The Angel of the Crows is probably the most thorough reworking, yet also the most authentic reworking, of the Sherlock Holmes stories that I have seen. 

The book adapts several of the original stories, including novels (A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four and of course, The Hound of the Baskervilles) and short stories (The Copper Beeches, The Speckled Band, and more) into a magical, alternate 19th century. The two friends - a Dr Doyle (of course) recently returned injured from Afghanistan, and the eccentric, brilliant Crow - share rooms at 221b Baker Street. Gregson and Lestrade still appear, as (in slightly different guises) does Moriarty. The Baker Street Irregulars are replaced by Crow's reliance on a corps of undifferentiated angels... did I mention that Crow is an angel?

We also meet vampires, werewolves, Hellhounds, Haemophages and countless other supernatural creatures, in a world familiar - if not always at ease with - mediums, aetheric disturbances and the Fallen (but you don't REALLY want to meet one of them). You might think all of this would detract from the logic and induction which is supposed to be at the centre of the original stories, but it really doesn't. First, Crow is formidable at sifting through the data and inferring what is going on (and Doyle is no slouch either, he's not a limited Watson). Secondly, those original books were unashamedly sensationalist and The Angel of the Crows gleefully echoes that, whether in a pursuit of a suspect across London carried out with the help of a Cerberus automaton, a fight between Hellhounds on Dartmoor or an expedition into a vampire lair. 

Most importantly, this book is not simply derivative - it reinterprets and develops its subject matter, giving it a genuinely new and different sensibility that is much more than mere Victorian pastiche. In the course of these adventures we come, for example, on a character here who isn't conforming to this society's gender expectations, and have to consider the consequences of that. The novel also confronts the legacies of Imperial looting and of racial diversity in London, that most cosmopolitan of Victorian cities. 

All this is done while maintaining an exciting and intricate storyline, weaving together its chosen episodes with new adventures and twists on the familiar (look for the reference to "The Sherlock Arms"!)

My only reservation is, in the 1888 set novel, to the background of the (real) Whitechapel Murders. It's hardly original to set the Great Detective and sidekick (though Doyle is more than a sidekick) against that killer and I did wonder if there is really any more that can or should be said here. This was a real killer and the crimes described are real crimes. In discussing them The Angel of the Crows provides plausible analysis and, within the framework of the story, a satisfying conclusion, but on the whole I preferred the properly fictional elements in this book. And those parts certainly deliver a lot, from the thrill of a client arriving with a new case, to the sinister atmosphere of the Great Grimpen Mire to the emerging and troubling position of Crow within the hierarchy of angels in London - almost an outcast, a subject of suspicion, a cause for worry to his friends.

The audio version of the book is excellent, Imogen Church's narration inhabiting a dizzying array of characters and always evoking just the right nuances of language and disposition. Just when you think she can't possibly conjure up another one, there it is - from the slightly babbling enthusiasm of Crow to the stolid Doyle, the Irish of Moriarty and the stiffness of the London police.

I have hopes that this may be the start of a series - there are threads here which could clearly be taken forward - and I hope that is the case. Would definitely recommend.

The Angel of the Crows is the first book I've read by Katherine Addison, and it was definitely an interesting experience. The blurb got my attention immediately because Sherlock Holmes is one of my favourite characters from literature and I haven't read a retelling based on his persona before, so I am happy I got the chance to read this one.

This book takes on a unique interpretation of Holmes's cases by adding a supernatural twist to the story. The action takes place in an alternate version of 1880s London where werewolves, vampires, and angels are as common as the usual criminals. And Sherlock Holmes portrayed as an angelic being, who protects the city, intrigued me. The plotline had enough action and mystery to keep me interested until the end. As for the characters, both Crow and Doyle (our "Sherlock" and "Watson") were well rounded, and I loved how their friendship developed and the dynamic between them flowed easily.

As a fan of Sherlock Holmes and paranormal stories I have to say, I enjoyed this book very much and I recommend it to those who like historical fiction with a twist.

My thanks to Rebellion Solaris for eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Angel of the Crows’ by Katherine Addison in exchange for an honest review.

I was charmed from the outset by this paranormal historical mystery.  As soon as I realised this and as it had just been published, I bought both its ebook and audiobook editions and so embarked upon an delightful immersive reading experience. I didn’t want it to end.

I don’t want to stray into spoiler territory, so will keep plot details short. Our narrator Dr J. Doyle has just returned from Afghanistan and takes up lodgings in a flat in Baker Street with the eccentric angel Crow, who describes himself as a consulting detective (“the only one in the world”). Familiar? Well, yes and no. 

