A rare triumph of a debut, this beautiful and ethereal novel encompasses everything that historical fiction conveys: stunning settings, memorable characters and a story of love, magic, hardship and excitement that will stay with you forever. Frankenstein’s creature was a fleshly automaton, made in pursuit of everlasting life, a being equally of science and of horror. Whatever it may be, it changes his world considerably, being the reason why he is able to escape terrible misfortune on more than occasion and leading him to the greatest discovery of his life – that men, not women, are the spark that lights the fuse of his nascent sexuality. This gathering together of disparate souls, which also includes Abel’s aunt-in-law, Frances, who’s a rich, feisty independently minded woman who delights in challenging convention, is what gives The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudsley its sizably moving beating heart.

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley: The spellbinding BBC

Embracing a queer sensibility which the novel joyously folds into its world without ever treating it as something Other – if you are a queer reader, like this reviewer, you will find much to love about Lusk’s refreshingly heartwarming normalising of queer elements in a straight world, something society could definitely learn from – The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudsley seizes life with carpe diem gusto and celebrates how, even in the face of grief, loss and pain of all kinds, life can still prevail. Everything I hoped a reader would take from the book, you have taken and it makes my heart skip along to know that. 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.

There is also a diversity of characters with regards to ethnicity, sexuality and gender, which bring a modern tone to the novel and increase its relevance to today’s society. Abel finds himself with little choice but to travel to Constantinople but Zachary can feel the betrayal, fear and danger that awaits his father. The Candy House by Jennifer Egan (Corsair) was narratively brilliant and I’ll be pressing it on everyone I know. Ocean Vuong, one of my favourite contemporary poets, expanded his body of work beautifully in Time Is a Mother(Jonathan Cape) , contemplating similar themes of grief as Jones in a vastly different and nonetheless beautiful and heartbreaking manner.

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by Sean Lusk | Goodreads The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by Sean Lusk | Goodreads

This did the job of getting me back into reading after not getting on with anything since mid December. A beautifully crafted historical mystery that will take the reader from 18th century London, across Europe and, finally, to the bustling city of Constantinople. Gripping and exhilarating, it speaks to the history of colonialism, authoritarian rule, the tumult of revolution and the elusive hope for a better tomorrow. A beautifully crafted historical mystery of love and hope, and the adventure of finding your place in the world. Fiction from Ireland had a particularly strong year in 2022, spearheaded by the peerless Claire Keegan.Instead we have a limited “relationship”, more so Brown interpreting and weighing Paisley’s actions and words, scripture especially. He covers a huge range of issues from pandemics to the economy, education, taxation, disarmament, and finally offers the power of hope. As an historian, I find NoViolet Bulawayo’s writing profoundly salient and her novel Glory(Chatto and Windus ) is a masterpiece for our times.

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley - Historical Novel Society

It’s about animal perception and how there’s a whole universe of sensations that we as humans don’t get access to. somewhere in the hauntingly spooky and hilariously freaky mix and, of course, solving a great mystery which in the case of 1999’s Scooby-Doo! I think this could have been partly due to the focus switc From the very first page I was caught up in the story and characters, and they held my interest throughout.It’s a beautiful and humorous portrait of five siblings and the complexities of family relationships.

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley - Goodreads

Packed full of love and sorrow, trials and travels, this was a compelling and thoroughly enjoyable read. Still this is a good read where the author gives us an insight to life in Constantinople in the Royal Palace during the 18th century. Matthew Hollis’s The Waste Land (Faber), meanwhile, his “biography” of TS Eliot’s poem, is, among many other brilliances, a quest to locate the authentic origin of modern anxieties in the post-pandemic London of a century ago.A nation that could nurture such dazzling mechanical expertise could also, so the reasoning went, manufacture naval vessels, cannon and rifles that would render all that went before obsolete. Who hasn’t wished they could rewind time, enjoy a favourite holiday again, fall in love again, or cancel a tragedy.