The Inquisitor's Apprentice - (Inquisitor's Apprentice (Quality)) by Chris Moriarty (Paperback)

About the Book

Johnathan Strange...In New York! It's the early 1900s on the Lower East Side, and each ethnic community has its own brand of magic. In this mystical melting pot Sacha Kessler, a dirt-poor immigrant kid, and Lily Astral, the daughter of Park-Avenue royalty, assist the brilliant Police Inquisitor Wolf as he detects magical crime in the city that never sleeps.

Book Synopsis

The day Sacha found out he could see witches was the worst day of his life . . .

Being an Inquisitor is no job for a nice Jewish boy. But when the police learn that Sacha Kessler can see witches, he's apprenticed to the department's star Inquisitor, Maximillian Wolf. Their mission is to stop magical crime. And New York at the beginning of the twentieth century is a magical melting pot where each ethnic group has its own brand of homegrown witchcraft, and magical gangs rule the streets from Hell's Kitchen to Chinatown.

Soon Sacha has teamed up with fellow apprentice Lily Astral, daughter of one of the city's richest Wall Street Wizards--and a spoiled snob, if you ask Sacha. Their first case is to find out who's trying to kill Thomas Edison.

Edison has invented a mechanical witch detector that could unleash the worst witch-hunt in American history. Every magician in town has a motive to kill him. But as the investigation unfolds, all the clues lead back to the Lower East Side. And Sacha soon realizes that his own family could be accused of murder!

• Mystery to Solve: Sacha's first case is a big one: someone is trying to murder Thomas Edison before his mechanical witch detector can change the world forever.
• Urban Fantasy Adventure: Explore a magical version of early 20th-century New York, where magical gangs rule the streets and Wall Street Wizards clash with Lower East Side witchcraft.
• Unlikely Friendship: To crack the case, Sacha must partner with the snobby Lily Astral, the daughter of a powerful magical family who is everything he's not.
• Jewish Folklore: Packed with rich details from Jewish history and folklore, as Sacha discovers his unique magical heritage could be the very thing that puts his family in danger.

Review Quotes

"Moriarty's novel is chock-full of period detail (both in the author's confident prose and Geyer's occasional pen-and-ink illustrations), feisty character dynamics, and a solid sense of humor. It's a fascinating example of alternate history that leaves the door open for future mysteries."--Publishers Weekly, starred review "A marvelous, mystical romp that doesn't ignore reality. A hint of a possible sequel whets readers' appetite for more: Yes, please!"--Kirkus, starred review "Moriarty's thoroughly imagined alternate history has a killer premise...The mystery unfolds at a heady clip." -Booklist "Spoiler Alert: It's awesome." --Fuse #8 Blog on School Library Journal "A wonderfully inventive and fascinating story of the clash of ancient magic and early-twentieth century technology.　A compelling book that I read in a single sitting and highly recommend."--Garth Nix, New York Times bestselling author of Sabriel and the Seventh Tower series "Fantastic . . . a great magic trick."--Cory Doctorow, New York Times bestselling author of Little Brother "You'll fall right into The Inquisitor's Apprentice by Chris Moriarty."-- Robin Hobb, international best-selling author of the Rain Wilds Chronicles "Cory Doctorow told me I would love this, and he was so right!"--Ellen Kushner

About the Author

Chris Moriarty grew up in New York surrounded by a loud and zany family much like Sacha's. She wrote The Inquisitor's Apprentice so her children could read a fantasy that celebrates their New York Jewish heritage. Chris has also written several award-winning science fiction novels. She lives in upstate New York.