In an earlier century, Queen Victoria made a Faustian bargain, signing London and all its souls away to a nefarious, inhuman entity. Now, generations later, the bill has finally come due. . . .
An amiable, unambitious London file clerk, Henry Lamb leads an unremarkable life—until the day he learns he's expected to assume the covert responsibilities of his universally despised, now comatose grandfather. London is at war, and a shadowy organization known (to a very few) as the Directorate wishes to recruit Henry to the cause. All he has to do is find "the girl," save the world from the monster Leviathan, and defeat the unspeakable evil lurking in the cellar of 10 Downing Street: the serial-slaying schoolboy twins known as the Domino Men.
Industry Reviews
"A fantastic novel." -- Denver Rocky Mountain News "Nothing about Barnes's follow-up to The Somnabulist is predictable....The grotesque fantasy world is a riot." -- mX Brisbane (Australia) "Strange, outrageous, and wonderful . There is much that is strange, magical, and darkly hilarious about this book . An original and monumentally inventive piece of work by a writer still in his 20s. Barnes seems to leave himself room for a sequel-a consummation devoutly to be wished." -- Washington Post "Unmatched life and verve." -- Washington Post Book World "The best fantasy novel of the year." -- Rocky Mountain News "Marvelously imaginative." -- The Onion Marvelously imaginative. --The Onion A fantastic novel. --Denver Rocky Mountain News "Magical, dark, beautifully odd-and utterly compelling-this is an astonishing debut."--Michael Marshall, author of The Intruders "Macabre wit and stylistic panache. Parliament should immediately pass a law requiring Barnes to write a sequel."--James Morrow, author of The Last Witchfinder and The Philosopher's Apprentice "The best fantasy novel of the year."--Rocky Mountain News "This promising debut subverts its 19th-century predecessors amusingly. Inventive and often witty. A cabinet crammed with curiosities."--The Observer "If you only read one black comedy with the brains and labyrinthine twists of Vedantic hair-splitting, make it this one....a gripping yarn."--Chicago Sun-Times "A fantastic novel."--Denver Rocky Mountain News "Nothing about Barnes's follow-up to "The Somnabulist" is predictable....The grotesque fantasy world is a riot."--mX Brisbane (Australia) "Another remarkable outing, an infectious blend of wit, wonder, and the bizarre presented with remarkable style. This is literary fiction for the genre fiction set, or possibly the other way around...genuinely shocking and inventive."--San Antonio Express-News "Kudos Barnes for another winner that is as funny as it is creepy, as thought provoking as it is entertaining."--Colorado Springs Independent "A wonderfully original concoction of grotesque humour and sparkling prose."--The Guardian "Strange, outrageous, and wonderful ... There is much that is strange, magical, and darkly hilarious about this book ... An original and monumentally inventive piece of work by a writer still in his 20s. Barnes seems to leave himself room for a sequel--a consummation devoutly to be wished."--Washington Post "Marvelously imaginative."--The Onion "Unmatched life and verve."--Washington Post Book World "Old school entertainment in the penny-dreadful tradition that almost succeeds in being as sublime as it is ridiculous."--Entertainment Weekly If you only read one black comedy with the brains and labyrinthine twists of Vedantic hair-splitting, make it this one....a gripping yarn. --Chicago Sun-Times" Unmatched life and verve. --Washington Post Book World" A fantastic novel. --Denver Rocky Mountain News" Marvelously imaginative. --The Onion" Another remarkable outing, an infectious blend of wit, wonder, and the bizarre presented with remarkable style. This is literary fiction for the genre fiction set, or possibly the other way around...genuinely shocking and inventive. --San Antonio Express-News" Kudos Barnes for another winner that is as funny as it is creepy, as thought provoking as it is entertaining. --Colorado Springs Independent" Barnes s second novel, a compelling supernatural thriller, shows that his impressive debut, "The Somnambulist," was no fluke. Thanks to Barnes s evocative prose, readers will easily suspend disbelief. Those who enjoy the grafting of fantasy elements onto contemporary urban landscapes will be more than satisfied. --Publishers Weekly (starred review)" Nothing about Barnes s follow-up to "The Somnabulist" is predictable....The grotesque fantasy world is a riot. --mX Brisbane (Australia)" Strange, outrageous, and wonderful There is much that is strange, magical, and darkly hilarious about this book An original and monumentally inventive piece of work by a writer still in his 20s. Barnes seems to leave himself room for a sequel a consummation devoutly to be wished. --Washington Post" Old school entertainment in the penny-dreadful tradition that almost succeeds in being as sublime as it is ridiculous. --Entertainment Weekly" Macabre wit and stylistic panache. Parliament should immediately pass a law requiring Barnes to write a sequel. --James Morrow, author of The Last Witchfinder and The Philosopher's Apprentice" Magical, dark, beautifully odd and utterly compelling this is an astonishing debut. --Michael Marshall, author of The Intruders" Sneaky, cheeky, and dark in the best possible way, Jonathan Barnes massively entertaining "The Somnambulist" manages to make the familiar daringly unfamiliar. I enjoyed the heck out of this novel. --Jeff Vandermeer" The best fantasy novel of the year. --Rocky Mountain News" A wonderfully original concoction of grotesque humour and sparkling prose. --The Guardian" This promising debut subverts its 19th-century predecessors amusingly. Inventive and often witty. A cabinet crammed with curiosities. --The Observer" A comic extravaganza, deftly plotted, fiendishly clever, and wonderfully funny. . . . One of the classiest entertainments I ve read. --Christopher Bram, author of Exiles in America" "A comic extravaganza, deftly plotted, fiendishly clever, and wonderfully funny. . . . One of the classiest entertainments I've read."--Christopher Bram, author of Exiles in America "Barnes's second novel, a compelling supernatural thriller, shows that his impressive debut, The Somnambulist, was no fluke. ...Thanks to Barnes's evocative prose, readers will easily suspend disbelief. Those who enjoy the grafting of fantasy elements onto contemporary urban landscapes will be more than satisfied."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Sneaky, cheeky, and dark in the best possible way, Jonathan Barnes' massively entertaining The Somnambulist manages to make the familiar daringly unfamiliar. I enjoyed the heck out of this novel."--Jeff Vandermeer "Nothing about Barnes's follow-up to The Somnabulist is predictable....The grotesque fantasy world is a riot."--mX Brisbane (Australia)
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