As we are all trapped at home, what better time to catch up on some reading? My to-be-read (tbr) list is insanely long, but I just completed an incredibly fun series and I must tell everyone about it.
The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club is a mystery trilogy filled with a cast of characters from (and inspired by) classic horror and science-fiction novels set in the Victorian era. The series consists of:
The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter
“Mary Jekyll, alone and penniless following her parents’ death, is curious about the secrets of her father’s mysterious past. One clue in particular hints that Edward Hyde, her father’s former friend and a murderer, may be nearby, and there is a reward for information leading to his capture…a reward that would solve all of her immediate financial woes. With the assistance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mary continues her search for the elusive Hyde, and soon befriends more women, all of whom have been created through terrifying experimentation. When their investigations lead them to the discovery of a secret society of immoral and power-crazed scientists, the horrors of their past return. Now it is up to the monsters to finally triumph over the monstrous.”
European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman
“Mary Jekyll and the rest of the daughters of literature’s mad scientists embark on a madcap adventure across Europe to rescue another monstrous girl and stop the Alchemical Society’s nefarious plans once and for all. When Mary receives a telegram that Lucinda Van Helsing has been kidnaped, the Athena Club must travel to the Austro-Hungarian Empire to rescue yet another young woman who has been subjected to horrific experimentation. Where is Lucinda, and what has Professor Van Helsing been doing to his daughter?”
The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl
“Life’s always an adventure for the Athena Club…especially when one of their own has been kidnaped! Mary Jekyll and her friends return home to discover that their friend and kitchen maid Alice has vanished— and so has their friend and employer Sherlock Holmes!
As they race to find Alice and bring her home safely, they discover that Alice and Sherlock’s kidnappings are only one small part of a plot that threatens Queen Victoria, and the very future of the British Empire. Can Mary, Diana, Beatrice, Catherine, and Justine save their friends—and save the Empire? Find out in the final installment of the fantastic and memorable Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club series.”
The Athena Club is a group of Monstrous feminists who would likely scandalize the original authors of the classic characters that Theodora Goss takes inspiration from (except maybe Mary Shelley), including:
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The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde
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Rappaccini’s Daughter
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The Island of Doctor Moreau
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Frankenstein
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Carmilla
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The Jewel of Seven Stars
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The Great God Pan
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The Picture of Dorian Gray
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Dracula
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She
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Sherlock Holmes
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Murder on the Orient Express
That’s a lot, but Goss does a great job of interlacing many of these stories together in intriguing ways, with cool mysteries that drag you in and a cast that keeps you interested. It’s tons of fun reading about this team of women running about England and Europe trying to solve mysteries, rescue friends and passing lots of snarky sass.