Fiction - Science Fiction, Fiction - Fantasy & Magic

The Watcher in the Shadows

Name: The Watcher in the Shadows
Author: Chris Moriarty
ISBN: 9780547466323

by Chris Moriarty, Mark Edward Geyer (Illustrator)

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Overview

“A fabulously imaginative historical fantasy.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review of The Inquisitor’s Apprentice At the turn of the twentieth century, New York’s Bowery District becomes the scene of a terrible murder when the Klezmer King gets fried to a crisp by his Electric Tuxedo—on stage! The Inquisitor’s apprentice, thirteen-year-old Sacha Kessler, tries to help find the killer, but the closer he gets to solving the crime, the more it sounds as if the creature that haunted him in his first adventure is back. Worse still, his own Jewish family is in danger. Sacha has avoided learning magic until now, but as his world falls apart around him, he changes his mind.

About the Author, Chris Moriarty

Chris Moriarty grew up in New York surrounded by a loud and zany family much like Sacha Kessler’s. Chris has published several science fiction novels, including Spin Control, which won the Philip K. Dick Award. She wrote The Inquisitor’s Apprentice for her children so that they would be able to read a fantasy that celebrates their New York Jewish heritage. Chris lives in upstate New York. www.inquisitorsapprentice.com

Mark Edward Geyer is best known as the illustrator of two Stephen King novels: Rose Madder and The Green Mile. Mark has worked in a variety of illustration genres, including corporate advertising, editorial, and architectural. He comes from a long line of artists.

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Editorials

From the Publisher

"Rich language, colorful syntax, vivid description and a brilliant cast of characters beckon readers right into both the adventure and the heartfelt emotional landscape. Exciting, action-packed and absolutely marvelous."
—Kirkus, starred review

"What captivates is the world that Moriarty has created, one where magic is woven into the very fabric. . . A touch of Chabon, a hiss of steampunk, and a blast of originality."
—Booklist, starred review

Kirkus Reviews

The magic is darker in this intense sequel to The Inquisitor's Apprentice (2011). In a richly imagined alternate version of New York City at the turn of the 20th century, Sacha continues his on-the-job training in the police department's Inquisitor division amid murder, abduction and terrifying encounters with evil beings both real and magical. J.P. Morgaunt mercilessly wields his magical power over newspapers, transportation, manufacturing and just about everything else, including a soul-stealing machine with which he has loosed Sacha's doppelganger, a dybbuk that is constantly growing stronger. An impending strike at the Pentacle Shirtwaist Factory is the catalyst for Morgaunt's machinations, which encompass the workers' union, the crime syndicate Magic, Inc., martial arts and Kabbalists. When Sacha's family is drawn into this morass, he must make impossible choices between guarding their safety and working with Inspector Wolf, Lily and Peyton, all of whom have become dear to him. Moriarity again manages to capture the great distance between rich and poor, the struggle of immigrants to cope with bigotry and poverty, and the rapidly growing and changing world of the real New York City, while staying true to Sacha's mystical city. Rich language, colorful syntax, vivid description and a brilliant cast of characters beckon readers right into both the adventure and the heartfelt emotional landscape. Exciting, action-packed and absolutely marvelous. (Fantasy. 10 & up)