The Paradox

By: Charlie Fletcher

Narrated by: Charlie Fletcher

"Exciting, exhilaring, scary and moving in equal measure, The Oversight is a teeming world of dark deeds and dark magics, brilliantly realized." -- M. R. Carey

The Last Hand of the Oversight still patrols the border between the natural and supranatural, holding a candle to the darkness. But this new Hand is unproven, its fresh members untrained, its veterans weary and battle-scarred. Their vulnerability brings new enemies into the city, and surprising new allies from across the sea.

But most surprising of all are new revelations about the Oversight's past, revelations that will expose the true peril of the world in which Sharp and Sara are trapped -- the secret of the Black Mirrors, and what lies beyond. And the catastrophic danger that will follow them home, if they ever manage to return.

The dark waters rise. The candles are guttering. But the light still remains.

For now. . .

Critic reviews

"Those already familiar with this world will be delighted, and newcomers will eagerly lose themselves in this utterly imaginative fantasy."—Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Paradox

"A teeming world of dark deeds and dark magics, brilliantly realized. This feels like the start of something amazing."—M. R. Carey on The Oversight

"A thoughtfully dense, fully realized construct.... Best of all, you never know where it's going next. As good as or better than the opener. Grab."—Kirkus

"Fletcher's Victorian London is juicily vivid, and laced with macabre wit. There's a real sense of grim danger, both natural and unnatural, hungrily awaiting the slightest mis-step."—Frances Hardinge on The Oversight

"I couldn't stop reading... It really is a richly atmospheric and intensely readable slice of Victoriana: gothic as all get out, with a splendidly eerie sense of the way the unearthly lies cheek-by-jowl with the mundane. Cheerable goodies, grotesque baddies: the whole book is adventurous and flavorsome and gripping. I really enjoyed it."—Adam Roberts on The Overight

"Utterly enthralling: Charles Dickens meets Susanna Clarke."—Lou Morgan on The Oversight

"I'll certainly be reading the next one."—Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing.net on The Oversight

"It's oh so moreish a morsel. I'd read a prequel this evening, a sequel as soon as."—Niall Alexander, Tor.com on The Oversight

"A trilogy worth sinking your teeth into."—SciFi Now on The Oversight

"The second book can't come soon enough."—Booklist (Starred Review)

Very Dark

The author as narrator is wonderful. The book is well written with excellent character development, is fast-paced and suspenseful, but becomes extremely gruesome and bloody. I almost could not finish this book due to the vivid horror described in excruciating detail during the latter half of the book. I feel that the book would have been a much better work if there had been less pain, gore and nightmare.

spectacularly read. truly great. story was less so

I was disappointed at the gratuitous sensuality. story gained nothing. and ridiculous use of profanity. offensive.
otherwise the story was good. characters from the first story remain true and we enjoy them.
sometimes you get the feeling things were weird and gory just to be weird and gory. strange reasoning of accepting alternate lifestyles. not as good as the first. not something I can share with my kids...we're probably going to return the story.
BUT : the author is fan-stinkin-tactic at his narration. his command of voices was as good as ANY reader, even Jim Dale, who is the king. I kept listening just to hear his voice.

A great followup to The Oversight

Very nice second chapter with adequate narration by the author. Can't wait for The Remnant

Editing mishaps

The book is excellent and the narration fine. But there are several minor hiccups in editing in which there are too long pauses or repeated lines.

Fletcher should never narrate one of his fine stories.

What a shame. A wonderful story almost completely ruined by the slurred narration by the author. Often it sounds like he has a mouth full of marbles. I won’t buy the next in the series because I see that it is also narrated by Fletcher.