To be published 17/02/2021…
Joan is a monster. Her gran has always been honest with her about that, although she has never quite explained what exactly that meant. When Joan accidentally uses her powers she is thrust into a world of monsters more dangerous and more complicated than she could have imagined. And where there are monsters, there are also those that slay them. Nothing is quite as it seems and Joan learns that she has more secrets than she knew. Secrets she doesn’t fully understand and can’t trust anybody with.
A simple plot of grief, love, and heroes versus monsters is given depth with a colourful cast of characters. Dividing the monsters into clan-type families allows for a multitude of characters without weighing the plot down with excess names, and faces. Those who are important enough to be given names and faces are made into well-rounded characters with often surprising personalities and backstories. Nick has perhaps one of the most complex backstories, whilst Tom’s is the most surprising, and Aaron’s is the most mysterious with only hints of it given throughout. The mostly unexplained animosity between the Oliver and Hunt families adds an extra depth to the characters that is constantly visible in their interactions.
The idea of time travel is always a complicated one, but Vanessa Len manages to keep it unexpectedly simple and easy to follow. She enforces a simple set rules and, although it seems they can be broken, this keeps the plot from becoming tangled with questions and inconsistencies. It also helps that the setting stays within two main time periods, opening a window of possibility without creating a thread of confusion. The method of time travel is also simple, as well as being unique; I enjoyed seeing a typical science-fiction trope re-rooted firmly in the fantasy genre.
Escape to the Bookshelf 