Publishers Weekly
11/08/2021
Brackston’s expansive installment of the Found Things series (after The Garden of Promises and Lies) continues the story of a time-traveling spinner and antiques dealer. Xanthe Westlake is desperate to find her boyfriend, Liam, who is trapped in the past (when, exactly, Xanthe doesn’t know) after a failed attempt to join Xanthe in the present. During an appointment with a client, she acquires three objects that “sing” to her, including a writing slope, hoping one of them will take her to Liam. At home with the antique lap desk, she travels to Victorian London, where she lands on a far more urgent mission than finding Liam: protecting the future from the Visionary Society, a group of spinners who disregard the rules and norms that bind most time travelers. After having had Xanthe keep her time traveling a secret for most of the first three books, Brackston’s decision to have her heroine tell her family and friends about her journeys pays off here, as does the introduction of the Visionary Society. Brackston repeats the formula from the past installments, but she does so without letting the story feel dull; it’s fast-paced throughout, and features a new, unexpected twist. Series fans will enjoy. (Nov.)
From the Publisher
Praise for City of Time and Magic:
"[A] delightful addition to the series." —Booklist
"[An] expansive installment...fast-paced throughout, and features a new, unexpected twist. Series fans will enjoy." —Publishers Weekly
"Perfect for fans of mysteries and time travel." —Woman's World
Praise for The Garden of Promises and Lies:
"Those who enjoy Brackston’s unique blend of historical detail, village charm, and twisty plotting will be delighted by this rip-roaring installment." —Publishers Weekly
"Keeping readers engaged..." —Booklist
Praise for Secrets of the Chocolate House:
"Brackston’s vibrant story is on firm historical ground, with period details woven in nicely....Time-swapping romance will please fans of Alice Hoffman." —Publishers Weekly
Praise for The Little Shop of Found Things:
"Enchanting." —People
"Brackston wonderfully blends history with the time-travel elements and a touch of romance. This series debut is a page-turner that will no doubt leave readers eager for future series installments." —Publishers Weekly
Library Journal
06/01/2021
To find and follow her next mission in Brackston's City of Time and Magic, fourth in the time-traveling "Found Things" series, Xanthe must choose between the songs sung to her by a mourning brooch, a writing slope, and gem-encrusted hatpin; she also hunts for the missing Liam and seeks to block the Visionary Society from using the Spinners maliciously (50,000-copy first printing). In A Man of Honor, prequel to the 1979 megahit A Woman of Substance, Bradford tells the story of Blackie O'Neill, who travels from County Kerry to England as a young orphan and begins his rise in the world while meeting Substance's Emma Harte, still a kitchen maid (75,000-copy first printing). Jago follows up The Northern Lights, winner of the National Biography Prize, with the 17th-century-set debut novel A Net for Small Fishes, drawing on real-life events: when Frances Howard, the miserable wife of the Earl of Essex, meets the widowed Anne Turner, they form a friendship that leads to something radical (35,000-copy first printing). Driven to act after Pearl Harbor, new Steel heroine Audrey Parker and friend Lizzie join the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron, Flying Angels who regularly wing their way into enemy territory to rescue wounded soldiers from the battlefield. Harriet Szász once appeared in vaudeville with sister Josie as The Sisters Sweet, posing as conjoined twins at their parents' behest, but when Josie betrays the scam and runs off to Hollywood, Harriet must decide what to do with her life. In-house love for Weiss's debut.
