A review by daemonad
The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth

4.0

If I were to judge this book only by its prose and language then this would be the best historical fiction I have ever read. The hybrid of old and modern English that mr. Kingsnorth devised to make the story sound "triewe" was a great bonus and in no way a hindrance. English is my second language and after few pages of getting used to this hybrid, it became easy to read and I would have it no other way. The story is told by Buccmaster of Holland. At first he comes off as strong and introspective; however, he strangely devolves into a petty, cowardly creature until finally we see him for what he is - a madman. If this transition was happening through longer period of time it would perhaps work but this happens in a span of 2 years. It was not the Buccmaster who filled my heart with yearning and sadness for the dying magic of his fens, lakes and forests. Such deep love for the earth and its magic couldn't come from a cowardly heart, it came from mr. Kingsnorth and perhaps it was the great smith Weland who wove such spell over me:)