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A review by obr
Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng
4.0
I received this book as a giveaway prize, so thank you to GoodReads and Angry Robot for the chance to read and review.
We all know it is never a good idea to judge a book by it's cover. This book however is a perfect example of how to offer up a hint of what is to come within without giving it all away (thank you graphic design/illustration team). It is beautiful in a Victorian fairy-tale way, so intricate and full of little hidden details that... Wait. There's a dead deer beneath those angels. The castle is far more Grimm than Disney. The central figure's baleful gaze, the two beneath her not quite cowering but standing protectively close... There's beauty, but there's something terrible lurking within.
It is a slow burner of a plot, character focused in a closed setting with a small cast of extras. Our narrator, Cathy Helstone, follows her missionary brother Laon to Arcadia where his job is to convert the fae to Christianity. It is here in the fae castle named Gethsemane that mysteries and musings on theology collide. Revelations on the nature of Arcadia and it's inhabitants seem to be the purpose of the siblings' journey, but truth is the weapon of the fae folk and they wield it well. Mankind is in for some home truths as well. Some twists I saw coming, but it felt like watching a detective drama where the audience is allowed to be that half step ahead. There's that apprehension you feel before the main characters realise what you already know.
The tone of the book is set to Gothic throughout, managing to stay dark without being bleak. The world of Arcadia is richly described, and despite being almost entirely set in one location the idea of these other places, society and how the world worked came through to give a good grounding for the events to come. Any criticism I have of the writing would be the chapter openers. While they work to set the scene, the language could be obtuse and I found myself having read a passage before having to go back over it to make sure I understood what it meant. There is also a lot of reliance on real world theology of the Victorian era. I felt lost on occasion when characters discussed points from the Bible. I'm sure there are nuances and hints I missed because of this, which did detract a little from my enjoyment of the book.
On the topic of subject matter, one revelation did strike me as something I could both see coming and hoped wouldn't.
This is one of those looking for a supernatural-infused mystery/suspense. It is a tale reminding us that while truth has power over lies, it isn't always a positive thing. You remember that cover? Much like the book it holds, it is a beautiful montage made up of disturbing details. If you can enjoy a languid pace early on, then by all means follow this maddeningly meandering story. Don't expect big action pieces. The only thing being blown up will be your mind.
We all know it is never a good idea to judge a book by it's cover. This book however is a perfect example of how to offer up a hint of what is to come within without giving it all away (thank you graphic design/illustration team). It is beautiful in a Victorian fairy-tale way, so intricate and full of little hidden details that... Wait. There's a dead deer beneath those angels. The castle is far more Grimm than Disney. The central figure's baleful gaze, the two beneath her not quite cowering but standing protectively close... There's beauty, but there's something terrible lurking within.
It is a slow burner of a plot, character focused in a closed setting with a small cast of extras. Our narrator, Cathy Helstone, follows her missionary brother Laon to Arcadia where his job is to convert the fae to Christianity. It is here in the fae castle named Gethsemane that mysteries and musings on theology collide. Revelations on the nature of Arcadia and it's inhabitants seem to be the purpose of the siblings' journey, but truth is the weapon of the fae folk and they wield it well. Mankind is in for some home truths as well. Some twists I saw coming, but it felt like watching a detective drama where the audience is allowed to be that half step ahead. There's that apprehension you feel before the main characters realise what you already know.
The tone of the book is set to Gothic throughout, managing to stay dark without being bleak. The world of Arcadia is richly described, and despite being almost entirely set in one location the idea of these other places, society and how the world worked came through to give a good grounding for the events to come. Any criticism I have of the writing would be the chapter openers. While they work to set the scene, the language could be obtuse and I found myself having read a passage before having to go back over it to make sure I understood what it meant. There is also a lot of reliance on real world theology of the Victorian era. I felt lost on occasion when characters discussed points from the Bible. I'm sure there are nuances and hints I missed because of this, which did detract a little from my enjoyment of the book.
On the topic of subject matter, one revelation did strike me as something I could both see coming and hoped wouldn't.
Spoiler
The incestual relationship between the Helstone siblings was both expected (given the language used by both of them early on to describe their closeness) but still uncomfortable. A taboo subject in a book where sin is a major theme shouldn't be shocking, but it did still hit me. Thankfully though, while being a book for grown ups, it never went too far into "adult" territory.Spoiler
On another note, the name Helstone struck me a prophetic. Lo and behold, hidden in plain sight...This is one of those looking for a supernatural-infused mystery/suspense. It is a tale reminding us that while truth has power over lies, it isn't always a positive thing. You remember that cover? Much like the book it holds, it is a beautiful montage made up of disturbing details. If you can enjoy a languid pace early on, then by all means follow this maddeningly meandering story. Don't expect big action pieces. The only thing being blown up will be your mind.