Author: Charlie Fletcher:
Release Date: 6th May 2014
UK Publisher: Orbit
Summary: Only five still guard the borders between the worlds.
Only five hold back what waits on the other side.
Once the Oversight, the secret society that policed the lines between the mundane and the magic, counted hundreds of brave souls among its members. Now their numbers can be counted on a single hand.
When a vagabond brings a screaming girl to the Oversight's London headquarters, it seems their hopes for a new recruit will be fulfilled - but the girl is a trap.
As the borders between this world and the next begin to break down, murders erupt across the city, the Oversight are torn viciously apart, and their enemies close in for the final blow.
Review: This was the refreshing book that I needed to read and I'm glad that I didn't give it an oversight and read something else (Not sorry for that pun...there has to be one every time!)
There was a lot about this book that I liked. For one, whilst the book has magical/fantastical elements, they weren't to top heavy and nor did I have to learn a whole new scheme of magic. The simplicity of the powers added a new angle to the endless ways in which magic is presented throughout the spectrum of fantasy books. I enjoyed the setting and felt a real grit to the London it presented, and what's more, knowing some of the streets the book was set in gave it more of a reality which allowed my imagination to build the set itself. Whilst the dark gritty edge that I felt in the first few pages changed and the book took a turn that I had not expected, I liked that I could travel along these different routes with the characters and explore this London as a whole from different perspectives. And we travelled... interestingly this is the second book in a row I've read that had a circus in it, maybe I've picked up a thing for circus's...or maybe it's just coincidence. Let's go with that... The circus here was an interesting way to split up the book, and the fact that I was eager to get back to both stories says a lot about the strength of the narratives.
The characters at times seemed to be very stereotypical (especially the Smith and Cook, but who doesn't love a Cook!!), and whether this was deliberate or not, I felt here it wasn't out of place and that in their stereotypes I felt a deeper understanding of each character and could build him or her in my mind the way I wanted so the images I was building of them and of London were very strong. This added gravity to the situations, so much so that every time I look at a mirror I think of the end of the book and wonder....at least until the next book comes and I find out what happens! Read it and you'll know what I'm rambling on about! And I hope you to start doing the same!
More than anything this book started to feel like a set up for the series as a whole, and whilst I'm very glad it will be a trilogy, rather than just one book that tied things up at the end, it left me a little disappointed when I reached the end, leaving a lot open. But don't let this deter you, in fact it should empower you to go on! Maintain the Hand! It was a great read, that had me from page one, and I can't wait to get back into this London!
Stephen
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