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A review by brennanlafaro
A Stranger's Guide by Charlotte Platt
Charlotte Platt’s debut, A Stranger’s Guide, is something markedly different from Silver Shamrock, a press that consistently seeks out story and doesn’t lean too heavily into one sub-genre or another. This book takes us on a journey into dark fantasy. More specifically, a variation of fantasy that sees fantastical elements interspersed with a modern day city. With that in mind, it reminded me of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, one of my all time favorite fantasy stories, and an underrated Gaiman book.
In the case of A Stranger’s Guide, the action takes place in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. Our main character, Carter, rolls into town to find his missing sister, Sarah. The only tools he has to find Sarah are her group of friends and a mysterious journal she was working to unravel when she disappeared. Platt drops us right into the middle of a world with pre-established abilities and an accepted understanding of magic. It’s an intriguing introduction, but I did find myself wishing we got a little more in the way of the abilities presented, mainly how common they are and a little more about the different types.
Where this novel really shines is in Carter’s travels around the city and the creatures, monsters, and otherworldly beings encountered. Dex, the primary antagonist, sort of anyway, is potentially the most layered and interesting character. Unraveling his motives and what is fact versus fiction in the scenes he shares with Carter is a lot of fun, and was done supremely well by Platt. Side note, if this is ever adapted for television, and it would work well as a limited series, I couldn’t imagine anyone other than James Spader providing Dex’s voice.
Along the way, we also meet characters from mythology, theology, demonology, and who-knows-where-ology. I won’t spoil because taking the journey with Carter and experiencing what he experiences is what provided the best part of the reading adventure. I will say that Blob is sure to be a reader-favorite. The story and the world excel and create a very original piece of fiction, sometimes more so than the human characters. Carter acts as a vessel to propel the story forward, but I found him hard to invest in at times. As a result, some events that occur later in the story hold a bit less weight. I will say that this was my personal experience, and I have already seen other readers who don’t share it.
A Stranger’s Guide is a fun bit of dark fantasy that builds up its own underground world in Glasgow. I know it’s odd to have the words ‘fun’ and ‘dark’ in such close proximity, but it’s to Charlotte Platt’s credit that she’s created something that fits the description. The book clocks in at 374 pages and I tore through it in about four days. I’d recommend to fans of urban fantasy.
I was given a copy by the publisher for review consideration.
In the case of A Stranger’s Guide, the action takes place in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. Our main character, Carter, rolls into town to find his missing sister, Sarah. The only tools he has to find Sarah are her group of friends and a mysterious journal she was working to unravel when she disappeared. Platt drops us right into the middle of a world with pre-established abilities and an accepted understanding of magic. It’s an intriguing introduction, but I did find myself wishing we got a little more in the way of the abilities presented, mainly how common they are and a little more about the different types.
Where this novel really shines is in Carter’s travels around the city and the creatures, monsters, and otherworldly beings encountered. Dex, the primary antagonist, sort of anyway, is potentially the most layered and interesting character. Unraveling his motives and what is fact versus fiction in the scenes he shares with Carter is a lot of fun, and was done supremely well by Platt. Side note, if this is ever adapted for television, and it would work well as a limited series, I couldn’t imagine anyone other than James Spader providing Dex’s voice.
Along the way, we also meet characters from mythology, theology, demonology, and who-knows-where-ology. I won’t spoil because taking the journey with Carter and experiencing what he experiences is what provided the best part of the reading adventure. I will say that Blob is sure to be a reader-favorite. The story and the world excel and create a very original piece of fiction, sometimes more so than the human characters. Carter acts as a vessel to propel the story forward, but I found him hard to invest in at times. As a result, some events that occur later in the story hold a bit less weight. I will say that this was my personal experience, and I have already seen other readers who don’t share it.
A Stranger’s Guide is a fun bit of dark fantasy that builds up its own underground world in Glasgow. I know it’s odd to have the words ‘fun’ and ‘dark’ in such close proximity, but it’s to Charlotte Platt’s credit that she’s created something that fits the description. The book clocks in at 374 pages and I tore through it in about four days. I’d recommend to fans of urban fantasy.
I was given a copy by the publisher for review consideration.