London Macabre [NOOK Book]

Really enjoyed the tale, it totally went off in several unexpect

Really enjoyed the tale, it totally went off in several unexpected
directions in one large convoluted plot. Also all the old London
History... not just the Victorian Era stuff but some pre-Roman myths and
legends were all worked into the story... believe it or not it actually
made me want to go out and find a book about the ancient past of London.
The seven gates and their immortal keepers... some pretty weird stuff
that Eden is in the middle (or perhaps in a parallel place with London
and that the area the land is built on is Nod. Very cool stuff.) We
also get some angel and Lucifer change ups... at least some
reinterpretation of Biblical myths. The Gentlemen Knights, aka
Greyfrairs Club, is an interesting group that i could compare to the
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Each one of them has a unique gift
used in the defense of the city. We have a man who can talk with
animals, another who can be practically invisible, one who speaks with
the dead, a werewolf, a full blown wizard, and others. The book is
broken up into sections and each section is divided into a number of
chapters and every chapter is a different POV... some times the POV is
on different time tracks... so you will see the same scene from a
different perspective or something that wasn't mentioned or is missing
will be explained in a later chapter by the different view. Sometimes
this really worked for me and sometimes it didn't. If you like
Victorian England, twists of myth and bible stories, strange and unique
characters... then i think you'll love London Macabre.

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

I've been a Savile fan for quite a while and was excited about t

I've been a Savile fan for quite a while and was excited about this new
book. London Macabre is a classic Savile novel. It has his hardcore
religious overtone (don't let that term scare you away. He is an expert
on religion but not preachy at all). The story takes place in Victorian
Era London and centers around a small group of gentlemen with special
abilities. Add Jack the Ripper, the Garden of Eden, fallen angels, dead
prostitutes and supernatural abilities to the mix (and MUCH MUCH more!)
and you have London Macabre. Steven Savile never ceases to amaze me and
I highly recommend this book. One small caveat, though. Once you read
this, you will have to go out and buy everything else he has ever
written.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Historical London? Yes please!

I've read a lot of Savile before, and he continues to amaze me. This book may be his ultimate masterpiece. Centered in Victorian Era London, a group of men -- think League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and you're near spot on -- work to save the city against a machination of evil.

Savile expertly weaves the plot with references to the Garden of Eden, the British Royal Family circa the 1870s as well as Jack the Ripper. There are surprises on every page, and no one captures the feel of London like Savile does.

Highly recommended.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

A staggeringly grand epic ¿ London Macabre is fabulist occult at

A staggeringly grand epic – London Macabre is fabulist occult at its
best. A heady mix of Victoriana, a hint of steampunk, a lashing of magic
and fantasy, the touch of the divine struggle that colours the best of
this Author’s work, and at its heart a rippingly good story. The
Greyfriar’s Gentlemen’s Club is a collection of practitioners of the
Art, and a more well-heeled, pipe smoking, brandy quaffing set of brave
adventurers you will not find in London. Utilising their skills, as well
as their endlessly resourceful retainer Mason, the group find themselves
in a desperate battle for survival as they protect the City from the
dark and devious designs of their Arch-enemies, the Brethren. A new
arrival in the form of a ghost-touched young girl brings with it yet
more mystery, soon added to in the form of a ruthless, dimension-jumping
Monarch, and once a hastily-arranged Conclave of the Villain Kings and
the Gentlemen falls apart amidst treachery and accusation, it isn’t long
before terror and destruction carve through the cobbled streets of
Victorian London. The story – full of derring-do, a frightening array
of magic, a plethora of magical artefacts and weapons, an awesome golem,
oh and did I mention a Fallen Angel, a Daemon Lord, and the First
Murderer attempting to return to Eden? That little confrontation that
drags across the City’s hidden portals whacks the carnage and the stakes
up several levels, until our valiant heroes find themselves fighting to
save reality as well as their own skins. A blistering climax that
consumes the last third of the book will have you frantically turning
the pages and wondering how it could possibly get any more desperate -
the toll is high for our heroes, but can they avert disaster?

