WILD BOY AND THE BLACK TERROR

Adventure, conspiracy and adrenaline intermingle with dark deeds, devil worship and blood diamonds in this sequel to Wild Boy (2013).

Wild Boy and his acrobat comrade, Clarissa, left the trenches of the circus and its freak show four months ago to reside in St. James’s Palace under the tutelage of Marcus, one of the high-ranking members of the secret crime-fighting group called the Gentlemen. When an attempt is made on the life of Queen Victoria, Wild Boy’s skills of deduction and intellect as well as Clarissa’s athletic prowess are required. The queen and the Gentlemen need them to unearth the cause of a mysterious sickness that blackens veins and sends victims into a stupor of madness before tragic death. Though this is a book about proving one’s worth and disproving public assumption, it isn’t finger-wagging, didactic drivel about not judging book covers. It’s a thrilling, gory, head-rushing adventure. And essential characterization isn’t neglected, as Wild Boy and Clarissa begin to butt heads; he relies on his eyes and instinct, and she relies on her acrobatics and unadulterated bravado, but when it comes to relying on each other, the path gets muddled as the dynamic of their remarkable friendship is tested. Can the duo save all of London from a hellbent killer?

Diamonds are a Wild Boy’s worst enemy in this steampunk romp not intended for the faint—or black—of heart.