The Whatnot by Stefan BachmannMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
With "The Peculiar" fresh in mind, I embarked excitedly upon "The Whatnot". Like its predecessor, it has a magnificant cover, filled with whimsical charm and a story inside to match. Bachman pens a splendid narrative, filled with evocative colour and vibrancy; lyrical and poetic, he casts a magical weave.
"The Whatnot" picks up some six or so years after the door to the faerie lands was temporarily opened, and Bartholomew's sister, Hettie, snatched away into the other world. He has never given up looking for her. But what is several years for him, has been a decidedly shorter preiod of time for her. Hettie is given decidedly more personality in this book, playing a much more important role, as she becomes the maid-servant/pet for a sidhe noblewoman. Meanwhile, back in Victorian England, a boy without an eye is having visions, and may be the key to the location of a faerie door. However, the English are about to go to war with the fae and things are about to get deadly.
These worlds are so exquisitely imagined, surreal in beauty and charm. The characters are given more room to shine, and the narrative flows at a smooth and lyrical pace. The sort of book that once you have picked it up, it is easy to keep reading and be drawn away into a vibrant and forboding land.
And, I am happy to report, that this ending left me feeling contented!
eARC courtesy of Harper Collins and NetGalley, an EXCELLENT site for book reviewers, librarians and booksellers. I recommend it if you love reading (and love reading books first).
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