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

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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 enjoyed Abel's portion of the book, and wished we stayed with him more, but found, despite being the titular character, I didn't much like Zachary, and, as other reviewers have mentioned, his "second sight" wasn't capitalised. The other characters were not entirely likeable either, and at 76%, I am still left unsure about Mrs Morely and Lady Peake-Barnes.

Zachary is a gifted, brilliant little boy, the kind of child who will read anything he can find and probably remember most of it. The publicity for the story reveals that Zachary later loses the sight in one eye and develops a kind of clairvoyance, although he never seems quite certain what is true or not. I was drawn to The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by the setting – 18th century Constantinople – but I wasn’t sure that it would really be my sort of book. From the blurb, I was expecting a strong magical realism element, something I don’t always get on with. However, I was pleased to find that this aspect of the novel was actually much more subtle than I’d expected. A dashing, magical debut . . . intricately plotted, and peopled with intriguing characters' - Daily Mail

But then a near-fatal accident will take Zachary away from the workshop and his family. His father will have to make a journey that he will never return from. And, years later, only Zachary can find out what happened. Abel is away in the workshop much of the day, nd Frances begins to think it might not be so difficult to persuade him that it will be best for Zachary to come home with her to Tring. If needs be Mrs Morley and her noisy daughter with her spotty face and bilious inclination can come too.” (P. 49)

The prose is very well written, and it is genuinely funny, but the plot wasn't strong enough to hold attention. The father-son relationship is one of the book's strongest features, and I very much felt for Abel's plight. Zachary] 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 plays actually less of a role than you'd think given it is mentioned in the short description. The actual time in the book this would have been useful to him its not working and that's sort of briefly hummed over and then not again.

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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 Second Sight of Zachary Cloudsley, a lushly involving, resonant historical mystery with modern relevance and sensibility, sings the joys of loving so completely, regardless of how threatening or challenging life may be, that every moment feels epic even in its mundanity, every connection vibrantly necessary and every threat to those bonds a time to see how far you will go to save and uphold them. It is hard to believe that this is Sean Lusk’s debut novel as it is so well written and researched. I thought the chapter headings fabulous , again in the manner of classic literature, so you have an idea of what is going to happen in each chapter. The setting of 1750’s which was an unstable England, seemingly at war with everyone is really interesting, the different political allegiances that ultimately catch an unwilling Able in their net, sending him to Constantinople on a mission he doesn’t want. Sean Lusk’s descriptive prose made me feel I was there with the characters, could see the beautiful minarets of Constantinople, the Hagia Sophia, the Ottoman Palace and the smell the beautiful spices in the air, which are all in complete contrast with the dullness of London and it’s not so pleasant aromas. I was fascinated by the descriptions of the fabulous creations in Abel’s workshop, especially the automon, which were popular at the time. The plot was pretty fast paced and I enjoyed reading not just Zachary and Abel’s stories but also those of the other characters, adding different dimensions to the book, and told with wit, comapssion and care. It’s not a bad description. Alice’s Aunt Frances adored her niece and she lavishes the same attention on Zachary, wanting to whisk him away from his father. She is a colourful character with another storyline about her independence. She conspires to encourage Abel to return to Constantinople, leaving Zachary with her. All manner of adventures ensue, including spying on the sultan, infiltrating the harem, and forming helpful alliances against terrifying opponents.

At that moment, we know something is unusual. Newborns aren’t known for fixing anything or anybody with a penetrating gaze. Abel is so overcome with grief, that it falls to Alice’s maid, Kate, to locate a wet nurse who has a tiny daughter of her own. Mrs Morley and Leonora become major characters and remain in Zachary’s life for many years.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.