Wormwood

The Barnes & Noble ReviewEnglish vicar turned bestselling author G. P. Taylor follows up his blockbuster hit Shadowmancer with another tale of good versus evil, this time set in London in 1756. Keeping up the dark, epic atmosphere that readers found in his previous book, Taylor focuses his tale on a scientist, Dr. Sabian Blake, who has gotten hold of a legendary book called the Nemorensis, and Blake’s simple housemaid, Agetta. When he discovers the prophecy of a deadly comet called Wormwood, which threatens to eradicate mankind at a single blow, the city is suddenly thrust into chaos, soon followed by Blake himself and then, seemingly, Agetta. Through adventurous turns of events worthy of a Tinseltown film, the author crescendos the story until the heart-stopping finale, indicating to readers that there’s still more to come while showing off his crackerjack writing skills. No bones about it, if you liked Shadowmancer, you’ll enjoy Taylor’s second effort even more and will come away feeling like this is one writer who might just get better with every book. And, if you haven’t yet discovered Taylor but are on the lookout for more solid fantasy writing in the vein of Philip Pullman, this is an excellent read to check out. Shana Taylor