Ministry of Curiosities Books In Order

Publication Order of The Ministry of Curiosities Books

Ministry of Curiosities is a series of historical fantasy books written by Australian author of romance, fantasy and historical novels C.J. Archer. Ministry of Curiosities series is set in Victorian London and even though the books are somehow linked to the Freak House series via the short story Strange Horizons. C.J. Archer began her Ministry of Curiosities in 2015 when The Last Necromancer was published.

The Last Necromancer

In the Victorian London, Charlotte aka Charlie has lived as a boy in the slums. But when one theft too many gets Charlie arrested, her only final resort of escape lies with a dead man.

The Last Necromancer is the first book in Ministry of Curiosities series by writer C.J. Author. The story takes place in 1889 Victorian London. We are introduced to Charlie who has been living in the streets since her father kicked her out of the house. For the last half a decade, she has been living in disguise as a boy and never living in one given place for very long. She relocates to a new location every six months so that people don’t start asking countless questions about her youthful appearance.

Charlie has created a reputation for being one of the quickest thieves around, but she ends up getting arrested for stealing an apple and finds herself in jail. While in prison, a fellow inmate protects her from bullies and rapist and dies. But Charlie uses her necromancer powers to bring the man back to life and finally escapes from the prison with his help.

However, she doesn’t get very far before Lincoln’s men Gus and Seth corral her. Lincoln has been searching been searching for a necromancer named Charlie since the day he hears news about her. He is also the leader of a group known as the Committee or The Ministry of Curiosities. The group investigates phenomena that happen for no earthly reason and apparently Charlotte is one of them.

However Lincoln and his team are not the only people searching for Charlie and Victor Frankenstein is also searching for her to help him with own of his experiments of creating the perfect human. Victor hopes that Charlie’s necromancer abilities she can assist him to reanimate one of his creations. Victor is ruthless about having Charlie while Lincoln wants to protect her from being used.

The first book in Ministry of Curiosities series is an exciting story with the main character that hasn’t lived a life of fulfillment since her father kicked her out of the house calling her the daughter of a demon. She is combative, feisty, and doesn’t like being under anyone’s rule let alone the handsome Lincoln who runs both cold and hot with emotions when it comes to Charlotte. But Charlie ends up finding a bit of connection and friendship with Gus and Seth and even Cook who works for Lincoln.

Her Majesty’s Necromancer

In the second book in Ministry of Curiosities series, Charlie accepts a maid’s job position so that she can remain at Lichfield Towers. But when corpses go missing form a local cemetery, Lincoln and the Committee investigates but not without Charlie’s help.

Working as a housemaid, Charlie doesn’t get involved in Lincoln’s investigation, but instead, she starts her investigation. She also searches for details about the identity and the whereabouts of her biological mother and also investigates Lincoln’s background. But what she discovers has the power to ruin the delicate trust they have built and brought them closer. As hidden secrets surface and investigations go awry, Charlie finds her necromancy sending her into a whirlpool full of lies, betrayal, and danger that could threaten her friendships and even her new home.

Picking up where the debut novel left off- the second book in Ministry of Curiosities series is a real page-turner. The characters are beautifully woven, and all have skeletons in their closets- skeletons as intriguing as the characters themselves. Charlie is finally finding the real purpose of her life; she is determined to prove that she can be an asset to the Committee rather than just their necromancer. She is also learning to accept her abilities as a necromancer instead of being scared of them.

Additionally, C.J Archer gives the reader more insight into Lincoln’s history and his true character as he tries as much as possible to balance the Committee demands and his growing empathy for Charlie. Their relationship takes on an interesting dynamic in this second book now that tribulation from book one is over.

Beyond the grave

At the appeal of Lady Harcourt, Lincoln and Charlie begin the search for her missing stepson. While recovering from the trauma at the hand of the evil antagonist, Charlie is supposed to be resting- but she considers resting dull but instead throws herself deep into the task of finding the missing boy much to Lincoln’s frustration.

Their search leads them deep down into a dark path full of titillating scandals and dark family secrets. Charlie uses her necromancy abilities to unravel the mysteries, and she unknowingly raises from the dead a spirit with the power to overrule her control. Now with a dead body on the loose in the streets of London, Lincoln and Charlie must work hand in hand and send the spirit back to hell before hell is unleashed on earth and before the Ministry of Curiosities finds out.

The tension that exist between Lincoln and Charlie becomes an exciting focus in Beyond the Grave. The clues at Lincoln’s thoughts and the great sense of humor from Charlie point of view are intriguing. In many different ways, this creates compassion for Charlie as she tries to figure out Lincoln’s feelings.

The third book in Ministry of Curiosities is a beautiful read. C.J. Archer did a great job in creating characters that are both beautiful and amazing, and they are all unique and also precious. The supporting characters the likes of Lincoln play a pivotal role in shaping Charlie’s character right from the first book. Additionally, the storyline is unique, fast-paced, and captivating to keep the reader hooked to the last page.