The Angel Crow only takes on cases that interest him, though sometimes he is called upon to work with Scotland Yard. Here Crow and Doyle investigate a series of fascinating cases that includes vampire nests and spectral hounds. They also assist Inspector Lestrade in his investigation into a series of horrific murders in Whitechapel. We are aware that Doyle holds a dark secret about his past and that Crow is also an enigmatic being.

This was ridiculously good fun. I loved Katherine Addison’s late Victorian London with its resident angels alongside other supernatural creatures. Doyle and Crow are a great team and there was plenty of witty banter.

I have my fingers crossed that Addison will write more adventures for this delightful pair in the future.

Highly recommended.

This was my first book by Addison and I enjoyed her writing style and prose. She did a good job with the characters and I loved the atmosphere of the book.

Going in to this book I had a certain expectation of what it would be (more about the fallen angels and the fantasy elements), and it turned out to be something completely different. It was a fun read, felt like Sherlock Holmes fan fiction with a fantasy twist which was enjoyable, but I think I would have loved the kind of book I was expecting more than the one I read. That I believe is just a matter of personal taste, however, and in no way reflects the value of the author’s work.

Thank you to Net Galley and Rebellion publishing for providing me with an e-arc of The Angel of the Crows in exchange for my honest review. 

Firstly and most importantly, this book is most definitely Sherlock Holmes fanfic. In this version Sherlock is an outcast Angel called Crow and Dr Waterson is Dr. Doyle, a war survivor who was injured in Afghan by a fallen angel, which has left him suffering with a significant paranormal affliction. 

The story is still set in Victorian England and it provides a retelling of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes with a fantasy/paranormal twist. The book covers a multitude of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock works including the most well known, A Study in Scarlet, through to the least, The Adventure of the Copper Beeches. 

This book takes the reader on a journey of retelling, which gradually moves from a very close re-telling to one that take a more creative twist. Whilst the stories remain set in Victorian England, this is a realm away from that of your history books. Here, the world building is sufficient to provide you with a view of an England where Angels, Vampires, Hemophages and other paranormal/fantasy species co-exist with humans. However, beyond informing you about the impact of a fallen angel, the world building is not significantly extensive and I would loved for there to have been greater depth into this and the conflict with the Fallen, it would definitely have brought the story to life more for me. 

However, there are certain twists that irrespective of how complete or limited your Sherlock knowledge will definitely bring a smile to your face. In addition, I also appreciated the updating of views on gender, racism, etc, all of which were definitely to the benefit of the story. Whilst an enjoyable read, if you are very familiar with Sherlock stories, none of this book will be a surprise, for some this may not be a plus, but for others it could be a comfort. 

Overall, I found the book to be an enjoyable read and it has made me interested to read the author's other work.

I certainly loved the premise of this book but the delivery did not live up to expectations or hope. It had all the elements I knew I’d love – the well-known parts of a would-be Sherlock Holmes and Watson, mixed with many fantasy elements and characters, a good dose of murder mystery, all set in a steampunk 1880’s – but nothing was fully fleshed out or explored, leaving me feel underwhelmed.

I think for me it felt like the author tried to include too many things, leaving not enough space for anything to truly flourish. For example, there were many fantastical characters but we barely got to see their traits played out within the plot, with the exception of Doyle (our would-be Watson) and a little of Crow (our would-be Sherlock Holmes). And speaking of Crow, despite his angel status being explained and some of the pros and cons of it, the angel part was not massively integrated into the plot, or at least nowhere near as much as it could. Overall it left me feeling like it was all superficial and too much was missing.

The same was true for the storyline, the author tried to weave in many sub plots within the over-arching theme but it felt like adding too much and not allowing any one plot to fully come to fruition. At one point it was almost information overload and not enough interesting, action, plot-moving stuff. It lacked that fast pace that we know and love from a Sherlock inspired theme. The author set up many potential interesting avenues, like the types of angel – those with a dominion, the nameless and the fallen – but there was a distinct lacking in the use of those set ups. So we knew they existed, they just didn’t really get included in the main storyline other than as token gestures. All of which just left me wanting more. Also, the synopsis of the book gives away the name of a murderer so as it’s playing out in the book we already know who it is long before they start using his nickname. This was disappointing and a bit of a pet-peeve of mine.

In summary, I would have preferred a much cut down version but with fully realised characters that played integral roles in the story, with their character traits woven throughout the plot – making the plot! Couple that with a detailed but again, fully covered storyline and I might have loved this book.

Thanks Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity of reading this re-released ARC.

This may be a very good book for some people but unfortunately the premise and writing just isn't for me so I have had to DNF it.

