For four books and four years, Eden has built steadily toward this action-packed conclusion, and it was worth every day of waiting. The arrival of the Tempest in book four sent our Dreadfuls to ground, and now, the Dread Master must finally reveal herself if she's to protect her people and her city. To do so, Maeve must partner with Fitz Parkington, despite her mistrust of policeman, and they're well-matched in determination, competency, and even playfulness, when they get a rare moment to breathe. The Queen and the Knave begins with tension that only increases from there until you can't put it down and find yourself gasping and cheering for the big finale. If you've waited to start this series until it was all out, be assured it not only stays good but gets better with each installment, and the ending is everything you could want.

My thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review

Wow…. Sarah Eden is genius!!. What an incredible addition to this series. I loved all the intrigue and adventure. And how you are actually getting 3 stories in one.

Living in secret is not how Móirín Donnelly wants to live her life but has no choice but to do just that. Móirín has spent the last five years secretly working for the Dread Penny Society and has been on the run from the police for longer. When the Dread Penny Society discovers who The Tempest is and members start to disappear, Móirín turns to an unlikely ally, Detective Constable Fitzgerald Parkington.

Fitzgerald Parkington has a talent in catching criminals and is recently promoted to the Detective Department at Scotland Yard. When trying to make progress at tracking down The Tempest, he finds himself getting pushback from his superior. Fitz soon turns to Móirín and finds that he is also losing his heart to her.

With The Tempest’s reach encompassing all of London, Móirín and Fitz find themselves racing through London to try to stop her. When the chase leads them to a surprising place, Móirín finds herself with one chance to save those she loves including the man who has unexpectedly stolen her heart.

Móirín is the ultimate leading lady. Strong, stubborn and devoted, Móirín is a powerful woman who lets nothing stand in her way. Teaming up with Fitz, makes them an unstoppable duo. I loved how their story unfolded too.

Sarah M. Eden is a master at her craft. She has the ability to create a world full of characters and adventure that draws her readers in and keeps them captivated until the final page. This was my experience with “The Queen and the Knave.” With this being the final installment in the Dread Penny Society series, I had high hopes for a great ending and I was not disappointed. Full of all the surprises and adventure that I have come to expect, “The Queen and the Knave” was the exact conclusion I was looking for.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced e-ARC. These opinions are my own.

“The Tempest called herself "the violence" and "the storm." This was what she meant. Chaos. Overwhelming threats from all directions.
I know what will break you.
That was where the Tempest was wrong. Móirin Donnelly was the Dread Master, and she did not break.”

The Queen and the Knave is an excellent end to The Dread Penny Series by Sarah M. Eden! This book exceeded all my expectations! I can’t say enough good things about it!

This is the final installment in The Dread Penny Society series and it picks up where book 4 left off. I was quickly enthralled as I was thrown back into the streets of Victorian London with all the beloved characters of the previous books. I’ve loved Moirin Donnelly from the beginning. She is an incredibly intelligent character. I loved having a strong female character be the head of the secret dread penny society.

The battle between the Tempest and Moirin was mind blowing! The way they went head to head was insane. The way the Tempest always seemed to be a step ahead was so cunning. The twists and turns she took us through!

As with the other books in this series, we get a glimpse of two penny dreadfuls that align with the main storyline. The story about the detectives Posie and Pru might be my favorite of all the penny dreadfuls. They have a lot of heart and spunk!

Of course I can’t forget the romance between Moirin and Fitz. They have the best snarky and sassy flirtations. Despite being from different sides of the law, they work well together against their common enemy.

This book did a great job of tying up all the loose ends from the entire series. This final chapter in the dread penny society is not one to be missed!

Spoiler Free

“The Tempest is here.”

The finale book in The Dread Penny Society is here and it did not disappoint! I’m always a little nervous when a book series ends, but Sarah Eden did such a good job at wrapping up the series. You really should read the first four books before you read this one.

This book picks up where the last book ended. We found out that Móirín Donnelly is the Dread Master and the Dread Penny Society members are in danger. I loved that we get to know Móirín more! She is such a strong character and there’s a reason why she is the Dread Master. She is hiding from the law in Scotland which makes things a little tricky with Fitz Parkington.

Fitz is such a good man. He loves his job as a constable and does his best to help the people of London. His banter between him and Móirín had me laughing throughout the book. He didn’t hesitate to help his friends solve the mystery of the Tempest. Which that mystery had me at the edge of my seat.

This book was one I could not put down. I had to know how it all ended. We got to see all the couples from the other books which made me so happy. The suspense was so good. And the Penny Dreadful that was written by Móirín was hilarious! I loved the characters in that one.

This book started with a bang and didn’t slow down. Móirín. Is. Amazing. I adore her character and the action and romance of the book was a great balance. I’m trying to so hard not to spoil because I want to gush about everything lol.

It was harder at times to figure out what Móirín was saying because of her accent. I really enjoyed the puzzle and the new way of speech. I loved the authenticity of having an accent when you’re an immigrant and seeing the differences in pronunciation was so cool to me.

