Children with powers, monsters on the loose, and a man made of smoke hunting them down. This is a gorgeous dark fantasy set in Victorian England, 1882. The story follows two children with mysterious powers- Marlowe, a boy who was kidnapped as a baby and raised by a tattooed woman in the circus and has the ability to glow and melt and mend people and Charles, a boy who who is convicted for killing two people and has the ability to heal himself. These children are known as “Talents” and are being recruited to an institution for others like them. They are being looked for by a female detective named Alice who’s job is to seek out these children and transport them safely to the institution. However, things rarely go as planned as a man made of smoke is hunting them down, killing anyone who gets in his way, but he has his own dark secrets connected to the institution and he is desperate to capture Marlowe. The story and world is so interesting and it truly fleshes out the magic and characters in the book. I can’t wait to see where the story continues and how these characters will grow!

*Thank you to Flatiron for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*