Uncanny Vows, the second novel in Laura Anne Gilman’s Huntsmen series of gaslamp fantasy investigations, was published on Nov. 28, and I enjoyed it a lot. I’d been annoyed by a structural flaw in its predecessor, Uncanny Times, and been impatient with the protagonists’ seeming acceptance of the inflexible pronouncements by the secret society they serve. By the sequel, however, siblings Aaron and Rosemary Harker (no relation to Bram Stoker’s vampire hunters) have been thinking outside the boundaries quite a bit more, and revelations have helped to explain their restrictive situation better.
Although the first book did end up with an intriguing solution to its major mystery, and there were some engaging and compelling scenes, I think it’s possible to skip straight to the sequel without any real comprehension problems. Uncanny Vows summarized enough from Uncanny Times that it was easy to understand at the start, and then sprinkled some more short explanations throughout, while adding to the character histories and broadening the worldbuilding with new revelations.
Huntsmen lore says “uncanny” creatures are unthinking beings that should be destroyed if they hurt any humans, but draws a distinction between such apparently simple monsters and the tricky and “corrupting” fey, with whom the Huntsmen have an uneasy treaty. The first book had ended with the Harkers omitting certain dangerous facts from their investigative report to the Huntsmen, to protect both themselves and the world from knowledge that might have led to another war with the fey.
As the second book opens, the brother and sister believe they’re under suspicion due to their self-censored report, and their next investigation appears to be a test; they fear dismissal from the Huntsmen, and losing their special uncanny-hunting dog, Botheration, if they fail. A benefactor of the Huntsmen has requested aid after his brother-in-law went into a mysterious coma, and the Harkers are stymied at first. They attempt to deal diplomatically with the benefactor and his family, and eventually get some traction on the investigation, but too slowly for the benefactor’s satisfaction. As more incidents occur, the mystery deepens, and others become involved, and several people end up fighting for their lives.
One thing I enjoyed a lot from the first book was the give and take of the brother-and-sister relationship, with how Rosemary and Aaron bickered a bit but were intensely loyal to each other, making allowances for each other’s flaws and complementing each other’s skills. That’s developed more here, with such frictions as Aaron spending money they don’t have much of to rent a car, while both of them work to shield each other from possible repercussions of their investigation. More is also related about the old tragedy that befell their parents, who were Huntsmen themselves, as the siblings worry about their own fates.
I’m enjoying the Huntsmen series, after a slightly false start. I’m sure I’ll continue to like the Harkers’ relationship, and although Uncanny Vows ties up most of its plot elements in a satisfying way, there are plenty of intriguing hints left to be explored in future books. I hope that as the series progresses, there will be some actual interaction with the leaders of the organization, rather than the Harkers merely receiving orders from on high; will they attempt to correct lore that they know is untrue, or keep concealing the contradictions that would get them into trouble? More trouble is certainly coming for them, regardless, as a mysterious observer watches the interesting couple, and longs for the “fun” old days, and as World War I appears to be brewing in Europe. I look forward to finding out what will happen next.
Click here to read an excerpt from Uncanny Vows and find out publication details from Simon & Schuster.
Content warnings: Violence, death, magic, classism by some characters, period-accurate sexist attitudes.
Comparisons: Early seasons of the Supernatural TV series.
Disclaimers: I received a review eARC from the publisher.
