“Creatures
of Will and Grace” by Molly Tanzer is a wonderful homage to the late, great
Oscar Wilde and the only novel he published, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. Readers concerned that they need to be
intimately familiar with Wilde’s original need not worry. Tanzer has created a novel that stands on its
own, while paying all due respect.
Set
in Victorian London, sisters Evadne and Dorina find themselves being introduced
to society through Lady Henrietta “Henry” Wotten. Henry wears tailored pants (gasp), speaks her mind, and lives her life often in conflict with what is deemed acceptable. She is everything a rebellious woman of
this era should be, while never quite crossing into the anachronistic of the modern. Naturally, Dorina is immediately and completely enamored of the older, wiser, and wholly engaging woman. While Evadne, athletic to the last, finds Henry's lack of conformity uncomfortable to say the least. Leaving her sister to her own devices, she evades
the rule-breaking Henry with the lesser evil of finding a fencing master—her own, personal will. Almost in parallel, the sisters are
introduced to an underground London, where magic and demon summoning are the
rule of the day, and darker forces are at work.
The
pacing will be slow for some readers, especially those unfamiliar with
Victorian era storytelling. However, the
way in which Tanzer develops her characters and world is in keeping with the plot
and the source material. Once all the
pieces are in place, the pace picks up, almost too quickly.
“Creatures
of Will and Grace” is a delicious glimpse into an alternate history, with all
the trappings of Victorian England and its “proper” society. Between Dorina, Henry and Evadne, readers
will be able to peer through the shop windows and see a brilliant reflection of
our own world.
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