The Shadow Revolution by Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith

June 26th, 2015 Kimberly Review 62 Comments

26th Jun
The Shadow Revolution by Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith
The Shadow Revolution
by Clay & Susan Griffith
Series: Crown & Key #1
Narrator: Nicholas Guy Smith
Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
Genres: Steampunk, Urban Fantasy
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Goodreads
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarHalf a Star
Narration: 4.5 cups

They are the realm’s last, best defense against supernatural evil. But they’re going to need a lot more silver. As fog descends, obscuring the gas lamps of Victorian London, werewolves prowl the shadows of back alleys. But they have infiltrated the inner circles of upper-crust society as well. Only a handful of specially gifted practitioners are equipped to battle the beasts. Among them are the roguish Simon Archer, who conceals his powers as a spell-casting scribe behind the smooth veneer of a dashing playboy; his layabout mentor, Nick Barker, who prefers a good pub to thrilling heroics; and the self-possessed alchemist Kate Anstruther, who is equally at home in a ballroom as she is on a battlefield. After a lycanthrope targets Kate’s vulnerable younger sister, the three join forces with fierce Scottish monster-hunter Malcolm MacFarlane—but quickly discover they’re dealing with a threat far greater than anything they ever imagined.

Reviews of The Shadow Revolution by Clay Griffith had me intrigued and I decided to accept a review copy of the audio. I am so glad that I did. Shadow Revolution offers a dark Victorian-era urban fantasy with memorable characters and an intense plot. I am looking forward to continuing this series.

Five reasons to grab your earbuds and listen to The Shadow Revolution: 

  • Told from both the male perspective as well as the females this gritty urban fantasy with its steampunk vibe and magical mayhem quickly pulled me in. The tale is action-packed and gory at times but it made me shiver and I became caught up listening to the clever narrations. While this is a series, the reader will be instantly rewarded as the stories release about a month apart.
  • The characters were phenomenal, although admittedly with all the intense, nail-biting action I did not get to know them as much as I wanted. Griffith gave us a yummy hero in Simon Archer. He is a scribe and ever the gentlemen. Dressed to the nines with his walking stick that doubles as a sword and covered in hidden tattoos he was at times overly confident and had a tendency to be forward but I loved the devil. Nick Barker is Simon’s, teacher/friend. He seems like a playboy on the surface but the man has numerous talents. Kate was a personal favorite for me. I love strong, educated women and she does everything from Alchemy to running her father’s estate. Did I mention the gal is kick-ass? Malcolm McFarlane is a huge Scotsman with a sharp tongue who made me laugh. Secondary characters like Penny added to the mix and only increased my enjoyment as they grounded the tale.
  • Magic, battles and squeamish moments with unthinkable beasts had me looking for excuses to continue listening. A powerful darkness whispers from the underbelly of London and our hero must step up his game and his education to save the day. The author does a great job with foreshadowing and has me excited about the next installment.
  • Griffith blends paranormal and steampunk elements brilliantly. From the gadgets and alchemy to the magic in this world. Simon uses runes to perform his spells and I liked the twist the author added. In this world, magic has a cost and it is something I appreciate when delving into these magical worlds. I love the idea of balance.
  • The Shadow Revolution is suggested for fans of Sherlock Holmes and Penny Dreadful. These type of references usually scare the hell out of me but in this, they were spot on. Nicholas Guy Smith beautifully narrated this tale, and I hope he continues throughout the series. From his accents to his ability to evoke subtle emotions he made listening a pleasure.

The Shadow Revolution was a fantastic read and just the urban fantasy fix I was looking for. Undying Legion released June 30th and The Conquering Dark releases July 28th. I cannot wait to listen. *I am currently listening to Undying Legion (at about 80%) and it rocks as well.

 

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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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62 Responses to “The Shadow Revolution by Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith”

  1. Sarah

    I am really enjoying the popularity of authors using male and female POVs in their books these days. This book sounds good. Might need to try some steampunk audiobooks 😀

  2. Red Iza

    I’m still hitting myself for not requesting it on Netgalley when I saw it ! Ah well, I’ll just read it a little later because it sounds exciting !

