The Broken Lands
Walker and Bones arrive on Coney Island to subvert both New York City and Brooklyn to their evil purposes. Few places are as powerful as a crossroads, and the new Brooklyn Bridge is perfect for their needs. All their planning and preparation, however, didn’t account for the intervention of a young local cardsharp or a Chinese fireworks expert. The two teenagers have just met when horrific murders start appearing in back alleyways. As the violence spreads, these two, with the aid of their closest friends, must make whatever sacrifice is needed to keep the cities safe.
Kate Milford does an amazing job of placing the reader in Coney Island in 1877. The setting is rich, and you can almost feel the breeze as the characters dash across the heights of the not-quite-finished bridge. We meet a wide cast of characters that includes Civil War veterans, crime bosses, politicians, and some of the most evil and powerful monsters to beset mankind. Everyone in this ensemble is believable, with depth of personality and background to make them fleshed-out individuals to root for.
The Broken Lands is a young adult historical fantasy novel, prequel to Milford’s The Boneshaker. The novel includes quite a few wonderful illustrations to complement the narrative. I look forward to reading more of Milford’s work.
