Knopf, 2015.
Review published Aug 2017.
It starts comfortably with an encounter between a young boy and a magical creature, and then we move into a conversation between a group of friends in an English pub. Before you know it, there are several additional threads being spun, and a complicated, delightful, suspenseful time travel fantasy is well under way.
I'm not a frequent reader of science fiction or fantasy, although I'll admit that the few fantasy novels I read generally stick with me for longer than most of my books.
I just loved this novel. Pears writes vividly and carefully, respecting his readers, so we follow right along with him as he develops a multi-layer story, part traditional tale-telling and part dystopian future setting.
The characters are well drawn and individual. The story is fast paced right up to the end of the book.
I enjoy all of his books, from his first, An Instance of the Finger Post, right through Arcadia.
I hope he'll keep writing!