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Following
on directly from The Oversight (the book I rated
as my favorite last year) comes this sequel. This means that
if you have not yet read book one now is the time to do so
before you read any further. Like the first part this really
does hit the ground running, with all the characters in trouble.
Sarah Falk and Mr. Sharp are both stuck in different parts
of the mirror world, and are going to discover what happened
to the majority of Oversight members a few years earlier.
Hodge has lost his sight and villainous Issachar Templebane
has lost his brother, while mute Amos has escaped with a mad
woman in tow. Thus the scene is set for another exciting tale.
Set in a parallel version of the 1840s this book is likely
to appeal to fans of historical fiction as well as fantasy.
A cast of rather Dickensian characters peoples this world,
as well as creatures from folklore; it could be described
as Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell meets the TV series Grimm.
There are not really any shades of gray here, only black and
white - good versus evil and not much in the middle. This
does not sound the best basis for a cast of characters but
it suits this type of story well, one about the light versus
the dark. We do get to discover more about the mysterious
Sluagh and what motivates them but they are not sympathetic,
not that this matters either, as the reader is too busy enjoying
a thrilling narrative packed with adventures. I can't wait
to see how it all ends in the next part. Not to be missed
by anybody who loves a rattling good read.
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