Definitely recommend. You should absolutely read the rest of the series before this one however. Otherwise, you won’t have half as much fun as I did because you won’t have a mystery to chew on.

This was an honest review of an ARC provided to me.

Wow, I can’t believe that this series has come to an end. The Queen and the Knave is the fifth and final book in Sarah M Eden’s Penny Dreadfuls series. This has been an amazing series and I am so sad to see it end. This book is part of a series and it needs to be read in order otherwise it wouldn’t make sense.
Okay, so I have really enjoyed the other books so I was excited for this one but I have a bit of mixed feelings. I was honestly a little confused by everything that was going on, it was a lot to take in. However I loved that Móirín was getting her own book. She is so cool! And it was fun to read about Detective Constable Fitzgerald Parkington.
The romance was sweet but it was not the main part of the story. Móirín and Fitzgerald had to work together to try to beat the Tempest at her game. I loved getting to know Móirín and understand her more, she had such a deep backstory. Fitzgerald was also a wonderful character, he definitely fit her. I loved his loyalty and his love for those around him. The plot was interesting and it did keep me engaged although I did get a little lost. However, this was still a wonderful book.
The Queen and the Knave was an exciting end to this lovely series. I would totally recommend it!The Queen and the Knave is a clean historical fiction mystery romance book set in London.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

This is the end of the series and this book was a great ending. I hate that it's ending I will miss these characters but I really like this. This was so good.
I just reviewed The Queen and the Knave by Sarah M. Eden. #TheQueenandtheKnave #NetGalley
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This is one series where you need to have read the book before to understand what's going on in this one. This is the final installment and everything points to the culmination of what happened before.

First, let me get it out of the way that I'm not a fan of the dread penny stories inserted in the main story. It breaks the flow.

There's a LOT going on in this story. We get updates on all the other couples and characters, and we see all of them come together to defeat the villain. Móirín and Fitz are the main characters and, although we get to see their relationship grow (and they are super cute), it's the main mystery and the fight against The Tempest that take precedence.

The Victorian setting is well done, sordid and dark with a ray of hope, just like Charles Dickens would do.

The theme of found family, with loyalty and justice, is the main one in the series and this story.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Sarah does it again! How does she have so many unique stories in her head! This series is so different but is so good! The twists and turns are amazing! I loved this so much from beginning to end!

To sum up my thoughts in one word...WOW! This was everything all rolled into one! Of course you had the fantastic storytelling from Sarah Eden, but also the suspense, romance, thrill, and laughter. This was the perfect conclusion to this series (though, I wouldn't mind getting to see these characters again, years in the future, and seeing where their paths lead them). I love how different this series has been form others I have read. You get serval stories in one, with the inclusion of the Penny Dreadful stories. While this story is excellent in and of itself, you cannot read it as a standalone. You must read the other stories in the series, in order, to understand this one. We finally get to met the Dread Master and learn her(!) story! Móirín is the best lead character! She makes the perfect Dread Master, you wonder why you didn't piece it together when you see bits of her strong character before. I am sad my time in the world of the Dread Penny Society is over, but I cannot wait to revisit these stories again and again! Well done!

My Thoughts:

This series of five books is complete. I had read #4 not long ago, but I’m so glad I took the chance to binge read the whole series in a week when I received the final ARC. You can read them as individual books, but the stories are so tightly interwoven that you really should get the whole five-story plot arc together.

And, while billed as “proper romance”, the romance is not, in my mind, the focus of the stories. There are mysteries to solve—each of the first four books lead us into the final showdown.

One common theme of this series is that everyone has a past that has made them who they are. For the most part, difficult pasts have led the focus characters to fight for right and to help the downtrodden, in a society that is still very much run by class.

We begin with a schoolmistress and a former street urchin turned author of “penny dreadfuls”, the lower-class literature that thrilled and entertained. But he’s also a member of a secret society of penny dreadful authors who fight crime (while sometimes committing a few crimes of their own in pursuit of the greater good).

We move on to a music teacher and a gentleman who also writes penny dreadfuls. Then to a bookseller/Russian émigré and an Irishman—again, a writer. And a doctor/writer and his secret wife, who comes from a crime family.

We end with the oddest pairing of all—a woman who committed murder and a police constable.

The mysteries are intriguing. As we learn more and more of the criminal mastermind, the fearsome Tempest, we also learn more of what makes our characters tick. The entire series plays out in a little over a year, and it is nice to be able to follow the aftermath of the prior books as each book moves along. Unlike some series romance, prior characters still play a part beyond name-dropping.

I especially looked forward to the final volume, as I wanted so much to know the why and the how of the formation of the Dread Penny Society. While this was explained, I felt like there could have been more. Likewise with the why of the Tempest’s quest for revenge, and why one particular traitor sold out the Dreadfuls.

I think the elements of intrigue were well-balanced with the romances. These were romances that were allowed to develop, based on admiration and companionship. Each had a reason why it might be impractical, but, despite danger and turmoil, love won the day.

There were many well-developed secondary characters in addition to the ten romantic leads. The street urchins, others of the Dreadfuls, family members—all added to the depth of worldbuilding.

