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“Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling”

By | December 13th, 2016
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In the first Delilah Dirk book, Tony Cliff treated us to this globe-trotting adventurer who was good with a sword, quick on her feet, and able to see her way out of practically any situation. Essentially, your prototypical action here. Everything was told through the perspective of Mister Selim, who somehow always found himself being drawn toward her antics. “Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant” was a glorious series of adventures, but it was more of a set of interconnected stories. Despite everything, Mister Selim always viewed Delilah Dirk from a distance. For the sequel, “Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling,” Cliff broadens the scope and amps up the intrigue. At the same time, he makes the material feel far more epic and grand by narrowing down the focus and digging deeper into the characters and their motivations.

Written and Illustrated by Tony Cliff

Delilah Dirk is back in another rollicking historical adventure… Prepare to be swashbuckled! Globetrotting troublemaker Delilah Dirk and her loyal friend Selim are just minding their own business, peacefully raiding castles and and traipsing across enemy lines, when they attract the unwanted attention of the English Army. Before they know it, Delilah and Selim have gotten themselves accused of espionage against the British crown! Delilah will do whatever it takes to clear her good name, be it sneaking, skirmishing, or even sword fighting. But can she bring herself to wear a pretty dress and have a nice cup of tea with her mother? Delilah Dirk may be defeated at last. By tulle.

Much like the original series, the story is narrated through the point-of-view of Mister Selim, a former lieutenant who enjoys the finer aesthetics in life. He’s the Watson to Dirk’s Sherlock Holmes. The Ishmael to her Ahab. Always following, frequently involved, but also in awe of her abilities and actions. He dreams of a quiet, settled down life — not necessarily with Delilah Dirk — but also appears to enjoys the chaos of whatever new situation she managed to get them involved in.

The story is set in 1809 and, quelle surprise, the British and French are at war with each other. While on the way to their next conquest, Delilah Dirk and Mister Selim run afoul of a corrupt British major, Jason Merrick. Merrick is working as a spy for the French and, angry that Delilah Dirk gets away scott-free after humiliating him in front of his father and squadron, tries to plan evidence on her and besmirch her good name. In order to stop him, Delilah Dirk and Mister Selim return to England, where it turns out Delilah Dirk hails from the aristocracy.

Of course, this summary only captures a smidgen of what makes “Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling” so engrossing. Cliff’s ability to deliver action sequences has become even stronger, and you find yourself tearing through the pages during some of these scenes, so caught up in the movement and freneticism. He makes sure to establish and maintain the environment, and you’re never at a loss at who’s standing where or doing what. Cliff also makes sure to utilize said environment to its full effect, giving the book a remarkable string of gags and close-calls. One of the best examples comes when Delilah Dirk and Mister Selim are making a desperate escape from the Merrick Escape.

There are a ton of fights and explosions and chases all throughout the book, but Cliff never allows them to become boring or redundant. For one, he makes sure the high octane scenes serve to move the story forward or reveal something about the characters. It might be personality tics, fighting tactics, or motivations. These scenes feel like the necessary progression in the narrative rather than Cliff needed a way to end each act, and that makes them more effective and interesting.

But Cliff’s real ambition here is to round out Delilah Dirk herself. There’s a danger when taking a character who’s been previously portrayed so enigmatically and trying to flesh out their personality. They might lose their cool or charm or that spark that makes us gravitate toward them. Cliff avoids that here. Delilah Dirk might be hailing from high class, but she’s still the ambitious, head-strong, daredevil, sort of selfish, and determined person we met in the first book. Cliff gives her a strong foil in Major Merrick, who also exhibits all these qualities, except for nefarious purposes.

Tony Cliff has done a fine job with “Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling.” The book is fast-paced and full of practical action. It never loses sight of its characters and manages to conclude in a sweet ending. (Though I wonder if in future books Cliff plans to make an ongoing/overarching villain for her to deal with: this volume certainly seems to point that way.) It bursts with color, energy, and a keen sense of fun. Even if the scope isn’t as broad as the initial volume, the stronger focus makes it more thrilling.


Matthew Garcia

Matt hails from Colorado. He can be found on Twitter as @MattSG.

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