The Lost Future of Pepperharrow

By: Natasha Pulley

Narrated by: Thomas Judd

Bloomsbury presents The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley, read by Thomas Judd.

Escape into the enchanting world of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. This extraordinary sequel transports readers to Japan, where time, destiny and love collide to electrifying effect

'A Japan that never was, a future lost, ghosts that are not dead ... not even a partial list of ingredients can do justice to this wonderful cake of a book ... A time-defying thriller' ROBIN HOBB

For Thaniel Steepleton, an unexpected posting to Tokyo can’t come at a better moment. The London fog has made him ill and doctor’s orders are to get out.

His brief is strange: the staff at the British Legation have been seeing ghosts, and his first task is to find out what’s going on. But staying with his closest friend Keita Mori in Yokohama, Thaniel starts to experience ghostly happenings himself. For reasons he won’t say, Mori is frightened. Then he vanishes.

Meanwhile, something strange is happening in a frozen labour camp in northern Japan. Takiko Pepperharrow, an old friend of Mori’s, must investigate.

As ghosts appear across Tokyo and the weather turns bizarrely electrical, Thaniel grows convinced that it all has something to do with Mori’s disappearance – and that Mori might be in far more trouble than any of them first thought.©2020 Natasha Pulley (P)2020 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Critic reviews

Inventive, immersive and entirely unputdownable. (Eithne Farry)

Wildly inventive, full of eeriness and magic, and fiendishly intricate plots

Pulley combines H Rider Haggard-style historical adventure with bizarre fantasy, but also excels at portraying the emotionally charged interplay of her charming cast

A romantic, inventive, wonderfully immersive read

As intricate as an origami sculpture

With Pepperharrow, I think Natasha has outdone herself. The characters have reached iconic status already, and it’s so rare to find an author who marries such a sparkling imagination with the storytelling flair of a maestro thriller writer – this was her most unputdownable novel yet and I loved it (Claire Evans, author of The Fourteenth Letter)

A Japan that never was, a future lost, ghosts that are not dead, random numbers, clairvoyant Samurai ... not even a partial list of ingredients can do justice to this wonderful cake of a book. Mori may know what to expect, but the reader will not! A lovely blending of steam punk ether science, Japanese historical figures, and a time-defying thriller. (Robin Hobb)

Pulley’s intricate plot, vibrant setting, entrancing magic, and dynamic ensemble of characters make for an un-put-downable historical fantasy. New readers will be pulled in and series fans will be delighted by this tour de force

Plotted as intricately as clockwork, this weaves together historical political warfare with electromagnetic science research and magical clairvoyance. The characters are what really makes this sing, though ... I love them all, and would happily read a whole series of their adventures (Lauren James)

Praise for The Watchmaker of Filigree Street: ‘Ten out of ten

Charming … Elegant plotting, lashings of invention and jump-off-the-page characterisation

Intricate, charming and altogether surprising

Excellent

Historical fiction, magic realism and elements of gothic fiction combine in this ambitious debut

Delightful, relentlessly charming and deeply moving … Remarkable

love it!

such an amazing story. the world building is top notch! the world i so magical and lovely. the characters complex and enigmatic. i love love love Thaniel, Mori, and Six!

A brilliant sequel to Watchmaker

Ugh, i just love Natasha Pulley. Do yourself a favor and read all of their books, they are glorious

So Satisfying!

I really really enjoyed this book--it's a follow up to Watchmaker of Filigree Street (also great), but I think it could stand on its own. It's so easy to care about these characters that even if you're meeting them for the first time you'll be sucked in. I love the way this world does steampunk/sci-fi, very different from other kinds of historical science fiction I've encountered (although, granted, I'm just beginning to dip my toes into the genre). Great reader--kept the characters distinguishable and made the world believable.

10/10 would definitely recommend!

I love this book

Terrific read, great follow up to The Watchmaker of Filigree street . Fast paced an unpredictable

Impatiently waiting for more

While this does not live up to the greatness of the first book it was a decent sequel. I would’ve liked more about Katsu (clockwork octopus) and more of Thaniel and Mori together. I hope there will be more to come!