Peter And The Shadow Thieves

Peter And The Shadow Thieves: A Penny Dreadful Review

            Starstuff is the source of legends. It is an extremely powerful substance, and it… changes those that it touches. The evil Others will do anything to get their hands on it. The Starcatchers attempt to return it to the ether, where it cannot be used to harm anyone. A young orphan called Peter came into contact with the stuff in a previous novel, and now he doesn’t age and he can fly. He lives happily on a tropical island and throws mangoes at pirates for fun. Then, something comes to the island looking for the starstuff. Something that can control peoples’ minds if it touches their shadows. Something that knows the starstuff is now with Peter’s friend Molly…

            Peter journeys to London to save his friend, testing his powers against a huge, cold city that doesn’t much care if a few people die in its streets. London is more dangerous than poor Peter could have guessed in Peter And The Shadow Thieves, by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.

            The only trouble with this book is that there is action taking place on the island Never Land as well as in London, and there’s little overlap in the groups of characters. Captain Hook, who was so formidable in the previous volume, is here diminished to a subplot. It is a little difficult to keep track of the events of the story, but there is still so much to love.

            As with the first book, Peter And The Shadow Thieves is illustrated in the expressive and impressive style of Greg Call. I very much enjoyed turning the page and finding a gorgeous interpretation of events. I also fell in love with his darling depiction of Tinker Bell.

            If you enjoyed Peter And The Starcatchers, you simply must read Peter And The Shadow Thieves. I award it four gears out of five. The canny reader will also pick out the clever cameo of a certain author named James, whose last name rhymes with ‘Perry.’

Your Correspondent From The Bookstore,

Penny J. Merriweather

Fiddlehead

Fiddlehead: A Penny Dreadful Review

            It has finally happened. I have spilt tea on a book. The unfortunate victim of this tragedy is Fiddlehead, by Cherie Priest. Fortuitously, my copy of Fiddlehead was still readable, so I read it, tea stains and all.

            Cherie Priest’s epic Clockwork Century series, which began with Boneshaker, concludes in Fiddlehead. The walking dead have spread like a cancer from city to city, in both the Union and the Confederacy, until they have become a larger threat than anyone could have imagined. Gideon Bardsley, inventor of the calculating machine known as the Fiddlehead, discovers vital information concerning the ongoing war. It must stop, or the whole continent will be destroyed. Unfortunately for Gideon Bardsley, certain war profiteers want to keep the war lumbering on, so they send assassins. Fortunately, Bardsley has some very powerful allies, such as Abraham Lincoln (who has here survived the attempt on his life at the Ford’s Theatre, thanks in part to Bardsley’s inventions).

            This story is more focused on grand political movements and less on the actions of one woman as most of the other Clockwork Century novels are. The action is split over many locations as the protagonists struggle to stop a horrific war crime, spread the word that the zombis are an international threat, and survive multiple assassination attempts. If a character can be said to take center stage, it is President Ulysses S. Grant. Cherie Priest’s portrayal is sympathetic and it is an absolute pleasure to see the man in action (once he is goaded into action, that is).

            I would award Fiddlehead four gears out of five. It was not my favorite Clockwork Century novel, but it was a satisfying conclusion all the same. It is worth reading and reading again.

Your Correspondent From The Bookstore,

Penny J. Merriweather

The Lazarus Gate

The Lazarus Gate: A Penny Dreadful Review

            There is much to be said for the memoir-style narrative. It was a popular device in Victorian fiction. Such books at The Island of Dr. Moreau, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, even the Sherlock Holmes stories all use it. Therefore, it is a natural choice for a Steampunk author to select as the narrative mode for their tale. The Lazarus Gate, by Mark Latham, is one such book.

            Captain John Hardwick was a prisoner of war in Burma. Traumatized, he returns home to London intending to have nothing more to do with duty, Queen, and country. Then, he is recruited by the secretive Order of Apollo Lycea. He must investigate a series of bombings where the culprits vanish into thin air. The explanation, once provided, involves psychic phenomena, alternate universes, a potential invasion, and certain family members thought long dead…

            I loved the brilliant way in which Mark Latham captures the feel of a nineteenth century memoir. Captain John Hardwick’s language will seem incredibly familiar to anyone who has read H. G. Wells, or even Lovecraft. Indeed, the horrors facing the Othersiders of the alternate universe are singularly Lovecraftian.

            The Lazarus Gate is not to be missed. I give it five gears out of five.

Your Correspondent From The Bookstore,

Penny J. Merriweather