(Originally posted to Instagram on November 14th, 2024)
I just couldn’t settle on something to read this past week that looked interesting. Finally I picked this one up, even though it’s yet another re-read. There was a time where I was obsessed with steampunk, and in hindsight, this book was responsible for it.
The plot is: Richard Burton, historical figure/English explorer, is tasked by Prime Minister Palmerston to investigate a series of supernatural/strange occurrences happening in the seedier parts of London. The mystery involves chimney sweeps, werewolves, and the mysterious Spring-Heeled Jack.
When one man changes history, history changes everyone!
–Back of Book
I’m not going to go into more detail. Uncovering the mysteries is the best part of this book. There are actually three layers: 1./ the actual mystery. What’s going on with the werewolves and Jack. 2./ What’s different in this steampunk version of olde-timey London? There are steam-powered cars, personal rotocopters, genetically-engineered dogs and parakeets, etc. Something new gets revealed every other page, it seems. And 3./ What caused all these changes in the first place. Yes, the setting is justified in text.
Sir Richard Francis Burton: An explorer, a linguist, a scholar, and a swordsman. his reputation tarnished; his career in tatters; his former partner missing and probably dead
Algernon Charles Swinburne: A promising young poet, a thrill-seeker, and a follower of the Marquis de Sade. For him, pain is pleasure, and brandy is ruin!
There’s a very obvious love of Victorian England here. Hodder is obviously familiar enough with the history to tweak it in fun steampunk ways. Burton, as an adventurer, is a lot of fun. He’s a grouchy old jerk, but he’s loyal, he’s determined, and he’s trying his best to be kind in an unkind world.
One thing that annoyed me is the book is titled “Burton and Swinburne in…” and Swinburne isn’t really in this much. I was expecting a Holmes and Watson type relationship, but it never really coagulates. Swinburne is an interesting guy for what he is, but the relationship never reaches that “partners forever” level. Maybe in the sequel (I never got around to reading it).
It’s unfortunate I can’t really describe the ending because I’ll spoil the best part. We go from “getting drunk with the boys at the Cannibal Club” to one of the most bonkers/bananas scenes I’ve read in a long time. But it’s not odd-for-the-sake-of-odd. The legwork has been done. The wackiness has been justified.
Give this a read. It’s a blast.
HodrosBooks 
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