Section 1: Urban Fantasy Books Similar to Strange Practice Reading Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw reminded me of The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss. While both stories are from entirely different periods, I adore how Shaw and Goss pull from Victorian literary characters to either take inspiration from them or reinvent them completely. How they take those new characters and weave them into fantastical mysteries showcases each author’s talents. Section 2: Most Powerful Themes Represented in Strange Practice Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw addresses several themes, but the strongest theme would have to be learning to accept that you are not alone. Whether you are monstrous or working for monsters, there are those out there to embrace as your community. I admire how Shaw brings somewhat broken characters from different backgrounds together to help them lean on each other to put the pieces back together as they develop these strong bonds with one another. You can also support your local library and rent this and other Urban Fantasy stories through the Libby app Section 3: What I Did Not Like about Strange Practice If I had to be nitpicky about what I didn’t like in Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw, I would point to the big reveal. In true mystery/detective genre style, all the interweaving character plots get brought together, and you learn exactly what happened and by whom. No spoilers, but I found the over-explanatory nature of this part of the story jarring. It made me wonder if not everything was thought out thoroughly, leaving potential holes. Only as I read the entire series (oh yes, I binged!) did I realize certain elements work themselves out as an overarching storyline. Still, I thought this could’ve been a little cleaner within the first book. Section 4: Who Will Love and Hate Strange Practice People who are fans of horror, gothic lit, Victorian fiction, urban fantasy, and monsters will get quite a kick out of Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw. Readers who dislike the idea of monstrous creatures redeeming themselves or have problems with stories that contradict common Christian beliefs will certainly not enjoy this book. Section 5: L. Rigdon’s Star Rating of Strange Practice I give Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw 4/5 stars. The story moves wonderfully, and the character development was fantastic! I’m only holding back one star because I thought some of the ending reveal/Deus ex Machina moments felt jarring and offered too easy/clean of an explanation.
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