Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If I could give it 10 stars I would, this is the first book I have been excited about in ages and I can't wait for the next in the series. Set in Victorian England this thriller delivers nonstop action and chills galore.
(view spoiler)[Alice Quicke (normal) woman PI and Frank Coulton (talent strength) have been sent by Berghast (used to have the talent of healing) to find two boys with talents and protect them from Jacob Marber (talent manipulating dust) who supposedly would feed them to the drughr if he gets to them first. Charlie Ovid is a mulatto from Mississippi who has the talent of healing himself. When Alice and Coulton find him he is being held in a warehouse in Natchez after his failed execution. Alice and Coulton help him escape and believing that he is the boy Jacob is most interested in Coulton takes him on to England and sends Alice after Marlow (who glows blue and has the ability to heal (mend) others as well as kill (melt) with his talent). Alice finds Marlowe working at a circus with his guardian Brynt. Brynt is heartbroken to have the boy who she thinks of as her own taken away, when Jacob Marber arrives shortly after Alice and Marlowe leave and destroys the circus to get information about Marlowe's whereabouts Brynt follows him. Jacob Marber catches up with Alice and Marlow shortly before they catch a ship for England, Alice is seriously injured and Marlowe fights him off and heals Alice so they can catch the ship.
Back in England Charlie is settling in to Mrs Harrogate's (normal) home in London as they wait for Coulton and Marlowe to arrive, before they leave for Cairndale in Scotland. Charlie has a secret he has a ring with the Cairndale crest on it that was given to his Mother by his Father, who died on the way West. Charlie doesn't have any memories of his Father. Unfortunately Mrs Harrogate believes she has captured the litch (zombie) Walter, and plans to take him to Cairndale with the boys for Dr Berghast to question. Walter escapes and seriously injures Charlie who is slow to heal from the wounds Walter inflicted. Coulton recaptures him in time for them to take Walter on the train to Cairndale with them once Alice and Marlowe arrive. As a precaution Mrs Harrogate stays in a separate compartment with the litch Walter while Coulton stays with Alice and the boys in another compartment at the other end of the train. Unfortunately Jacob Marber can always find Walter and he plans to ambush the train. Brynt watches him from hiding and when Jacob stops the train she follows him aboard. Mrs Harrogate and Coulton try to stop Jacob and Walter. Mrs Harrogate is badly injured and Coulton is turned into a litch. Brynt sacrifices her life to throw Walter off the train allowing Alice and Marlowe to defeat an injured Jacob Marber. Mrs Harrogate, Alice, Charlie and Marlowe arrive at Cairndale believing that Coulton is dead. Walter is also at Cairndale imprisoned in the cellar. Marlow learns that as a baby he was taken from Cairndale by his nursemaid, and that they have been searching for him ever since.
The boys like their teacher Miss Davenshaw (who is normal and blind) and their classmates; Komako (who manipulates dust like Jacob) she was found in Tokyo by Coulton and Jacob and Jacob helped her find the strength to let her sister who she had accidental turned into a litch go. It was on their voyage back to London that the drughr convinced Jacob to come with her and he disappeared off the ship. By the time he realized the drughr couldn't keep her promise to restore his twin brother (Bertolt) to life and her true nature no one at Cairndale would help him. Ribs (invisible) appeared on the ship and revealed herself to Coulton and Komako after playing tricks on them. Oskar (who can created a flesh giant which he calls Lymenion). We didn't learn much about Oskar's past in this book. After Alice and Mrs Harrogate leave for London the kids learn that Berghast is up to no good. Ribs, Oskar and Kokomo travel to town and discover that Dr Berghast has been trying to turn talents who have lost their powers into glyphics, since the glyphic (tree like thing) that protects Cairndale and keeps the orsine ( door to the world of the dead) closed is dying. The experiments have all been failures and the children have been left in a horrible state. Instead of allowing Berghast to kill them a kindly shop keeper is tending to them. Meanwhile Dr Berghast tricked Marlowe and Charlie into going into the orsine after a glove. They meet Jacob in the world of the dead after they find the glove. Charlie was in another area when Jacob appeared and stayed hidden, so Jacob never knew he was there. Jacob tied Marlowe up to protect him and left the glove with him. He also revealed that the drughr was Marlowe's Mother. They never came out and said it but I think Jacob was his Father. Jacob realizing that both the drughr and Berghast was evil planned to kill them both and he didn't want either one to have the glove as it would give them to much power. After Jacob left Charlie came out of hiding and tried to free Marlowe but he couldn't he had already stayed in the World of the Dead to long. Marlowe sent him back and he took the glove with him. Dr Berghast was surprised that Charlie was still alive as he expected him to die in the World of the Dead and when he saw the ring revealed that it had saved him. But he was furious Marlowe was left behind. Berghast took the glove and sent Charlie away and refused to allow anyone to look for Marlowe.
