The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley
The spellbinding BBC Between the Covers book club pick
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- USD 12.99
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- USD 12.99
Descripción editorial
A BBC Between the Covers Book Club pick and Sunday Times Historical Fiction Book of the Month, for fans of PANDORA, THE ESSEX SERPENT and THE NIGHT CIRCUS.
Longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2023 and the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2023.
'I just fell in love with it within the first two sentences . . .' - Ruth Jones
'One of the best books I've read this year . . . completely unforgettable' - Bonnie Garmus
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Zachary Cloudesley is gifted in a remarkable way. But not all gifts are a blessing...
Leadenhall Street, London, 1754.
Raised amongst the cogs and springs of his father's workshop, Zachary Cloudesley has grown up surrounded by strange and enchanting clockwork automata. He is a happy child, beloved by his father Abel and the workmen who help bring his father's creations to life.
He is also the bearer of an extraordinary gift; at the touch of a hand, Zachary can see into the hearts and minds of the people he meets.
But then a near-fatal accident will take Zachary away from the workshop and his family. His father will have to make a journey that he will never return from. And, years later, only Zachary can find out what happened.
A beautifully crafted historical mystery of love and hope, and the adventure of finding your place in the world.
READ SEAN LUSK'S EXCITING NEW NOVEL, A WOMAN OF OPINION, OUT NOW!
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'Packed with intrigue, vividly drawn characters and heartstopping emotion, this beautifully written, ingeniously crafted debut is absolutely enthralling' - Sunday Express
'Really transports you to a different time and place' - Sara Cox, Radio Times
'A dashing, magical debut . . . intricately plotted, and peopled with intriguing characters' - Daily Mail
What readers are saying:
'an excellent historical, magical realist novel'
'beautifully written'
'full of love and humour'
'original and rich in historical detail'
'my best book of 2022'
'totally engrossing . . . unforgettable'
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Lusk's passion for history shines in his sprawling and somewhat muddled steampunk fantasy debut. The plot, which spans 18 years, kicks off with Zachary Cloudesley's birth in 1754 London and his mother's death during childbirth. Throughout his childhood, Zachary's mother's aunt, Lady Frances Peake-Barnes, schemes to take custody of both Zachary and Leonora Morley, the daughter of Zachary's wet nurse, Grace. Meanwhile, Zachary's grieving father, clockmaker Abel, is overwhelmed with parenting his gifted son; by age six, Zachary has genius-level intellect and distressing and violent visions about the lives of people he physically touches. Following an accident in his father's workshop, Zachary loses an eye, and a distraught Abel entrusts his son to Frances at last. From here, time speeds up. Readers get glimpses of Zachary's childhood and learn how Abel is commissioned to build a chess-playing automaton that will be used to spy on the Ottoman Empire. Years later, with Abel missing in Constantinople, teenage Zachary sets out to find him. Both men face relentless tragedies—abuse, death, fires, illness—as grief and guilt warp their lives. Readers who don't mind the bleakness will appreciate the rich historical detail, diverse cast, and unusual supernatural elements. It's bumpy, but there are some good ideas here.
