The House on Durrow Street

The House on Durrow Street

Galen Beckett

Random House, 2010

704 pages

Ivy’s world is getting more complicated. Her father has been admitted to an insane asylum, her husband is away much of the time in his work for the king, and the red planet is drawing closer. The slew of other characters introduced in The Magicians and Mrs. Quent also find themselves in awkward positions – thrust into powerful positions they do not need, tempted by magic they do not understand, and deeply involved in political intrigue that is becoming more and more about the darkness descending on Altania, while less and less about the persons running the country. Ivy and her compatriots must discover the secrets of the red planet and how they are tied to the house on Durrow street that Ivy was born in. For the trees are awakening throughout the country. And they are angry.

I have heard a number of readers say that they gave up on this book after a hundred pages or so– the magic seemed missing. Alas, dear reader! Hold on for a few more pages (there are 704 of them, after all)! Once this book gets going, the pace is relentless to the end and most assuredly filled with magic, intrigue and galactic consequences. Nothing Beckett writes is without purpose – it all comes crashing down on his characters whether they are ready for their places in the battle for their world or not. Part Victorian society, part political thriller, all sadly reflective of some of this planet’s greatest tragedies, The House on Durrow Street is not to be set aside if you enjoyed the first novel in this fantastical series.

Book Count: 31