20 FEBRUARY 1892, Page 25

The Secret of the Magian ; or, the Mystery of

Bcbatana. By A. Laurie. (Sampson Low and Co.)—Mr. Laurie's style and treat- ment of his subject remind us very much of M. Jules Verne. We have the same scientific precision, the same pointed sentences, and cunning intermingling of the improbable with the impossible, that in a far greater degree distinguish that familiar writer. We will not anticipate the story further than to say that it is about the excavations made to discover the ruins of Ecbatana, and the doings of a mysterious Magian. it is an interesting story, and the last parts of it, for imaginative power and impressive descrip- tion, are equal to the best work of the great Jules Verne himself. Boys will be fascinated with it.