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Young Jack is a thief like his mother before him, only since
her accident he is the one who has to support the pair of
them. But one morning proves a bit too eventful, for not only
does Jack have to undergo initiation into the Family, but
he also steals from the wrong man. Suddenly he can see another
side of London, one where there is magic, demons and a lot
of trouble…
This is a full-blooded tale of murder, wizards and the seamier
side of life in Elizabethan London. Young Jack has to deal
with the murder of his mother, religious fanatics, working
for a wizard and a scary underground crime boss. He gets to
attend more than one hanging and even sees inside a brothel
(no sex scenes). YA fiction has come on a lot since I was
of an age to be its target audience. But these authors are
adept at showing us the mean streets without dwelling on the
worst aspects and Jack is a lad of his time so he gets on
with life and what it throws at him. This makes him a likeable
and admirable protagonist which the reader roots for from
the first page as he yearns for revenge but also wants to
make a good life for himself. Although it deals with dark
themes this is not a depressing book but a very exciting one,
no mean feat as it is not exactly short (nearly 500 pages),
nicely packed with adventures of all kinds as well as the
pleasure of good comradeship and pride in a job well done.
I hope this is the first in a series for these two new authors.
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