The Quick is a layered journey through Victorian London's high and low society. I truly enjoyed the book within a book within a book idea where we learned first about the main characters' early lives, then as they went on their separate ways. Along the way we witnessed the true love story turned undead nightmare with the Aegolius Club and the Mould vampire chronicles. This book hit every check mark to make it one of my favorite books- historical relevance, a great love story and fantastical/mystical/unforgettable characters. I won't soon forget The Quick and I hope there is a sequel to resolve those last questions that remain with the undead and those who fight to protect the living from them.

This book was wonderful on so many levels, but in particular I enjoyed the relationship between Mrs. Cath and Ada. Time and time again, we see that love can cross oceans and can cross the skin color divide. I felt many times during my time spent reading this book that my heart was affected- with all of the trials and tribulations that Ada suffered- my heart at times was ripped apart by what she went through and other times it was spread open by the true love she felt for those she loved in her lifetime. Reading about apartheid- taken straight from our own Jim Crow laws in this country is not for the faint of heart. I highly recommend this book for those who too are willing to have their hearts opened first by the naïve girl and then the brave woman that Ada became.

This book is a classic example of why I love historical fiction. Ms. Leveen was able to fill every page with such rich detail bringing each character to life in such a fully dimensional way and at the same time she was able to show the struggles, suffering and mixed bag that slavery represented. I truly enjoyed being able to see Mary go from young slave girl to the free woman of color who was brilliantly educated and a shrewd spy during the Civil War. I highly recommend this book to everyone but in particular I recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction.

I had really high expectations for this book, particularly as it indicates it is for fans of Lisa See and Memoirs of a Geisha. Those comparisons are highly off the mark so the main character Feng is never fully realized in the book as the author never gives her an opportunity to be fully dimensional in her character. It was highly unrealistic to me for her to go from a naive, positive young girl to such a bitter woman so quickly and never redeem herself. That made the book a disappointment to me along with the lack of historical details a out the Revolution itself that I and other readers would have enjoyed. With that said it was still a well written book but it lacked the sweeping story, detail and history I needed to recommend it to other readers.