The Rise of the Remarkables: The Thaumagician’s Revenge
Gareth Ward
Walker Books
Pub. 2021

March 7, 2022

My questions have been answered and new questions have been sparked! The Thaumagician’s Revenge is the thrilling sequel to the Rise of the Remarkables: Brasswitch and Bot, set in 1874.

The star in this book is Wrench, a stubbornly independent character with an amazing power; the ability to control mechanical objects with her mind, which is an interesting and unusual power called Brasswitching.

In the previous book, Wrench was betrayed by a friend and her powers were drained. I was constantly wanting to reach in and help her as she tirelessly endeavoured to get them back in The Thaumagician’s Revenge. Wrench’s shell of fierceness hides her empathy in some places in the book, but it always breaks through, helping her in her mission to save the Aberrations, who she insists on calling ‘Remarkables’.

Wrench is always trying to change the regulators (enforcers) from capturing and hurting Remarkables to bringing them back into society. But Captain Flemington is always trying to stop them from changing the city of York to a versatile place where humans and Remarkables can live together in peace.

As they battle to stay ahead of Flemington, who is trying to get them arrested for their actions, Wrench and her robot companion Bot are hunting down Plum the magician who caused all their problems. Wrench also has a secret project though, finding the Brasswitch who killed her parents. These many different twists and plots contribute to a fast-paced amazing book.

A new character is introduced in this book; Vexanna the new Thaumagician who draws on an otherworldly magic called Thaumaturgy. Wrench is very suspicious about this Thaumagician as she keeps disappearing and they keep their distance for a lot of the book. No one knows much about her and it is exciting whenever a new piece of information comes into the book about her.

The Thaumagician’s Revenge is a fast-paced book with loads of action. I can really relate to Wrench’s hate for Flemington after he tried to kill her. No one who reads this book will ever forgive him. Bot reminds me a lot of Skulduggery Pleasant, who uses dry humour very similarly and if you haven’t read Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy, I would highly recommend it as it is quite similar.

Readers will be held in suspense as they wait for Wrench and Bot to hunt down the villain who sends his henchmen after them multiple times. I was left on a cliff-hanger after Bot got captured.

Although it would work as a standalone book, the experience of reading the Brasswitch and Bot was amazing, so I do recommend reading it first. Anyone who has read Gareth Ward’s Traitor and the Thief would also love this series.

I enjoyed The Thaumagician’s Revenge, it was an amazing book and Gareth Ward has an enrapturing writing style. I do hope there is a third book to this series as I have many unanswered questions that will keep nagging at me for however long it takes for Gareth Ward to come out with a new book.

• Finley is 12 and lives in Dunedin.