Stephanie Jane reviewed Balthazar's Bane by Kat Ross (Gaslamp Gothic, #6)
A lush adventure novel
4 stars
Balthazar's Bane is is a lush adventure novel that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's the second of Kat Ross' Gaslamp Gothic books that I have read (it's actually the sixth in the series) and I'm happy to say that I was just as entertained by this story as I was by my previous read, Dead Ringer. The novels both start in the year 1889, but otherwise they are standones with different characters and very different settings.
Balthazar's Bane is steeped in fantastical mythology with spiteful demons and powerful djinn, the magical city of Al Miraj and a suitably impossible Quest for our hero. I loved reading about Balthazar. He is humorously vain and likes to pretend an aloofness and lack of emotional depth, but does actually have a good heart, albeit one that is pretty well buried. His ever-loyal secretary, Lucas, is another great character and their dialogue always …
Balthazar's Bane is is a lush adventure novel that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's the second of Kat Ross' Gaslamp Gothic books that I have read (it's actually the sixth in the series) and I'm happy to say that I was just as entertained by this story as I was by my previous read, Dead Ringer. The novels both start in the year 1889, but otherwise they are standones with different characters and very different settings.
Balthazar's Bane is steeped in fantastical mythology with spiteful demons and powerful djinn, the magical city of Al Miraj and a suitably impossible Quest for our hero. I loved reading about Balthazar. He is humorously vain and likes to pretend an aloofness and lack of emotional depth, but does actually have a good heart, albeit one that is pretty well buried. His ever-loyal secretary, Lucas, is another great character and their dialogue always sparkles especially once Balthazar's eye is caught by a certain alluring woman. The will-they-won't-they attraction between Balthazar and Zarifa is seriously sexy. It's a fun battle of wits.
Ross excels at creating richly detailed and imaginative settings throughout this story and I love how she can impart descriptive information without ever losing the exciting pace she sets. From the Cairo bazaar to Al Miraj and beyond, I was transported to a wondrous 'Arabian Nights' environment with hints of ancient Greek mythology scattered around too. Keeping up with all the changing allegiances is quite a challenge because, apart from poor Lucas I think, everybody is out for themselves to some extent. I appreciated that no one is completely good or completely evil and the mix of motivations adds a good depth to the novel. I'm now a committed Gaslamp Gothic fan!