I recently had the pleasure of reading ‘The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley’ by Sean Lusk and I must say, it was a truly captivating read. From the very first page, I was immediately drawn into the world of Zachary Cloudesley and his unique ability to see into the future.

The story follows Zachary, a young boy who discovers he has the gift of second sight after a traumatic event. He struggles to understand his visions and the consequences that come with them, leading him on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Along the way, he meets a cast of intriguing characters, each with their own secrets and motives.

One of the things I loved most about this book was the writing style. Lusk has a way of painting vivid imagery with his words, making it easy to visualize the scenes and feel the emotions of the characters. The pacing of the story was also well done, with just the right amount of suspense and twists to keep me on the edge of my seat.

What I found most impressive about this book was the way Lusk weaved in themes of destiny, fate, and the power of choices. Through Zachary’s journey, we see the consequences of trying to change the future, and the importance of embracing our own paths.

The character development in this book was also top-notch. Zachary’s growth from a confused and scared boy to a confident young man was beautifully portrayed. His relationships with other characters, especially his mentor, were also well-developed and added depth to the story.

Overall, I highly recommend ‘The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley’ to anyone looking for a thought-provoking and engaging read. Lusk’s writing is captivating and the story will stay with you long after you finish the last page. I look forward to reading more from this talented author in the future.

I loved the characters in this book. This has very strong Dickensian themes.
It is a gripping historical fiction book with elements of fantasy. A great book

I don’t quite know how I can write anything about this book and still do it justice! It’s a wide sweeping novel, that takes the reader from a clockmakers in London to Constantinople.

Starting in 1754, Zachary is born on the day that his mother dies. His father, Abel, loves him fiercely, and wants to always do his best for him, which brings a Mrs Grace Morley and her baby daughter Leonora into their lives. She’s a strong, forceful woman who is to leave an impression on everyone that meets her.

After a near-fatal accident leaves Zachary blind in one eye, his father sends him to live part of the year with his Aunt Frances. This is another strong, independent woman who is determined to make Zachary the son she never had. She sees in Zachary the gift that his mother had: the ability to read people and see inside to their hopes, wishes and dreams - and also their not-so-positive thoughts.

Abel finds himself forced to go to Constantinople, and Zachary begins to have visions that send him on a chase across Europe to find his father after he loses contact with him.

The descriptions of London, Frances’ house and land, and those of Constantinople are rich and detailed - I could have been there. I was gripped from the first page, immersed in an 18th century world where lives were at stake and a boy had to be brave to save the life of his father. I loved Aunt Frances and Tom, Abel’s apprentice, who both join the Cloudesley’s in Constantinople.

The love between the characters is bright and clear, and their losses are the readers losses as well (I cried). This is historical fiction, an adventure story with a dash of fantasy and the love of family and good friends.

Highly recommended.

This is a beautifully wrought mystery that richly deserves both a re-read and a lavish TV adaptation.

Wow, a book that will stay with you a long time. A real epic, and quite magical.

The book is set in the C18th and sends you on a journey from the backstreets of London to Constantinople. Brimming with atmosphere and fascinating characters and detail, and a world of clocks and automata, it's a fabulous read.

What a hugely wonderful book!
When Zachary Cloudesley’s mother dies whilst giving birth to him, he is left to be bought up by his father Abel, a talented maker of clocks and ingenious automata; a wet nurse, Mrs Morley and his over-bearing but well-meaning Aunt Franny.
Zachary is clearly a very gifted and unusual child from a very early age. But an accident in his father’s workshop where he loses an eye, leads to his devoted father fearing that he cannot successfully raise his own child.
Abel Cloudesley talented employee, Tom Spurrell, makes Zachary a ‘magic’ false eye which leads to Zachary’s second sight.

Forced into making a chess-playing automaton, which will act as a Trojan horse to gather intelligence in the Seraglio in Constantinople, Abel very reluctantly takes the piece to Constantinople to act as spy for the British government.
He is caught and kept prisoner in the Seraglio for many years, losing his mind as he fears he’ll never see his son.
The rest of the story follows Zachary and his retinue trying to release his father. I won’t reveal any more of the story for fear of spoiling it.
My thoughts:
Love, loved, loved this book!
Loved the intricately woven characters. Really loved the Constantinople parts. And I loved that Sean Lusk gives a handy reference to the background of Constantinople at the time.

This book is such a trip. I love everything about it but i am also an impatient reader. The story takes sometime to unfold and I didn't had the bandwidth for it to unfold. I had to stop myself getting frustrated and I think that's a me problem. I really enjoyed the whole experience though.

A really interesting book with intriguing characters. I enjoyed reading this. Thanks for letting me review it

My thoughts on this book were swayed a lot by the ending. I loved the set-up of the narrative and was expecting to be awed by the ending, which did not happen.
It may be a lacklustre way to begin a book review of a good book, but I had to start with what was foremost on my mind when I put the book away after reading it. The writing, worldbuilding, and even the actual sequence of events were atmospheric and drew me in. All the characters were shades of grey, and this worked in the story's favour.
Zachary was born the same day his mother breathed her last. His father had plans on how he would do things differently than his own father had done, but he is filled with grief. He struggles with the additional fact that Zachary is 'different'. From a young age, our lead protagonist is older than his age. he sees more and knows more about the world around him than the people around him are comfortable with.
There is also a tug-of-war between two adults who want to raise Zachary only the way they see fit. There is a lot of back and forth in the way certain events are revealed to us (even if we are led to suspect certain things in the first place). The writing is the highlight of this book. It was a very immersive experience to deal with the lives and trials of all these people, each harbouring their own fear and strength.
I would recommend this book to readers of the steampunk alternative historical fiction genre. I would love a chance to read another book by the author.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by Sean Lusk is a historical story, with automata, travel to the Ottoman Empire, and all set in the 18th century.

