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. 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. All manner of adventures ensue, including spying on the sultan, infiltrating the harem, and forming helpful alliances against terrifying opponents. Perhaps,’ said Abel, reluctant to believe that Zachary suffered from such an outlandish affliction. The writing style takes some getting used to, and it wasn't a book I could read when I was tired! But I loved the writing, as it comes through as extremely authentic from the time.

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley: The spellbinding BBC

I did enjoy some of the characters, particularly Frankie and Mrs Morley, but ultimately there were too many of them; too many side plots and it became overly confusing trying to keep it all straight. That was probably my fault for reading it so slowly, but then again, I did so because it had stopped entertaining me. All that said, many others have loved it. I would be willing to try the author again, this is a debut, and I did like it to begin with. He 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. Zachary's mother dies whilst giving birth to him, which gives him a guilty complex and without his mother an aunt has a great influence on his life, I couldn't help thinking of Bertie Wooster at this point. When Zachary’s father, Abel, is forced to travel to Constantinople, Zachary is troubled. He can sense the betrayal and danger his father will find amongst the city’s bazaars, palaces and mosques. But Abel has no choice. He must leave London and his beloved son. And soon, letters cease to arrive and whispers reach Zachary that his father has disappeared within the city’s walls. It is unusual yet totally captivating with an interesting plot and good pacing. All the characters were intriguing and although the main focus is on Zachary Cloudesley and his father Abel the side characters also had such intetesting and different tales to tell and yet their lives were inextricably linked.I was mesmerised by this whole story, Zachary and his second sight and the inventions that were part of his life. There are so many personal stories going on in the book. Yet because each of these characters is so unique, it never became overpowering or confused. Abel Cloudesley, knowing his son to be well-cared for takes on a dangerous job in Constantinople, which is going to change his life and that of his son. A beautifully crafted historical mystery that will take the reader from 18th century London, across Europe and, finally, to the bustling city of Constantinople." also isn't entirely accurate because Constantinople again plays a fairly minor role in the grand scheme of the book. It's not finally ends in Constantinople, mystery solved and the story wraps up. That's almost a mid point and after they return to England. I would say the book spends more time discussing Mrs Morley on Lundey than in Constantinople.

The 18th-century automaton: the power and the glory… and the

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. 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.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. For me the book came to a natural conclusion as Zachary returned to England but Lusk kept giving us more involving a will and it dragged.

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley - Historical Novel Society

When a life-changing accident happens to Zachary, Abel blames himself but, it leaves Zachary with yet another gift, one where he can see the future. To protect his son Abel makes a bad choice that is jumped upon by someone in high government and puts Abel in a terrible position. I really enjoyed this one, perfect for fans of eccentrically flavoured historical fiction with a just a touch of magic. This is a beautifully written story about a boy born with the ability to see into the minds of the people he meets and that spans 18th-century Europe, from London to Constantinople. Then a near-fatal accident causes his father to doubt his parenting skills further and to flee to Constantinople and nver return. Can Zachary ever discover what happened to the only parent he has left?

As I said, it’s an ambitious story, with so much in it that I think it could have been broken up into a couple of books. 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. When his father, Abel, has no choice but to travel to the enigma of a place far away, Constantinople, Zachary cannot help but worry and feel troubled for he can sense betrayal, anger, danger and fear that await his father, hidden amongst the city’s bazaars, palaces and mosques. Abel has no say and no choice, he must leave London and his beloved Zachary. Soon, much treasured and anticipated letters cease to arrive and whispers reach Zachary that his father has gone missing within the city. The blurb sounded fabulous, and whilst there is an enjoyable introduction to him, I did find myself getting a little impatient waiting for the main premise of the story to come through. Before we start on the content of the book – let’s just say I LOVE the cover of the proof – so can only imagine the beauty of the finished article.

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley - Goodreads

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 think the characterisation was good as regards Zachary, Aunt Francis, Mrs Morley and Tom, but throughout it all, the idea of Zachary displaying powers of second sight seemed to be lost along the way. Yes, there were really good descriptions of Turkey, the landscape, political structures and warring factions along the way. However, underneath it all seemed to run a story of same sex love and commitment which, honestly, I wonder for its inclusion. The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley is one of those books that absorbs you to the point you feel like you personally know the characters. I have no doubt that this will be a hit. I was attracted by the cover and title of the book. I also found the description inviting enough to want to read the book.This is a wonderful book. It starts with a beautiful cover, and only gets better. The premise of the story is reasonably straightforward, but with the added layer of second sight it gets really interesting. Lusk's writing style is great, conveying plenty of details without becoming slow and hard to read. The characters are fascinating too as well as all the outputs from the workshop. We follow Zachary Cloudesley from his birth to his return to England after a journey to Constantinople to rescue his father sent on an espionage mission. I particularly enjoyed strong female characters and descriptions of the 18th century England and Constantinople. Highly-recommended!