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

If you like magic, history, London, Angels, Demons, or all of th

If you like magic, history, London, Angels, Demons, or all of the above,
this book is for you. Secret organizations, plots against the very
fabric of reality, The Hollow Earth...and so much more. This authors
has a wonderful grasp of London's streets and how to twist them just so
to get that eerie, other world feel you get from the prose of other
fantasists like Neil Gaiman, and Clive Barker. Good stuff. I read the
hardcover, and have picked up the eBook for a second read.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Rich. Lush. Full of so many ideas. A completely different kind o

Rich. Lush. Full of so many ideas. A completely different kind of fantasy. Like Savile's Silver, London Macabre focusses on a team of extraordinary gentlemen and religious iconography. Dashes of Egyptian mythology, an entire alternative history for London that never was. Extraordinary. Highly recommended for a lovers of Ripperology, for fantasy readers, fans of authors like Tim Powers and James Blaylock.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

London Macabre was unlike anything I'd ever read before - and I'

London Macabre was unlike anything I'd ever read before - and I've read a lot of Savile's tie-in stuff like Warhammer and Primeval, and his thriller Silver - it's not steampunk, but it's got lashings of steampunky goodness. It's more like Fantastic Victoriana. There are dozens of plot threads for the Greyfriar's Gentlemen to wrestle with, from the threat of the Mujina, a demon escaped from Hell to threaten London, the Trafalgar lions, a giant golem bestride the Thames, even the devil himself. Mad, but utterly brilliant. REVIEW FROM THE DARK REGIONS PRESS HARDCOVER EDITION.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

WOW!!!! I AM COMPLETELY HOOKED!!!!!!!

Where do I begin? Rarely does a book leave me speechless, but I sat for some time in complete silence with my mind reeling and spinning with all I had just absorbed. Who can throw together a gentlemanly group of friends who each have a small paranormal gift, werewolves, vampires, God and the Devil, angels, demons, Cain, Queen Victoria and her Albert, and a giant golem and have the ending come out the way it did? This author is amazing!!!!

This book had me all over the place. There were ups and downs. There were battles to the extreme. It was gruesome, it was uplifting. There was a bit of history. There was loyalty and betrayal. There were so many twists and turns in the story, I constantly went from tears to cheers and then back to tears (with cheers waiting again just as you turn to the next page!).

The writing style of this author is just as wonderful as the originality of his story line. There was a little Dan Brown meets Stephen King meets Robert McCammon meets A League of Extrordinary Gentlemen. His words just flow and his imagery is amazing! I know when I close my eyes to think about what I am reading, I am seeing what Mr. Saville wants me to see.

This is the first book I have read by this man, and it will definitely not be the last. This was completely unexpected, and as I said up top, I am hooked. Would definitely recommend to anyone that is ready for a wild literary ride! This is not for the faint of heart though, and some descriptions can get pretty awful. I mean really pretty gruesome. Other than that, all I can say is get it and you will not be sorry. This goes in my list of faves and fave authors.

Completely amazing.

-- SPeeD

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wanted to

I was so excited to see a new book by this author. I have read much of his other work and really enjoyed it. The storyline was excellent and the "gentlemen" were great characters as were the protagonsts. Then came the downfall--the protagonsts' point of view. I love mystery, suspense, anticipation, the thrill of the unknown. Well that gets taken away when you know what the "bad guys" are doing, planning, etc. There is no more anticipation or wonder. You might not know all of the details but the mystery for the most part is gone. I wanted to and planned on loving this book but was extremely disappointed. Imagine my loss especially of a favored author and an extremely long book (which I also love). I ended up reading about 1/4 of the book and was so discouraged that I skipped to the ending. What a waste! However, if you do like a story that is told from "both" sides, then this will be a wonderfull book for you. Like I said before, everything else about this book is great, but unfortunately not for me.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Not really very good.

I found it to be rather silly instead of macabre.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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No text was provided for this review.