Paths Not Taken

September 15, 2005
The follow-up to " Nightingale's Lament" (2004) finds John Taylor reeling from the discovery that his mother is the legendary Lilith of biblical times and that she is responsible for the creation of the Nightside. Before he can begin his investigation into the Nightside's origins, a man named Eamonn Mitchell, who is being attacked by versions of himself from the past, approaches him for help. Taylor traces the problem to Eamonn's shady company, and after he solves Eamonn's problem, he is inspired to manipulate time himself by seeking out Father Time and asking to be sent to the era when Lilith created the Nightside. Along with his friends Suzie Shooter and Tommy Oblivion, Taylor takes the plunge, but they end up 500 years later than intended, thanks to Lilith's machinations. They persist making their way through time, leading to a showdown with Lilith in the past that could cost Taylor his future. Fans of the Nightside series will enjoy the journey into the past of London's underworld.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)