After reading the first book in the series, The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter, I couldn’t wait to rejoin the rather unique ladies of 11 Park Terrace Place and the Athena Club….

What’s it About?

“In the sequel to the critically acclaimed The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter, Mary Jekyll and the rest of the daughters of literature’s mad scientists embark on a madcap adventure across Europe to rescue another monstrous girl and stop the Alchemical Society’s nefarious plans once and for all.

Mary Jekyll’s life has been peaceful since she helped Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson solve the Whitechapel Murders. Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherine Moreau, Justine Frankenstein, and Mary’s sister Diana Hyde have settled into the Jekyll household in London, and although they sometimes quarrel, the members of the Athena Club get along as well as any five young women with very different personalities. At least they can always rely on Mrs. Poole.

But when Mary receives a telegram that Lucinda Van Helsing has been kidnapped, the Athena Club must travel to the Austro-Hungarian Empire to rescue yet another young woman who has been subjected to horrific experimentation. Where is Lucinda, and what has Professor Van Helsing been doing to his daughter? Can Mary, Diana, Beatrice, and Justine reach her in time?

Racing against the clock to save Lucinda from certain doom, the Athena Club embarks on a madcap journey across Europe. From Paris to Vienna to Budapest, Mary and her friends must make new allies, face old enemies, and finally confront the fearsome, secretive Alchemical Society. It’s time for these monstrous gentlewomen to overcome the past and create their own destinies.” - Goodreads

What I loved..

The characters are just as interesting and fun and intelligent as they were in the first book. Love love LOVE that this is a series told by the daughters of beloved and well-known fictional characters. The storyline was interesting and left plenty of room for new adventures in the next book - which I fully intend to read - and it introduced plenty of new characters along the way that were as unexpected as they were welcome!

What I didn’t love as much..

The only downside of this book was the pacing, for a storyline that was actually very fun and interesting, it took longer to get to where it was going than I would have liked.

Overall

I liked it and I’m looking forward to the next book! Slow pacing aside, this book had everything I was looking for in the follow up to its predecessor and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone who loves; fiction, whether fantasy or mystery because this one has both!

If you’re ready to read this book yourself you can find it here.