At the turn of the (19th to 20th) century in a very different New York city from the one on our Earth (magic works but is frowned upon, everyone uses it but it's kind of illegal): Sacha Kessler is glad he made it through his bar mitzvah without showing any signs of magic. His grandfather is a rabbi and an expert on Kabbalah...but then Sacha SEES magic as its being cast, and he's recruited to be an Inquisitor's Apprentice (the magical wing of the NYPD). Sacha and the rich Lily Astral both are assigned to Inquisitor Wolf who has quite the reputation. Lily is enthusiastic but a little clueless about the world outside of her life of privilege. The three investigate attacks on the inventor Edison at the behest of J P Morgaunt, the richest and most powerful man in New York, maybe the country. There are also attacks that appear to be perpetrated by a dybbuk (devil or doppelganger). Sacha learns he might be a wizard in the making...and he saves the day (with a bit of help) narrowly escaping Morgaunt's machinations...but can he escape the dybbuk?
Full of wonderfully descriptive writing, this book brings to life a New York that never existed but which feels totally real. The characters are memorable and well-rounded and true to their milieu. This is a page-turning adventure story that while fast-paced, suspenseful, unpredictable, and full of quirky humor invites readers to contemplate prejudice, ethics, immigration, classicism, gender stereotypes, and race in a totally inoffensive and age-appropriate manner.
Book two picks up right where the last one left off and the trio investigate an accident that may be a murder...a magical murder perhaps. The dybbuk again appears involved as does Morgaunt. Both books parallel our Earth and this one concerns a pending strike at the Pentacle Shirtwaist Factory (owned like much else) by Morgaunt. I got a little bogged down with this volume and a little annoyed that for most of the book Sacha and Lilly were merely observers of Wolf's investigations. STILL, it was a good and intriguing read. I will definitely pick up the third volume which is a must given the end of this one. Try them out! It's always gratifying to see an adult fiction writer who can also write for young people without talking down to them or writing cliches<cough, cough>grisham<hack hack>cussler<achoo> patterson--sorry, must be getting a cold! Moriarty joins the ranks of Carl Hiassen and Michelle Gagne and F Paul Wilson who have all proved they can! |