Review: The Oversight by Charlie Fletcher

January 11, 2015 4.5 stars, Book Review 22 ★★★★½

Review: The Oversight by Charlie FletcherThe Oversight Series: Oversight Trilogy #1
Published by Hachette Audio, Orbit Books on May 6, 2014
Pages: 464
Length: 14 Hours, 49 Minutes
Narrator: Simon Prebble
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher, Purchased
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Only five still guard the borders between the worlds.
Only five hold back what waits on the other side.

Once the Oversight, the secret society that policed the lines between the mundane and the magic, counted hundreds of brave souls among its members. Now their numbers can be counted on a single hand.

When a vagabond brings a screaming girl to the Oversight's London headquarters, it seems their hopes for a new recruit will be fulfilled - but the girl is a trap.

As the borders between this world and the next begin to break down, murders erupt across the city, the Oversight are torn viciously apart, and their enemies close in for the final blow.

This gothic fantasy from Charlie Fletcher (the Stoneheart trilogy) spins a tale of witch-hunters, supra-naturalists, mirror-walkers and magicians. Meet the Oversight, and remember: when they fall, so do we all.
four-half-stars

The Oversight was one of those books that just pulled me in and continued to to get better the further I got into it. There is a small hand of people, five to be exact that call themselves The Oversight. They uphold the law and the lore protecting both the natural and unnatural peoples…pretty much from each other. But which is which really? Are natural people the ones with the gifts or the ones without? You’d have to read to know. But know that long ago those with certain traits interbred with those folk without and are now part of human society and for the most party blend seamlessly together. Sometimes those traits and skills manifest more strongly in a person.

Such rich and tasty world building!!

Set in Victorian London, most of the books I read now a days that are set during that time are steampunk, however this one was not. It was more like a urban fantasy novel but without all the usual suspect races of paranormals. This was so refreshing because I never knew what kind of unnatural gifts one of these special people might manifest. This made for very refreshing reading.

So you’re telling me these seizure visions make me a special snowflake?

The characters that makeup the hand of The Oversight have a range of skills, all of which still haven’t been revealed to me. One, Hodge – can talk mind to mind with animals. Another Another, Mr. Sharpe can put people at ease and bend them to his will. Sara is a glint that sees visions of the past when she touches objects with her hands. The Cook…well I’m not sure exactly what her gifts are, nor am I particularly clear what The Smith’s abilities are other then a very long life and the ability to cloud minds. Clouding people’s minds and moving unusually fast actually seems to be the two most common traits that I believe most of them have. The Oversight’s safe-house is thrown into a big tizzy when a young girl Lucy Harker is sold into their care happens to be a glint like Sara. Except she didn’t know what she was, she just thought she was crazy and a bad girl – so when Sara tells her that she’s special and proves it to her you can’t really blame Lucy for having a really hard time believing it. But Lucy’s mind has been tampered with and she was a plant in the house to do some thieving against her will and will all of that goes wrong and she somehow falls through a mirror and into a traveling circus her personal tale of self discovery only continues as all parties involved good and bad race start to converge.

A Mad Scientist, a Lawyer, A Magician’s daughter,and a Mute saunter on the scene

That caught your attention didn’t it? Oddly enough that isn’t even all of the interesting characters you’ll meet in this book, there is also a nasty bunch of pale riders with bird bones all woven about them…nasty business they’re about. Some of these are devious men out for personal gain and others dark creatures most foul, some victims of circumstance or manipulative con artist but all of them had me captivated with their individual parts to play that make up this amazing story and world. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to read the next book. There were times where I wondered – ‘now where are we really going with this character or thread’ but much of it came together in the end and the other bits that didn’t I just know we are going to see more of in the next book.

Give me more…give it to me now…and an ecclese cake too, yes I shall take one of those as well.

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Tabitha (Pabkins)

When I'm in the zone I can flip book pages faster than the eye can see - screaming "More Input!" I'm a book, yarn, & art supply hoarding goblin who loves to draw, make toys and craft all sorts of creepy cute things. My current habit is to listen to audio books while I'm arting it up!
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22 Responses to “Review: The Oversight by Charlie Fletcher”

  4. Felicia (asillygirl)

    I read the description, and I was like ‘whaaaat, this sounds awesome!’ Then I read the first line, like:

    “The Oversight was one of those books that just sucked”

    And I was like ‘oh, okay maybe not…’ Until I realized the sentence hadn’t ended. (“…me in and continued to to get better the further I got into it.”)

    Haha 😀

    Let me go add it to Goodreads ASAP!

    – Love, Felicia
    Felicia (asillygirl) recently posted…Chapter 35: How I lied to all my friendsMy Profile

  8. Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum

    What made The Oversight such a standout for me last year was the incredible atmosphere. It’s kinda funny because there are details about the characters I can’t remember, but I remember most of the details about the world. You know that part with the guy using magic to reform the tiny skeleton? Damn, that was creepy and cool!
    Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum recently posted…YA Weekend: Shutter by Courtney AlamedaMy Profile

  12. Jessica @ Rabid Reads

    Oh geez . . . this is another one of those books that has languished in my beside-the-bed pile, LOL. I have kind of an odd question–did the writing in this book remind you of the writing in The School for Good and Evil? It’s been a long time, but I read the sample chapters of The Oversight, and for some reason I have the two in my head as being similar . . .

    Anyway, great review!