The undead matriarch of a Britain where the Aristocracy is made up of werewolves and vampires, where goblins live underground and mothers know better than to let their children out after dark. A world where being nobility means being infected with the Plague (side-effects include undeath), Hysteria is the popular affliction of the day, and leeches are considered a delicacy. And a world where technology lives side by side with magic. The year is 2012 and Pax Britannia still reigns. Xandra Vardan is a member of the elite Royal Guard, and it is her duty to protect the Aristocracy. But when her sister goes missing, Xandra will set out on a path that undermines everything she believed in and uncover a conspiracy that threatens to topple the empire. And she is the key-the prize in a very dangerous struggle.
Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews Newsletter It's called the steampunk debut of the year, and it opens in 2012 with an undead Queen Victoria still ruling and the aristocracy made up mostly of vampires and werewolves. Elite Guard Xandra Vardan goes looking for her missing sister and starts doubting everything she once believed. Meanwhile, conspiracy brews. From best-selling YA author Kady Cross (like Kate Locke, a pseudonym); should be big. - "Mantel to Zafón " LJ Reviews 3/1/2012 (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
LJ Express Reviews : LJ Express Reviews Vampires and werewolves abound in this debut urban fantasy series by the pseudonymous Locke (Kate Cross, who also writes as Kathryn Smith). It's 2012, and Queen Victoria is a vampire celebrating her 175th year of rule over the British Empire, which includes Scotland and its prince, an alpha werewolf, and the Prince of the Plague, the leader of ferocious, terrifying goblins who inhabit the abandoned London underground. Xandra Vardan, a "halfie" (born of a human mother courtesan and a vampire aristocrat) is a member of the Royal Guard who protect the queen. When her neurotic half-sister Dede commits suicide, Xandra secretly investigates her death despite receiving verbal and physical threats. As she gets closer to solving this mystery, Xandra begins to exhibit abilities that surprise both her opponents and herself. Verdict Readers will be intrigued by the author's original take on the origins of vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures and their interactions with "normal" humans. Rapid-paced action and an original interpretation of goblins (they are not J.K. Rowling's cranky, clever, gold-centric goblins) add much to differentiate Locke's fantasy from the rest of the pack. Fans of urban fantasy who appreciate the supernatural with a side of romanticism will enjoy this.âDeb West, Gannon Univ. Lib, Erie, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2012 May #3
Xandra Vardan is a member of the Royal Guard in an alternate Britain where the aristocracy includes vampires and werewolves, and Queen Victoriaâthe first vampire to take the throneâreigns, young and beautiful as ever. An immortal ruling class has implications beyond mere blood-drinking; technological and social changes are inhibited, often in strange and unexpected ways. Same-sex marriage is legal, for example, but horse-drawn carriages run the fashionable streets. Xandra, the daughter of an aristocratic vampire, is drawn into a world of deadly conspiracies when her sister vanishes under suspicious circumstances. What with plots to kill the queen, sinister secret medical experiments, and some oddly sympathetic cannibal goblins, there's treachery at every turn. Locke's writing is smart and fast-paced, full of sharp dialogue and vivid detail. This stylish, original story is perfectly suited to a wonderfully constructed world. Agent: Miriam Kriss, Irene Goodman Literary Agency. (July)
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