Philippa Ballantine

Welcome back to the world of the Order. Sorcha and Merrick are in a holding pattern while Sorcha requests dissolution of her marriage to Koyla (her original partner) and Merrick...kind of just waits until Sorcha gets done with her business. Complications arise when Koyla decides that he really DOES want Sorcha (all previous history to the contrary) and they receive an assignment to Orithal, where Raed (the Pretender and Sorcha's lover) is known to be. Off the merry duo goes and of course nothing is as it seems.

I was a bit surprised by Sorcha here, maybe because of her feelings for Raed and maybe because of Merrick's influence she's a bit softer, finds it a little easier to show her feelings. Merrick for his part is much the same--protective and easy-going, but we see more of his backstory. We meet his mother and through her we see a different Merrick, a different person that he could have become once upon a time.

Interestingly Nynnia, who I was intensely interested in GEIST (the first book), returns but not quite as you would expect. This brings about its own particular brand of curiosity, especially in relation to Merrick, as it raises many questions in regards to the future, the prophecy and what happens if you do nothing but look to the future. Several characters learn, in a bad way, that paying attention to the past and present are just as important.

While I wouldn't say this book strayed far from Sorcha being its principle lead, there were a few times when I felt as if Merrick was running the show. A lot of the book deals with his family, questions he has and actions he takes. Sorcha, compared to the first book, spends more time worried over emotions and Koyla. The less I say about Raed the better, there aren't ways to describe his actions or development that don't speak of spoilers.

In all I enjoyed this return trip to the world of the Order, even if it took me longer to get into than GEIST. This was definitely heavier on the world building and lore then GEIST, which is never a bad thing, but can drag a story down after a while.

Review originally posted at Night Owl Reviews… (mehr)

There is something about team books that draw me in. More than just the fact you can often have two entirely different personalities being forced to work together because they truly are stronger together then apart. I think that it can lead to some very telling social problems. Sorcha, for instance, is extremely powerful as an 'Active' (or the 'brute strength'). She'll kick anyone's butt and do it with a smile, or rather smirk, on her face. She cannot however react normally in a social setting. She has Nynnia convinced that if she goes near her, Sorcha will flay her alive, is in a failing marriage with her original partner Kolya and tends to crush Merrick's (her current partner) spirit more often than not. Her lack of perfect is kind of why I like her however. She doesn't try to change or convince others she is anything she's not.

Merrick on the other hand is like an over-eager puppy at times. He's younger, inexperienced and doesn't always censor his mouth (or thoughts) well enough. He's a 'Sight', the directing force to Sorcha's blunt force. Basically without him Sorcha can't direct all her power and without Sorcha, Merrick doesn't have any physical power of his own. Ballantine doesn't set them up as romantic interests. For one, Sorcha is married (unhappily or otherwise). For two, Ballantine is at pains to emphasis that not all Pairings have to be romantic. They can happen, but if there's a souring on one end, there'll be a souring at the other as well.

Instead Sorcha has a sort of love interest in Raed, aka the Pretender, a quasi-Pirate who helps Sorcha and Merrick out. A lot of what Raed says is subterfuge and misdirection; he isn't the most truthful of people, but he has his reasons. I didn't feel like there was a lot of substance to him though, didn't feel like there was a concrete reason why Sorcha would risk a whole ton load of trouble to start something with him.

The world of Geist is an intriguing blend of fantasy, paranormal and history. It's not really any more of one genre than another, nor is any of it emphasized above each other. Fans of history may be able to spot all the historical references that were slightly skewed to fit in with the world, while fans of fantasy will be able to spot the magic's used and fans of the paranormal will marvel over the 'undead' that Sorcha and co. fight. It has a little something of everything in other words.

I look forward to the next book in the series and finding out more about Nynnia (who is more than she appears, try understanding what though, cause I sure didn't) and seeing where Sorcha's marriage goes, her partnership with Merrick (which is highly irregular) and the burgeoning feelings for Raed.… (mehr)

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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PLACING THE BOOK
It's been too many years (and too many books) since I read the early books in The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series, so I'm a little fuzzy on the Ministry Seven. But from things said throughout this book—and my dusty memory—I'd put this book slightly earlier than that series (or maybe right after book one...but I'm pretty sure it's earlier). We're in your classic Victorian Steampunk area dealing with an agent for the Ministry dealing with fringe science and other weirdness and the street urchins that he uses for things he can't do.

Think the Baker Street Irregulars. But with goggles.

WHAT'S THE CURSE OF THE SILVER PHAROAH ABOUT?
Verity Fitzroy's primary focus in life is finding out what happened to her parents and why. She's tracked down one person who she's convinced could help her—and when she attempts to contact him, she disturbs a Ministry operation involving their Ministry contact, Agent Harrison Thorne. Because things go so wrong during this operation an Egyptologist is kidnapped and Verity's contact is gone.

Thorne recruits the Seven to help him track down the kidnap victim. All tracks lead to the Delancy Academy—a school outside of London for students gifted in the sciences (most of whom come from money, obviously). The oldest two are enrolled (and, shine, it should be said) in the Academy to try to discover the tie between the Academy and the kidnappers.

The rest take up residence on a nearby farm to wait for their chance to help out. These children aren't ready for life in the countryside—the work is different from what they're used to doing (scrambling for scraps on the streets of London) and the environment as a whole takes some adjusting.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE CURSE OF THE SILVER PHARAOH?
I don't have a lot to say about this, and it kind of bugs me. Because it seems like I should. I had a real blast with this—it had a different flavor as a whole than the Ministry books—there's more of a supernatural bent to things, and the whole sexual-tension thing between Books and Braun is absent (obviously).

There's more of a YA-feel to it, too. Largely because the oldest two in the Seven are young adults. But it doesn't ever scream YA—it's just a fun fish-out-of-water adventure for a bunch of Steampunk kids.

I liked the devices that the Academy's students cooked up and would've been very content to spend a few months watching things at the school before the main action of the novel kicked in. Verity's new friend Julia McTighe is part Luna Lovegood, part whatever Amari Peter's best friend was called (I can't believe I can't come up with it)—and all sorts of fun. I hope they find a way to bring her back for the second book.

It's a short, fast, steampunkily fun adventure. That's good enough for me.… (mehr)