Born covered in feathers, Marea grew up hidden away from view. Even though the women in the whorehouse where she lived revered her and treated her as a precious treasure, she began to hate that which made her special and to question more and more her own existence. Eventually she makes the difficult decision to fly the nest and leave to find her father, a near-mythical figure in her mother’s bedtime stories. Her journey takes her to the City of Murmurs and, whilst there, she finds much more than she ever expected to.
Marea is a character who you can’t help but love. Her innocence is as endearing as her uniqueness is intriguing and her questioning nature leads the reader on a fascinating journey of discovery. In fact, all of the characters in this book are perfectly loveable; they all have their flaws, yet Cartwright somehow manages to make you overlook them all and focus on the positive qualities instead. The seductive but honest character of Elver contrasts with the steadfast and introspective character of Leo, but in a way that prevents either of them from reflecting badly on the other. In the same way, the parental figures of Leman and Professor Elms are contrasted by their open and closed attitudes and their fun and more serious personalities without either one making the other look bad.
The most absorbing aspect of this book, other than the magic of Marea’s feathers, is the setting in the City of Murmurs. It is such a unique setting and I love how Cartwright keeps her descriptions simple, but poignant. Her descriptions are built on a foundation of emotions rather than facts and this gives a deeper insight to the world as it develops. The reverent descriptions of the ‘wishing doors’ are one of the best examples of this. Marea has multiple different experiences in the spaces behind these doors, each of which has a different emotion connected to it. Their importance to the community, and the respect given to them, is clearly shown and yet they are also revealed to be mundane spaces at the same time.
I loved going on Marea’s journey with her, learning about the world and experiencing it at her pace and slowly unravelling the truths that shaped her.
Escape to the Bookshelf 