I’d like to extend my gratitude to NetGalley and Bedford Square Publishers for granting me the opportunity to read this book ahead of its release in exchange for an honest review.

This gripping tale introduces us to Kit Skevy, an orphan navigating the gritty underbelly of Tudor England. Raised in London’s shadowy, dangerous streets, Kit’s life as a young adult revolves around being an underground brawler for a ruthless gang lord. But Kit harbors a dark secret—he cannot feel pain. Mariner Elgin, another cog in the gang’s machine, is a cutpurse and a Spanish outcast. Fierce, sharp-witted, and drawn to powerful women, she acts as a protective, albeit sharp-tongued, older sister to Kit. Together, they embark on a perilous journey in search of freedom, a journey that is as harrowing as it is transformative.

Found-family tropes like this one always resonate with me, and this story was no exception. There’s something deeply satisfying about strangers becoming as close as family through shared struggles and mutual care. Kit and Mariner’s sibling-like bond is beautifully crafted. Hinds captures the messy, raw reality of sibling relationships—the fights that sting, the unkind words that linger, and ultimately, the reconciliation that underscores their deep connection. Their journey back to each other after a particularly bitter conflict felt both genuine and heartfelt.

What really stood out was the depth of the characterisation. By delving into Kit and Mariner’s inner thoughts, Hinds made their decisions—flawed as they sometimes were—completely understandable. Knowing their backstories, I found it impossible to hate them for their mistakes. In fact, their imperfections made them even more compelling.

Although the novel takes some liberties with historical accuracy, it paints a vivid picture of Tudor England. For readers unfamiliar with the era, it offers a glimpse into the harsh realities of life under the Tudor monarchs’ rule, with enough grit to keep the setting believable and engaging.

The diversity in this story was a welcome surprise. The characters’ queerness felt authentic and well-integrated into the narrative, and Kit being intersex was a refreshing addition. It’s rare to find such representation in historical fiction, and it added an extra layer of complexity to the story that I greatly appreciated.

However, the villains were a letdown. Without spoiling anything, their motivations felt flat and predictable—little more than the stereotypical “I’m evil because I’m the bad guy” trope. This lack of depth created some frustrating plot holes that were patched over with flimsy resolutions, the narrative equivalent of using a bandage to seal a crack in a dam. Their convenient appearances and exaggerated personas detracted from the otherwise nuanced storytelling.

Despite its flaws, this book offered an engaging, heartfelt journey, rich in character development and layered relationships. Fans of found-family dynamics, diverse representation, and historical fiction will find much to enjoy here.

There were a lot of things I liked about this book - namely the characters and the storyline but I struggled with the writing style. It's written in third person present tense and I think the dialogue aims to emulate the language of 16th century England but I found it quite jarring. I didn't especially buy the chemistry between the characters despite the fact, on paper, it was right up my street.

That being said I really liked the book having an intersex main character as this is really rare and should be something that is represented more on page.

I do think this book has an audience I'm just not sure it was for me, which is largely due to the writing style.

I have to admit this book was not quite what I was expecting from the blurb. This book is less about criminal gangs and heists- it is more about alchemy, class and the difficulties of being a woman who is not womanly enough in Tudor society.
While there is plenty of magical alchemy, vivid descriptions of Tudor England with historical detail and intrigue, the book had more romance and angst then I was expecting. The ups and downs in the relationships between Mariner and Elody as well Lazarus and Kit are interesting and do push the story forward but while it wasn’t for me, this will appeal to many readers who like a little romance in their fantasy.
Mariner had the best arc and loved her development through the book, and I would have loved to have read more about the woman pirate who pops up at the end of the book.
Perfect for Fans
Who love historical fantasy with vivid descriptions and plenty of romance

Kit Skevy and Mariner Elgin are young criminals in the pocket of the savage gang lord Grave Erol.
While on a job, Kit and Mariner are caught in the act of grave robbing. Mariner runs, but Kit is kidnapped by a sadistic Alchemist Lord Isherwood.
This is a dark, atmospheric historical fiction set in London 1597. This story is full of intrigue, magic and Tudor alchemy.
It's a story of friendship, with great characters and a writing style that flows well.
I loved this.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bedford Square Publishers for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Emma's previous book, The Knowing, and so had high hopes for this one. But sadly it didn't live up to my expectations.

I struggled with it. There's not a huge cast of characters, and yet it feels like there was, and so I was getting confused as to who was whom, who they were to each other, and what was actually going on. There also felt like there was too much going on, too many subplots that I couldn't find and focus on the main story.

It is very explicit - I don't mean that in an overly sexual way, although there is some, but in its violence and description of things, so some bits take a strong stomach.

It was slow and just didn't grab me. I didn't particularly care for any of the characters - I'd rather really hate a character than feel a bit meh about them. Therefore I had no real connection to any of them and just didn't care.

I love a historical novel but this just didn't seem to know what it wanted to be. Historical, fantasy, magic, romance, thriller, crime - it was all over the place.

Like I say, I loved her book The Knowing, and I recommended it to many others, but this just lost its way for me. But I will still look out for her work, as her first book proved that she is an author I enjoy. Just this story wasn't for me, sadly.

I really struggled with this book, "The Quick and the Dead" by Emma Hinds. However I really liked her previous book "The Knowing" so I did persist and finished it. It was a real slow burn. Some bits were livelier than others and it did pick up around 50% of the way through. It would probably make a good tv series as there are lots of great characters, alchemy, lady sailors/pirates, tudor crime and lots more to boot. Just not my favourite historical novel.

This book has been well written and well researched. I loved the setting of Elizabethan London and alchemy, just my sort of book. The story revolves around the 2 main characters, Kit and Mariner, both in their own way, lost and wanting to be more than their situation. It’s a story of friendship against the odds, both heartbreaking and uplifting. Could there be a sequel?

The characters are definitely what made this book for me.
From loveable slightly lost Kit, to blackheart Twentyman.
Add in bags of atmosphere on the streets of Southwark, and the sorcery known as alchemy, and it's all very interesting.
There's plenty of secrets to be learned, and trouble to be found.
My favourite bits were the relationships, friendships and loyalties found and built between the characters as they discovered the truths.
Good stuff.