Let’s Review: Vanished by Nicole McKeon

Author: Nicole McKeon
Series: The Gwen St. James Affair
Genre(s): Gaslamp Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Pages: 332
Publisher: Tower Room Publishing
Published: 18 April 2023
Format: eBook (Kindle, Nook, Kobo), Paperback
ISBN: 9798987757116

The Setting: imagine 19th/20th century Victorian England and add elves, dwarves, magic, and witches. Vanished takes place in a fantasy world that mirrors our own, the good and the bad, just close enough to feel real.

While fantasy versions of Victorian London are nothing new, Nicole manages to create enough uniqueness to her version that it feels distinctive and special.

And through its detailed alternate history, and the characters as they interact with the world, Nicole does an amazing job of making her world feel alive.

The Characters: This isn’t the first series I’ve read by Nicole. When I read the Founding Trilogy I remember how real the characters felt. The characters were flawed in a way that made them feel like ordinary people. I was reminded of people I know in real life, and their actions, romances, and relationships all felt genuine not forced.

Vanished is much the same. Gwen is an eccentric character – strong, independent, and intelligent – but with past trauma that makes her feel real and quirks that keep her from falling into the ‘hero is perfect’ trope. She’s confident with an attitude to match, hilarious – the high wit back-and-forth between her and many of the other characters often made me chuckle.

The relationships Gwen builds feel genuine and make sense given her past. Equally, the characters surrounding her are all well-written. Her mom (who stole every scene she was in). Her best friend (who’s got a great throwing arm). The detective (who struggles with propriety). The children (I still feel for the boy). Even the crow (you’ll see).

In my honest opinion, this is Nicole’s greatest strength, writing characters who you’ll find yourself genuinely caring about.

The Story: Local children are being kidnapped. The kidnappers are using rare and dangerous magic. Gwen, who knows more than she probably should about such magic, feels obligated to investigate after failing to stop one such kidnapping. I’m not going to tell you anything else, and I can’t really do it justice without spoilers, just take my word for it and read the book.

Content of Note: The book touches lightly on racism, classism, and feminist issues echoing events from our own history. As well, there is some depiction of violence towards children. However, while the above topics are broached the content is kept respectful – as a parent I would have zero concerns about letting a young adult read this.

–AttenOke