There's a very interesting mix of genres going on here - it's part alternate history, part urban fantasy, a little bit steampunk, and has a heaping dollop of mystery. I liked it; that blended approach was my favourite thing about the book, actually. I think, though, that I might have liked a little more horror in there. There's certainly opportunity enough, what with vampires and serial killers and ghostly werewolves and the beast of Gevaudan. (I've seen a couple of horror movies about that last one and always find it entertaining.)

I liked the characters, too, but this is one of those rare books where I'm more interested in the worldbuilding than the cast. That cast is all competently rendered, but none of them really compel me as much as the setting and the political backdrop. There's not a lot about a world-weary vampire that especially excites me, I'm afraid; I feel as if I've read that particular take fairly often. I prefer Abigail Irene, if only because it's nice to have a deeply competent middle-aged heroine in fantasy, for once.