★★★★★ RELEASED 25 APRIL 608 pages | Hardback/ebook/ audiobook Author James Logan Publisher Jo Fletcher Books
There’s an Indiana Jones vibe to this fantasy. That comparison relates to its characters and plot, not its setting; forget ’30s Cairo, Lukan Gardova’s quest takes place in a realm reminiscent of Renaissance Italy’s city states.
A roguish adventurer, Lukan blunders through encounters by luck and wit. He’s the son of an antiquarian, and Dad’s been murdered. Now he must unravel a conspiracy to find out what happened. His sidekick, young cutpurse Flea, is a Short Round-alike who keeps him grounded, popping up to distract villains when needed. They don disguises, sprint through catacombs and leap out of towers.