it also deals with divorce and remarriage, divided loyalties, death, and those slow descents into darkness. Do you protect your children from badness, or prepare them for what is inevitable? What happens when you share your darkest secrets with someone you love? How do you survive when doing the right thing brings your world down around you? These are not “fluff” questions at all.
The only thing about this series that makes me sad is that not all of the books come in an audio format. Only two of the books are available on Audible.com; I haven’t checked any of the other audiobook store sites, though. I found the first four on CD at my local library. But the first four are the only ones recorded. The narrator, Laura Hicks, does such a great job with these books that I actually prefer them in audio, to be honest. I’ve spoken to the author twice about this, and she agrees it would be great to get the rest of the books in audio. Now that she’s self-publishing the books, maybe she can chat with Audible Studios and see what can be done? <hint hint> 😉
UPDATE: All the audios have been rerecorded, are narrated by Carly Robins, and are available on Amazon. They sound AMAZING!
I’m very eager to see what this series will look like on television. I started watching I, Zombie on the CW recently and can see the DHSM series looking something like that. I think it will be a fun series to see on the screen.
One Book Two 