The Lost Future of Pepperharrow

The Lost Future of Pepperharrow (#884) is Natasha Pulley's sequel to her amazing first novel, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street (See my post of 9/25/2015.).  Although I enjoyed this historical fiction fantasy, set mainly in London and Japan of 1888-89, for me, it didn't have quite the same impact as that first book, or even her second novel, The Bedlam Stacks (See my post of 9/28/2017.)  Here Keita Mori sees Russia and Japan possibly coming to blows in a potential future, and maneuvers events to produce the best possible outcome.  But for whom?  And at what cost to those around him?

Nathaniel Steepleton is assigned by the Foreign Office to go out to Toyoko to see why the staff at the British Legation claim to be seeing ghosts everywhere since living with Mori has made him fluent in Japanese.  Thaniel travels out to Japan with Baron Mori and their nine year old ward, Six.  On arrival at Mori's ancient home overlooking Yokohama Bay, the air is full of electricity and St. Elmo's Fire.  The new Prime Minister Kuroda has already arrived on the scene with his entourage and it is soon clear that Keita Mori is a prisoner in his own home.  An atmosphere of foreboding hangs over the estate and entire city of Tokoyo as Thaniel takes up his duties at the Legation.  Soon he is investigating missing persons and the cause of the constant electrical storms...

Mysterious goings-on, and great personal danger fill this tale, but I did feel that it dragged on a bit at almost five hundred pages.  Still, a worthwhile read if you enjoyed The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, but it lacks the enchantment found there.  Just my opinion.