Splendors & Glooms by Laura Any Schlitz
Author: Laura Amy Schlitz
Published: 2012
Genre: Historical Fantasy, YA Fantasy
Synopsis From Goodreads:
The master puppeteer, Gaspare Grisini, is so expert at manipulating his stringed puppets that they appear alive. Clara Wintermute, the only child of a wealthy doctor, is spellbound by Grisini’s act and invites him to entertain at her birthday party. Seeing his chance to make a fortune, Grisini accepts and makes a splendidly gaudy entrance with caravan, puppets, and his two orphaned assistants.
Lizzie Rose and Parsefall are dazzled by the Wintermute home. Clara seems to have everything they lack — adoring parents, warmth, and plenty to eat. In fact, Clara’s life is shadowed by grief, guilt, and secrets. When Clara vanishes that night, suspicion of kidnapping falls upon the puppeteer and, by association, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall.
As they seek to puzzle out Clara’s whereabouts, Lizzie and Parse uncover Grisini’s criminal past and wake up to his evil intentions. Fleeing London, they find themselves caught in a trap set by Grisini’s ancient rival, a witch with a deadly inheritance to shed before it’s too late.
My Take:
Splendors and Glooms is a gothic fantasy that throws you into a Dickensian world, adding witches and adventure into the mix. As the disparate characters converge, you will find yourself hoping, despairing, and dreading what comes next. Schlitz is a master storyteller who will keep you spellbound from the start.
The relationships in the story are complex and fully explored. They are also true to the time period they are written in. Not every child was loved and cared for. Status in society meant much more than it should have. An orphan’s life was never pleasant, and people did not usually act in another’s best interest.
As you journey with the characters, you will expect certain things to happen in a certain way and will be shocked at the twists and turns. Like I said, this is a dark, gothic fantasy. It explores difficult topics such as child abuse and neglect, kidnapping, and alcoholism. I wouldn’t recommend it for children under 12 or 13.
A word of caution: if you don’t like dark Victorian fantasies, this isn’t the book for you. Coming into this book with expectations of a feel-good story where a character’s problems are completely resolved will leave you disappointed. It is set in a time period that doesn’t really allow that to happen. The characters are often distressed and disappointed and have their hopes dashed more often than fulfilled. If, however, you like a mix of suspense and magic with an authentic, historical setting, you can’t miss this one.
There are many negative reviews for this book, most relating to its dreariness. I can only assume this type of story isn’t the negative reviewer’s “cup of tea”. Of course you won’t like this book if you don’t enjoy this genre! This is another book you will either love or hate. It is fast-paced and extremely well-written. What more could you ask for?
Despite its darkness, this remains one of my all-time favorite dark fantasies by one of my favorite authors. If you like this book, the author has several other novels with the same flavor.
Language:
Light swearing is sprinkled throughout the book, and there are many references to someone swearing under breath or in a foreign language.
Sexual Content:
Unwanted advances of a man, a boy tries to spy on a girl as she changes clothes, references to pornography, and “nearly naked” statues over a building entrance.
Drug/Alcohol Use:
One of the characters abuses alcohol heavily, and a dog is drugged with alcohol and milk.
Violence:
Like many novels set in this time period, it is grizzly at times. A major theme is child abuse and neglect. References to blood seeping into the floor after someone is punished, a hand is broken and oozes blood after it is hit with a hammer, occult references, people burned to death in a mirror, a man wishes the wolf on his watch would catch the swan, a man is kicked between the legs, a man drowns, references to effects of a cholera outbreak, a girl is kidnapped (with references to others who shared the same fate), one of the characters repeatedly steals.
Plot/Storytelling:
A fast-paced book that will keep you turning the pages. There is no time to breathe as the plot carries you from one crisis to the next. If you like fantasies set in historical, Victorian time periods, this is the book for you.