New Amsterdam by Elizabeth BearMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
Reminiscent of the shorter stories of Sherlock Holmes, each chapter is a separate mystery. Unfortunately the book misses the mark.
Elizabeth Bear has mixed and crossed many genre lines in this book. Including: Detective Mystery, Romance, Paranormal, Alternate Histry, fantasy, and Steampunk, but does not invoke any of them enough to have the world building add to the stories.
The main characters, a poly-amorous 1000 + year old vampire detective, Sebastien de Ulloa, and forensic sorceress Lady Abigail Irene Garrett; are interesting concepts, and could heave been great, but the format of the book limits the depth that may have been possible in a cohesive story-line. We are told too much of them and not actually shown any of the traits that would make the protagonists real or truly interesting.
As for the mysteries and antagonists, we have nothing that makes us care about them or want to know bad enough to keep turning pages.
One of the few series I have started and have no real desire to read the next book. I do not think this review has any bearing on any of Bear's other series or works, there are many others that I have loved, this one just did not appeal to me.
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