Warlight: A novel

A fourteen year old and his older sister are left in the care of the mysterious “Moth” while his parents travel to Singapore. Prior to her departure, the mother dotes upon her children, which makes her absence all the harder. Somehow, though, the emotion of her absence is never truly captured. Boarding school proves to be unfortunate for the children, so they return home to the “Moth.” He loans them out to some shady characters for adventures that must be illegal. The scenes of gliding through the canals of Great Britain are beautifully sketched. As it turns out, their mother is not in Singapore and someone is after the children. This is a great premise, but somehow the characters don’t really come to life, and the ending seems rushed and too abrupt. This is a very competent writer in terms of style. The beginning of the novel has a great and compelling first sentence. If you are a fan of The English Patient, you will enjoy this book.