London...but different. Genius

 

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ For those who lean toward immense world-building ingenuity in a sci-fiesque novel, The Great When may be precisely what you've been looking for. In it we track Dennis Knuckleyard (fab name!) as he finds himself in a spot of bother brought on by a book he should not possess. This troublesome book takes him to places our mildly dim anti-hero is not meant to tred putting himself, and others, in danger as he does so. Along the way he meets more than a few colourful characters who help, and hinder, him on the way. Think of it as The Odyssey in deepest, darkest historical London.

I found the setting in post WWII London a rich, inspired novel to sink my teeth in. I love this period and especially enjoyed the unique dialects and lingo particular to London born people. The deprivation of this time and difficulties our orphaned Dennis face felt authentic and plausible...to a certain extent. The otherworldly aspects of The Great When are entirely fanciful and awe inspiring. A magical world the reader enjoys stumbling upon with the hapless Dennis as he navigates this previously unknown world.

As said before this felt like The Odyssey but mashed up with magical Harry Potter in a bomb debris depression era world. Ingenious, rich with fascination in a place new and unlike anything I've read before, I cannot see how this the start of a quintet but find unbelievability to be a magic potion in this new, undiscovered world. Great fun!