A review by allisonjpmiller
Jango by William Nicholson

4.0

William Nicholson has a knack for "middle stories" - I remember being equally invested in the second volume of his Wind on Fire trilogy. Perhaps it's the fact that all three characters step out from under the shadows of their archetypes here, whereas in the first volume, they were almost too easily cast - I don't know. I just know that I very much appreciate the rich themes and ideas Nicholson allows to breathe in his work. He never softens the impact of certain actions. His stories feel true. That's perhaps the best compliment I can give to any work of fiction. (Also, he wins the bizarre award for some of the plot devices and characters - Professor Ortus and his "charged water"? Weird stuff, man.)