Unfortunately I  didn't finish this book,  the blurb sounded really promising, but 20% in and I still didnt really understand the world we were in, with the angels and creatures and the whys. Although the sherlock homles vibe was good it all feel the same.

THE GOBLIN EMPEROR by Katherine Addison is one of — if not my very — favourite books, so I was really excited to read THE ANGEL OF THE CROWS. However, it’s also a Sherlock Holmes retelling, which I’ve not had much luck with, so I knew going in that this would be an interesting read for me.

PROS

Addison’s writing style certainly doesn’t fail to deliver. Her prose is as stunning as ever and, even if I had hated the story itself, I think I would have stuck around just to enjoy her words.

Major pro: Doyle would be turning in his grave at the way his stories have been retold while cutting through all the racism, antisemitism, and sexism. OG Holmes is Victorian-era literature obviously, and although not all writing from the period is the same, Holmes canon has always been pretty steeped in those attitudes. Addison’s retelling vignettes of individual cases stay pretty close to the original stories but without that sour aftertaste. There’s even a bit of gender exploration.

Funnily enough, I’m not a fan of wingfic (which THE ANGEL OF THE CROWS started life as). Big fanfic fan, just never found appeal in that subgenre. So, I was hesitant about that side of this going in. Addison’s world-building though, is every bit as detailed and rich as I’d hoped it would be. There are different types of angels (and rules governing them) of which, as per, Crow/Sherlock is the exception, hellhounds (which are different from werewolves), vampires, and other supernatural beasties that make this a fascinating alternate London. If this book is a success, I could quite easily see it developing into a series and moving away from the Sherlock cases to new mysteries. I would definitely read more books in the universe.

CONS

It’s around 450 pages and I felt some of that could have been trimmed down. Not by much perhaps, but just to pick up the pace in one or two places. This is nit-picking though.

The retelling aspect. THE ANGEL OF THE CROWS is the best Sherlock Holmes retelling I’ve read, although that’s admittedly few. However, the little mini-case vignettes, worked around the longer Jack the Ripper plot, were very, very close to the originals (or to the BBC Sherlock series if you look at it that way). I really liked these little mysteries, but I can’t help but wish they’d moved a tad further from the originals. (Although this is maybe a mixed thought consider my second point in the Pros…)

There was a lot of potential here to break fun new ground in the Sherlock Holmes pastiche and it some ways it works. Explaining Holmes's (Crow's) idiosyncrasies by making him an angel that had no need to eat or sleep and has a peripheral understanding of human emotion worked beautifully, though he somethimes veers more into BBC Sherlock territory than the Consulting Detective as written by Arthur Conan Doyal. Addison also manages to recreate ACD's tone without having her characters regurgitate dialogue directly from the originals. The supernatural element adds a fun twist and I enjoyed the way episodes from Sherlock Holmes were adapted to this strange new world.

The problem that I had, and I imagine other readers who have read and re-read Holmes's and Watson's adventures are that the actual storylines stick too rigidly. In many of the cases, apart from the odd quirk and werewolf the story is virtually identical and therefore less engaging than they might have been. Despite the early promise the alternative world is under-developed and begins to read like an afterthought rather than integral part of the story, which is a shame because this was what promised to bring fresh life to the old material.

I'll also admit to being squeamish whenever Jack the Ripper is wheeled out. Yes, the real crimes were contemporaneous with the Great Detective. Yes, many Sherlockians long for the murderer to come up against Holmes. But this story has been rehashed so many times that's it's become meaningless and that is a horrifying state of affairs when there were real victims who have never really been given their due or the justice they deserve.

It’s Sherlock Holmes, but not as you know it. Some of the names are the same, some are different. Some of the characters with those names are the same, some are different. And the two most important characters are simulataneously the same and different. You will recognise the stories here, but they are all viewed though a distorting lens. It’s the canon retold with a huge supernatural element (although, interestingly given ACD’s interests, there’s no spiritualism). It’s not hard to discern the book’s origins in fanfic, but it’s still fun, if inessential. Katherine Addison’s previous novel was the superlative The Goblin Emperor. This is nothing near that in terms of worldbuilding or characterisation, but it is an amusing diversion.

I decided to read this book because of the author′s previous book ″The Goblin Emperor″, although this is a completely different style and subject.

