**I purchased this book for free from Barnes and Noble.
Simon Whitlock and Luthor Strong work together to investigate reports of magical creatures so they can be eliminated. King Goodwin has outlawed magic and uses Royal Inquisitors like Simon to destroy them. So far, Simon and Luthor (an apothecary not an Inquisitor) have only encountered fakes. But all that changes when they are sent on a report of werewolves in a town called Haversham.
Simon and Luthor are absolutely riffing off Holmes and Watson in their dynamic with Simon as the insufferable smart-ass and Luthor the put upon straight-man. Having the investigators use science and reason much like a mundane mystery in a world of magic was inter sting but the pomp and posturing grated at times. There are times where you want to snap at the characters to get to the point already. But when the “my good mans” and “pardon mes” take a back seat to the werewolves, this book takes hold of it’s footing and keeps going strong.
The characters are written well over all, the action is sharp and exciting, and even if steampunk isn’t your thing, you can still enjoy the fantasy elements of magic, wolves, and demons. A 4 out of 5 and I’m curious as to what the next book in this series will hold.
