The Dark Victorian: Risen

“Way will open.”

She is Artifice.
A resurrected criminal and agent of HRH Prince Albert’s Secret Commission.
An artificial ghost.
A Quaker.

He is Jim Dastard.
The oldest surviving agent of the Secret Commission.
An animated skull.
A mentor to newly resurrected agents.

In a mechanical and supernatural London, agents of Prince Albert’s Secret Commission, their criminal pasts wiped from their memories, are resurrected to fight the eldritch evils that threaten England. Amidst this turmoil, Jim Dastard and his new partner Artifice must stop a re-animationist raising murderous dead children. As Art and Jim pursue their quarry, Art discovers clues about her past self, and through meeting various intriguing women—a journalist, a medium, a prostitute, and a mysterious woman in black—where her heart lies. Yet the question remains: What sort of criminal was she? A new beginning, a new identity, and new dangers await Art as she fights for the Secret Commission and for her second life.

Experience female detective mysteries with a Victorian superheroine:
A gaslamp fantasy in a steampunk, paranormal London, follow the dangerous adventures of an uncanny female sleuth and her senior skull partner set in the same alternate world as Elizabeth Watasin's Victorian Gothic series, The Elle Black Penny Dreads.

Learn more about the debut of this intriguing, steampunk lesbian series:
It is 1880; black arts sorcery had its time to grow in England and to battle the eldritch evils threatening, HRH Prince Albert's Secret Commission is born. Executed criminals are brought back to life without memories to fight as agents, and among those resurrected is Artifice, a six foot tall strongwoman, Quaker, and artificial ghost, guided by her senior partner, Jim Dastard, the animated skull.

Once awakened, Art knows only that she has risen with one purpose: to protect and serve England. Her first mission is to track down a re-animationist who has raised murderous dead animals and children to take revenge upon the living. To do so she must quickly learn more about her past, her new ghostly powers, and especially how she must face threats when her Quaker nature interferes with the needs of battle.

But as the re-animationist rallies for a final confrontation, Jim, Art's skeptical partner and the most senior, surviving agent of the Secret Commission, learns what Art will do, and more.

Dark Victorian: Risen is the debut paranormal steampunk tale from speculative fiction storyteller Elizabeth Watasin, who delights in bringing you shilling shockers immersed in Gothic Victorian mystery, women sleuths, and the eldritch vestiges of an otherworldly London. Enjoy the deadly battles of a Victorian superheroine and her skull partner as Artifice and Jim Dastard rid the world of threats and monsters.

"Risen is only the first of what promises to be a thoroughly enjoyable (if delightfully disturbing) series. Roll over, Arthur Conan Doyle! Move over, Philip Pullman!"
- Trina Robbins
Writer, Herstorian, author of The Chicagoland detective Agency series and Lily Renee, Escape Artist

Elizabeth Watasin is the acclaimed author of the Gothic steampunk series The Dark Victorian, The Elle Black Penny Dreads, and the creator/artist of the indie comics series Charm School, which was nominated for a Gaylactic Spectrum Award. A twenty year veteran of animation and comics, her credits include thirteen feature films, such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and The Princess and the Frog, and writing for Disney Adventures magazine. She lives in Los Angeles with her black cat named Draw, busy bringing readers uncanny heroines in shilling shockers, epic fantasy adventures, and paranormal detective tales.
Follow the news of her latest projects at A-Girl Studio.