The Conquering Dark (Crown & Key #3) by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith

Urban Fantasy

From Goodreads:

A thrilling new Victorian-era urban fantasy for fans of Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid Chronicles, the Showtime series Penny Dreadful, and the Sherlock Holmes movies featuring Robert Downey, Jr.

The Crown and Key Society face their most terrifying villain yet: Gaios, a deranged demigod with the power to destroy Britain.

To avenge a centuries-old betrayal, Gaios is hell-bent on summoning the elemental forces of the earth to level London and bury Britain. The Crown and Key Society, a secret league consisting of a magician, an alchemist, and a monster-hunter, is the realm’s only hope—and to stop Gaios, they must gather their full strength and come together as a team, or the world will fall apart.

But Simon Archer, the Crown and Key’s leader and the last living magician-scribe, has lost his powers. As Gaios searches for the Stone of Scone, which will give him destructive dominion over the land, monster-hunter Malcolm MacFarlane, alchemist extraordinaire Kate Anstruther, gadget geek Penny Carter, and Charlotte the werewolf scramble to reconnect Simon to his magic before the world as they know it is left forever in ruins.

Once again Simon Archer and friends must protect Britain from destruction.  Gaios has been at the heart of the danger in the previous books but in The Conquering Dark he takes center stage.  He needs the Stone of Scone and will do anything to get it.  Simon, Kate, Malcolm, Penny, Charlotte and Imogene all must work together to save Britain from the destruction Gaios wants to reign on the land.

As usual this is non-stop action and danger.  Simon needs his magic restored, the Stone must be found and protected and Gaios defeated.  Nothing is easy.  Many are killed.  Much is destroyed but in the end our hero’s prevail.  This time one of their own does not survive and another is not what he has always seemed. For awhile it looks like death and betrayal will end the team? 

Like the two previous books The Conquering Dark is action driven.  Take a deep breath before you start.  You will need it as you read.  We do get to know more about each character.  Some of the side characters become more important.  The world building and back story continue.  Surely we have not seen the last of Simon, Kate and friends.

Del Rey published The Conquering Dark by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith in 2015.

I received an ARC of The Conquering Dark from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

The Undying Legion (Crown & Key #2) by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith

Steampunk/Urban Fantasy

From Goodreads:

A thrilling new Victorian-era urban fantasy for fans of Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid Chronicles, the Showtime series Penny Dreadful, and the Sherlock Holmes movies featuring Robert Downey, Jr.

With a flood of dark magic about to engulf Victorian London, can a handful of heroes vanquish a legion of the undead?

When monster-hunter Malcolm MacFarlane comes across the gruesome aftermath of a ritual murder in a London church, he enlists the help of magician-scribe Simon Archer and alchemist extraordinaire Kate Anstruther. Studying the macabre scene, they struggle to understand obscure clues in the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics carved into the victim’s heart—as well as bizarre mystical allusions to the romantic poetry of William Blake. One thing is clear: Some very potent black magic is at work.

But this human sacrifice is only the first in a series of ritualized slayings. Desperate to save lives while there is still time, Simon, Kate, and Malcolm—along with gadget geek Penny Carter and Charlotte, an adolescent werewolf—track down a necromancer who is reanimating the deceased. As the team battles an unrelenting army of undead, a powerful Egyptian mummy, and serpentine demons, the necromancer proves an elusive quarry. And when the true purpose of the ritual is revealed, the gifted allies must confront a destructive force that is positively apocalyptic.

Book two and the danger is still rolling along.  Charlotte, the werewolf who helped them in the last book, joins Simon, Kate, Malcolm, and Penny in the new fight.  Once again the forces of magic are loose in London and the human sacrifices are just the start of the evil.

The danger is different this time.  Powerful people who have been locked up for centuries are loose and trying to take back both power and control.  Malcolm makes a terrible discovery and goes to Simon, Kate and Penney for help.  Along the way they find some answers and many more questions.  Faced with some difficult choices the group moves to stop the evil they see coming into London.  As the story progresses they become more of a team.  Their decisions place them in danger but they each use their strengths to help win the fight.

Charlotte is a real problem for Malcolm as he feels that the only good werewolf is a dead werewolf and Kate has taken Charlotte under her protection.  One of the fun things in the book is watching how his interaction with Charlotte changes as the story progresses.

Watch for mysteries to be solved, some danger stopped and some magic to disappear.  There is tension, danger and adventure in The Undying Legion.  Everything is set up for the next book in the series, The Conquering Dark.

Del Rey published The Undying Legion by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffity in 2015.

I received an ARC of The Undying Legion from Netgalley in return for an honest review.