In this 19th century alternate world, Angels and Fallen Angels live on Earth and are associated with locations, although with some variations. Vampires and werewolves are part of the general public and there are other supernatural creatures who exist more on the fringes of society. 
When Dr Doyle returns from  military service in Afghanistan he has a secret to hide, a wound which does not heal and little money to live on. In his quest for cheap lodgings, he ends up living with the Angel Crow who has an inexhaustible curiosity about the world, without quite managing to grasp the niceties of polite interaction. 
And yes, that does mean we are partaking of a pastiche of Sherlock Holmes. Familiar characters appear, although sometimes in different roles, and most of the book is retelling some of the famous cases but with fantastical elements. The author spends more time on the characters of the cast than perhaps the original Sherlock Holmes stories, so that adds another facet to the retelling. But I would enjoy reading some more original plots if there was to be another book in this world. It′s not a particularly grim book, and there is some humour including a running joke of just how do you fit an angel with a massive set of wings into a hansom cab.
I didn′t find this book as stunning as ″The Goblin Emperor″ but it′s an enjoyable, well-crafted read.


I had a copy of this book early through Netgalley.

The Angel of the Crows is, put very simply, a Sherlock Holmes retelling with supernatural elements. In the author’s note at the end, Addison notes that the story started out as a Sherlock Wing!fic fanfiction and it really shows. It has all the tropes and hallmarks of a typical fanfiction and, unfortunately, it did not manage to convince me that fanfics make good novels. It is better than a certain other, more notorious, fanfic turned novel, though.

The Angel of the Crows follows Crow, an angel, or Sherlock, and Doyle, aka Watson. The novel retells four Sherlock Holmes stories whilst having a thread run through with the Jack the Ripper murders. Personally, I didn’t really like this way of presenting the story. The retellings are far too close to the original stories (or so I can tell, I’ve only actually read one Holme story in my entire life) and it makes the narrative feel a little too disjointed. You almost forget the Jack the Ripper part of the story because of how background it is.

The characters are fine. They kind of saved the novel for me. Crow was mostly like a typical angel, but I did like that he expressed emotions through his wings. That was rather sweet. Doyle worked well as the narrator and had some interesting scenes and revelations.

The Angel of the Crows is an interesting idea but I think it would have worked better as an original story rather than as a retelling. The whole idea of the angels and their dominions, and what happens when the fall, is a very interesting concept which, unfortunately, gets lost in the whole Sherlock Holmes thing. It should have been one or the other in my opinion. It’s a well written story and if it had been completely original, it would have worked.

If you like Sherlock Holmes then you may enjoy this retelling with a twist. For me, personally, it was a little bit lost because I have only ever read one Sherlock Holmes story and that was when I was 16 for school (it was The Speckled Band and I had to compare it to Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl). I’m nowhere near a Sherlock aficionado so I couldn’t really enjoy that aspect of the story and the original parts of the novel weren’t covered in as much detail as I would have liked. All in all, it has an interesting idea with decent characters and it is well written but the execution didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

En su momento leí The Goblin Emperor y me pareció una fantasía muy sólida y disfrutable, así que cuando vi que Katherine Addison iba a sacar un nuevo libro y que encima era una reinterpretación de Sherlock Holmes, me faltó tiempo para ponerme a leerlo. 

Lo de reinterpretación es una forma de definir lo que ha hecho la autora que no me acaba de convencer. Cuando la propia Katherine lo describe como un wingfic (un fanfic donde alguno de los personajes tiene alas), ¿quiénes somos nosotros para intentar llamarlo de otra manera?
Addison cambia los nombres de Watson y de Holmes y transforma al famoso detective consultor en un ángel de la ciudad de Londres, mientras que las heridas de guerra de Afganistán del trasunto de Watson (llamado Doyle) tendrán más consecuencias de las esperadas. La ciudad donde transcurren las aventuras de ambos es un Londres mucho más oscuro que el que conocemos, poblado de criaturas mágicas, con vampiros, licántropos, ángeles… Es una ambientación tremendamente inmersiva, ya que no sabes lo que te puedes encontrar a la vuelta de la esquina y aún así, coherente en sus reglas internas.
El problema que surge desde el principio de la lectura es que la autora ha seguido demasiado fielmente las historias de Arthur Conan Doyle y no debe haber mucha gente que no sepa el final de Estudio en escarlata o El signo de los cuatro. En esta narración por supuesto hay cambios, sobre todo cuando se va alcanzando el final del libro cuando la historia diverge definitivamente de lo que conocemos, pero quizá este cambio llega demasiado tarde. Me resulta difícil entender por qué la escritora ha decidido ser tan extremadamente fiel al canon en unas cosas y tan original en otras, dando lugar a un mezcla heterogénea que no acaba de funcionar. La inclusión de los asesinatos de Jack el Destripador como hilo conductor de las desventuras de los dos residentes de Baker Street 221b tampoco resulta tan atractivo como podría parecer en un principio, pues es algo que ya se ha hecho en multitud de medios, escritos y audiovisuales, y no es que aporte demasiado al libro.
Me gustaría también comentar que la identidad de género también está presente en la novela, con algunas revelaciones inesperadas que reconozco me sorprendieron en su momento.
The Angel of the Crows resulta más interesante por el mundo que ha desarrollado la autora para arropar la historia que por la propia historia en sí, por lo que ha acabado por resultar un poco decepcionante.

