Two feuding Victorian magicians propel each of their innovations to new heights, but at a cost neither truly understands until the endless revenges rob them of truly fulfilled lives. Told through different character perspectives and in non-linear time the book itself is a magic trick that endeavours to surprise and delight in its arrangement of revelations. What a blast this was.

I had put this off for a while, having watched and loved the movie. Because some movies do transcend their source material and this might be one of them. Actually my familiarity with the story only helped the novel pull off its misdirection and obfuscation, I think. I don’t want to reveal the differences because I think it’s really fun to see how they are similar. But the book is certainly it’s own construction and it is a unique experience to see how it unfolds, regardless if you prefer one over the other. Clearly each author is interested in different aspects of the same story, and so in a way elucidate one another. Very satisfied and very happy for this outcome. And surprised, as for a while it was a 3 star read, but when it comes to a head, boy does the structure of the novel turn into a corker of a third act.