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Before we start on the content of the book – let’s just say I LOVE the cover of the proof – so can only imagine the beauty of the finished article. Please feel free to leave a comment to this book review below. Or even leave your own review if you like. The prose is very well written, and it is genuinely funny, but the plot wasn't strong enough to hold attention. The father-son relationship is one of the book's strongest features, and I very much felt for Abel's plight.
The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley - Goodreads
I really enjoyed this one, perfect for fans of eccentrically flavoured historical fiction with a just a touch of magic. This is a beautifully written story about a boy born with the ability to see into the minds of the people he meets and that spans 18th-century Europe, from London to Constantinople.The blurb sounded fabulous, and whilst there is an enjoyable introduction to him, I did find myself getting a little impatient waiting for the main premise of the story to come through. When a life-changing accident happens to Zachary, Abel blames himself but, it leaves Zachary with yet another gift, one where he can see the future. To protect his son Abel makes a bad choice that is jumped upon by someone in high government and puts Abel in a terrible position.
The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley - Bookerworm Book Reviews The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley - Bookerworm Book Reviews
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 written fairy tale, I loved every wonderful word in this book and found myself in stunned silence throughout. Abel takes him and holds him, looking into his fierce dark blue eyes, their gaze fixed and penetrating, as unnerving as some creature wrenched from another universe entire. . . “Then a near-fatal accident causes his father to doubt his parenting skills further and to flee to Constantinople and nver return. Can Zachary ever discover what happened to the only parent he has left? I enjoyed reading it till about half way through and then for some reason I got bored of it. I did read on to the end, but didn't find much enjoyment in it and I cannot tell why. Perhaps the magic of it disappeared after the initial stages of the book, I'm not sure. As I said, it’s an ambitious story, with so much in it that I think it could have been broken up into a couple of books. We follow Zachary Cloudesley from his birth to his return to England after a journey to Constantinople to rescue his father sent on an espionage mission. This is a wonderful book. It starts with a beautiful cover, and only gets better. The premise of the story is reasonably straightforward, but with the added layer of second sight it gets really interesting. Lusk's writing style is great, conveying plenty of details without becoming slow and hard to read. The characters are fascinating too as well as all the outputs from the workshop.
The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley - Historical Novel Society
Perhaps,’ said Abel, reluctant to believe that Zachary suffered from such an outlandish affliction. When his father, Abel, has no choice but to travel to the enigma of a place far away, Constantinople, Zachary cannot help but worry and feel troubled for he can sense betrayal, anger, danger and fear that await his father, hidden amongst the city’s bazaars, palaces and mosques. Abel has no say and no choice, he must leave London and his beloved Zachary. Soon, much treasured and anticipated letters cease to arrive and whispers reach Zachary that his father has gone missing within the city. As Zachary grows it is clear there is something out of the orginary about him, not least his abiltity to see into the future and the past. Zachary begins to experience visions, a sense of what the future holds, and the uneasy and troubling gift of knowing the darkness residing within others, their regrets, hopes and their machinations. Abel finds himself with little choice but to travel to Constantinople but Zachary can feel the betrayal, fear and danger that awaits his father. As communications from father to son begin to cease and years pass, Zachary sets off to follow his father's journey to Constaninople, determined to find him despite the rumours of his death, as he strives to make sense of his visions. Will he succeed in finding his father? Lusk's world building is terrific, there is a wide and disparate stellar cast of distinct characters that include the eccentric Aunt Frances with her menagerie, and the courageous apprentice Tom with his own secrets.I particularly enjoyed strong female characters and descriptions of the 18th century England and Constantinople. Highly-recommended! The writing style takes some getting used to, and it wasn't a book I could read when I was tired! But I loved the writing, as it comes through as extremely authentic from the time. I don't want to put anyone off reading the book, but by the same token do not feel in a position to recommend it to anyone.
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