*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Blurb: Fog shrouded Victorian London, but not the 1888 we’d recognise. There’s a whiff of revolution in the air, not to mention lycanthropy in the shires. As Mr Eiffel’s tower nears completion in Hyde Park, famed Egyptologist Sir Percy Tiverton returns with his latest find — a nameless book so mysterious not even the Royal College of Alchemists can decipher its runes.
Even less chance Alexander Faversham. England’s foremost champion of derring-do is not known for his brains. Good job he has loyal manservant Bill by his side — a circumspect fellow who might know more about his master’s heroics than either are letting on. When the nameless book is stolen, Bill’s entanglement threatens to bring his boss’s carefully constructed façade crashing down.
There’s something nasty lurking in the shadows and it wants its manuscript back. Who would dare confront the tentacles slithering from the sewers? When the Empire needs a hero, it doesn’t always get the one it expects.
Green Unpleasant Land. Lovecraftian shenanigans in an alternative Victorian London. Steampunk with added tentacles. Shambling eldritch horrors by gaslight.
Review: Green Unpleasant Land sees the return of superhuman Gwen from Anthracite – a cross between Gavin Stacey’s Nessa and 24’s Jack Bauer – with a new local (less useless – sorry, Kevin!) sidekick and a new mission: save the world from being overrun by Lovecraftian monstrosities and other assorted hostile mythological creatures.
Despite referencing the events in Anthracite briefly and bringing back one of the main characters, you don’t need to have read the previous book to follow what’s going on here as this story stands alone perfectly well.
Our new main character, Bill, gives off Blackadder the Third or Jeeves and Wooster vibes at first, as he schemes and masterminds in the background to keep his feckless master Sir Alexander Faversham out of trouble, gaol, and other people’s wives. But when Gwen turns up and local interest begins to focus on a mysterious magical tome unearthed from an Egyptian tomb, things cycle rapidly from farce, to Sherlock Holmes, to full-on Elder Gods Armageddon, with a touch of Quantum Leap on the side!
Packed with action, wry humour and more literary, historical and pop culture references than I could possibly keep track of, this is a fun dark romp through an alternate Victorian London. I particularly love Bill for his focus on the current action, his loyalties and surviving the day, rather than getting side-tracked into simpering over Gwen romantically (again, Kevin, I’m looking at you!). Their teamwork and camaraderie makes them a solid duo and I enjoyed watching them combine their respective talents to solve the case and save the distressed gentlefolk of the realm.
If your idea of a good time is suspending disbelief to plunge into a riotous adventure, fighting creepy monks and werewolves to stop otherworldly cultists getting their hands on a book of dark summoning and ripping apart the fabric of reality (by means of a really bad musical), then this is the book you’ve been waiting for.
My mind raced. What devilment were we destined to witness this night? Like a swift kick to the love-spuds the full horror of this hellish performance hit home. Hotep’s show was no mere theatrical play, no turgid, pretentious melodrama. It was far, far worse than that.
It was a musical.– Matt Thomas, Green Unpleasant Land
About the author
Matt Thomas is the author of ‘Before and After’ and ‘Terror Firma’, published by Voyager/Harper Collins, and ‘Anthracite’ published by Unbound in 2020.
Substack: https://mtauthor.substack.com/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mtauthor.bsky.social
X/Twitter: https://x.com/MattT_Author
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18681412.Matthew_Thomas
