City of Time and Magic by Paula Brackston: Using an interesting blend of genres in a pastiche of romance, fantasy, historical 
fiction and drama, the 4th novel in the Found Things series will simultaneously delight and entertain. As a stand-alone, it will take a little puzzle building to work out the central features, their relationship, what’s happened to date and who is who in the crazy time-leaping zoo, yet, in all, this is a puzzle worth piecing together.
Xanthe, still mastering her craft as a Spinner is called by aged artefacts and is ultimately a time traveler who is destined to set deeds right in the past without disrupting the fabric of time itself. Set in a dual landscape of the late 19th century and current day London, Xanthe is determined to locate lover Liam who was captured by Lydia Flyte as she spun back to their current reality losing grip of him as she landed back at home. Stuck in the past and hidden from her crafty view by Lydia, Xanthe searches for artefacts that will draw her back to the assumed time period in order to rescue Liam from a time he doesn’t belong in.
As one thing leads to anther, Xanthe discovers her true nature and indeed uncovers a dark side to her family of Spinners and cements her new-found friendship with Erasmus and Elizabeth to put an end to the evil scheming afoot once and for all.
Fun, engaging and beautifully written, City of Time and Magic will engage from beginning to end. Xanthe is a well constructed character that ticks the boxes in terms of fantasy protagonists and with Liam as the perfectly drawn side romance who has honour and courage in spades, this makes for a great duo that flips the gendered damsel in distress narrative on its head. Brackston captures the time period effortlessly and the sensory adventure within 19th century London, the smells, the colours, the mechanics were a consistent winner throughout.
Lovers of the series will no doubt find great catharsis in the 4th novel, as identity, love and purpose are explored succinctly and in many ways, it is clear that Xanthe needed to rescue Liam in order to truly understand her role as protector and time traveler.
Overall, this is a great read that had the right balance of tension – tension between characters, time and thematic intent – this is the kind of mishmash of genres that has been constructed with care and respect and ultimately will appeal to anyone who loves a fantastic adventure.
Book Info:
Publication: 27th November 2021 | St Martin’s Press | Found Things #4
City of Time and Magic sees Xanthe face her greatest challenges yet. She must choose from three treasures that sing to her; a beautiful writing slope, a mourning brooch of heartbreaking detail, and a gorgeous gem-set hat pin. All call her, but the wrong one could take her on a mission other than that which she must address first, and the stakes could not be higher. While her earlier mission to Regency England had been a success, the journey home resulted in Liam being taken from her, spirited away to another time and place. Xanthe must follow the treasure that will take her to him if he is not to be lost forever.
Xanthe is certain that Mistress Flyte has Liam and determined to find them both. But when she discovers Lydia Flyte has been tracking the actions of the Visionary Society, a group of ruthless and unscrupulous Spinners who have been selling their talents to a club of wealthy clients, Xanthe realizes her work as a Spinner must come before her personal wishes. The Visionary Society is highly dangerous and directly opposed to the creed of the Spinners. Their actions could have disastrous consequences as they alter the authentic order of things and change the future. Xanthe knows she must take on the Society. It will require the skills of all her friends, old and new, to attempt such a thing, and not all of them will survive the confrontation that follows.
