kaylabeck

Review originally posted on Bibliophilia, Please.

A Spark Unseen is the sequel to to last year's The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron. Katharine Tulman has grown up a little (it's been a year or two since the events in the first book), and dear Uncle Tully is still what most people would consider to be insane. Unfortunately, an invention from the last novel proves that Uncle Tully is a genius, and two governments are after him. It becomes necessary for Katharine, Mary, and the wonderful lawyer Mr. Babcock to "kidnap" Uncle Tully, fake his death, and whisk him away from Paris. There is intrigue, murder, betrayal, bothersome neighbors, a hot French guy, and an imperial ball. Oh, and the hired help isn't as creepy by half.

I enjoyed A Spark Unseen more than its predecessor, probably because the main character was not constantly questioning her sanity. Katharine has a clear head (for the most part) throughout the novel and must do her best to enter Parisian society while looking for Lane - all while keeping her uncle hidden. The help in this novel is also nowhere near as scary as in The Dark Unwinding, but the family Katharine found in the house is still not anyone that I would've liked coming home to. As with TDU, you could never tell whether many of the new characters were good or bad, but it lacked the tension. (Trust me, I enjoy it a lot better when I'm not trying to read ahead because of anxiety attacks.) Plot twists were also plentiful, but not to the point of confusion. I liked the writing in this novel a lot. The one thing thing that was "meh" about the story was the resolution of the romance. It was far too easy, and I don't think the one-sided knowledge was really fair.

Cameron's writing in A Spark Unseen sucked me in and transported me to Victorian England and Paris. The descriptions of everything from the house in Paris, the side streets, and the catacombs made me feel like I was right there with Katharine. One of my favorite scenes of the book was Napoleon III's ball, which I could almost see. The descriptiveness was beautiful.

I'm glad I did not skip A Spark Unseen since I liked it so much better than the first book. I think any fans of historical fiction and mysteries of all ages will enjoy the series.

- 4/5 Stars -

To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an advance copy of the book briefly for reviewing purposes through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for an honest review. The book was likely provided to the tour by the publisher or author, which has in no way affected the outcome of my review. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.