The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley: The spellbinding BBC Between the Covers book club pick

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It is unusual yet totally captivating with an interesting plot and good pacing. All the characters were intriguing and although the main focus is on Zachary Cloudesley and his father Abel the side characters also had such intetesting and different tales to tell and yet their lives were inextricably linked. For me the book came to a natural conclusion as Zachary returned to England but Lusk kept giving us more involving a will and it dragged. Perhaps,’ said Abel, reluctant to believe that Zachary suffered from such an outlandish affliction. 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. 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?

Review of ‘The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley’ by Sean Review of ‘The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley’ by Sean

I think the characterisation was good as regards Zachary, Aunt Francis, Mrs Morley and Tom, but throughout it all, the idea of Zachary displaying powers of second sight seemed to be lost along the way. Yes, there were really good descriptions of Turkey, the landscape, political structures and warring factions along the way. However, underneath it all seemed to run a story of same sex love and commitment which, honestly, I wonder for its inclusion.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. This beautiful novel with a touch of magic, well-developed characters and set in the 18th century England and Constantinople was a real treat for me. Zachary, a motherless boy receives all love he can have from those who surround him and develops an amazing gift that is not always a blessing. His father will have to make a journey to Constantinople that he will never return from" which is not entirely true and doesn't happen until just over the halfway point in the book. "And, years later, only Zachary can find out what happened." but the readers find out well before Zachary does.

The 18th-century automaton: the power and the glory… and the

Please feel free to leave a comment to this book review below. Or even leave your own review if you like. 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. . . “ I particularly enjoyed strong female characters and descriptions of the 18th century England and Constantinople. Highly-recommended! 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. A beautifully crafted historical mystery that will take the reader from 18th century London, across Europe and, finally, to the bustling city of Constantinople." also isn't entirely accurate because Constantinople again plays a fairly minor role in the grand scheme of the book. It's not finally ends in Constantinople, mystery solved and the story wraps up. That's almost a mid point and after they return to England. I would say the book spends more time discussing Mrs Morley on Lundey than in Constantinople.Set in the mid to late 18th century, this historical fiction book has a hint of magical realism coupled with a fairy tale whiff about it. Abel Cloudesley, knowing his son to be well-cared for takes on a dangerous job in Constantinople, which is going to change his life and that of his son. As the book moves to Constantinople, I did struggle with some of the historical facts- it felt like the story was bogged down a little with the research, when this was the part of the book I had been looking forward to. Abel is devoted to Zachary but doesn’t understand him at all. His unusual young apprentice, Tom, tries to explain the boy in a language Abel will understand. I cannot believe I am telling you of it now, but to convince you that Zachary is remarkable, gifted in ways even the child himself cannot perceive.’