A master at writing for young adults begins a delicious new series.

W.A.R.P. Book 1 – The Reluctant Assassin
Author: Eoin Colfer
Publisher: Puffin Books, 321 pages

TIME travel stories are notoriously tricky to write because the author has to balance the plausibility of the concept with the momentum of the plot. Too much exposition on how the time travelling is done and the book risks getting boring; too little, and it starts feeling like an ill-thought-out plot device.

Which is why Eoin Colfer’s latest book, The Reluctant Assassin, is so fantastic: time travel is the device around which the plot hinges, but the concept is woven in so perfectly that you don’t think twice about it.

Famous for the Artemis Fowl series as well as books like The Wish List and The Supernaturalist, Colfer has proven himself time and again a master at writing for young adults, blending fantasy, adventure and humour in just the right amounts. The Reluctant Assassin is no exception.

The novel is the first in a series called W.A.R.P., which stands for Witness Anonymous Relocation Programme, a top-secret witness protection programme by the FBI that hides people in the one place they can’t be found – the past. Sounds foolproof, right? Far from it.

The story begins in Victorian London, where an illusionist-turned-assassin named Albert Garrick and his young orphaned apprentice Riley are about to commit a murder. An unexpected series of events, however, get them tangled up with WARP, and Riley is transported through a neatly explained time-travelling device to the present day.

Meanwhile, in our time, a precocious 19-year-old FBI agent named Chevron (Chevie) Savano is on a dead-end detail in London, as punishment for her impulsive behaviour on a previous mission in Los Angeles.

Little does she realise that her boring posting is soon about to become a frantic chase not just around London, but through time – because it isn’t just Riley who made it to the present, but the brilliant and bloodthirsty Garrick too, who intends to use his newly-acquired knowledge in all sorts of diabolical ways.

Forced to partner up, Chevie and Riley must try their best to stay on Garrick’s tail while keeping out of his way, as they zip back and forth from present day to 19th century London.

Colfer’s descriptive abilities are in top form, particularly his realisation of Riley’s London. By the time he is done taking us through a sleazy criminals’ den and a filthy slum, you can practically smell the sewage of the Dickensian city. Equally absorbing is Riley’s awed reactions upon his introduction to the city in modern times.

The Reluctant Assassin does not have the laugh-out-loud humour of the Artemis Fowl novels, though Colfer’s wit still shines through in the dialogue and plot. Instead, the series seems to be adopting a darker tone, with vivid descriptions of grisly murders and the squalor of Victorian London.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the characterisation of Garrick. This master of disguise and sleight-of-hand is no bumbling bad guy, but rather, a chilling villain who is genuinely disturbing.

Chevie and Riley, meanwhile, are both instantly likeable and share great rapport. Chevie’s bravado and sarcasm, coupled with Riley’s street smarts and old-school charm make them a delightful pair, with some of the best parts being when each is forced to adapt to a London from a different time.

Part sci-fi, part cat-and-mouse adventure and part mystery, the story keeps you breathlessly engaged till the very end, and when you get there, you immediately wish there was more. Colfer leaves us with tantalising hints of the series’ future. Here’s hoping that we get to read it sooner rather than later.

Win the book

HERE’S your chance to get your hands on The Reluctant Assassin, the first book in Eoin Colfer’s thrilling new time-travel series called W.A.R.P.

Penguin Books Malaysia has three copies of the book to give away – if you can prove yourself to be a true fan!

To win, answer the following questions:

1. What does W.A.R.P. stand for?

2. Who are the two protagonists in The Reluctant Assassin?

3. If you had to hide in the past, which bygone era would you pick and why? (Answer in 50 words or less.)

E-mail your answers to contest@penguinbooks.com.my, with “W.A.R.P. CONTEST” in the subject line.

Remember to include your full name, age, phone number, address and e-mail address. This contest closes at midnight on May 19, 2013.

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