(By Kelly Powell)
****/5
Book Review:
I bought this book on preorder on a whim because it popped up as a suggestion while I looked for stories about necromancers. Catherine Daly can awaken the dead for an hour so loved ones can have a final goodbye, but at the cost of an hour of her own life. When her employer sends her on a special job to dig up a grave for a magical timepiece, she and watchmaker Guy Nolan find not a watch, but a body; a body which comes to life before their eyes. It is now a race to find out what magic brought this boy fully to life and who wants it bad enough to wreak chaos.
I enjoyed this story. It was much shorter than I anticipated (198 pages) and I could have gladly read at least 100 more of the story. I would have loved even more depth of character with the main characters, and adding more vibrancy to the side characters. The setting alone could have had a dozen or so more pages throughout the book and I would have loved it. Regardless, the story was well-paced, it felt like an Agatha Christie in it's pacing and length. I still got caught off guard by some of the reveals, which is excellent writing!
My biggest complaint of the book, other than their not being enough of it, was the amount of telling vs showing. Perhaps I've been spoiled by these 500+ page fantasies, but I felt Powell did more telling than showing in her descriptions.
Parental Guidance: (spoilers)
This book is definitely something I would let my child read. It is rated for ages 12+ and I agree with that. This book does deal with the subject of murder, death, and resurrectionists, but it is tastefully done with very little detail. It has some high stakes in the book, but nothing significantly dire or climactic that would cause great stress. It's a cute story (if a book about the dead coming to life could be cute).
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