The Raven's Seal

ISBN-13: 9780985278755 / Angielski / Miękka / 2012 / 416 str.

Andrei Baltakmens

Opis

In the fictional late-18th-century English city of Airenchester, Thaddeus Grainger, a young man of means but of meaningless pursuits, challenges his rival, Piers Massingham, to a duel over a young lady from the slums of The Steps. After suffering what he considers a cowardly cut at the hands of Massingham, Grainger vows revenge. When Massingham turns up dead a scant few hours later, Grainger is put on trial for murder. The young lady, Cassie Redruth, proud but poor, makes a brave attempt to defend him, but the young gentleman's fate is sealed. Cast into the notorious Bellstrom Gaol, Grainger must quickly learn to survive in the filthy, rotting prison, where debtors, gaolers, whores, thieves, and murderers mix freely and where every privilege comes at a price. Determined to exonerate their friend, Cassie and the journalist William Quillby must slowly piece together fragments of the mystery by infiltrating both the dregs and the gaudy upper classes of the town. To win Grainger's freedom, all three of them will be forced to confront grave dangers and uncover the ties connecting the "quality" of Airenchester with its teeming, violent, criminal underclass -- and come face to face with the one who controls it all. The Raven's Seal brings the urban squalor of 18th-century England vividly to life, while unravelling a tale of corruption, betrayal, murder, redemption, and love.

"Baltakmens captures the flavor and scope of classic British fiction." —Kirkus Reviews

"This atmospheric, character-driven, and plot-twisty bildungsroman is a worthy paean to Oliver Twist and Great Expectations." —Booklist

In the fictional 18th-century city of Airenchester, England, the body of Thaddeus Grainger’s rival turns up stabbed to death in an alley just hours after their inconclusive duel. Only one suspect comes to mind. Charged with murder, Grainger’s fate is sealed before his trial even begins.

A young gentleman of means but of meaningless pursuits, Grainger is cast into the notorious Bellstrom Gaol, where he must quickly learn to survive in the filthy, ramshackle prison. The “Bells”—where debtors, gaolers, whores, thieves, and murderers all mix freely and where every privilege comes at a price—will be the young man’s home for the rest of his life unless he can prove his innocence.

Despite his downfall, his friends—the journalist William Quillby and Cassie Redruth, the poor young girl who owes Grainger a debt of gratitude—refuse to abandon him. But before they can win his freedom, they must contend with forces both inside and outside the prison determined to keep Grainger behind bars and, at the same time, decode the meaning behind the crude wax seal that inspires terror in those who know its portent.

Set against the urban backdrop of late 18th-century England, The Raven's Seal unravels a tale of corruption, betrayal, murder, and—ultimately—redemption and love.