cover image The Lost Future of Pepperharrow

The Lost Future of Pepperharrow

Natasha Pulley. Bloomsbury, $27 (512p) ISBN 978-1-63557-330-5

The phenomenal sequel to Pulley’s The Watchmaker of Filigree Street moves the series from Victorian-era London to a haunted, steampunk version of 19th-century Tokyo. Thaniel Steepleton is offered a translator position at the British legation in Tokyo on the same night his lover, clairvoyant Japanese clock maker Keita Mori, returns to their London home after months abroad. The pair travel together to Japan along with Thaniel’s adopted, autistic daughter. There, Thaniel meet’s Takiko Pepperhow, Mori’s wife, a woman Thaniel hadn’t known existed. As Thaniel questions his relationship with Mori, Mori uses his clairvoyance to manipulate the affairs of the people around him. After Mori goes missing, it’s up to Thaniel to find him as a massive electrical storm strikes Tokyo and ghosts wander the streets. Pulley’s intricate plot, vibrant setting, entrancing magic, and dynamic ensemble of characters make for an un-put-downable historical fantasy. New readers will be pulled in and series fans will be delighted by this tour de force. Agent: Jenny Savill, Andrew Nurnberg Associates. (Feb.)