LONDON MACABRE by STEVEN SAVILE

When this was first announced a few years ago, I gave out a little yelp of excitement, a new Steven Savile novel is always something that makes me happy. 

However...

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at that point it was only available through Dark Regions press as a limited hard cover book priced at $45.  There was a time that this would not have bothered me, my Bank card would have left a scorch mark on my wallet as I whipped it out and paid for a copy of this book.  Sadly though two children later my days of buying hardback books where long gone.  So when it was revealed that the book was now available as an Ebook, Jimmy danced a little dance of joy.   


Set in an alternate Victorian London, it starts as with all good novels of impending doom very quietly,  with the death of a seemingly insignificant  flower girl, she wasn't the first an she certainly won't be the last. Her killer Nathaniel Seth, is also more than he seems after climbing down Catamine Stair, he is now on the path to release Satan himself from from its eternal prison.   To do this Seth must breach the Seven Gates, which are guarded over by the Angelkind and their leader the mad, bad and slightly crazy archangel Uriel. 

The only thing standing in the way of the impending Apocalypse, is the Gentleman Knights of The Grayfriar's Gentleman's Club.  These men of fine standing  guard the world from Supernatural threats, they are the saviours of the Victorian world, but they themselves are cursed in there own way.  Some will fall, some will lose everything, but they will make a stand, and they will lay down everything to protect our world. 

With London Macabre, Steven Saville has crafted and immensely entertaining and gratifying novel.  At times it does seem as though he has thrown everything including the kitchen sink into this novel, ghost, demons, angels, werewolves, and just about every mythological interpretation of the Apocalypse into the mix.  However, rather than making this novel feel confused, Savile crafts these elements into a heady mix of pure unadulterated fun, gripping set pieces and heart stomping action.  

 

 London Macabre is a wonderfully flamboyant, old school romp, full of derring do, dashing heroes,  snifters of brandy and damsels in distress, all wrapped in a gloriously entertaining narrative, that brings the streets of this fantasy London to life.  

In recent times there has been a number of fantasy novels set in London, London Macabre, is one of the finest I have read 

London calling to the faraway towns
Now war is declared and battle come down
London calling to the underworld
Come out of the cupboard, you boys and girls

and grab yourselves a copy of this excellent novel.