As I read this book, I felt an air of nostalgia running through it as I was reminded of the magical tales that turned me into a reader as a child; the magic is palpable yet mysterious throughout and the Mountfathom seat is so richly ornamented that it heightens magic into another realm for the reader. Indeed, the description of Mountfathom is where this narrative really soars; there is breathtaking detail and the scale of the mansion, with its rooms dedicated to The Amazon and The World, are highly original and exciting to read- I loved Luke’s room, where the Amazon rainforest lingers on one wall and ghostly traces keep a benevolent eye on his every move. These descriptions encapsulate the sense that we are always on the cusp of the unknown and adventure throughout this tale.
One aspect which took me a while to accept was the writing style. Sentences are a little off-kilter and staccato. This clipped language meant it was easy to get in a muddle at first (the prologue- whilst highly intriguing was a befuddling beginning) Indeed, the opening sentence of the novel neatly outlines the twists and turns of language that take a while to navigate; “There is a road. A narrow way that circles countryside in twist and hairpin and meander and whirlabout, but difficult to find-“. However, once I got used to this, I found the snappy sentences added pace and immediacy to the plot- I was swept up in the action and the use of the present tense allows you direct access into Luke’s thoughts and movements- it ended up being one of the more successful and long lasting effects of the novel for me; the immediacy never let up and you raced towards to end before you were ready.
The rapidity was the aim, I believe. One trope of the novel was the darkness and the Unknown- Luke is always questioning whether he is ready to take the leap into it, yet the speed this novel picks up around two thirds of the way through adds tension as Luke must face his fears whether he is ready or not. Before this, I would say that the pace lags a little; the description and characterisation is fantastic, particularly the figures making up the Driochta and I really enjoyed the Gaelic language which infused more magic and mystery into this narrative. However, there is a lack of explanation of the world outside the confines of Mountfathom; there is clear political unrest which is explained in a rather rushed manner, the wealth of characters can confuse and, whilst I finished this novel in two days, I found the villain of the piece lacked potency due to his sweeping motivations which weren’t all that clear to me. Killian is a refreshing change, however, we journey too quickly through his life and I wish he had entered the narrative sooner. Magical elements were, generally, vivid and exciting, I really liked the Mogrifying of the Driochta, however, the Ash dragons, slated as the most terrifying and powerful magical figures were barely given any background.
The last quarter of the book was easily the most exciting and vivid with more description and plot development surrounding the threat lurking outside Mountfathom’s grand doors. I would have liked to see more of these climactic events, but when they arrived, they were well worth the wait. The ending was a surprise and I have rarely read such an original and unexpected plot arc from the fantasy genre. I did feel ripped away from the action just when I wanted to invest in it; however, like the trope of the unknown, McDowell had an important message to convey with this technique. Tragically, he died before the publication of this novel so, naturally, the writing is infused with a sense of impermanence and a fleeting sense of time. The darkness and our journey through it goes beyond the magical realm at the end of this novel and it felt real and relevant. Luke and Killian’s fate is at once tragic and uplifting, with the bonds forged on earth providing strength for that first step into the unknown. The ending has the potential to be tragic, yet, McDowell’s poetic language once again allows us to soar into an ethereal and, ultimately, magical end which provides comfort rather than dwells on fear. A haunting end to a highly enjoyable book. It is a great sadness that we will not read more of this highly talented writer.
One aspect which took me a while to accept was the writing style. Sentences are a little off-kilter and staccato. This clipped language meant it was easy to get in a muddle at first (the prologue- whilst highly intriguing was a befuddling beginning) Indeed, the opening sentence of the novel neatly outlines the twists and turns of language that take a while to navigate; “There is a road. A narrow way that circles countryside in twist and hairpin and meander and whirlabout, but difficult to find-“. However, once I got used to this, I found the snappy sentences added pace and immediacy to the plot- I was swept up in the action and the use of the present tense allows you direct access into Luke’s thoughts and movements- it ended up being one of the more successful and long lasting effects of the novel for me; the immediacy never let up and you raced towards to end before you were ready.
The rapidity was the aim, I believe. One trope of the novel was the darkness and the Unknown- Luke is always questioning whether he is ready to take the leap into it, yet the speed this novel picks up around two thirds of the way through adds tension as Luke must face his fears whether he is ready or not. Before this, I would say that the pace lags a little; the description and characterisation is fantastic, particularly the figures making up the Driochta and I really enjoyed the Gaelic language which infused more magic and mystery into this narrative. However, there is a lack of explanation of the world outside the confines of Mountfathom; there is clear political unrest which is explained in a rather rushed manner, the wealth of characters can confuse and, whilst I finished this novel in two days, I found the villain of the piece lacked potency due to his sweeping motivations which weren’t all that clear to me. Killian is a refreshing change, however, we journey too quickly through his life and I wish he had entered the narrative sooner. Magical elements were, generally, vivid and exciting, I really liked the Mogrifying of the Driochta, however, the Ash dragons, slated as the most terrifying and powerful magical figures were barely given any background.
The last quarter of the book was easily the most exciting and vivid with more description and plot development surrounding the threat lurking outside Mountfathom’s grand doors. I would have liked to see more of these climactic events, but when they arrived, they were well worth the wait. The ending was a surprise and I have rarely read such an original and unexpected plot arc from the fantasy genre. I did feel ripped away from the action just when I wanted to invest in it; however, like the trope of the unknown, McDowell had an important message to convey with this technique. Tragically, he died before the publication of this novel so, naturally, the writing is infused with a sense of impermanence and a fleeting sense of time. The darkness and our journey through it goes beyond the magical realm at the end of this novel and it felt real and relevant. Luke and Killian’s fate is at once tragic and uplifting, with the bonds forged on earth providing strength for that first step into the unknown. The ending has the potential to be tragic, yet, McDowell’s poetic language once again allows us to soar into an ethereal and, ultimately, magical end which provides comfort rather than dwells on fear. A haunting end to a highly enjoyable book. It is a great sadness that we will not read more of this highly talented writer.