As with other books published by Shadow Mountain, there is no cursing and the narration of the romantic interludes doesn’t progress beyond kissing.

One more note: Each of these books, in addition to the main narrative, contains two “penny dreadful” stories that parallel the main story. So Eden was really writing three stories every time!

Possible Objectionable Material:

Foul play, including thievery and murder, fighting, perilous situations, dishonesty, poverty.

Who Might Like These Books:

Fans of clean romance, Victorian London, mystery and adventure.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for providing ARCs of these books in exchange for my honest opinion.

These books are also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2023/04/a-penny-dreadful-for-your-thoughts.html

This was an anticipated read as it is the final in this series! It was well worth the wait! So much happens in this one, you will be on the edge of your seat until the very end! I didn't want it to end!

*note- series is best enjoyed when read in order

I received an ARC from Netgalley and all opinions are my own.

I love the structure of this series and enjoy being immersed in the Dread Penny Society with the quirky use of language in this series. This final installment has Moirin Donnelly, the Dread Master, as the main character along with her newly-promoted detective friend, Fitz Parkington. They confront The Tempest that has been terrorizing London. There's a secondary plot about Fitz's grandfather that fizzles at the end of the book.

This book in the series does not stand alone, as many elements that are critical to the story that appear in earlier books aren't revisited. For example, the Radlett murder is mentioned, but there is no reminder of what that was. I've read all the books in the series and couldn't recall the details.

Where this book suffered for me was in pacing and unclear action sequences. The middle 50% of the book moves more slowly than the start and end. The ending action sequences mostly happen inside the Dread Penny clubhouse, but there are points when descriptions of where people are positioned are vague. The chains and gibbet cage that are pivotal in one of the final scenes aren't clearly described. At first, the cage is just said to be a gibbet. It caused some frustration because those scenes are full of emotion and characters readers have grown to love. To not have a clear description of what is happening could be frustrating.

Elizabeth's stories (written as Mr. King) are as strong as always. Moirin's story isn't quite as interesting, but we'll give her a pass as a writer since she has a lot going on in this book!

In true Eden fashion this story (among stories) of Fitz and Moirin was perfect and captured my undivided interest. As always I read from start to finish in a single day, can't put down a Sarah M Eden book if I wanted to, which I don't.
The same beloved characters from previous DPS novels are here and intertwined within the pages are the Penny Dreadful serials we all have come to know and love.
If there is one thing I could have hoped for was a story about Stone but perhaps the future will come with an anthology or similar book with stories of all the dreadful so we can learn more of these amazing characters.

Either way this one receives 5 stars as it ranks up there with the best of the best, or can I say it IS the BEST of the best.

I discovered this series when the second came out and I just really enjoy them. They always make me happy to read

I have really loved the penny dreadful series. This book is the best of the bunch and ends in a very satisfying way. I loved getting three stories in one book. The little stories from Mrs King and whoever the book is telling the story from this person point of view are fun to read. Sometimes I was so into the main story that I didn’t want to stop and read the other stories. Overall a great book and a great series.

tl;dr
An exciting conclusion to the series with lots more action than the previous installments, and a delightful central couple.

Thoughts
I discovered this series sometime last year, and tore through every available book with reckless abandon. By the time the fourth book started dropping hints about the final romance, I was already entirely on board with the proposed couple. And I am very pleased to report that it is everything that was promised. Móirín was already one of my favorites, so it's great to finally see her get the focus. Fitz hadn't gotten quite as much attention in previous volumes, so there was a bit of a rush to fill us in on his backstory in this volume, but nothing too egregious. Their banter was very cute, with enough gentle ribbing to be playful without getting mean. That being said, the romance definitely takes a back seat to the plot here, with threads from all of the previous books in the series finally coming together. There's a good chunk of action, some mystery, some blood, and a lot of little twisty plot things to keep readers guessing. As always, two extra stories of varying genres are included. They're both a fun read, although the comedy one can feel very jarring sitting between tense chapters of main story plot. Overall, this feels like a great conclusion to the series. Mysteries from the previous books are wrapped up nicely, and the central couple are exceptionally cute. I will miss reading DPS, but I am happy how it ended.

What a fantastic book!
Sarah Eden’s work is always wonderful but this book is one of her very best, if not the best. It is part of a series and could be read as a standalone but would be much better after reading the other books for a fuller background and setting. Moirin is the mysterious head of the Dread Penny Society unknown even to most the members. As such she works, along with the other members, to protect and help those in London’s society that are in need. Now the Tempest, the head of a crime organization, has set their sights on the Dread Penny Society and especially Moirin. Soon Detective Parkington, a friend of the society, is pulled into the conflict. As members begin to vanish and lives are hanging in the balance will Moirin and Parkington be able to rescue even themselves from the clutches of the Tempest? Since this is a Dread Penny novel, the reader will also be treated to two short stories written and released as a Dread Penny meaning a chapter at a time. These short stories only add to the fun. I highly recommend this book and the series. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy. This is my review and all thoughts are my own.

What a conclusion!! Wow it wasn’t what I expected but it was what I wanted and needed. I’m sad to see the end of the DPS series but can’t wait for what happens next.