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The Faire Curiosities #1
Chimehour
[description coming soon]
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2016
6 people are currently reading
539 people want to read
About the author
Caitlin E. Jones
5 books84 followersCaitlin E. Jones is an author, freelance editor, and lover of all things dark and fantastic. A homeschooled student through most of her young life, she was raised in South Louisiana, where the myths still roam wild. She chose writing shortly after realizing that joining the circus and being a princess were not viable careers. Since the publication of her first indie novel, CHIMEHOUR, she has published short fiction with MYTHIC Magazine, Star-Lit Path Magazine, Corvid Queen Press, and Fabled Collective.
She carries a BA in Literary Studies, a minor in History, and MA in Literature. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in 19th-century gothic literature. When not writing, her hobbies include yoga, gardening, travel, baking, and reading.
She carries a BA in Literary Studies, a minor in History, and MA in Literature. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in 19th-century gothic literature. When not writing, her hobbies include yoga, gardening, travel, baking, and reading.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 17, 2022
I dunno, I think it's pretty neat.
January 14, 2019
4.5 stars
This book was absolutely worth the wait.
As mentioned during my first progress update, I first read Chimehour (or rather, an earlier version of it) about four years back. While I'd forgotten some of it (or perhaps much of this was due to changes) there were things that really stuck with me after all this time--the opening among them.
Chimehour is a Gothic/Gaslamp Fantasy, chock-full of Irish folklore, chilling settings, intriguing characters, and the kind of plot that has you turning pages for hours on end. From the gruesome descriptions of the plague victims, to the humorous banter between Stanley and his best friend, Vincent, to the diverse cast of characters and Fae folk, and the stunning attention to detail of period clothing, environment, colloquialisms, and depth-filled relationships--Chimehour was a thoroughly immersive read, with a rich narrative that flowed beautifully from one scene to the next.
I absolutely love this book, and cannot wait to read the next installment in The Faire Curiosities. If you are into folklore, gothic themes, dynamic characters, or want to read something refreshingly original, I encourage you to pick up Chimehour; it's well worth the read.
This book was absolutely worth the wait.
As mentioned during my first progress update, I first read Chimehour (or rather, an earlier version of it) about four years back. While I'd forgotten some of it (or perhaps much of this was due to changes) there were things that really stuck with me after all this time--the opening among them.
Chimehour is a Gothic/Gaslamp Fantasy, chock-full of Irish folklore, chilling settings, intriguing characters, and the kind of plot that has you turning pages for hours on end. From the gruesome descriptions of the plague victims, to the humorous banter between Stanley and his best friend, Vincent, to the diverse cast of characters and Fae folk, and the stunning attention to detail of period clothing, environment, colloquialisms, and depth-filled relationships--Chimehour was a thoroughly immersive read, with a rich narrative that flowed beautifully from one scene to the next.
I absolutely love this book, and cannot wait to read the next installment in The Faire Curiosities. If you are into folklore, gothic themes, dynamic characters, or want to read something refreshingly original, I encourage you to pick up Chimehour; it's well worth the read.
January 16, 2019
Author Caitlin E Jones perfectly mixes the beauty of Gothic storytelling and setting with a cast of whimsical and lovely characters to take readers on a journey unlike any they have ever seen before. Magic, monsters, folklore, and a wonderfully enchanting atmosphere make Chimehour a fun and enthralling read. If you are a fan of Gothic literature, magical fantasy, folklore, or just a fun adventure with great characters, you owe it to yourself to give the first book in The Faire Curiosities series a try.
May 12, 2021
It's fun! If you love the gothic, the Victorian, the Fae, and the Macabre, I highly recommend. If you don't, maybe you should branch out a little.
Full review to come (eventually. Once I stop procrastinating).
Full review to come (eventually. Once I stop procrastinating).
February 21, 2019
Before we begin, disclaimers. I was generously given an ARC by the author and like to consider her a friendly acquaintance. As such this'll be more detailed than most of my reviews and, because I believe she'll appreciate it, I'm going to give 100% honesty.
