With prodigious talent and fertile imagination, Hardinge returns to the world of her first novel, Fly by Night, for a satisfying sequel. This is another high-quality, thought-provoking fantastic adventure that will keep readers’ interest in spite of its length.- Beth L. Fly Trap’s action and drama are balanced with humor, often presented through the flamboyant Clent and Saracen, as well as through the names and duties of the divinities.

Mosca’s spirit and heart bring the story together and make her actions totally believable. Hardinge has once again created an intricate world, and she uses the town’s dual nature to focus on people’s perceptions of others. When Mosca is exiled to Toll-by-Night, she needs to find allies and put together the pieces to locate the missing Beamabeth, defeat the Locksmiths, and change the future of Toll itself. At the center of many plots is the beautiful daughter of Toll’s mayor, and her kidnapping leads to danger and encounters with the threatening and dangerous Locksmiths. Mosca’s world features a variety of divinities, each ruling over a brief period of time each year, and Toll’s residents are fated to be part of the day or night cities depending on when they were born. They quickly become involved in the local intrigue, which juxtaposes Toll’s innocent daytime appearance with its alter ego, Toll-by-Night. The trio is trying to find a new home after being forced to leave Mandelion at the end of their first adventure, and their travels bring them to Toll, where they need to raise funds to leave the city and cross its bridge. Independent orphan Mosca Mye the con man Eponymous Clent and Mosca’s violent goose, Saracen, are back in this sequel to Fly by Night (HarperCollins, 2006).

Fly trap by frances hardinge