wyvernfriend
Written on Sep 17, 2015
"The end always comes faster than you think."
Once there were hundreds of members of the Oversight, the brave souls who guard the borders between the mundane and the magic. Now there are only five. And their numbers are dwindling further still.
When a vagabond brings a screaming girl to the Oversight's London headquarters, she might answer their hopes for a new recruit, or she could be the instrument of their downfall.
In his first novel for adults, Charlie Fletcher (The Stoneheart Trilogy) spins a tale of witch-hunters, supra-naturalists, mirror-walkers and magicians. Meet the Oversight, and remember: when they fall, so do we all.
- ISBN10 0356502902
- ISBN13 9780356502908
- Publish Date 6 May 2014 (first published 1 January 2014)
- Publish Status Withdrawn
- Out of Print 29 March 2021
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Orbit
- Format Paperback (UK Trade)
- Pages 448
- Language English
Reviews
kimbacaffeinate
Written on Oct 22, 2014
- The tale is set in a Dickenson type London, and the writing is mesmerizing. Fletcher brings the world and characters to life using multiple perspectives. The story is rich in details, laced in magic and dark uncertainty.
- The Oversight stands for the Free Company for the Regulation and Oversight of Recondite Exigency and Supernatural Lore. At one time, the Oversight was a powerful group numbering in the hundreds whose sole purpose was to keep the streets of London safe. A secret order that regulates and contains magic. Now, the membership has been reduced to five. These five make up the Hand, and without them, the Oversight would cease to exist allowing things to go unchecked. They are Sarah, Cook, Mr. Sharp, Hodge and the Smith. Sounds exciting right? I love the set up and secret agency.
- Fletcher brilliantly takes us from the dangerous streets of London to a traveling Carney. Danger, fate, unknown factors and unique characters quickly draw us into each scene and I found myself caught up in everything from the sights to battling their enemies. While the pacing was slow in the beginning, the twists and unknown factor of Lucy Harbor, a girl who could end them or strengthen them kept me listening into the wee hours.
- Each of the characters is unique, quirky and thoroughly fleshed out with just enough mystery to ensnare the reader. When Lucy is first introduced to the Oversight she realizes something is amiss. When Lucy touches things, she has visions, but until she meets Sarah, she believed herself to be crazy. Sarah who heads the Oversight believes that Lucy is a Glint, like herself. Lucy’s arrival sets of a series of events and raises questions as we are thrust into a tale. I found the premise utterly riveting.
- There is a threat that exists in the shadows, one that can tip the scales spilling havoc into the world around us. It is this knowledge that gives the tale a suspenseful, dark feel even as the pace meanders. Despite intense spurts and than slower pacing I loved all of the details, suspense and unknowing of it all. The imagery was so impressive.