Overall impression: I love this book. If I didn't know the author I'd still be super into it but I think watching her on social media pour her heart into it makes it that much more special. She should be super proud of her gothic fantasy baby.
This book isn't what I like to call a "purse book", which means you can pull it out for a few pages while you wait for your oil to be changed or whatever. This book is meant for comfortable afternoons in the best reading spots enjoying favorite warmed beverages; I did a lot of fifty page spurts on Sunday afternoons. I also wouldn't recommend putting this book aside for any length of time, especially if your Irish mythology knowledge is as limited as mine.
Pros:
- This book is unlike any I've ever read. I love me some pop culture, whether it's books, movies, or t.v. shows. That being said a lot of tropes and similarities come up, especially when a trend hits. I struggled to compare "Chimehour" to anything. Of course it has different flavors and reminded me of a few things, but I can't strictly pigeonhole it. This could also be because gothic fiction isn't a genre I typically dabble in, but I'd rather believe that this crossroads of historical fiction set in Victorian Europe with classic fae and zombies is special. The closest I can describe it is if "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" had a lovechild with "Artemis Fowl" but with classic adventure/fantasy tropes. Not to say that it's as campy or matter-of-fact as "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", it more reminds me of it because of the combination of elements (and the fact a ball can be crashed by the undead).
- The. Characters. A close second to my love of the genre-blending HAS to be the cast. It's large but everyone's given their own personality and time in the spotlight, and I rarely had difficulty remembering who someone was and their connection to the plot and other characters. Isabelle stole my heart, Mr. and Mrs. Brigham had a delightful back-and-forth relationship that reminded me strongly of the Bennetts. I enjoyed our vulnerable lead and his charismatic best friend (who developed from "typical comic relief sidekick" to "a comic relief force to be reckoned with"). Cecelia, Beth, Flann, Helen, Benson, effing Rooney, I could list just about every character as someone I liked for one reason or another (the exceptions will be listed in the "cons"). Favorite character? Maggie. Finishing the book I don't know what that says about me but the ending changes nothing.
- The writing. You can really see the love poured into the words, and the dialogue itself particularly stands out as fantastic. Not every metaphor or description lands but you can't accuse the author of going for the same tired cliches. I can't even imagine the amount of research that went into this.
Cons:
- Transitions. This was my main detraction from giving this a five-star (if I went off emotion alone I'd give it five stars). Locations, points of view and time jumps constantly pulled me out of the flow and could take me a couple sentences to regain my bearings. I think some of that has to do with the amount of POVs and wouldn't be as prevalent in a story/novel with a smaller cast. It might also help to try and find a better way to transition rather than a page break. There was also quite a bit of doubling back to areas we've already been, giving at least to me the sense of a lack of progress. This one's more of a personal irritation I think, as I had trouble with rationalizing from a writer's standpoint why the trio were sent back to London only to return to Ireland for the climax. More time with Cecelia I suppose?
- Willow. I'm almost positively in the minority on this, but Willow was one of a very few characters I really couldn't bring myself around to (the other of note was Barnabas Halward though after the ending I can see why he fell a little flat). Her fish-out-of-water shtick didn't seem to go as smoothly as some of the other character traits/tropes and just made her seem mentally younger than Stanley and Vincent (which is probably why I'm not on the StanleyxWillow bandwagon). I think she has room to grow as a character but as for this story... She's not quite there yet.
Bottom Line: Fantastic book, I can't wait to dig more into this world.
Overall impression: I love this book. If I didn't know the author I'd still be super into it but I think watching her on social media pour her heart into it makes it that much more special. She should be super proud of her gothic fantasy baby.
This book isn't what I like to call a "purse book", which means you can pull it out for a few pages while you wait for your oil to be changed or whatever. This book is meant for comfortable afternoons in the best reading spots enjoying favorite warmed beverages; I did a lot of fifty page spurts on Sunday afternoons. I also wouldn't recommend putting this book aside for any length of time, especially if your Irish mythology knowledge is as limited as mine.
