P. E. T. Conroy reviewed Mordew by Alex Pheby
Looking forward to the sequel
5 stars
Content warning May contain hints of some plot points/elements
This book is longish but can be completed in one or two sittings (184,483)...
Reading the blurb is a little sleight of hand - you imagine that the blurb is the central part of the story (it is the point rather than the main part)...
The blurb doesn't reach the dead person mentioned in the blurb until about 75% of the way through, maybe as much as 90% of the way through! So forget that, and enjoy the journey from slum to manse (a very British word for a minister's house)...
The world-building is deftly done, very slight but generally enough - it's earth or a parallel earth with Noah's ark mentioned and a variation of the Horse or Troy, but it's a world with magic, which makes me suspect there is a history yet to be revealed... We've been following the unaware main character, which doesn't elucidate enough of the world to understand everything.
There is an 'interlude' where we are gifted the viewpoint of a particularly unusual character (but not so unusual for fantasy), but it works; it is the most philosophical chapter.
There is so much here - but the story is undoubtedly solid and well-paced (though, of course, you want it to move quicker when reading) - it is incredibly well written, though the use of words may be a little pompous - it hasn't been aimed at the same reading age as 'The Sun' (7 y.o. ) - and this perhaps will place it in a hard to read category for some.
I look forward to the sequel to see how the main character resolves and learn more about this world.