The Women of Nell Gwynne's
by:
Kage Baker (author)
J.K. Potter (illustrator)
Lady Beatrice was the proper British daughter of a proper British soldier, until tragedy struck and sent her home to walk the streets of early-Victorian London. But Lady Beatrice is no ordinary whore, and is soon recruited to join an underground establishment known as Nell Gwynne's. Nell Gwynne's...
show more
Lady Beatrice was the proper British daughter of a proper British soldier, until tragedy struck and sent her home to walk the streets of early-Victorian London. But Lady Beatrice is no ordinary whore, and is soon recruited to join an underground establishment known as Nell Gwynne's. Nell Gwynne's is far more than simply the finest and most exclusive brothel in Whitehall; it is in fact the sister organization to the Gentlemen's Speculative Society, that 19th-century predecessor to a certain Company... and when a member of the Society goes missing on a peculiar assignment, it's up to Lady Beatrice and her sister harlots to investigate.
show less
Format: hardcover
ISBN:
9781596062504 (1596062509)
Publish date: 2009-06-28
Publisher: Subterranean Press
Pages no: 122
Edition language: English
Category:
Fantasy,
Science Fiction Fantasy,
Science Fiction,
Historical Fiction,
Mystery,
Steampunk,
Time Travel,
Alternate History,
Fantasy Of Manners,
Mannerpunk,
Sex Work,
Prostitution
The prostitutes at Nell Gwynne’s house are carefully selected women of many talents. Few know that their clients include not just the upper crust of London society, but The Gentlemen’s Speculative Society, who pay mainly, not for pleasures of the flesh, but for secrets and spycraft. Their payments t...
I found the description of our heroine's role in the 1842 retreat from Kabul quite annoying. The author spends two paragraphs describing her capture and escape.
Liked the concept, but none of the characters really had much development, and I constantly had to pause and remind myself who was who. I suspect I'd like the full-length novels better, or else that reading the other Company Series installments would flesh things out a bit more to my liking.
One last romp with Kage Baker. This novella follows a new hero - the Lady Beatrice from her traumatic youth to a steampunk adventure with her co-workers from Nell Gwynne's. It's short but fun.
So, I wanted to give this a three, but I was left wicked confused by the end.