Verrückt und rasant und genau richtig! ( )

Second one in series. Scarlett and Albert are using their respective talents of her accurate shooting and his mind-reading to combine to rob banks up and down the middle part of England in a post apocalyptic dystopian England. They are a little bit like Robin Hood in that they rob the rich and give to the poor ( themselves) but their success has meant they have drawn the attention of the authorities and now wanted posters are appearing everywhere with their likenesses drawn on them. They have also been noticed by the Brothers of the Hand gang ( of whom Scarlett was once a member ) and these guys want our heroes to pull out a seemingly impossible robbery...or they'll kill them. There are back stories and mysteries a plenty. What happened to the world? What is Scarlett hiding? And this all should make for a very interesting book three. ( )

Six months have passed since the events in The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne, and at last Scarlett's past is catching up with her: to save two of her friends, our two fearless outlaws are being blackmailed to undertake the theft of their lives, in the Buried City in the north, where ancient artefacts from before the Cataclysm are being mined for. But the undertaking is extremely dangerous, even more so as a formidable enemy is tracking them at all times ...

I loved the boldly inventive first volume in Jonathan Stroud's new series, and in the sequel the stakes are even higher. The rag-tag bundle of strangers that dedicated loner Scarlett McCain picked up in the first novel in the series have turned from travelling companions into friends and even a family of sorts, which is not good news for someone with a criminal past like Scarlett's. The gradual softening of the hardened criminal is a joy to read, especially the interplay between Scarlett and Albert, and the reader is treated to a few glimpses into Scarlett's childhood that had a pivotal influence on the person she has become. There are few moments of peace and relaxation for the two protagonists, and most of the time the novel proceeds at break-neck speed, with perils coming from every angle, without ever losing its credibility. After a particularly tense section I felt quite exhausted and out of breath, so engaged was I with the characters and events on the page.

The final chapter sets things up neatly for the third volume in the series, which promises to be a personal quest for both Scarlett and Browne. I can't wait. ( )

> They walked together back to the Wolf’s Head. It occurred to Albert as they went that Scarlett knew his mind just as well as he knew hers. It wasn’t a bad feeling. ( )