Cruel and Unusual
In this second in a series of books by D. Michelle Gent, Jack the Ripper gets the fantasy treatment. Born to a mixed species family—half human, half wolf—Jack’s life as a throwback would be dark and bloody. When a visit to the zoo with a man he trusted starts Jack on a quest for knowledge and self-discovery, he slowly descends from a trusted surgeon to a depraved killer. But in Victorian London, with every murder and every piece of the puzzle, Jack brings “the Sentinels” (an elite band of hunters from the Wolf society) closer. Desperate to stop Jack from bringing Wolf kind to human attention, it’s up to Hazel, a female Wolf with a foretold future, to catch Jack before the humans do.
D. Michelle Gent has written an entertaining fantasy account of the familiar Jack the Ripper historical story. The book is well produced with solid, well-polished characters, and although this is the second book of the series, it is a stand-alone title. In a historical sense it is well researched, and I get the impression the author has taken the time to visit the murder sites. My only very mild criticism is that I felt the flow of the story could be woven slightly tighter to keep the many Ripperologists satisfied. I would happily recommend this book to werewolf/fantasy fans who like a bit of history included.
