This is a beautifully evocative novel with a compelling central theme - man's quest for knowledge - and some magical ingredients - the double storyline (past and present), the 16th-century Mediterranean setting, the optical device, the 'twins', Jutland, physics, astronomy, archaeology, destiny, superstition and legend. Jamal Mahjoub has an extraordinary imagination and uses language in a striking way (he is particularly good at evoking all the sounds and smells of the different places in the novel). This book heralds the arrival of an extremely distinctive young novelist.