The Lost Immortal was an enjoyable book to read for many reasons. The idea of immortality and the hunt for it when it is discovered to exist in the world is one that has woven its way through many a good novel and Huston uses the tragic figure of his protagonist, a man of many names but for this review we’ll call him Alexandros, to show that it might not be all that it’s cracked up to be.
Alexandros’s story runs alongside that of Valory Grace, a language specialist with an almost otherworldly skill in deciphering previously incomprehensible scripts, like a human Rosetta Stone but with much more linguistic scope. She is brought in when a remarkable discovery somewhere in Italy presents a mystery to be solved. Only she has the skill to find the answers that everyone craves although the mission is shrouded in secrecy at governmental level. It is only while Valory is there and uncovers the enormity contained in what she reads that she realises exactly what this could mean for the world and how she may have inadvertently, in her desire to use her gift and in her pursuit of discovery, landed herself in danger.
I really liked Huston’s vision in this book from the creation of the setting where most of the action takes place to the trips into Alexandros’ past, to its ultimate denouement. His creation of character is good: Valory’s keenness and obsession to find out more about Alexandros feels real and the ambition of those intent on acquiring immortality for themselves is ruthlessly depicted.
If I had to offer criticism, it would be to state that the first half of the book moves a lot more slowly than the second half. Having said this, though, I would urge you to stick with it as the descriptions and the pace in the latter half of the book more than make up for its slower start. The first half is devoted to a lot of establishing and is valid for framing the further action of the book and the reader’s knowledge of character, but the second half of the book ramps up the stakes, the danger and the action and I was impressed with the way that Huston created tension and described vividly pursuit and peril.
The first in the series, I would be keen to read Huston’s next book.
This review was first published on Reedsy Discovery where I was privileged to read it as an ARC.
Scuffed Granny 