The Lost Future of Pepperharrow

After having finished "The Watchmaker of Filigree Street", I was more than thrilled to find out that the series' second instalment is already published. I must truthfully confess that I enjoyed it even more as the setting and plot moves from stiff and upper-lipped Victorian England to blunt and down-to-earth Japan. Nevertheless, there is also a brilliant touch of Japanese folklore as Thaniel has to investigate several sightings of mysterious ghostly figures in the British embassy in Tokyo. Whereas "The Watchmaker's" narrative tone distinguished itself more or less through its delightful gentleness, Natasha Pulley now successfully resorts to a much harsher and cruder style that fits all the more the story's patriarchal setting and its vibe of steampunk.

Noch mysteriöser als der erste Teil und genauso wunderbar. Das beste aber ist Katsu, der mechanische Oktopus, hat überlebt.