Pros:
- This book is unlike any I've ever read. I love me some pop culture, whether it's books, movies, or t.v. shows. That being said a lot of tropes and similarities come up, especially when a trend hits. I struggled to compare "Chimehour" to anything. Of course it has different flavors and reminded me of a few things, but I can't strictly pigeonhole it. This could also be because gothic fiction isn't a genre I typically dabble in, but I'd rather believe that this crossroads of historical fiction set in Victorian Europe with classic fae and zombies is special. The closest I can describe it is if "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" had a lovechild with "Artemis Fowl" but with classic adventure/fantasy tropes. Not to say that it's as campy or matter-of-fact as "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", it more reminds me of it because of the combination of elements (and the fact a ball can be crashed by the undead).
- The. Characters. A close second to my love of the genre-blending HAS to be the cast. It's large but everyone's given their own personality and time in the spotlight, and I rarely had difficulty remembering who someone was and their connection to the plot and other characters. Isabelle stole my heart, Mr. and Mrs. Brigham had a delightful back-and-forth relationship that reminded me strongly of the Bennetts. I enjoyed our vulnerable lead and his charismatic best friend (who developed from "typical comic relief sidekick" to "a comic relief force to be reckoned with"). Cecelia, Beth, Flann, Helen, Benson, effing Rooney, I could list just about every character as someone I liked for one reason or another (the exceptions will be listed in the "cons"). Favorite character? Maggie. Finishing the book I don't know what that says about me but the ending changes nothing.
- The writing. You can really see the love poured into the words, and the dialogue itself particularly stands out as fantastic. Not every metaphor or description lands but you can't accuse the author of going for the same tired cliches. I can't even imagine the amount of research that went into this.
Cons:
- Transitions. This was my main detraction from giving this a five-star (if I went off emotion alone I'd give it five stars). Locations, points of view and time jumps constantly pulled me out of the flow and could take me a couple sentences to regain my bearings. I think some of that has to do with the amount of POVs and wouldn't be as prevalent in a story/novel with a smaller cast. It might also help to try and find a better way to transition rather than a page break. There was also quite a bit of doubling back to areas we've already been, giving at least to me the sense of a lack of progress. This one's more of a personal irritation I think, as I had trouble with rationalizing from a writer's standpoint why the trio were sent back to London only to return to Ireland for the climax. More time with Cecelia I suppose?
- Willow. I'm almost positively in the minority on this, but Willow was one of a very few characters I really couldn't bring myself around to (the other of note was Barnabas Halward though after the ending I can see why he fell a little flat). Her fish-out-of-water shtick didn't seem to go as smoothly as some of the other character traits/tropes and just made her seem mentally younger than Stanley and Vincent (which is probably why I'm not on the StanleyxWillow bandwagon). I think she has room to grow as a character but as for this story... She's not quite there yet.
Bottom Line: Fantastic book, I can't wait to dig more into this world.
March 7, 2019
Enthralling couldn't and wouldn't put it down!!!
Enthralling couldn't and wouldn't put it down!!! A motley crew pit of characters you feel become your friends, their personalities so thoroughly come to life in their adventure!! To the young man at the pharmacy, in the heart of Cajun country, who recommended this author after noticing my Harry Potter purse, THANK YOU!!!! I absolutely love this book!!!!
Enthralling couldn't and wouldn't put it down!!! A motley crew pit of characters you feel become your friends, their personalities so thoroughly come to life in their adventure!! To the young man at the pharmacy, in the heart of Cajun country, who recommended this author after noticing my Harry Potter purse, THANK YOU!!!! I absolutely love this book!!!!
September 29, 2021
Note that the version I read was the one available via Smashwords.
A bit of an unpolished feel: some odd missing words in sentences; some sloppy errors in homonym-spelling or other misspellings throughout; inconsistent slips of modern speech patterns in alongside otherwise good Victorian and turn-of-the-century dialogue; and other minor typos or easily-rectified issues. An unfortunate lack of past-tense "had..."; but I appreciated the effort in avoiding use of "said" and replacing it either with a more apt word or just opening the dialogue itself, for example.
