E. Catherine Tobler’s six-book Folley & Mallory is one of those series that is hard to categorize, an interesting blend of genres. There are alternate history (a recognizable but still different late 1800’s setting) and steampunk aspects (airships that are more than traditional dirigibles, tech that allows a character to have fully-working metal prosthetic arms), shapeshifters (main character Virgil Mallory is revealed as a werewolf early on), Egyptian mythology (the gods Anubis and Horus play significant roles), spy intrigue (Mallory works for an international spy outfight called MISTRAL that has internal intrigues and subdivisions); time travel (to an ancient Egypt that is both like and unlike what we know), historical and sociological commentary (about why Egypt fell to the Romans and about the unsavory nature of archaeological digs in Egypt in the 1800s), and romance (between the title duo of Eleanor Folley and Virgil Mallory, and between a pair of supporting characters). That’s a quick summary of the genres that co-mingle in these books. I may be missing one or two. There’s a lot going on here.
And because this is E. Catherine Tobler, it all melds wonderfully. The steampunk aspects of the narrative enable the time travel as much as the Egyptian mythological aspects; the mythology informs Folley’s family history; the time travel and shapeshifting are sensible roadblocks to the culmination of the romance; the subterfuge of MISTRAL and its sister organization affect the mythological and time-travel adventures. Nothing feels out of place or shoe-horned in.
The arc of the series is instigated by archaeologist Eleanor Folley’s search to discover what really happened to her missing mother. Eleanor’s father claims she’s dead, but Eleanor knows something weird happened when their Egyptian dig was attacked by unknown assailants just as her mother discovered a legendary artifact, “the hand of the Lady.” Now an adult, Eleanor pushes against her father’s constraint to give up the search for her mother. At the same time, MISTRAL agent Virgil Mallory is assigned to protect the Folleys from possible attack by rogue/enemy agents who want to know what Eleanor and her father know about the artifact and the associated “rings of Anubis.” Of course, complications arise that put them in great danger while allowing them to overcome initial distrust. And Eleanor’s search, combined with Virgil’s personal history, will have potentially history-altering consequences as Anubis’ plan becomes more obvious and closer to fruition.
The romance between Eleanor and Virgil is not the primary point of the series. But it is a vital sub-plot as they grow from that initial distrust and miscommunication through to a mutual if unrequited attraction and then to an actual relationship. Their connection helps them to survive some pretty drastic situations that each might not have survived alone. The progression of their relationship feels natural and is not at all smooth. They also discover they have more in common than they thought and that their lives have overlapped even before they ever met.
Eleanor’s life, her family’s history and connection to ancient Egypt, Queen Hatshepsut, and the god Anubis are at the center of everything that happens; to say too much about the family tree, especially her mother’s side, would be to spoil a great deal of what happens in the second half of the series. Suffice to say, we’re very invested in how and what Eleanor’s matrilineal line has done to enable the events depicted. Virgil and the other MISTRAL agents are essentially along for the ride for a good portion of the series. But throughout, we get a lot of background on Virgil: how he became a werewolf and how it affects his daily life, his previous romantic history, certain of his previous cases as an agent that turn out to be connected to his assignment to protect Eleanor. Eventually we also get a bit of detail on fellow agents and distant lovers Cleo and Auberon. Anubis also becomes more fully fleshed out and less of a plot device as the series goes on.
Most of the volumes in the series run around 250-300 pages. These are concisely written books that don’t ramble on about the background world-building. While it would be nice to know more about the history of the MISTRAL agency and the other shadowy groups encountered, none of that is necessary to the plot or progress of this story. (Maybe Tobler will give us adventures of other MISTRAL agents in the future, and that would be wonderful.) The Folley & Mallory series, in order, is:
• The Rings of Anubis
• The Glass Falcon
• The Honey Mummy
• The Clockwork Tomb
• The Quartered Heart
• The Ebon Jackal
(The link leads to the author’s website, which has purchase options listed.)
This is a complete story in six volumes. While there are hints at future adventures Folley, Mallory, and their friends could have, The Ebon Jackal capably and satisfactorily wraps up the main plot and all of the important sub-plots. So those of you who insist on waiting until a series is concluded before you invest in it? You have no excuse here: go get these books, in print or ebook, and get started!
