The Ripper Affair (Bannon & Clare, 3) Paperback – August 19, 2014

Fast paced entertainment, stream pink, magic and machines, lovely ideas about good and evil.

The third installment in the Bannon & Clare series begins on a sad note. A beloved character perishes as a result of a suicidal bomber. Secrets that Bannon has been keeping are revealed; causing a falling out of sorts between her and a grief-stricken Clare. The revelation of how Clare was able to survive the Red Plague causes him difficulties as he tries to wrap his faculties around the illogic of it. An uneasy truce is forged when Her Majesty calls upon the sorceress in person to beseech her help in investigating a series of murders. The murders allude to a famous serial killer in London.I enjoyed this book immensely. I have been given the impression that this is the last book in the series. While I am grieved to see the end, I understand this is a good idea rather than letting the series drag out too long and become to repetitive. I enjoyed the characters and the story-lines. I was mildly frustrated that there was no indication of how much time elapsed between the three books. I love the fact that Lilith Saintcrow was able to create such a strong female character while still having her maintain her femininity. There were still some things that were never explained; for example, what a Mentath actually is or what the Discipline is that plays such a key role near the end of this book.

I enjoyed the first book in her series. The second book was not as crisp and original. This one was an alternate view of a well worn story. The bad guy was recycled, and it was not even a bit of a surprise when he showed. Not even a new sorcerer? It was disappointing. I appreciated the banter between Clare and Bannon, but there was little of it here. At least we got more on Mikail. Bring an original tale like the first book, and lose the retelling of history, add more character interaction, and I am ready for another installment.

This series will leave you devastated that it is over! It is rare that an author can keep the reader captivated from the first story until the end.

Don't know why everyone keeps bashing this book. I mean, I can kind of understand at the same time I don't. I read both books before this and then this one was just beautiful, but I think that's because I was so wrapped up in it I didn't know what else to do. The emotions are deep and dramatic, the writing is beautiful as ever, and the deeper you get into the story, the more you learn about Emma, and Archibald, and Mikal, too. The ending of it is a huge plot twist and had me literally breathless. I reccomend this to anyone who's read the previous books - because you NEED to do that first. You will love the characters, the setting, etc. Please for the love of everything good READ. THIS. BOOK.

This story picks up a little after the conclusion of "The Red Plague Affair."Clare is having a difficult time adjusting to the affects of what Emma did to save his life.Queen Victrix comes to Banon's door at a time when a series of grizzly murders are happening in Whitechaple.While Saintcrow alludes to the infamous Jack the Ripper, she does not give him that name. Instead she namesall of his victims.

I get to see Bannon in a different light. I liked it.

I realize this is the last of a trilogy, and it ends with bittersweet satisfaction, but it is my sincerest hope that Ms. Saintcrow writes a story of perhaps Clare discovering Vance is alive in Europe (dare I hope, sowing the seeds of WWI), or of Bannon forced to deal with further unrest in Londinium to protect her household, but most of all that Bannon and Clare will have more adventure again.And really, what better praise is there than an total, unabashed -Need- for more?

I was slightly hesitant about giving this five stars but it is better than book two which I gave four-stars so I couldn't see what else to do! The plot is better here - tense, fast-paced, breathless in places, and I think that is a valuable thing in a novel of this sort. I felt that Clare was under-used - he was operating sub-par for most of the novel, presumably because of the old 'getting rid of The Enterprise/Spock' problem of the Star Trek scripts. If you have someone who is so exceptionally clever, then the story would be over too soon and would lose some tension. There is some of this problem with Emma, too, as she appears to be so powerful. Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable, imaginative and fairly original read - Saintcrow is excellent at creating monstrous villains.

Archibald Clare is caught in a terrorist attack on a court room, which leaves him realising just what Emma Bannon did to save his life earlier. He is not happy about that, and considers breaking the connection. But when the Britannia Empress comes to call on Emma, asking her help in a series of gruesome murders that threaten the Empire itself, Clare finds himself embroiled in the investigation that may cost them both their lives.This is an improvement on The Red Plague Affair, building on the history, but with a more focussed plotline. We learn a little more of Emma’s background, and see the care she takes of her staff. Unfortunately, we see rather less of Clare’s mentath abilities (although if he had been operating on all mental cylinders, the book would have been somewhat shorter). There is room for many further interesting developments in this universe.

Great fun. An easy read. Entertaining.

Once again, this is a nicely complex and challenging problem for our heros. I am particularly enjoying seeing how their world is developing. Like another reviewer, I did struggle to keep up at times, especially in trying to determine the time lapse since the previous story, though this was partly because it is quite a long time since I read the earlier books. Nevertheless, the story did not disappoint and I am looking forward to another installment.

I loved this series, and I wish the next three in the series were going to be published. I want more Bannon and Clare adventures. I especially love the way Bannon is written.