A unique and mind blowing book that will definitely have you lost in The Spiral!
I really enjoy books that mix things up, be it a book written entirely in lists or a story told via texts, screenplays or emails and The Spiral is another one I can add to this list!
Before I go any further I will say that this book is a mix of mystery / thriller but also sprinkled with some fantasy but even though I’m not normally a fan of the fantasy genre I really enjoyed this.
Chapters alternate between Erma and a character called Sero the Barbarian. Sero is a fantasy character who you follow in this alternate world as he battles Orcs and collects gold, all whilst he tries to find someone who can restore his memories.
I don’t want to go into too much detail, one to avoid spoilers and one because I really do think this book is best enjoyed not knowing anything. All I will say is that everything is connected, the fantasy parts are not just randomly placed, they are there for a reason. Part 3 was totally unexpected and is the part that mixed things up as mentioned above – also I felt like this section was a trick (you’ll understand when you read it) and wasn’t sure if what I was reading was correct so I did go back and re read that part once I’d finished where I discovered so much more.
I will admit this book left me feeling totally confused and even now I still think about it and I either remain confused or something falls into place. However, maybe I’m overthinking it, but I feel this is how the author wants you to feel. He wants you to be confused, dazed and lost in this strange world just like the character of Erma is. I really do feel after reading this that I definitely got lost in The Spiral and I’m still not sure I’ve made my way out!
Overall this book was completely different and unique to anything I’ve read before. As previously mentioned, the fantasy genre isn’t normally my ‘cup of tea’ but I felt it worked so well within this story and it just blew my mind that I’m still not sure exactly what I’ve just read.
Before I go any further I will say that this book is a mix of mystery / thriller but also sprinkled with some fantasy but even though I’m not normally a fan of the fantasy genre I really enjoyed this.
Chapters alternate between Erma and a character called Sero the Barbarian. Sero is a fantasy character who you follow in this alternate world as he battles Orcs and collects gold, all whilst he tries to find someone who can restore his memories.
I don’t want to go into too much detail, one to avoid spoilers and one because I really do think this book is best enjoyed not knowing anything. All I will say is that everything is connected, the fantasy parts are not just randomly placed, they are there for a reason. Part 3 was totally unexpected and is the part that mixed things up as mentioned above – also I felt like this section was a trick (you’ll understand when you read it) and wasn’t sure if what I was reading was correct so I did go back and re read that part once I’d finished where I discovered so much more.
I will admit this book left me feeling totally confused and even now I still think about it and I either remain confused or something falls into place. However, maybe I’m overthinking it, but I feel this is how the author wants you to feel. He wants you to be confused, dazed and lost in this strange world just like the character of Erma is. I really do feel after reading this that I definitely got lost in The Spiral and I’m still not sure I’ve made my way out!
Overall this book was completely different and unique to anything I’ve read before. As previously mentioned, the fantasy genre isn’t normally my ‘cup of tea’ but I felt it worked so well within this story and it just blew my mind that I’m still not sure exactly what I’ve just read.