Title: The Sorcerer’s Mask
Author: Harriet Wilson
Publisher: AuthorHouseUK
ISBN: 978-1-50494-525-7
Pages: 242
Genre: Fiction / Action & Adventure
Reviewed by: Joe Kilgore
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In author Harriet Wilson’s novel The Sorcerer’s Mask; the game’s afoot — and what a game it is. Lovers of Victorian society, young men’s adventure tales, and magical, mystical events that cascade one upon another will surely be drawn to this charming quest. Think of it as Jules Vern meets Rudyard Kipling with a dash of Stephen Spielberg thrown in for good measure. The pace is brisk, the characters are many, and the plot dips and weaves and circles back around on itself like a Charles Dickens novel.
The majority of the yarn revolves around Gladwick Hall in England. Its past is murky, its present is quirky, and its future is very much in dispute. Professor Nathan Gladwick currently rules the roost there, but seditious plans by shadowy figures are underway to usurp his position. The professor however, has much more on his plate than simply cementing the future of Gladwick. He’s bound and determined to be off on an adventure that will right past wrongs and secure some measure of more permanent security for those in his charge.
Wilson fills the pages of her book with a coterie of strange and interesting characters. There’s a one-legged, one-eyed, vengeful villain, plus his height-and-courage- challenged servant. There’s a vaporous sea captain who appears, vanishes, and reappears, seemingly at whim. There’s the long-suffering Rose, the housekeeper. There’s an American who may or may not be a relative and also may or may not be a ghost. There’s a German submarine captain who has more faith in his undersea boat than he does in the mission he’s agreed to undertake. There are two adolescent boys itching for adventure. There’s Cleopatra, the cat, who talks, and lots more. Plus, did I mention that Professor Gladwick can fly?
Harriet Wilson keeps her story moving swiftly by heavily relying on dialogue. The dramatization of scenes and events, rather than the simple exposition of them, not only quickens the pace but also infuses her tale with energy it might otherwise lack. With so many characters coming in and out of the story, one does have to pay close attention to exactly who is doing what to whom and for what reason. But close attention is rewarded as the divergent back-stories, alliances, and motivations begin to seamlessly intertwine and present a multi-generational mosaic of devilishly clandestine skullduggery.
Those enamored with tales of yesteryear, infused with magic, mystery, and more, will likely find much to enjoy in The Sorcerer’s Mask—as well as being pleased to learn that according to Rose, the housekeeper, “the next installment in this series is not for the faint hearted, nor for those of a nervous disposition.”
