Book details
Roshani Chokshi - Author
Xavier Beltrán - Author
Expect a richly imagined, alternate-history adventure in 1889 Paris, combining artefact-hunting, magic, puzzles and shifting loyalties. Its ensemble includes characters facing difficult pasts, social exclusion and questions of identity.
No one believes in them. But soon no one will forget them. It's 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance. To hunt down the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood. Together, they will join Séverin as he explores the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history--but only if they can stay alive.
Book Analysis
Sign in to see how this book fits your child and family preferences.
Sign in for personalised guidanceHow the book presents it: The reported arc places loyalty to friends above social standing and recognition.
Talk about: If loyalty conflicts with status or inheritance, which choice does the story value?
How the book presents it: The reported framing questions polished accounts of history and draws attention to uglier realities behind them.
Talk about: Does the magical explanation sharpen or complicate the story’s treatment of real historical prejudice?
How the book presents it: Knowledge functions as part of the characters’ problem-solving and the story’s world-building rather than as a separate lesson.
Talk about: Which kinds of knowledge are treated as empowering, and who is allowed to control them?
It may suit readers who enjoy collaborative problem-solving and imaginative history, while offering openings to discuss loyalty, inherited power, representation and whose version of history becomes accepted.
Be ready for bloody deaths, torture involving worst fears, injuries and deaths in characters’ histories. Alcohol is common at social gatherings; sexual memories, kissing, innuendo and occasional strong language also appear.
How does the story balance its fascination with powerful orders and artefacts against its treatment of colonial histories, mixed-race identity and the idea that history is shaped by conquerors?
If the world-building feels intricate, pause to map the characters, houses and artefacts. Discuss mathematical or mythological references as they arise, and consider the author’s note alongside the ending.
Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.
Book information
Limited information
Relevant to: Loyalty and chosen relationships; Knowledge and puzzle-solving
Limited information
Checked: 19 September 2026.
Relevant to: Loyalty and chosen relationships; Knowledge and puzzle-solving
Limited information
Checked: 19 September 2026.
Relevant to: Power, history and empire
Benefits, discussion questions and reading approaches are suggestions. Your knowledge of your child remains part of the decision.
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