Book Review: The Osiris Curse by Paul Crilley

The Osiris Curse by Paul Crilley

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Series: Book 2 of Tweed and Nightingale Adventures

Publisher: Pyr

Date of Publication: October 15, 2013

Author Information: Website | Twitter
 

The Osiris Curse is an interesting novel. I think reading this one has made me develop a new appreciation for Pyr’s Young Adult titles, as I’ve noticed they are typically more offbeat and original. Which is great for me, since I’m always on the lookout for YA books that do things a little differently!

I was also drawn to this book immediately because of its tagline: “Steampunk Sherlock Holmes meets The X-Files“, with plenty of action-adventure and ancient Egypt to boot. The Osiris Curse is actually the second book of the Tweed and Nightingale Adventures series, but nothing prevents it from being a good starting point even if you are new to these books, like I was.

The story is set in an alternate Victorian England, starring two teenagers who work for the secretive government agency called the Ministry in the Queen’s service. Sebastian Tweed, whose history is a conundrum which I won’t go into for fear of giving away any revelations from the first book, is dealing with some issues from his past, and his friend Octavia Nightingale is on the trail to find her missing mother.

This case ultimately leads them to something much bigger, when their investigations reveal that the brilliant scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla has been murdered, his blueprints for super weapons stolen. Tweed and Nightingale’s hunt for the killers is just the beginning to an adventure of epic proportions, involving secret cults, travel to exotic places, and the discovery of a threat that could change the face of the world.

The plot is actually quite enjoyable in its simplicity and straight-forward nature, making me feel that in some ways The Osiris Curse reads like a middle-grade or early-teens novel. Nevertheless, I had a hard time trying to pin down the perfect target audience. The story itself is pure fun and fantastical adventure, which should appeal to younger readers who will like a fast-paced, action-filled journey across the globe and beyond. But at the same time, I was a little surprised to discover that the main characters are in their late teens, practically considered adults in that particular era, and their dialogue and mannerisms seem skewed towards the older side. Overcoming and resolving this disparity in my mind was perhaps the biggest challenge for me, and I think overall this might make it tougher for the book to “click” with everyone.

Still, Tweed and Nightingale themselves are very charming and likeable, their back-and-forth dialogue witty and fun to follow. There’s also a hint of a budding romance forming between them, which is starting off on the right foot, very sweet and cute! The two of them are a good fit, their personalities playing off each other perfectly, creating interesting situations and dynamics.

What’s interesting though, is that I didn’t find out until after finishing the book that the author Paul Crilley spent a year writing for one of my favorite video games, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Star Wars: The Old Republic, and it made me see a couple aspects of the book in a whole different light. One of the main features in SWTOR involves your character’s “light” or “dark” side alignment, determined based on your moral choices in game. These choices in turn add new dimensions to your personal class story, and I have to wonder if Crilley aimed for a similar effect in The Osiris Curse by making Tweed ponder some rather difficult moral questions. Regardless, they should make for some good discussion points for young readers.

If you ask me, this would probably be best enjoyed by children in the ages 10-12 range. Though it may occupy a narrow niche, I really do hope this book finds its audience; it’s entertaining and good fun, with the promise of much more excitement to come for our two brave protagonists.