The Inquisitor’s Apprentice is a combination of a historical novel meets fantasy.  The story takes place in New York City during the era of Thomas Alva Edison, during the hustle and bustle of the tenement buildings and the mansions of the extremely wealthy.  The police dept. has a chief ‘inquisitor’ whose job it is to stop magic from being used for nefarious purposes.  The title actually refers to two apprentices to the Chief Inquisitor, one from a Jewish tenement and the other from an extremely wealthy family.  The plot is about a ridiculously wealthy and influential man, using (and coercing) Edison’s genius to create and install for his exclusive use the technology to use magic, unhindered, to his advantage.  The beginning grabs you, and the ending wraps up nicely and satisfyingly.  However, the middle does stall and seem to drag on needlessly.  I gave it a ‘recommended’ review because I’m a history nut and really enjoyed how the setting played into the story.  This book won’t be for everyone, and only students who’ve read a wide variety of novels and have a greater understanding of history, will appreciate it.  I,  however, loved it.