Wingfic - who knew! But there is a nicely honest endnote which explains that there is a subsection of Fanfic which is about characters with wings and this is Sherlock Holmes with wings, as an Angel The book has a complex (and broadly unexplained) mythology of a Victoria London full of angels, vampires, werewolves, as well as less well known supernatural creatures like hell-hounds, homophages and fallen angels. Whether this peps up is Sherlock riff or not depends on your familiarity and comfort with urban fantasy, a genre I am not all that keen on. Equally I had my Holmes period, it was thirty years ago and haven't really cared for him since. So whilst the re-runs of the Baskervilles whilst getting messy with Jack The Ripper (well of course) are fun, I only really kept reading for the characters. Crow - the Holmes analog - is much nicer than Sherlock, and Doyle (the obviously named Watson), plays a decent central narrator. 

It works better as a connected set of short stories than a novel, not least with its final RIpper denoument being rather anti-climactic. But I was here for Addsion, whose prose I really enjoyed in The Goblin Emperor, and whilst she works under the constraints of the pastiche, she is always exceedingly readable. But before you read it gauge your desire to read a wingfic fanfic supernatural Sherlock Holmes. Mileage will vary.

[NetGalley ARC]

This book promised a lot, but for me, it just failed to deliver. Starting life as a Sherlock Holmes fan fiction, this tells the story of Dr. J. H. Doyle, an injured veteran returning from Afghanistan and Crow, the Angel of London. Our crime fighting duo work their way through a variety of mysteries, including the hound of the baskervilles and the Study in Scarlet, all with a twist. Throw in vampires, hell hounds, vampires and various other paranormal elements and you have the set up for an incredibly entertaining tale. Unfortunately, it missed the mark for me on a few key things. Firstly, the world building is pretty surface level. Crow (Sherlock) is an angel, which inhabit the world, but there is little explanation of the dynamics under which they operate, which left me confused at times and ultimately unsatisfied. Secondly, the Sherlock Holmes tales are very faithful re-tellings with only slight differences, which just felt like a bit of a cop out. I liked the relationship between Crow and Doyle and I thought Doyle particularly was a very interesting and well fleshed character. Overall however, I was generally underwhelmed. I think it will appeal to fans of paranormal fiction more than it will to Sherlock fans and honestly think you would really enjoy this book if you were less familiar with the source material than I am.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was attracted to this book by the cover and title and haven't read any of the author's previous work so had no prior expectations. 
The beginning was a little confusing as I thought it was going to be a straight forward angel/demon style book. I had to come back to netgalley to find out what the idea was behind the book and once I re-read the premise I understood it was an homage to Arthur Conan Doyle. 
The original Sherlock Holmes stories are incredibly tense and exciting, but there was little of either in this book. What there was though was much more endearing characters, with lots of surprising revelations along the way. It is very 'world' driven too and so you are swept along by this very clear and quite interesting interpretation where the characters dominate and the plots/mysteries are almost incidental. 

I have never read anything like this before, but towards the end I was really quite gripped and I enjoyed it enough to consider reading The Goblin Emporer. I would recommend this book, but cautiously.

Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

This book is set in Victorian London and centres around Sherlock Holmes stories, with a modern, magical twist. With Crow, the Angel of London in the starring role, despite being written from his sidekicks perspective. His obsession with finding Jack the Ripper is the heart of the main plot, with sub stories told around it (many of which readers will recognise the themes from Arthur Conan Doyle canon). 

This is a fun twisty historical fantasy for fans or murder mystery and tales from Sherlock Holmes.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. I thought the world built was truly imaginative and the characters really engaging.  I don’t think it necessarily needed to be a Sherlock Holmes retelling as the idea worked brilliantly on its own.

I really loved the idea of combining Fantasy (Angel’s) with 19th century Sherlock Holmes. It really brings the characters alive and makes them so much more interesting.
This is a great take on some of Sherlock Holmes most famous cases with the introduction of Vampires and Hellhounds and keeps you wanting more till the very end. 
I would love to read more stories with Crow and Doyle.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.