Review by Booklist Review
Hundreds of years after The Tempest, Prospero's immortal daughter, Miranda, heads Prospero, Inc., which secretly prevents natural disasters and makes possible modern technologies by brokering deals with spirits of the natural world. Her eight siblings have abandoned the family business, but Miranda is forced to seek them out when their father disappears, leaving behind a warning to beware of the Shadowed Ones. Accompanied by Mab, an aerie being turned noir detective, Miranda discovers the Shadowed Ones are after the magical staffs Prospero gave to his children. Along the way, she uncovers so many betrayals and secrets among her family, along with disturbing connections to the powers of Hell, that she fears they may already be damned. Lamplighter has created a fascinating secret history centered on the mystical (and dysfunctional) Prospero family, cleverly working in bits of Milton as well as of Shakespeare and weaving everything into a compelling detective story. The large cast of colorful, unique characters; the complicated family dynamics; and the many burning questions left unanswered ensure readers for any prospective sequel.--Hutley, Krista Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Lamplighter's powerful debut draws inspiration from Shakespeare and world mythology, infused with humor and pure imagination. Four centuries after the events of The Tempest, Prospero's daughter Miranda runs Prospero Inc., a company with immense influence in the supernatural world. When she discovers a mysterious warning from her father, who has gone missing, Miranda sets forth accompanied by Mab, an Aerie Spirit manifested as a hard-boiled PI, to warn her far-flung, enigmatic siblings that the mysterious Shadowed Ones plan to steal their staffs of power. Every encounter brings new questions, new problems and a greater sense of what's at stake. Featuring glimpses into a rich and wondrous world of the unseen, this is no ordinary urban fantasy, but a treasure trove of nifty ideas and intriguing revelations. A cliffhanger ending will leave readers panting for sequels. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Miranda, the daughter of the sorcerer Prospero and heroine of Shakespeare's The Tempest, now enjoys eternal youth in a contemporary world, along with her siblings and her father. When Prospero vanishes and Miranda discovers that hostile forces known only as the Three Shadowed Ones seek her family's magic, she sets out on a journey, accompanied by Mag, a bound air spirit who possesses the personality of a hard-nosed private eye, and her half-mad brother, Mephistopheles, to warn her siblings and rescue her father. VERDICT Lamplighter plays fast and loose with Shakespeare in this modern-day fantasy filled with homages to both the Bard and John Milton. The infighting among Miranda and her siblings recalls the complex family relationships of Roger Zelazny's "Chronicles of Amber" series and proves simultaneously infuriating and delightful. Intelligent and eminently enjoyable, this series opener by a first-time author is a first-rate choice for fans of mythic urban fantasy. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Debut fantasy suggests that Prospero never burned his books or broke his staff. Instead, he kept his magic, sired more children and founded Prospero Inc., a corporation that negotiates with elemental spirits to prevent natural disasters. In the present day, the still-virginal Miranda runs the company. When she discovers a cryptic note from her father warning about "the Three Shadowed Ones," she immediately sets off to locate her extremely dysfunctional siblingsbut not, oddly, her father, who is apparently trapped in Hell. En route, she confronts various demonic perils, as well as Ferdinand, mysteriously returned after jilting her at the altar many years ago. Sadly, the charming naf from The Tempest has become distant and cold; unless Miranda is under a spell, as some of the characters suggest, it's hard to understand why someone with untold wealth and years of youth has had such a duty-bound life with so little fun in it. A spell would also explain why she willfully ignores several obvious plot points and dismisses them when they're pointed out. Frankly, most of Prospero's offspring appear to be so unpleasant that it's difficult to care that they're in danger. Despite these flaws, Miranda's adventures are sufficiently gripping to prompt hopes for more emotionally and plot-satisfying revelations in future installments. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by Library Journal Review
Review by Kirkus Book Review
