Freedom and Necessity

the long version

It is 1849. James Cobham, young man about London, has tragically drowned in a boating accident. Or has he? Two months after his disappearance, his cousin receives a letter. James is in hiding, with no memory of the last two months. His cousin responds that he probably ought to continue in hiding, and the adventures begin. Told through letters, diaries, and real contemporary documents, this unique novel by two of today's freshest and most popular fantasists leads the reader through every corner of mid-nineteenth-century Britain, from the parlors of the elite to the dens of the underclass. Not since Wilkie Collins or Conan Doyle has there been such a profusion of guns, swordfights, family intrigues, women disguised as men, secret societies, occult pursuits, philosophical discussions, and passionate romance. And not since the historical romps of George MacDonald Fraser has there been such a complex, satisfying array of historical characters and startling events.