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Synopsis
Welcome to the bizarre and dangerous world of Victorian London, a city teetering on the edge of revolution. Its people are ushering in a new era of technology, dazzled each day by new inventions. Airships soar in the skies over the city, whilst ground trains rumble through the streets and clockwork automatons are programmed to carry out menial tasks in the offices of lawyers, policemen and journalists. But beneath this shiny veneer of progress lurks a sinister side.For this is also a world where lycanthropy is a rampant disease that plagues the dirty whorehouses of Whitechapel, where poltergeist infestations create havoc in old country seats, where cadavers can rise from the dead and where nobody ever goes near the Natural History Museum. Sir Maurice Newbury, Gentleman Investigator for the Crown, imagines life can be a little quieter from now on after his dual success in solving The Affinity Bridge affair. But he hasn't banked on his villainous predecessor, Knox, hell bent on achieving immortality, not to mention a secret agent who isn't quite as he seems...So continues an adventure quite unlike any other, a thrilling steampunk mystery and the second in the series of "Newbury & Hobbes" investigations.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
George Mann's previous 'Newbury and Hobbes' novel, The Affinity Bridge was a curious mix of riotous entertainment and horrendous cliché, that teetered on the brink of being truly awful, yet managed to remain a book worth reading. So, it was with some apprehension that I settled down to read 'The Osiris Ritual' - which way would Mann go? Would we be treated to a robust steampunk thriller, or a latter-day penny-dreadful?
I'm pleased to report that some of the problems of the first instalment have been ironed out. Mann's characters and settings now feel like artful homage, as opposed to clumsy pastiche (though some may argue there is little difference!), and although there is still some anachronistic dialogue, the editing for book two is tighter, making for a smoother read and considerably less frustrated tutting.
Again the sleuth's adventures are exciting; this time Newbury finds himself dealing with an Egyptian curse, whilst Hobbes hunts down a mysterious magician, linked with the disappearance of a number of women. The story flows quickly, thanks mainly to Mann's fluent writing style, which is a good job, as it hides 'The Osiris Ritual's' main flaw. The plot doesn't really hold up to close scrutiny. On the face of it, the villain's motives and methods seem sound, but on reflection it's a rather half-baked scheme not befitting for the master criminal he is purported to be. There are some nice set pieces in the book, but I was left with the impression that the plot was fudged to fit around them, rather than things being developed in unison.
Despite that, 'The Osiris Ritual', like its predecessor, is so much fun, that its plot flaws are easy to forgive. If you are looking for an easy enjoyable read, and are not upset by loose plotting, then you could do a lot worse than investigating the exploits of 'Newbury and Hobbes'. They are definite Guilty Pleasure material, perfect for lightening a dreary Autumn evening.
I'm pleased to report that some of the problems of the first instalment have been ironed out. Mann's characters and settings now feel like artful homage, as opposed to clumsy pastiche (though some may argue there is little difference!), and although there is still some anachronistic dialogue, the editing for book two is tighter, making for a smoother read and considerably less frustrated tutting.
Again the sleuth's adventures are exciting; this time Newbury finds himself dealing with an Egyptian curse, whilst Hobbes hunts down a mysterious magician, linked with the disappearance of a number of women. The story flows quickly, thanks mainly to Mann's fluent writing style, which is a good job, as it hides 'The Osiris Ritual's' main flaw. The plot doesn't really hold up to close scrutiny. On the face of it, the villain's motives and methods seem sound, but on reflection it's a rather half-baked scheme not befitting for the master criminal he is purported to be. There are some nice set pieces in the book, but I was left with the impression that the plot was fudged to fit around them, rather than things being developed in unison.
Despite that, 'The Osiris Ritual', like its predecessor, is so much fun, that its plot flaws are easy to forgive. If you are looking for an easy enjoyable read, and are not upset by loose plotting, then you could do a lot worse than investigating the exploits of 'Newbury and Hobbes'. They are definite Guilty Pleasure material, perfect for lightening a dreary Autumn evening.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm only three-quarters through the book at the moment. Sadly, though I'm a fast reader, I find myself having to put the book down in annoyance fairly regularly.
