I was so excited when I found this, as I generally enjoy Victorian fantasy. The book started off with some strong entries, and I enjoyed the historical retrospective on magic and fantasy in Victorian society included in the introduction. Of course there has to be a but... But, the majority of the book was filled with stories that seemed unfocused, incredibly dark, and somewhat confusing to my little brain. "The Vital Importance of the Superficial" for example... what the hell was that? It's cool that the authors like to play the letter game, but that doesn't mean that everything produced is publication-worthy. 
 As for the darker tales, that's obviously a personal preference, but I would have liked a little more of the promised magic and a little less steampunk, thank you (e.g. "Their Monstrous Minds"). The last story, possibly my favourite, was delightful, but the majority of the book was just meh.