I had pre-ordered The Pearl King because I love this supernatural series about a young woman born into one of the ‘magical families’ of London who had tried to separate herself from the family’s influence, but finds herself more and more drawn in. The Pearl King follows on seamlessly from the cliffhanger ending of The Fox’s Curse, but because it’s a wee while since I read The Fox’s Curse, I had no clue what was going on, so went and re-read it before going back to The Pearl King. I enjoyed reading both books very much – Lydia (the main character) is a private investigator, who lives with a ghost, is dating a police officer and is under pressure to take up the reins of leadership of The Crow family – a mafia-like controlling criminal magical family with tenuous allegiances/rivalries with the other main families: The Silvers, The Foxes and The Pearls. The first three books in the series were fairly light-hearted, but The Pearl King takes on a darker note as Lydia is forced to show her mettle due to the pressures that surround her. It’s gripping, still funny at times and a satisfying and compelling read.
Sarah Wray Writer 