Review: The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley

Title: The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley

Author: Sean Lusk

Publisher: 2nd June 2022 by Random House UK, Transworld Publishers

Pages: 368 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical, magical realism, fantasy, 

My Rating:  4 cups

Synopsis:

In 1754, renowned maker of clocks and automata Abel Cloudesley must raise his new-born son Zachary when his wife dies in childbirth.

Growing up amongst the cogs and springs of his father's workshop, Zachary is intensely curious, ferociously intelligent, unwittingly funny and always honest - perhaps too honest. But when a fateful accident leaves six-year-old Zachary nearly blinded, Abel is convinced that the safest place for his son is in the care of his eccentric Aunt Frances and her menagerie of weird and wonderful animals.

So when a precarious job in Constantinople is offered to him, Abel has no reason to say no. A job presented to him by a politician with dubious intentions, Abel leaves his son, his workshop and London behind. The decision will change the course of his life forever.

Since his accident, Zachary is plagued by visions that reveal the hearts and minds of those around him. A gift at times and a curse at others, it is nonetheless these visions that will help him complete a journey that he was always destined to make - to travel across Europe to Constantinople and find out what happened to his father all those years ago.

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.

My Thoughts

This is such an original and unique tale, the perfect blend of magical realism with historical fiction and a pinch of steampunk for good measure! Bringing all this together is a credit to the author who has done a marvelous job in plot, character development and writing style. 

‘How can a day, an hour, a minute change a life so completely? Why can these clocks not be made to run backward and take him to the day before, to the life he had supposed he would have?’

As the synopsis states, ‘brilliantly bonkers one moment and poignant the next’, there is quite a cast of characters that are sure to speak to a wide audience. However, for me, at its heart this is a novel about the relationship between a father and son. The widowed clockmaker/inventor and his gifted son. There are many elements to this story, taking place from England to Turkey with the trip alone making it worth the read as the author presents all the sights and sounds. At times it does get a little slow but I found the writing to be so rich and descriptive overall. 

‘He was unattached to anything, it seemed, yet was so obviously striving for something more than this ordinary world could provide.’

The author states that he was inspired to write this novel when he came across an old Ottoman clock in an Istanbul bazaar. The clock had been made by an Englishman in 1750 and the author was intrigued as to how a clock from England had ended up there. From this stimulus, Sean has ultimately produced a tale rich in meaning and symbolism.

‘The weary distribution of time itself feels joyless and without meaning; the hours, he has come to understand, cannot be captured and regulated.’

The Second Sight of Zachary is all about familial love and, indeed, love in all its forms as shown through a strong cast of characters. The locales are rich and inviting with a plot that involves taking the reader on both a figurative and literal journey with emotions that range from joyous to incredible sadness at times. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something new and unusual, with a story that is  both vivid and courageous. 

‘You are unusual, and think your own thoughts, thoughts that no man could put in your heart. I know this. It was always true, Zachary. You are unique.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.