There is definitely a lot of detailed world building. You almost feel like you're standing on the sidelines amongst the characters. Overall I'd rate this moreso 3.5. There's a bit of an information dump in the first quarter. Interesting plot of revenge/vengeance.

An interesting mix of Victorian England and Fantasy Rome combined with a secret society and a quest for revenge and a thief.

This eARC was provided by Netgalley.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

Saintcrow has done a wonderful job in creating this new world scenario. It is like modern Europe, but kind of like if the Romans had actually conquered it all, and held sway for hundreds of years. The story is a bit historical, as many names that are somewhat recognized have a 'Latin-ish' sound to them, and they use wood/coal for fires with no autos in the story. So like the 1800s I guess.

This brings us to our two main characters: Miss Dove, a pseudonym for the rich daughter of some married bureaucrats who seeks revenge, and Avery Black, the Rook, a local sort-of Crime boss of the area of London called Hell's Acre. The Rook is actually a man of morals, and is trying to help the Acre, even if violence is necessary. Miss Dove, who has an "uncle" at a type of monastery in the Acre, manages with his help to get a job as a school mistress for an orphanage. I know I am skipping some parts (for you to enjoy) but the interest between Dove and Rook build throughout the story, which leaves us hanging a bit for a future installment.

The world-building in this novel is spectacular. I really liked the idea of a conquered Roman'ish Europe, and love how the names have that Latin quality. My history may not be the best, but there are several religions and deities Romans worshipped, and they have their part in the tale as well. The intrigue as to what is really going on keeps one reading. Dove does find the man responsible for her parents deaths (per the information she had received) but is that really the one. And how is it Rook's interests and Dove's coincide with each other, without the other knowing? Really looking forward to more in this series!

Lilith Saintcrow's Hell's Acre is an alternative reality Gaslamp fantasy novel that features Gemma Dove (Not her real name), and Avery Black leader known as the Rook. This story has an interesting mixture of Victorian England and Fantasy Rome. New Rome perches upon the shores of the Thamis River, and in its soot-stained depths, a teeming mass of humanity lives under the iron fist of an Empire that never fell to Vandals or Christianity.

In the shadows, assassins congregate and secret societies bloom—the Priory, dedicated to the worship of the criminal Dead God, and the Hellions, thieves and murderers whose aim is mere freedom. Gemma Dove arrives in New Rome with a small independence and a burning desire: to gain revenge upon those who murdered her parents and drove her beloved aunt to a premature death. The city is a dangerous place, but Gemma has her own secret skills and isn't afraid to use them.

She longs to complete her vengeance and return to her safe, beautiful estate across the Channel, but fate has other ideas. With the help of her "uncle" who is a fallen Priory member known as Father Nossorten, Gemma finds work as a governess at Imanuel orphanage filled with boys. Gemma isn't a Karen. Gemma was trained very well by a man known as Sampson, apparently not his real name either. Gemma is driven to find the man responsible for murdering her parents but finds more trouble.

His name is Avery Black, but they call him the Rook. The young Hellion has sunk himself in vice and treachery with his own crew, and he knows there's more to Miss Dove than meets the eye. Especially after she runs into trouble to save children who had been taken by kidnappers. He also knows she's playing a dangerous game, one which will end in her death—unless he takes a hand in matters. It might even be connected to his own vengeance against the Priory, but that's fast becoming a secondary consideration.

Under soot-stained skies and flickering gaslamps, from the crowd of thieves and gin-soaked tenements to the glittering whirl of Society, plans, treachery and counter-betrayal are afoot. Gemma and Avery can defeat the Priory, but that ancient organization has its own plans for Miss Dove, and the Rook might be her only defense. While their paths cross several times throughout the book, they have no idea that they are likely on the same side, and have the same goal of ending not only the Priory but the man who killed her parents. There is no romance, and the book does end on a cliffhanger which should have been provided to readers before posting it to request and review.