Alice and Mrs Harrogate found the weir-bents needed to summon the keywrasse (a cat that can grow larger it is controlled by weir-bents). They summon the keywrasse and follow it to the litch who they discover is Coulton and follow him into an ambush planned by Jacob Marber. Mrs Harrogate is crippled in the encounter and Marber and Coulton escape. Marlowe found his own way back to Cairndale, but Dr Berghast keeps him away from everyone, so Charlie and the others believe he is still trapped in the World of the Dead.
Alice and Mrs Harrogate arrive at Cairndale, Walter escapes from the cellar and kills the glyphic allowing Jacob Marber to enter Cairndale. Berghast uses Marlowe a bait to summon the drughr and the glove to drain her power. Mrs Harrogate goes to the island to warn Berghast and Alice stays behind with the kids to fight Jacob Marber and Coulton. Alice sends Charlie to the island to seal the orsine after they talk to Komako, Oskar and Ribs, but the dead eat the glyphic's heart before he can use it to seal the orsine. When he gets to the orsine he finds that Berghast has stabbed Mrs Harrogate and badly injured Marlowe. Charlie tries to stab Berghast but Berghast is able to stop him and drain Charlie of his power to heal. Before she dies Mrs Harrogate summons the strength to push Berghast into the orsine. Marlowe tells Charlie that he can seal the orsine, Brynt told him how but that he has to enter it to do so. He refuses to allow Charlie to enter the orsine with him and tells him he needs him on the side of the living to help him find a way out.
Alice gives the weir-bents to the keywrasse so that it is free to choose it's fate. When Marber attacks Alice the keywrasse chooses to attack Marber and save her. Freed from Marber's control Coulton begs Alice to kill him. Alice and the kids flee Cairndale, as the island explodes. When Charlie comes too he finds Miss Davenshaw who is gripping Berghast journal that reveals their is a second orsine. He takes Miss Davenshaw to Mrs Harrogate's house in London and eventually Alice and the kids arrive. They decide to go find Marlow. (hide spoiler)]
Alice Quicke (normal) woman PI
and Frank Coulton (talent strength) have been sent by Berghast (used to
have the talent of healing) to find two boys with talents and protect
them from Jacob Marber (talent manipulating dust) who supposedly would
feed them to the drughr if he gets to them first. Charlie Ovid is a
mulatto from Mississippi who has the talent of healing himself. When
Alice and Coulton find him he is being held in a warehouse in Natchez
after his failed execution. Alice and Coulton help him escape and
believing that he is the boy Jacob is most interested in Coulton takes
him on to England and sends Alice after Marlow (who glows blue and has
the ability to heal (mend) others as well as kill (melt) with his
talent). Alice finds Marlowe working at a circus with his guardian
Brynt. Brynt is heartbroken to have the boy who she thinks of as her own
taken away, when Jacob Marber arrives shortly after Alice and Marlowe
leave and destroys the circus to get information about Marlowe's
whereabouts Brynt follows him. Jacob Marber catches up with Alice and
Marlow shortly before they catch a ship for England, Alice is seriously
injured and Marlowe fights him off and heals Alice so they can catch the
ship.
Back in England Charlie is settling in to Mrs Harrogate's
(normal) home in London as they wait for Coulton and Marlowe to arrive,
before they leave for Cairndale in Scotland. Charlie has a secret he has
a ring with the Cairndale crest on it that was given to his Mother by
his Father, who died on the way West. Charlie doesn't have any memories
of his Father. Unfortunately Mrs Harrogate believes she has captured the
litch (zombie) Walter, and plans to take him to Cairndale with the boys
for Dr Berghast to question. Walter escapes and seriously injures
Charlie who is slow to heal from the wounds Walter inflicted. Coulton
recaptures him in time for them to take Walter on the train to Cairndale
with them once Alice and Marlowe arrive. As a precaution Mrs Harrogate
stays in a separate compartment with the litch Walter while Coulton
stays with Alice and the boys in another compartment at the other end of
the train. Unfortunately Jacob Marber can always find Walter and he
plans to ambush the train. Brynt watches him from hiding and when Jacob
stops the train she follows him aboard. Mrs Harrogate and Coulton try to
stop Jacob and Walter. Mrs Harrogate is badly injured and Coulton is
turned into a litch. Brynt sacrifices her life to throw Walter off the
train allowing Alice and Marlowe to defeat an injured Jacob Marber. Mrs
Harrogate, Alice, Charlie and Marlowe arrive at Cairndale believing that
Coulton is dead. Walter is also at Cairndale imprisoned in the cellar.
