There is absolutely nothing I didn't love about this first installment. The prose is gorgeous, the characters engaging, the premise refreshing and the pace just right. I rarely finish a book in one read but this one kept me turning pages long into the night.

I'd absolutely recommend this read! ( )

"You're right," Henry continued. "It's a beautiful day, and I want ice cream. Let us leave off with this topic--or at least, leave it for another day. But I would beg you: if you remember one thing from this conversation, remember this...trusting someone too quickly is a very dangerous thing for a young woman to do."

"There's ice cream?" asked Dorina. ( )

Reminiscent of [b:Pride and Prejudice and Zombies|5899779|Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, #1)|Seth Grahame-Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320449653s/5899779.jpg|6072122], a sort of naughty retelling of [b:The Picture of Dorian Gray and Other Writings|390353|The Picture of Dorian Gray and Other Writings|Oscar Wilde|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320482466s/390353.jpg|21904778] from an LGBT perspective just didn't work for me. Not badly written, just an idea that never needed to be shown the light of day. It is what it is and some will like it, but one of them won't be me. ( )

2.5 stars?

I'm really unsure of how many stars to give this book. It should be a no-brainer for me to love it: late-Victorian setting, a naturalistic approach to fantasy, sisters, art, fencing. It's well-written and the author has a gift for characters. Evadne and Dorina are two sisters who are opposites in most ways, and their interactions prove it. They constantly clash and misunderstand each others' intentions--but then they'll have a moment of true connection, only to lose it again. This relationship was well drawn: readers could understand both sisters' perspectives and I, at least, had sympathy for both of them, even when they were wrong (which was often--they could be very frustrating people, but in a realistic way). The fantasy elements were unique and contained some nice twists. And the cover is lovely.

And yet...I didn't really like it? And I can't put my finger on why. I keep going back to it in my mind, trying to figure out why it didn't work for me, but I come up empty handed. I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from reading it--I'm sure many people will love it and it's a quick read. I'm just frustrated that I can't figure out why I didn't love it! ( )

Originally published at TheBibliophage.com.

In Creatures of Will and Temper, Molly Tanzer gives us an urban fantasy. As long as you don’t mind defining urban as Victorian era London. Alternately, it’s historical fiction with a distinct supernatural twist. Either way, it’s a romp on the wild side of an oh-so-cultured time.

At first I thought the titular creatures were the main characters, Evadne and Dorina. Dorina, a 17-year old art critic wannabe, is headed to her uncle’s London home for a few months. The older of the sisters, Evadne, catches her in an indiscretion and is included somewhat unwillingly in the trip as chaperone. In London, Uncle Basil introduces them straightaway to Lady Henrietta Wooton (Henry for short). Lady Henry becomes their connection to a circle of aesthetes that Dorina gobbles up, and Evadne immediately rejects.

Sister-related melodrama ensues, with neither one feeling entirely comfortable in this new environment. Soon enough, though, Dorina settles into a close relationship with Lady Henry and Evadne finds her place as a fencing student.

Tanzer takes this setting and injects demons in a very cultured way, indicative of the time and place. The demons aren’t running rampant in an overt way. They have subtle power and control over humans who allow them into their minds. And, truthfully, the connection isn’t always subtle. But don’t expect actual creatures on the streets of London.

However, in Tanzer’s imagined world, their are multiple demons each with its own goals and desires. Hence, the simple sister-sister conflict ramps up considerably. This is the part where I tell you very little because I’m a non-spoiler reviewer. But, trust me, there’s plenty of mystery and action once the fantasy clicks into the story.

Tanzer’s writing style is easy to read. She combines modern and Victorian sensibilities well in the world building and character development. I found the sisters to be fairly annoying and unsympathetic at first. But they grew on me. Just like demons in my own mind, I’d catch myself wondering what would come next while I was living other parts of my life. And in that regard, Tanzer pulls some cracking good plot twists that I hadn’t envisioned.

I’d give this 3.5/5 stars, and will look out for Tanzer’s earlier writing as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and John Joseph Adams/Mariner Books for the opportunity to read the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. ( )