The Peculiarities

David Liss assembles a fascinating mingling of reality and suprareality in a book that brings together history and imagination. The Peculiarities was a unique and powerful reading experience.

The Peculiarities is a unique occult tale about a young banker who becomes embroiled in a supernatural mystery set in Victorian London. A mysterious fog, strange maladies, and deadly creatures wreak havoc in an increasingly magical oriented London in this entertaining alternative history novel.

I have never read a book quite like this before which I am very pleased about. This was a quirky and unusual story with intriguing characters suffering from an array of pecuilarities that made this book absurd, devilishly comedic, and curious. In this story the magic of Victorian London was not something hidden, but rather, out in the open and accepted. Is there more power when things are hidden in plain sight? Or do visibility and obscurity need each other more than they realize for their own survival?

The secret societies, dark magic, and deadly plots conjured an arcane story about the power of being different in a world on the cusp of a supernatural transformation.

The Peculiarities by David Liss
Thank you to Tachyon Publications and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on September 7th, 2021.

Writing: 4/5 Characters: 4/5 Plot: 5/5
In the Age of Peculiarities, women give birth to rabbits, well-dressed ghouls roam the streets of London, individuals start sprouting leaves, and terrible luck to those who break contracts — though these oddities mostly impact the very poorest, so who cares? It’s 1899 and Thomas Thresher — the younger, largely ignored, son of the Thresher banking family — turns to the occult to find out why the bank seems so very involved in the pervasive disasters. He seeks to save the bank and return it to its original charter — to serve those with nowhere else to go.

Portals to astral realms, a magical society, and Aleister Crowley himself are at the center of this wild-ride style adventure. Plenty of surprises, wry asides, and a strong sense of duty — but what I really love is that the ability to see and manipulate the patterns within mathematics is the powerful magic that is able to do what the best stylings of the Crowley gang cannot.

A real page-turner — well-written, humorous, exciting, and with a wide array of interesting, non-stereotypical, characters.

Good for fans of Alix E. Harrow and Susannah Clark.

Great world-building, story, and characters

I loved everything about this book. The world building is excellent. The magic system makes sense and is consistent throughout the book. There is great character development with a protagonist I cared about. The story is intriguing, with some very good humor. Overall, this is a great book. Thank you to Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for the advance reader copy.

4.5 stars

Such an imaginative, compelling take on the matter of magic! The Peculiarities shines in its storytelling, its worldbuilding, and the development of its characters.

However. Reader, beware: The first few chapters, I worried I might not like the book terribly much, if at all. The main character (Thomas) was so passive, the other characters so lightly sketched, and a few chapters in there was a disturbing scene that made me worry the book as a whole was going to be in bad taste.

But as it turns out, the beginning was calculated. As the book goes on, Thomas turns from a listless superfluous man into a perceptive and determined hero; the side characters are revealed, through Thomas’s increasing attention to them, to be complex and interesting. And the world, though cruel, is a place of hope. This is a novel which demonstrates real character growth and change over the course of the story, and not just because our protagonist is slowly turning into a tree. I loved this book, and I think those who stick past the first few chapters will as well.

Content warnings: rape, anti-Semitism

The Pecularities was a very good read, I particularly appreciated how the historical atmosphere was done, with a lot of actual references, real characters and facts mixed with magic.
The apparition of alternative humans, the reality of the consequences of breaking oaths, all the bizarreries of a world slowly but ineluctably changing made for a very attractive read. Guessing things was also quite enjoyable, especially when one was still surprise in the end.
Incidentally (I was curious and went googling) there actually was a real story about a woman who supposedly gave birth to rabbits - even if it wasn't anything like live ones and if it's rather easy to understand how the entourage was mistaken and thought she could have been gravid with rabbits (of course, she wasn't !).
Another strong point was the strong underlining feminism, without any anachronic modernism.
And to finish, the cover is gorgeous and the reason why I first spotted the book!

A joy, a laugh, a total pleasure. How can I express how much I enjoyed this book.! I have read several other books by Mr Liss and this is what drew me to this one. That said, while I have enjoyed all of his books I found this one completely different and refreshing. The other books were historical fiction, engaging stories created within a mostly believable historical context. The peculiarities may use historical places and people, but without any pretense of believable or indeed even of plausibility. And therein lies the joy. While I was enjoying each page of the book I couldn't help imagining that Mr Liss had enjoyed writing each page ----- and with a smile on his face the entire time. this was one of those rare books where the ending didn't matter. sure, I wanted to know how it would end, but that felt far less important than the pleasure that came from each chapter. I cannot even begin to try to summarize the plot; it would just sound too ridiculous. And indeed, that is the very point -- the whole thing was ridiculous. But who cares, the story built one ridiculous idea on top of the next --- and left me wanting for more. This book felt like the near perfect antidote for dealing with the stress and strain of the pandemic. I greatly thank Netgalley for sharing a copy and to Mr Liss for writing this unique and wonderful book.

Upfront: I have always been a fan of David Liss' novels, even since A Conspiracy of Paper. I love the way he explores hidden history through his stories. His writing is peppered with the type of small details that bring a moment in time alive. Yet, his novels are more than simply history lessons. He tells a wonderful story with fascinating characters. I was excited to have the opportunity to read an advanced copy of his new novel, The Peculiarities, courtesy of NetGalley and Tachyon Publications in exchange for an objective review.

Set in vividly detailed Victorialn London, The Peculiarities is historical fiction with a supernatural bent, a comic picaresque romp, a love story, an extraordinary fantasy where women give birth to rabbits and men slowly turn into trees, and a riveting drama of a banking family slowly being destroyed from within. Liss' tale is filled with familiar faces, including Aleister Crowley, and Arthur Conan Doyle tangled up in complex and murderous conspiracies and secret societies. A young Thomas Thresheis is set on discovering why his family bank appears to be purposefully failing, and why his brother is dead set on Thomas marrying a woman he does not love. There is so much plot afoot, and rather than causing considerable confusion, it's great but serious fun as the stakes are high. It is a different and mesmerizing tale, drenched in both history and fantasy.

What an absolute pleasure.

Liss’ narrative style is dazzling from the get-go, and I was swept up immediately into both the protagonist’s mind and Victorian London. Liss’ talent for transporting the reader effortlessly, and within seconds, must be commended. The eccentric plot line is often simultaneously evocative and hysterical, and I will certainly be recommending the work to anyone interested in historical, quirky, or fantastical fiction. I can’t believe I have never read anything by Liss before!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for the advanced copy!

In London in 1899, Thomas has been ripped from his carefree life and forced to work in the family bank as a cleric after his father passed away. As prominent people in London study mysticism, strange things are happening called peculiarities. Women are giving birth to litters of rabbits, the fog is acting strange, children have lobster claws for hands and Thomas has his own problem. Thomas's older brother, Walter, is forcing him to marry a woman in order to help the bank, and Thomas decides to find out what is really going on. This is a fun and different story.