Marlow learns that as a baby he was taken from Cairndale by his
nursemaid, and that they have been searching for him ever since.
The
boys like their teacher Miss Davenshaw (who is normal and blind) and
their classmates; Komako (who manipulates dust like Jacob) she was found
in Tokyo by Coulton and Jacob and Jacob helped her find the strength to
let her sister who she had accidental turned into a litch go. It was on
their voyage back to London that the drughr convinced Jacob to come
with her and he disappeared off the ship. By the time he realized the
drughr couldn't keep her promise to restore his twin brother (Bertolt)
to life and her true nature no one at Cairndale would help him. Ribs
(invisible) appeared on the ship and revealed herself to Coulton and
Komako after playing tricks on them. Oskar (who can created a flesh
giant which he calls Lymenion). We didn't learn much about Oskar's past
in this book. After Alice and Mrs Harrogate leave for London the kids
learn that Berghast is up to no good. Ribs, Oskar and Kokomo travel to
town and discover that Dr Berghast has been trying to turn talents who
have lost their powers into glyphics, since the glyphic (tree like
thing) that protects Cairndale and keeps the orsine ( door to the world
of the dead) closed is dying. The experiments have all been failures and
the children have been left in a horrible state. Instead of allowing
Berghast to kill them a kindly shop keeper is tending to them. Meanwhile
Dr Berghast tricked Marlowe and Charlie into going into the orsine
after a glove. They meet Jacob in the world of the dead after they find
the glove. Charlie was in another area when Jacob appeared and stayed
hidden, so Jacob never knew he was there. Jacob tied Marlowe up to
protect him and left the glove with him. He also revealed that the
drughr was Marlowe's Mother. They never came out and said it but I think
Jacob was his Father. Jacob realizing that both the drughr and Berghast
was evil planned to kill them both and he didn't want either one to
have the glove as it would give them to much power. After Jacob left
Charlie came out of hiding and tried to free Marlowe but he couldn't he
had already stayed in the World of the Dead to long. Marlowe sent him
back and he took the glove with him. Dr Berghast was surprised that
Charlie was still alive as he expected him to die in the World of the
Dead and when he saw the ring revealed that it had saved him. But he was
furious Marlowe was left behind. Berghast took the glove and sent
Charlie away and refused to allow anyone to look for Marlowe.
Alice
and Mrs Harrogate found the weir-bents needed to summon the keywrasse
(a cat that can grow larger it is controlled by weir-bents). They summon
the keywrasse and follow it to the litch who they discover is Coulton
and follow him into an ambush planned by Jacob Marber. Mrs Harrogate is
crippled in the encounter and Marber and Coulton escape. Marlowe found
his own way back to Cairndale, but Dr Berghast keeps him away from
everyone, so Charlie and the others believe he is still trapped in the
World of the Dead.
Alice and Mrs Harrogate arrive at Cairndale,
Walter escapes from the cellar and kills the glyphic allowing Jacob
Marber to enter Cairndale. Berghast uses Marlowe as bait to summon the
drughr and the glove to drain her power. Mrs Harrogate goes to the
island to warn Berghast and Alice stays behind with the kids to fight
Jacob Marber and Coulton. Alice sends Charlie to the island to seal the
orsine after they talk to Komako, Oskar and Ribs, but the dead eat the
glyphic's heart before he can use it to seal the orsine. When he gets to
the orsine he finds that Berghast has stabbed Mrs Harrogate and badly
injured Marlowe. Charlie tries to stab Berghast but Berghast is able to
stop him and drain Charlie of his power to heal. Before she dies Mrs
Harrogate summons the strength to push Berghast into the orsine. Marlowe
tells Charlie that he can seal the orsine, Brynt told him how but that
he has to enter it to do so. He refuses to allow Charlie to enter the
orsine with him and tells him he needs him on the side of the living to
help him find a way out.
Alice gives the weir-bents to the
keywrasse so that it is free to choose it's fate. When Marber attacks
Alice the keywrasse chooses to attack Marber and save her. Freed from
Marber's control Coulton begs Alice to kill him. Alice and the kids flee
Cairndale, as the island explodes. When Charlie comes too he finds Miss
Davenshaw who is gripping Berghast journal that reveals their is a
second orsine. He takes Miss Davenshaw to Mrs Harrogate's house in
London and eventually Alice and the kids arrive. They decide to go find
Marlow.
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The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
