The Black Death has returned to London, spreading disease and fear through town. A mysterious prophet predicts the city’s ultimate doom—until an unknown apothecary arrives with a cure that actually works. Christopher’s Blackthorn shop is chosen to prepare the remedy. But when an assassin threatens the apothecary’s life, Christopher and his faithful friend Tom are back to hunting down the truth, risking their lives to untangle the heart of a dark conspiracy (Goodreads).
Rarely is the sequel superior to the original, but the second installment of the Blackthorn Key series is just that. Instead of a simple, mildly engaging plot, readers are given a mystery that finds our protagonist (retaining his compelling and entertaining traits of the previous novel) working through a horrifyingly brilliant setting. Having two possible candidates for an antagonist throughout the story is a wonderful strategy to keep readers on their toes, and Sands is still able to shock readers with a surprising plot twist amidst an exciting and emotional climax. The characters, both good and evil alike, are interesting (although one addition to the protagonist's side falls a bit flat) and the plot is extremely entertaining, while still retaining humorous and dark aspects alike. 8.4/10
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