Book Review | Nightspark by Michael Mann

Nightspark is the sequel to Ghostcloud, which I enjoyed last year; well, autumn 21 already. Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for a review copy once more. And I love, love, love the cover!

Nightspark

by Michael Mann

Having escaped from the half-bombed, blackened power station where he was being imprisoned, 12-year-old Luke is finally reunited with his family above ground. But though Luke tries to readjust, he can’t shake the guilt he feels for his friend Ravi, who was left behind, nor the feeling that someone – or something – is watching him from the shadows.

With the help of ghost-girl named Alma and his friend Jess, Luke must journey across the country and sea to find Ravi, the friend who was there for him in his darkest hours. And in doing so, he must face his past and confront his deepest fears…

A riveting, magical adventure set in the waterways of a richly reimagined England, and the epic conclusion of the Ghostcloud duology. (goodreads)

My Review

Although this took me a little while to get into, it turned into a fantastic and wonderfully written adventure, even better than Ghostcloud.

I remembered Luke, of course, and his adventures with, er, Alma. But Jess, ah yes, and Ravi, okay, but who are all these other people? I suffered a bewilderment about who was who and, most importantly, which of the many characters introduced as potential goodies or baddies were essential to the plot. It turns out that one of the minor ones was, and most of the ghosts and ghouls weren’t.

Of course, younger readers will have better memories than me and probably no trouble keeping up. But it was a relief when they left London on their quest, and we settled to a less frantic existence.

Less frantic for the reader, maybe, but Luke and his friends are heading straight into mortal danger. Again. I loved their attitude; ‘we didn’t have a plan last time and it worked out okay.’ Yes, it suited them down to the ground, although I think as a former project manager I should side with Jess on this one and say they need a plan, even a rough one! But the number of things that just happened to be hanging around just when they needed them… well, it was well planned by the author. And they did not emerge unscathed!

It’s a delightful story, beautifully rounded off. I wonder if there will, in fact, be more…