In reality my rating probably lands somewhere between 3.5 and 4 (really, sometimes I wish GR had a more nuanced rating system!), because of a few issues - but overall, this was a very enjoyable read! 
 Victorian England is perhaps my favourite period. This one takes place towards the end, and you are very aware that England is on the cusp of modernism. There are central themes of superstition and faith v science and fact, as well as the contrast between coastal Essex with its small community and rural nature and urban London with its industrialism and housing crisis. 
 While these are certainly central (along with feminism), I think the motives and passions of relationships - friends, family, lovers, what have you - are at the heart of the story. Of love that does not fit with the accepted norm and of the ever-relevant unrequited love. It is basically a story of people and their lives and interactions. That means we also get plenty of subplots. You might think that this gets confusing or takes something away from the central story, but in my opinion it just adds to it - besides also providing an overview of Victorian society and politics in this period. 
 The few issues: the "sex" scene in the forest felt utterly unnecessary to me and seemed out of place, and not in line with their personalities for the rest of the novel, besides. Another is what I call mini-cliffhangers at the end of certain chapters. Cliffhangers are not a bad thing in themselves, but Perry seems to shove some in that sound quite dramatic and seem to need a resolution, yet never revisits them. Granted, they are very minor and completely irrelevant for the plot, so the lack of resolution does not affect anything overall - but that also means that their presence seems odd. 
 I've seen it described (and marketed) as a gothic tale, but for the most of the time I didn't get that feeling from it. It turns more melancholy towards the end, however - and the atmosphere surrounding the Essex Serpent in Aldwinter is certainly gothic in nature as well. 
 Will certainly recommend this to anyone fond of historical fiction and stories with characters rather than plot as the focus point. 
 /NK