With a decent editor all of these could have been cleaned up into a more refined novel! Perhaps the lovely list of beta-readers and helpful supporting folks cited at the end were more intent on examining the story, content, characters, etc. rather than a substantive edit. Please feel free to reach out to me for the next manuscript—happy to take a look at it, no charge!
But proofreading issues aside, the content itself was great! Super fun characters, compelling situation, and intriguing, enchanting lore! The action was well-handled and there was enough time in between gruesome or harrowing fast-paced moments to get a nice sense of the characters, setting, and descriptions.
[SPOILERS AHEAD!]
I found myself hoping that Maggie and Vincent would get together romantically; they seemed a good match. But it appears that Maggie was not who she seemed in the first third of the novel, and neither was Willow! Would be great to have a savvy sort of heroic character along the lines of the one as she originally seemed to be.
I also predicted that Foley would be revealed to have some other identity or nature in connection with the plague, and that Simon might feature more prominently, since he was built up to be a cool inventor as well as an easygoing and sympathetic ally to his son. Maybe in the next book (as is hinted at the end, in Foley’s case at least)!
Given the Prenderghast family's prior relationship with Maggie, I was hoping they would also be more involved. At the least, Stanley should have been more at his ease in relaying straightforwardly the stories of his adventures, since they had been exposed to plenty of supernatural elements through Maggie. Even if the Prenderghasts and the Brighams were not that close and remained on formal terms prior to and during the engagement, it would have been cool to witness a conversation with the usual Victorian decorum and properness and deference that actually discussed the revenant and the various creatures that Stanley and Vincent encountered. Essentially, for the protagonists to have a sort of entourage of friends and family who are more normalized in their attitudes toward the supernatural and mythological encounters.
I thought it would also have been more useful to get Cecilia more involved in their quest! I liked the descriptions of her, and certainly at the end it looks like she might!
I'd also like to see more about the Awen and how it's directed in the next book. Within the purposes of the book, is it implied to be the same as Court? How does the Malahide Castle relate, ie. is it one of many locations annexed for the purposes of dealing with that special issue, or do they have many permanent HQs, etc.
Nice wrapping up with plenty of new elements opened at the end to pave the way for the sequel!
A rating of 4 stars! Only because I’d like to encourage Ms Jones as much as possible to issue the next book!
[Posted also at the Smashwords website]
A bit of an unpolished feel: some odd missing words in sentences; some sloppy errors in homonym-spelling or other misspellings throughout; inconsistent slips of modern speech patterns in alongside otherwise good Victorian and turn-of-the-century dialogue; and other minor typos or easily-rectified issues. An unfortunate lack of past-tense "had..."; but I appreciated the effort in avoiding use of "said" and replacing it either with a more apt word or just opening the dialogue itself, for example.
With a decent editor all of these could have been cleaned up into a more refined novel! Perhaps the lovely list of beta-readers and helpful supporting folks cited at the end were more intent on examining the story, content, characters, etc. rather than a substantive edit. Please feel free to reach out to me for the next manuscript—happy to take a look at it, no charge!
But proofreading issues aside, the content itself was great! Super fun characters, compelling situation, and intriguing, enchanting lore! The action was well-handled and there was enough time in between gruesome or harrowing fast-paced moments to get a nice sense of the characters, setting, and descriptions.
[SPOILERS AHEAD!]
I found myself hoping that Maggie and Vincent would get together romantically; they seemed a good match. But it appears that Maggie was not who she seemed in the first third of the novel, and neither was Willow! Would be great to have a savvy sort of heroic character along the lines of the one as she originally seemed to be.
I also predicted that Foley would be revealed to have some other identity or nature in connection with the plague, and that Simon might feature more prominently, since he was built up to be a cool inventor as well as an easygoing and sympathetic ally to his son. Maybe in the next book (as is hinted at the end, in Foley’s case at least)!