Despite the lacking prose and jarring inconsistencies, "The Affinity Bridge" was a fun read. The Osiris Ritual's premise is, happily, a little more traditional to begin with: a mummy's curse and the murder of a prominent archaeologist send Newbury off on a hunt for a killer. However, just like its predecessor, the book fails to immerse the reader: grammatical slip-ups, anachronisms in vocabulary, and frankly unbelievable plot twists abound. (Let me just say, without spoiling the plot, that the method of disappearance, once revealed, was frankly unbelievable in a technical sense.) I realise the book is intended to be somewhat kitsch- just look at the cover. However, it must also be an enjoyable read to get away with this, and the author has no sense of how to make his world believable, even in a fantastic sense. One thing that comes to mind is the protagonist's frequent call for Earl Grey. Surely plain tea would do? "Do I smell a fresh pot of Earl Grey brewing in the pot?" was amusing, though.
Once again Sir Newbury and Miss Hobbes' separate assignments turn out to be related. I do wish that the nature of the relationship between the cases hadn't been so ham-handed. And what of Miss Hobbes' sister? You'd think she'd rate more mention than one small reference at the start and a later visit. How depressingly Victorian, haha.
I'd recommend that the author spend a few months reading both Victorian fiction and non-fiction to equip himself with a more engaging turn of phrase. I must say, though, the descriptions of technology in their context are exquisite, although the action scenes tend to drag a little. I'll be borrowing the next book from the library rather than buying it; this novel was lacking in substance and I doubt it holds up to repeated reading.
Despite the lacking prose and jarring inconsistencies, "The Affinity Bridge" was a fun read. The Osiris Ritual's premise is, happily, a little more traditional to begin with: a mummy's curse and the murder of a prominent archaeologist send Newbury off on a hunt for a killer. However, just like its predecessor, the book fails to immerse the reader: grammatical slip-ups, anachronisms in vocabulary, and frankly unbelievable plot twists abound. (Let me just say, without spoiling the plot, that the method of disappearance, once revealed, was frankly unbelievable in a technical sense.) I realise the book is intended to be somewhat kitsch- just look at the cover. However, it must also be an enjoyable read to get away with this, and the author has no sense of how to make his world believable, even in a fantastic sense. One thing that comes to mind is the protagonist's frequent call for Earl Grey. Surely plain tea would do? "Do I smell a fresh pot of Earl Grey brewing in the pot?" was amusing, though.
Once again Sir Newbury and Miss Hobbes' separate assignments turn out to be related. I do wish that the nature of the relationship between the cases hadn't been so ham-handed. And what of Miss Hobbes' sister? You'd think she'd rate more mention than one small reference at the start and a later visit. How depressingly Victorian, haha.
I'd recommend that the author spend a few months reading both Victorian fiction and non-fiction to equip himself with a more engaging turn of phrase. I must say, though, the descriptions of technology in their context are exquisite, although the action scenes tend to drag a little. I'll be borrowing the next book from the library rather than buying it; this novel was lacking in substance and I doubt it holds up to repeated reading.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In general, I feel drawn to books written in or set between 1890 and 1930. When I saw The Osiris Ritual was set in 1902 and involved a mummy's curse (I like Egyptian themed novels) I thought I would be in for an enjoyable, exciting read... And I was, after a fashion.
The book is oddly compelling. It's extraordinarily well-written, apart from anachronisms in the dialogue, and rattles along at a break-neck pace. The car chase and race atop the roof tops were brilliant, and the ending was satisfying, setting up for the next book in the series. However, I did feel that Newbury jumps to conclusions far too readily. Considering he's an agent of the Queen, one would think he'd consider his theories more before racing off. And I thought Hobbes could have featured more. It was like 'The Sir Maurice Newbury Show, featuring Veronica Hobbes', rather than the two of them actually working together in any real sense.
