By: Frances Hardinge
Eponymous Clent is in debtors prison and Mosca Mye needs money to get him out. Unfortunately she agrees to read ans write for the wrong person, a fellow named Skellow, who uses her skills at the underground Pawnbrokers Auction. When he’s done with her it appears she is destined to have a very short life. Somehow Mosca manages to escape with the knowledge of a kidnapping which is yet to take place. Having reunited with Clent and with limited options they Mosca and Eponymous set off for Toll in the hopes of claiming some reward for preventing the crime.
However Toll is a very strange city. As dusk approaches the residents of Toll-by-Day shut their doors and hide in fear, for in the dark Toll-by-Night comes out and it is a very different place. Mosca must navigate both and avoid being found out by members of the Locksmiths Guild, if she is to reach the bottom of what turns out to be a rather convoluted plot.
This is a story full of twists and turns. Mosca is a very clever young girl who, in striving for survival, has a tendency to get involved in rather risky situations. Mosca is a sneaky and ultimately likable character. The plot is layered and the characters interesting. I enjoyed the overall story and the many twists of plot. It was a slightly difficult read for me to sink into though and I’m not sure I can pinpoint why. The language is at times heavily descriptive due to the complex nature of the world that has been constructed for these characters. If you like your fantasy gritty and are looking for something more than a light read that will whisk you away for a few hours, then I am sure you will like this.
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books
Published: 04 March 2011
Format: Paperback 544 pages
Categories: Fiction
ISBN 13: 9780230753587
Purchase: here or use Booktopia logo on side of the page
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