This is a mystery story with a fantastical element as Zachary can see into people's hearts and minds.

I enjoyed the story, and the adventures.  It has sweet moments, and some danger. It was also interesting to look at automata from such a long time ago!

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Random House.

I wish I could say that I loved this book as there's definitely something gently magical and endearing about it. The characters, in particular, are very interesting and empathetic.

Unfortunately the book as a whole just didn't gel with me, partly because of the pace (it's definitely a more sedate read) and partly because I just found that I couldn't fully believe in the world that was being realised in the novel. Although the author has a fantastic style, neither the story nor the world it is set in fully took flight for me.

I'm really pleased that so many others have loved this book. Indeed, I'd probably pick up another book by the author as, whilst this particular book didn't work for me, I enjoyed the author's style and the novel is very impressive for a debut.

Thank you Netgally for this title. What a truly wonderful read this one.
This is the story of Abel, his son Zachary and their friends and family. The story starts the day Zachary is born, at the same time his mum dies giving him birth. This is an important fact that will overshadow both Zack's life and what he thinks his dad feels. Abel is a very talented and famous clockmaker in London. He wants to be the best father to his unique and intelligent son, so in order to protect him, after an unfortunate event, Abel sends Zachary to live with his quirky aunt Frances. Frances has strong, and somewhat unorthodox opinions, that she tries to instil in Zack.
While Zack is with his aunt, Abel is forced to travel to Constantinople and spy on the Sultan. Unfortunately things do not go according to plan and Abel suffers.
I adored this book, and it's characters. The writing is fantastic and the plot is well fleshed. Moreover, this is a highly amusing book.

A beautiful and beautifully written story about love; various kinds of love -romantic,platonic, the love of nature - but prinicpally the love between a parent and child, and the journey Zachary takes to find his way back to his father.
For me this book, and it's beauty, can be summed up by this line (which genuinely touched me to the core):'"So there we were, the two of us, like Jupiters moons, orbiting and thinking each other icy, simply because we could not touch."'

A beautifully written debut novel. Many elements and characters, a motherless boy, second sight, a wet nurse turned businessman, a maker of clicks and magical automatons. A journey through 18th century Europe to the turbulent Ottoman Empire. I enjoyed the novel very much. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Magical! I fell completely in love with this book from the very first page. The settings (particularly 18th century London and Constantinople) were just perfect, and made for a beautifully transporting read. I adored the automata and clock-making, and each of the diverse cast of characters. I also found the author's note at the end extremely interesting. 'The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley' is a stunning debut from Sean Lusk and I can't wait to read whatever he comes up with next!

Zachary Cloudesley is the son of a famous clock maker. He's a very intelligent and curious child. Always flitting around his father's workshop. When an accident leaves him scarred for life, his father decides that Zachary would be better off being raised by Aunt Frances in the countryside.

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.

Zachary, plagued by visions, knows he has to find his father. An adventure begins that will also take him to Constantinople.

"With a Dickensian cast of characters that are brilliantly bonkers one moment and poignant the next, Sean Lusk's debut will take readers on an immersive journey into the wonders of the world of Zachary Cloudesley." [Blurb]

The book is exactly what this last sentence of the blurb describes. It was a delight reading it.

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by Sean Lusk is a debut book by the author and is an exquisite story of a bygone era in the 1770’s at the time of the Ottoman Empire. The characters are all totally eccentric and are part of the live and times of Constantinople and Tring, in England.
There are clocks, machines, clockwork toys, all handmade and Zachary with his second sight and his father, the clockmaker extraordinary, who goes to Constantinople so that Zachary may live.
The storyline and the tale are fascinating and enthralling and makes an interesting debut book.
Highly recommended.

An interesting historical saga that takes us from Leadenhall to Hertfordshire and then Constantinople.

Insightful and intricate, this book merges the skill of a clockmaker with insights into loss, middle class aspirations, and the treachery of politicians.

Intriguing characters abound, indeed all of them have ‘something about them’… characters I will think about well beyond the book.

A really great read - but felt quite long and took a while to read, that’s why I think it’s a 4* rather than 5*. But if you like 18th century historical fiction it will definitely float your boat!!

Clocks and magic working together.

I wish I could say that I read the book and found it entertaining and absorbing. Unfortunately, I can’t. I managed to read a few chapters and realised that no matter how hard I tried, I was not going to get any pleasure from it.

I’m pleased to see on NetGalley that many people have discovered and loved the magic the author has given to his readers.

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

After seeing so many glowing reviews for this one I just knew I had to try it for myself. I have read so little that focuses on clockwork and automatons, but it is a subject that interests me, and wrap it up in a delightful sounding historical adventure plot? Yep, I'm sold!

This was a total delight of a debut. I'm truly so impressed with the quality of the prose, the plotting, the character work and the pacing. There is just nothing to fault. I was utterly charmed by the beauty of the descriptions, and of course the quirky characters (I LOVE a bizarre and eccentric cast of characters to adore).

An unexpected and exceptional debut that is a whole heap of fun. Now I need to get my hands on a physical copy to treasure, while I await what Lusk writes next.