Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant is set in 1807 Istanbul but it’s a fantasy/anachronistic version of 1807 replete with flying boats, feminist protagonists and Roman-style aqueducts! Sword-wielding Indiana Jones-type Delilah’s out to steal treasure from an evil pirate villain and Selim, the titular Turkish Lieutenant, gets caught up for the ride.
I didn’t dislike Tony Cliff’s book but it’s definitely one for the kiddles rather than older readers like my increasingly ancient self. The story is far too simple for my blood - goodie steal valuable thing from baddie - as is the characterisation of the villain, who basically just “grrs” while his helmet covers his eyes. It also has kid’s book logic with the characters jumping off of their plummeting plane and surviving a many-thousands-feet drop because they landed in a tree!
Delilah is an unstoppable force. Whatever obstacle is in her way, she effortlessly overcomes it and that doesn’t make for interesting reading, as well as undercutting any tension the many action sequences could potentially drum up.
Still, Cliff’s art is lovely throughout and, despite the book being easy to put down, I couldn’t say I was ever bored - I just wasn’t that engaged because I’m clearly not the target audience for this kind of book. Older readers probably won’t be quite taken with this one but Delilah Dirk will bound to be a hit with teen comics readers instead.
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