Nonesuch
By Francis Spufford
Review by Renata
This is another ambitious and riotously playful outing from the genre-bending Spufford. It’s both a gritty, atmospheric and well-researched evocation of London in the Blitz, and a wild, magic-fuelled adventure complete with giant blue angels and sinister, enslaved monsters. In less competent hands, this mash-up of genres and ideas could get unwieldy fast, but Spufford juggles all the elements with style. The emotionally complex relationships aren’t treated as an afterthought as they are in some fantasy, resulting in storytelling that compels on multiple levels. Spufford is clearly having a very good time and his enjoyment is infectious.
For fans of Spufford’s Cahokia Jazz, and the work of Elizabeth Knox.
Note: this is part one of a duology, with the sequel currently underway.
