Many thanks to Tracy Fenton and Compulsive Readers for my spot on this Blog Tour.
A very well researched book which had a curse as the focal point. It all started with one and led to a merry chase.
William Abbey in Africa, did not save a child from the mob. The child died and the mother cursed him that the shadow of her child would pursue him throughout his life. If the shadow caught William, someone close to him would die. And William needed to be on the move in any mode of transportation. The shadow would come after him at a steady rate. And William in essence became the Truth-Teller. He could read minds and would be forced to tell the truth.
My first book by author Claire North, I was quite fascinated with the curse as such a thing is common in my land. I have cursed once or twice at men… No idea if that came true ever. So getting to the story, I liked the long twisted road that William had to take to keep a step ahead of his shadow.
The author’s hard work was portrayed well in the way different cultures and histories of the land were written. I liked seeing William traverse through different worlds, always telling the truth. A price he had to pay. The story moved at a child’s pace and was quite detailed with William’s thoughts. Ending was
Quite a few scenes were powerfully written, some of them were hard hitting. The words produced a strong imagery which remained all through the book. The author was plenty talented, that was obvious in the characterization of William Abbey. I could feel for him as his curse forced him to do what he would have probably never chosen.
Overall, quite a different read.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and publisher, and this is my journey into its pages, straight from the heart!! STRICTLY HONEST AND UNBIASED.
All my reviews can be read here
Claire North is actually Catherine Webb, a Carnegie Medal-nominated young-adult novel author whose first book, Mirror Dreams, was written when she was just 14 years old. She went on to write seven more successful YA novels.
South Africa in the 1880s. A young and naive English doctor by the name of William Abbey witnesses the lynching of a local boy by the white colonists. As the child dies, his mother curses William.
William begins to understand what the curse means when the shadow of the dead boy starts following him across the world. It never stops, never rests. It can cross oceans and mountains. And if it catches him, the person he loves most in the world will die.
Publication Date: 12th November 2019
Publisher: Orbit
13 Responses
I like this curse trope, sounds interesting. Great review!
I love cursing… None come true 😂😂😂 my ex-es are enjoying their lives
😂 At least it come true in fantasy and fiction.
Hehehe 😂 😂 😂 😂
Nice review, Shalini – but I am shocked to learn that you have ‘cursed once or twice at men’. I did not realise that you had such a dark power. And I did not know that you lived in a land where curses were so common. I am going to be SO careful in future about what I say and do….!!!???
Aww Laurence you are my darling heart and I am pretty sure you don’t play stupid games. Hehehe that was not for you.
Now I live by forgive and forget most times. All women have powers. We are the stronger sex you know.
Now getting to the main topic. Have you missed my baby brown eyes as much as I have missed you? 😍
Oh Shalini, you have given me so much to worry about. Here I was just trying to imagine your baby brown eyes but now I am spending all my time worrying about curses and witchcraft and bad things happening to me when I least expect it. It is all so exhausting. I don’t know why Nina or Jessica or Jay didn’t warn me about your eldritch (now there’s a word!) powers….It is like nothing makes sense to me any more. Am I really doomed…???
Omg omg you are beyond all this. Witchcraft and me? When did you become doom and gloom? Hehehe 😂😂
This put a chill up my spine – I would worry for society if I had cursing powers – traffic would be much easier though 😉
Oooh that would be your powers? I would make a man my puppet
I can see you with an army of minions 😉
oh goodness. well, that’s a great review, but i’m not sure what to think about the book. different for you, yes? so i guess then that karma would have to come later. the curse is for immediate gratification. yes?
True… The entire writing style too was quite different…
You are right. Immediate gratification. Karma is too slow Curses are not the hooky pooky kinds at least none that I can do. But sometimes it just comes from soul when the pain has been too higg