The author gets the feel of the early 1900s just right, as the book deals nicely with the conflict between those who think progress through science is the way forward (nicely suggested by Newbury reading a book about Futurism) and those who think science is going too far (Hobbes has this point of view, hence why she does not like the steam-powered cars). William Ashford and Dr Fabian characterise questions of how far we should let science and technology progress without an ethical base - progress may have a price we do not wish to pay as a society. Newbury being addicted to laudanum was a nice touch, and dealt nicely with the theme of living a double life (a theme prominent in early twentieth century literature) - he's an agent of the crown, but also frequents opium dens, which he tries to keep a secret. The problem is, there are so many authors who have done these themes so much better - Herbert West in 'Herbert West - Reanimator' by H.P Lovecraft is a more convincing 'mad scientist' than Dr. Fabian, and Dr. Frankenstein is also more sympathetic.
So, the book is an enjoyable read, well-written, and has many contextual features of the early 1900s which set the scene quite nicely. There are many flaws though, in that Newbury doesn't make a particularly convincing investigator (Sherlock Holmes would never have jumped to conclusions as readily as Newbury does), and Hobbes seems surplus to requirement.
The book is oddly compelling. It's extraordinarily well-written, apart from anachronisms in the dialogue, and rattles along at a break-neck pace. The car chase and race atop the roof tops were brilliant, and the ending was satisfying, setting up for the next book in the series. However, I did feel that Newbury jumps to conclusions far too readily. Considering he's an agent of the Queen, one would think he'd consider his theories more before racing off. And I thought Hobbes could have featured more. It was like 'The Sir Maurice Newbury Show, featuring Veronica Hobbes', rather than the two of them actually working together in any real sense.
The author gets the feel of the early 1900s just right, as the book deals nicely with the conflict between those who think progress through science is the way forward (nicely suggested by Newbury reading a book about Futurism) and those who think science is going too far (Hobbes has this point of view, hence why she does not like the steam-powered cars). William Ashford and Dr Fabian characterise questions of how far we should let science and technology progress without an ethical base - progress may have a price we do not wish to pay as a society. Newbury being addicted to laudanum was a nice touch, and dealt nicely with the theme of living a double life (a theme prominent in early twentieth century literature) - he's an agent of the crown, but also frequents opium dens, which he tries to keep a secret. The problem is, there are so many authors who have done these themes so much better - Herbert West in 'Herbert West - Reanimator' by H.P Lovecraft is a more convincing 'mad scientist' than Dr. Fabian, and Dr. Frankenstein is also more sympathetic.
So, the book is an enjoyable read, well-written, and has many contextual features of the early 1900s which set the scene quite nicely. There are many flaws though, in that Newbury doesn't make a particularly convincing investigator (Sherlock Holmes would never have jumped to conclusions as readily as Newbury does), and Hobbes seems surplus to requirement.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
This steampunk steams along at a cracking rate...
This is the second book in this series, although I haven't read the first offering. Does that matter? Read more
Published 7 months ago by sjhigbee
An Impressive Follow-Up
Following hot on the heels of George Mann's entertaining steampunk debut 'The Affinity Bridge' comes 'The Osiris Ritual,' the second in the Newbury & Hobbes investigations. Read more
Published 9 months ago by David Kerr
Curse of the mummy
The Victorians were wild about mummies -- they even had "unwrapping" parties where everybody would gather and... well, unwrap the mummy. Read more
Published 13 months ago by E. A Solinas
Another brilliant Victorian adventure!
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the first "Newbury & Hobbes" book "The Affinity Bridge"I really looked forward to reading the second in the series "The Osiris Ritual". Read more
Published 22 months ago by Martin Belcher
Fantastic fun with a satisfying ending
At the start of this book I wasn't sure I liked it. It seemed to have taken ideas from other books or films (The Mummy, Hellboy and Sherlock Holmes)and this annoyed me. Read more
Published on 30 Mar 2010 by V. Mundell
Light entertainment
Two-dimensional characters, a predictable plot, and sometimes wooden prose, combined with frankly unbelievable tech, could have killed this book dead. Read more
Published on 28 Nov 2009 by Dominic Wellington
Another great story, looking forward to more.
I got into steampunk with Alan Moore and I've been looking for good stories on a similar theme ever since. Read more
Published on 29 Oct 2009 by Ludlow 67
The Second in the Newbury and Hobbs Series
`The Osiris Ritual' is the second in the Newbury and Hobbs series (if you haven't read it yet, you might be better to go back and read `The Affinity Bridge' first. Read more
Published on 18 Sep 2009 by Sarah Durston
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