These Vicious Masks
Magic, mad scientist mix in darkly romantic Victorian romp.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that These Vicious Masks is the first book in a planned trilogy by exuberant first-time authors Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas. It's a thrilling, suspenseful, snarky page-turner involving magical powers (some deadly), a mad scientist who tortures and kills his victims, an innocent young girl who falls into his clutches, and her sister, who defies Victorian propriety and faces many dangers trying to rescue her. Along the way there are thugs, drunkards, and ladies of questionable virtue, as well as two swoony guys with a lot of secrets and excellent kissing skills. Characters, including lovable ones, die, often tragically, and others face mortal danger. The strongest language from the Victorian characters is "hell," "damn," and one "goddamn."
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What's the Story?
As the story begins, it's 1882 in England, and in the wake of her London Season, Evelyn Wyndham and her younger sister, Rosamund, are reluctantly facing impending death -- from boredom, as their matchmaking-obsessed parents take them to excruciatingly polite balls in search of eligible young men. Boredom becomes almost a pleasant memory when Rose disappears overnight, and Evelyn is sure she's been kidnapped. When her parents, who seem more worried about what people will think than about what's happened to their daughter, refuse to do anything, Evelyn heads for London in search of her lost sister. Two handsome young gentlemen seem eager to help and provide timely assistance as Evelyn delves into a world of dark alleys, dark forces, and dark deeds -- but they also hide dark secrets of their own.
Is It Any Good?
First-time authors Shaker and Zekas conjure up a Victorian universe of superpowers, deception, magic, murder, and millennial-like attitude in their snarky, darkly romantic series debut. Often a quirky mix of Jane Austen and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, THESE VICIOUS MASKS may lack historical accuracy here and there, but the authors' barely concealed sense of too much fun is infectious as they peel away one layer of disguise only to reveal another, serving up moments like this:
"I stood up, unable to resist the wine any longer. I poured it into a teacup and ignored the snort behind me.
"'Ah, so you know what to do when a man takes you for a doxy?'
"Mortified, I felt my face flush, but somehow kept myself from spitting out the wine. 'When a man takes me for a ... doxy? So you see it as an inevitability -- why, thank you.' ...
"'Forgive me for sullying your innocent ears, but if you go to a dancing room unaccompanied, you will hear much worse. And you will inevitably be taken for that kind of woman even if you're wearing a nun's habit.'"
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the Victorian era and, specifically, why it's such a popular setting for dark romantic adventures. What other examples can you think of? How do they compare with this one?
The mad scientist thinks it's perfectly all right -- in fact, his moral obligation -- to torture and kill Rose if it helps him find a cure for "millions." Do you agree that it's better for one person to suffer and die for the "greater good," even if it's against their will?
Do you know people who care more about what other people think than doing what's right? How does that show in the way they act and treat people?
Book Details
- Authors: Tarun Shanker, Kelly Zekas
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Brothers and Sisters, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: SwoonReads
- Publication date: February 9, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 18
- Number of pages: 320
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 13, 2017
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