Cristina's Reviews > Rag and Bone

Another great addition to the Magpie Lord universe.

Rag and Bone picks up Ned and Crispin's story a few months after the events narrated in A Queer Trade.

Crispin is undergoing his retraining as a practitioner and Ned tries to adapt his life to the magic - take this word in its most ample meaning - brought to it by his encounter with the shy magician from Cornwall.

The plot of the novel is tightly packed with surprises and unexpected events and the pace is really relentless.

I love KJ Charles' skills in recreating a world that is at the same time normal and uncanny and her action scenes can really pack a punch. The atmosphere in the book is eerie and menacing and the witchcraft aspect of this particular novel is really quite disturbing.

By reading the books in the series back to back, I've found myself growing really fond of the characters, not just the main ones, but also the secondary types hovering around the Council. Then, of course, all the main characters are wonderful creations and I'd be hard-pressed to name my favourite one/s (although, I must admit a weakness for Stephen and Jonah...).

It was also very nice to see how this series is thoroughly thought-out - the references and glimpses into other plots and other novels are never overwhelming or done simply to show off but can keep the curiosity of a reader 'in-the-know' endlessly entertained.

The writing is, as usual, fantastic.

Highly recommended (but don't jump into Rag and Bone without reading the previous books first)!