Welcome to my reading journal! So many of us love the Sebastian St Cyr series by CS Harris that it seemed silly to review each of the books. Instead, I humbly offer you excerpts from my reading journal: things that stood out, shocked, cheered, etc.
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
When Gods Die– Book 2
The cover copy:
Brighton, England— 1811.
The young wife of an aging marquis is found murdered in the arms of the Prince Regent. Around her neck lies a necklace said to have been worn by Druid priestesses-that is, until it was lost at sea with its last owner, Sebastian St. Cyr’s mother. Now Sebastian is lured into a dangerous investigation of the marchioness’s death-and his mother’s uncertain fate.
As he edges closer to the truth-and one murder follows another-he confronts a conspiracy that imperils those nearest him and threatens to bring down the monarchy.
Here are my many and varied thoughts while reading this one:
- Witch burning … I know one shouldn’t rely on historical fiction but the statistic given in the book on the number of women burnt as witches in ‘Christendom’ shocked me (5 million!). Can it be real? Does anyone have book recommendations for digging a little deeper on this?
- Did anyone else struggle to keep all the family connections clear in this one? Everyone seemed to be related by blood or marriage. I really wanted a diagram of the connections. Through sheer repetition I eventually had somewhat of a grasp on it.
- The author really doesn’t like fat people. Her favourite word to describe the villains of the piece is ‘fleshy’. Possibly my least favourite word to describe fatness.
- So many people died! It’s so unflinching and because her writing is so vivid, it’s deeply affecting. I was so sad that Guinevere was killed. Sometimes I find in books that I don’t really get sad about the first person killed in the story, but Guinevere really came to life for me.
- Is it weird that I’m developing a crush on Paul Gibson, the surgeon?
Final thoughts
I really enjoyed this one. I appreciated that the primary victim was seen as fully human and properly mourned. I coped with the pretty relentless violence. I am DEEPLY intrigued by the little that was revealed about Sebastian’s mother’s ‘disappearance’ and I’m really looking forward to learning what secret his dad is keeping – the one that prompts him to keep sending funds to Venice.
If I were to give this one a grade, I would say a B+ which might not be fair because the drawback (keeping the characters straight in my mind) could well be a personal failing and not a failing of the book!
Why Mermaids Sing -Book 3
The cover copy:
When the grisly remains of Alfred, Lord Stanton’s eldest son are discovered in the Old Palace Yard beside the House of Lords, the local magistrate turns to Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, for help.
Ranging from the gritty world of Thames-side docks to the luxurious drawing rooms of Mayfair, Sebastian finds himself confronting his most puzzling–and disturbing–case yet. With the help of his trusted allies–young servant Tom, Irish doctor Paul Gibson, and his lover Kat Boleyn–Sebastian struggles to decipher a cryptic set of clues that link the scion of a banking family to the son of a humble Kentish vicar.
For as one killing follows another, Sebastian discovers he is confronting a murderer with both a method and a purpose to his ritualized killings, and that the key to it all may lie in the enigmatic stanzas of a haunting poem…and in a secret so dangerous that men are willing to sacrifice their own children to keep the truth from becoming known.
The thoughts I thunk:
- I was delighted when Sir Henry Lovejoy made his appearance so early in the story. He’s a firm favourite of mine. This quote delighted me:
“He was a funny little man with a shiny bald head, pinched, unsmiling features, and an almost comically high voice. Painstakingly moral, upright, and fastidious, he was also one of the most sincere and dedicated men Sebastian had ever met.” - For someone who usually abhors characters in historicals who believe that aristocrats are better than working folk, I have a lot of time for Sebastian’s dad, Hendon. I enjoy that he says ridiculous things like, “What sort of vile beast would perpetrate such a barbarity upon men of wealth and breeding?” while still clearly loving his son in his gruff way. Although that secret hinted at the end is a big one. I must learn more!
- This author is forever telling us what scents from the outdoors come in with the character entering the room. Some from this book:
“Bringing with him the cold damp of the morning”
“Tom came hurtling into the dressing room, bringing with him the scent of the rain that had been threatening all morning.”
“… brought with him the crisp scent of the September morning.”
“… bringing with him the scent of well-bred horses and a cool morning rain.” - Kat Boleyn’s reveal took my breath away! AAAAH!
- My crush on Paul Gibson continues unabated. Just FYI.
- I am very hopeful for this new valet and can’t wait to meet him in the next book.
Final thoughts
I did a better job than usual of keeping track of the various clues in this one although the killer’s identity shocked me! Which I love. I don’t want to KNOW who the killer is. It MUST be a surprise. But also it must be a surprise that makes sense with the rest of the story.
I thought it was a really creative premise. I’m breathless with excitement at the secrets that have been revealed and those that have just been hinted at. I want to learn more about Hero and Jarvis himself. Will that secret of Hendon’s ever be revealed? This book left me with a burning hunger for more of this series.
Lara will be working her way through the Sebastian St. Cyr series and sharing here. Have you read – or re-read – this series?
I love, love this series. It gets better and better. It is one of the few series that I purchase in hardback.
Love the St. Cyr series. As to the secrets hinted at and slowly revealed–oh, Lara, YOU JUST WAIT!
Regarding the question about the number of women burnt as witches during the age of the witch hunts, there is a lot of debate over numbers, understandably, but five million burnt at the stake is probably at the higher end of the statistics spectrum. For decades historians (mostly male) dismissed or minimized the number of women killed for witchcraft, focusing instead on the men who hunted them and their witch beliefs. The women’s movement of the 1970s led to a focus on the women accused, which is where the 5 million number came from. Part of the problem is parsing the evidence – some of which even now lies waiting in local archives across Europe to be examined. A more interesting and valid statistic is that 80% of those persecuted for witchcraft were women, 20% men, the inverse of the statistic for sainthood: 80% of saints in this period were men, 20% women.
For a compelling look at how a gifted historian of gender examines statistics and witchcraft accusations, take a look at Carol Karlsen’s The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England. It came out in 1987 but it is still a great study of what statistics can reveal when one takes gender into account.
Medieval historian Eleanor Janega gives an estimate of 30,000-60,000 killed in the witch panics.
(Estimate about six paragraphs from the end of here She also estimates that about 10% of the total in Europe were male, although that varied depending on region)
Over the summer, I went through a hellish time with my chronic conditions and pain. One of the few things that helped me were audiobooks of mystery series with British narrators. I ate up The Captain Lacey Mysteries by Jennifer Ashley and then the St Cyr mysteries.
The St. Cyr books are full of twists and complications in the best way. Lovejoy is a favorite character of mine, as is someone else who will figure greatly in books not mentioned yet.
I am really thankful for this series (and the Lacey) for getting me through such a bad time. It takes a lot to keep my attention during flares. The fact they did and gave me a little respite is the highest compliment I can give.
I listen to the audiobooks of this series, all the way to book 20. Davina Porter did the first ones, and she was fantastic, but she has retired so there have been other narrators. The last one is a man, which took a bit of getting used to, even though he does a good job and the main character is male. I always learn something from this series – they are well researched.
This is great timing for me, as I’m just finishing up WHY MERMAIDS SING. I’m definitely intrigued to continue with the series — and also here to affirm your Paul Gibson love!
Echoing all the comments here and your review, Lara. One of my favorite series, which I will read until the lights go out. The characters become easier to follow and Paul Gibson is all that. The books just keep getting better, more emotionally riveting, and I am completely invested. I would be seriously impressed by anyone who can keep the titles straight.