  4. Megan McDade

    This sounds exciting not something I would usually pick up but with the magic and werewolves thrown into the Victorian era London I need to pick this up.

  6. Greg

    I like the idea of this one. Monster hunters, Victorian era, maybe some steampunk… sounds fun. I don’t read a ton of UF but this one has possibilities. Nice review.

  8. Lover Of Romance

    great thoughts on this one!! I just can’t wait to try it out! I just bought it recently, but I am really excited to try it out, I love the mix of paranormal and steampunk romance.

  9. Lindy

    I love my paranormal stories to be action packed! I haven’t read a lot of steampunk, aside from Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices. This one sounds like it was phenomenal and Sophia gave it a great review also. The narrator was obviously very talented with his ability to do accents, and to evoke so much emotion in you. Excellent Review 🙂

  10. Sophia Rose

    I loved this one, too. I am so eager for the other two books. That is definitely a plus that they release so soon.

  11. laura thomas

    This is one I’ll give a go! I won a gift card and bought a couple of audibles and got hooked on them. I’ll give this a listen too:)

  13. Melissa (Books and Things)

    Oh I enjoyed this one too. I want to read the rest of them but I still need to be approved. 🙁 I might have to do audio and catch up if I’m not. It sounds good on audio!

  14. Ramona

    I completely agree, this was pretty amazing. Kate made for such a strong, unforgettable character, and Simon was absolutely adorable. I love the Griffiths’ writing style – it’s so polished and experienced, it always sticks with you. I understand a fourth book in Vampire Empire is going to be released in September – I can’t wait! Lovely review, Kimba 🙂

  15. Debbie Haupt

    OOH Kim thanks for this I LOVED The Griffith’s Vampire Empire saga I reviewed them for one of the publications I work for not sure which one, senior moment. LOL
    This one looks exceptional and it’s going on my wish list!!

  16. Lanie

    Sounds like it was a fun steam punk series to get into! Awesome you liked it so much:D

  17. kindlemom1

    Yay! *does a happy dance* I’m so glad you tried and loved this Kim! And the best part is that we don’t have long for book two or three!
    Have a wonderful weekend!

  20. Rita

    Sounds great! Wonder how it would entertain as a print or e-book instead of audio? I don’t do too many audios and was just curious… Anyway, glad you loved it. I am putting it on my wishlist.

  21. Lori

    Urban Fantasy and Steampunk?! I’m sold! Thanks for sharing Kimberly…I’ll be adding this to my Audible wish list 😉

  23. Cyn

    I’ve recently been reading some awesome reviews for this and definitely will have to grab this soon! Love the sound of this urban fantasy, and I’ve been listening to more audiobooks, too!
    Great review, Kim!

  24. Nick

    Love the sound of all that action and the multiple POVs done well, Kim! I’ve seen lots of raving reviews for this book, so I’m intrigued for sure.

  25. Silvia

    I’ve heard about this book for the first time last month and I thought it was quite intriguing. Glad it worked out so well for you, Kimberly, a good steampunk novel should always be under our radar! 😉

  26. Tyler H Jolley

    I love a good steampunk novel, especially with modern dialogue. Is the dialogue in this in the traditional Victorian that you normally see in steampunk or modern? Thanks, Kim!

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I would say this is more modern with a few old words, phrases tossed in depending on the characters social standing, nationality etc

  27. Kristin

    Super FANTASTIC review!!! I loved this one! I loved how you really got into Simon’s character! Oh, hidden tattoos are sooo hot!!!

    pssss. I so DID NOT pay attention to your review schedule this week – sorry!!!! 🙁

  28. Teddyree

    fierce Scotsman … I’m sold HA. The characters and action sound awesome and it’s always good to get in on the ground floor of a new series!

    • kimbacaffeinate

      Agreed, and I like that 3 books release over three months. I have finished listening to book 2 and 3 comes out this month,

  31. Melliane

    Oh yes I’m so curious about this one, I heard many wonderful things about it and I confess that now I really want to try as well!