"A delightful, dark, and entertaining romp . . . Molly Tanzer is at
the top of her form in this beautifully constructed novel." -- Jeff
VanderMeer, best-selling author of the Southern Reach trilogy
Victorian London is a place of fluid social roles, vibrant arts culture,
fin-de-siècle wonders . . . and dangerous underground diabolic cults.
Fencer Evadne Gray cares for none of the former and knows nothing of the
latter when she's sent to London to chaperone her younger sister,
aspiring art critic Dorina.
At loose ends after Dorina becomes enamored with their uncle's friend,
Lady Henrietta "Henry" Wotton, a local aristocrat and aesthete, Evadne
enrolls in a fencing school. There, she meets George Cantrell, an
experienced fencing master like she's always dreamed of studying under.
But soon, George shows her something more than fancy footwork--he
reveals to Evadne a secret, hidden world of devilish demons and their
obedient servants. George has dedicated himself to eradicating demons
and diabolists alike, and now he needs Evadne's help. But as she learns
more, Evadne begins to believe that Lady Henry might actually be a
diabolist . . . and even worse, she suspects Dorina might have become
one too.
Combining swordplay, the supernatural, and Victorian high society,
Creatures of Will and Temper reveals a familiar but strange London in
a riff on Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray that readers won't
soon forget.
"An artful, witty, Oscar Wilde pastiche with the heart of a paranormal
thriller." -- Diana Gabaldon, best-selling author of Outlander