Given the Prenderghast family's prior relationship with Maggie, I was hoping they would also be more involved. At the least, Stanley should have been more at his ease in relaying straightforwardly the stories of his adventures, since they had been exposed to plenty of supernatural elements through Maggie. Even if the Prenderghasts and the Brighams were not that close and remained on formal terms prior to and during the engagement, it would have been cool to witness a conversation with the usual Victorian decorum and properness and deference that actually discussed the revenant and the various creatures that Stanley and Vincent encountered. Essentially, for the protagonists to have a sort of entourage of friends and family who are more normalized in their attitudes toward the supernatural and mythological encounters.
I thought it would also have been more useful to get Cecilia more involved in their quest! I liked the descriptions of her, and certainly at the end it looks like she might!
I'd also like to see more about the Awen and how it's directed in the next book. Within the purposes of the book, is it implied to be the same as Court? How does the Malahide Castle relate, ie. is it one of many locations annexed for the purposes of dealing with that special issue, or do they have many permanent HQs, etc.
Nice wrapping up with plenty of new elements opened at the end to pave the way for the sequel!
A rating of 4 stars! Only because I’d like to encourage Ms Jones as much as possible to issue the next book!
[Posted also at the Smashwords website]
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2019
I’ve read books focused on Irish myths before; e.g., Charles DeLint, Morgan Llywelyn, etc. I’ve read books about the undead; e.g., everything published between 2005 and 2009. I’ve read pastiches of early Edwardian fiction, epic fantasy yarns full of twists and turns, and sentimental love stories.
But rarely have I read a novel that can unite so many different genres and ideas into a single coherent work, breathing new life into them all as it unfolds. But that is precisely the experience of reading Chimehour, the debut novel of Caitlin E. Jones and the first in her Faire Curiosities series.
I don’t want to dwell on the plot, because no summary could do it justice. It is best experienced, rather than described. The structure is almost cinematic, with an early set piece that sets the stage, followed by a long middle act that set us up for a spectacular third act finish.
What I found most impressive were the characters. All too often, when mysteries are being unveiled and mythologies are coming to life, good guys and bad guys alike suffer from flat, trope-filled depiction. Not here. Even supporting characters get their moments to shine. By the end of the book, I found myself thinking, “That’s just the sort of thing he would say.” That’s the sign of a well-developed character.
The book ends with enough resolution to give satisfaction, but with enough questions to leave me sitting on the edge of my seat for the sequel. How long of a wait will that be? Just wanting to know when I can clear my schedule.
But rarely have I read a novel that can unite so many different genres and ideas into a single coherent work, breathing new life into them all as it unfolds. But that is precisely the experience of reading Chimehour, the debut novel of Caitlin E. Jones and the first in her Faire Curiosities series.
I don’t want to dwell on the plot, because no summary could do it justice. It is best experienced, rather than described. The structure is almost cinematic, with an early set piece that sets the stage, followed by a long middle act that set us up for a spectacular third act finish.
What I found most impressive were the characters. All too often, when mysteries are being unveiled and mythologies are coming to life, good guys and bad guys alike suffer from flat, trope-filled depiction. Not here. Even supporting characters get their moments to shine. By the end of the book, I found myself thinking, “That’s just the sort of thing he would say.” That’s the sign of a well-developed character.
The book ends with enough resolution to give satisfaction, but with enough questions to leave me sitting on the edge of my seat for the sequel. How long of a wait will that be? Just wanting to know when I can clear my schedule.
August 28, 2016
I really enjoyed the quotes to start each chapter. It help set a tone for the chapter and story as a whole. The story has a strong mysterious opening. Got my hooked right off the bat. “Fought to keep his grin human” is a wonderful line.
I really like the differences in Stanley’s family. The father is very adventurous to counteract the mothers more reserved nature, and his sister seems to take after the father, excitable and childlike. Stanley also has good back and forth with his sister. Natural, like siblings often bicker.
The development of this story happened rather rapidly for Stanley, but I wouldn’t call it rushed. Stanley just seems to be caught up in a game that has already started. I like that. No need to start with a really slow build up all the time.
Cecelia seems to be an interesting character. A naive nonbeliever in a sea of magic? Or is she simply not letting on to what she knows to help keep up appearances.Quite difference from the take charge attitude of Maggie.
