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Michelle Lowe recently sent me a copy of her novel to review. So, without further ado, here's Legacy.
The story takes place in an alternate 19th-century Earth. Sinister nobleman Tarquin Norwich goes to see his witch one day to find the whereabouts of a toy-maker named Indigo Peachtree. The witch tells him she doesn't know his location, but she does know the location of two brothers who do. The brothers are Pierce and Joaquin Landcross. She instructs Tarquin to send his children to capture the brothers. Tarquin isn't exactly Father of the Year and thinks little of his youngest kids, Archie and Clover, yet he sees little choice but to follow the witch's instructions.
So Archie and Clover hunt down Pierce, while their brother Ivor goes after Joaquin. Using the witch's supernatural knowledge, Archie and Clover capture Pierce without too much trouble. But when Pierce finds out Tarquin is after his old friend Indigo Peachtree, he fears for the innocent toy-maker's life. Therefore, upon being freed by Native American abolitionists (long story), he decides to help the Norwich siblings find Peachtree and his journal, both of which Tarquin wants for some nefarious purpose.
Pierce, Archie and Clover make their way to France to recover the journal (they also pilfer a museum for mysterious masks that belonged to Peachtree). Unfortunately for them, the British are after Pierce because he tried to steal from the queen, and evading them won't be easy. To make matters worse, there are different supernatural beings to contend with, one of which also has a grudge against Pierce (this guy just makes friends wherever he goes, I tell you). Add in trigger-happy humans, and you have a recipe for disaster. Can Pierce and the Norwich siblings trust each other long enough to thwart Tarquin's maniacal ambition?
The characters in this story have to take the good with the bad, and that's true of Legacy itself. It has a fresh and compelling story, but it's seriously weighed down by a complete lack of editing. Typos, spacing errors and other mistakes mar what is otherwise an enjoyable experience. If it weren't for these issues, I would have no problem recommending Legacy. If you can get past the flaws, you'll find a good story. Otherwise, you might want to pass.
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