You have a very strong sense of description but not in a listing way. Rather, you have a talent for blending in the description with the scene. Showing, rather than telling, as it were. This is a trait I believe is common among talented writers. Most of the dialogue I read flowed smoothly, as did the scene transitions.
A must read for lovers the Victorian Era mixed with a healthy dose of magic.
I really like the differences in Stanley’s family. The father is very adventurous to counteract the mothers more reserved nature, and his sister seems to take after the father, excitable and childlike. Stanley also has good back and forth with his sister. Natural, like siblings often bicker.
The development of this story happened rather rapidly for Stanley, but I wouldn’t call it rushed. Stanley just seems to be caught up in a game that has already started. I like that. No need to start with a really slow build up all the time.
Cecelia seems to be an interesting character. A naive nonbeliever in a sea of magic? Or is she simply not letting on to what she knows to help keep up appearances.Quite difference from the take charge attitude of Maggie.
You have a very strong sense of description but not in a listing way. Rather, you have a talent for blending in the description with the scene. Showing, rather than telling, as it were. This is a trait I believe is common among talented writers. Most of the dialogue I read flowed smoothly, as did the scene transitions.
A must read for lovers the Victorian Era mixed with a healthy dose of magic.
July 25, 2016
I just have to say, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS STORY. The Victorian feel mixed with the apocalyptic (almost zombie) elements is very dark, very surreal, and very engaging. This story is so unique, and it draws the reader from the very beginning. The scariness of this story is unexpected, but that just adds to it. I loved the interaction with the Druid while Stanley was protecting the mute girl, and I can't wait to see what happens next. And the way that you worked in true love's kiss was very well done -- not cheesy like in most cases. I love the writing itself, and the poetry and blurbs that you put at the beginning of each chapter is very cool. I've never seen that done before, but I really like it, and I think that it ties things together very well. Great work!
September 25, 2015
I was pleasantly surprised by this story, although it did take me a while to get into it. The relationship of the main characters were brilliantly crafted and the whole story echoed the gothic style of Poe but with a layer of fantasy that kept me enthralled. A wonderful work.
October 18, 2019
As a reader who read a good portion it’s early days it’s been a pleasure to read the final draft. Splendidly done and the world Caitlin created within this book is brilliant. I took my time on the book and letting it flow and not rush to finish!! I loved it!
January 18, 2019
A well-researched tale of Irish folklore like you’ve never seen, with some of the most on-point dialogue I’ve read in a while.
February 15, 2020
This was a fun, entertaining novel! It's like Irish folklore set in the Victorian era. I look forward to reading more of the series. I received this in exchange for my review.
December 9, 2019
A tale of typos
I really wanted to love this book. However, I was never really able to get into it properly. Every time I started to fall into the story I was thrown back by errors. There were missing words, added word, and words out of order. As I am not great at grammar and editing myself, I usually overlook these things but there were just so many. The story was intriguing so I hope another addition can fix these problems for future readers
I really wanted to love this book. However, I was never really able to get into it properly. Every time I started to fall into the story I was thrown back by errors. There were missing words, added word, and words out of order. As I am not great at grammar and editing myself, I usually overlook these things but there were just so many. The story was intriguing so I hope another addition can fix these problems for future readers
October 11, 2019
Goodreads Kindle Win Copy
A man goes to Dublin to meet his fiancee in the early 1900s where he is met with what seems like a plague but is really a curse. He has the ability of second sight which only a few carry as all he wants is peace. But he starts to hear undead voices as he knows that supernatural forces are at work as he must deal with the undead.
Venture in a world of faeries and druids as you are taken into another world. I somehow expected a little more out of it.
A man goes to Dublin to meet his fiancee in the early 1900s where he is met with what seems like a plague but is really a curse. He has the ability of second sight which only a few carry as all he wants is peace. But he starts to hear undead voices as he knows that supernatural forces are at work as he must deal with the undead.
Venture in a world of faeries and druids as you are taken into another world. I somehow expected a little more out of it.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews