The Wolf in the Attic

"Above the silent rooms on the third floor there is an attic. I know this because I have stood outside and studied the house, the way you study a person's face to tell if they are telling the truth or a lie." (Loc 696)

I picked this book up on a whim as it sounded interesting--a 1920's Oxford setting with C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien as two of the characters. The book's description hinted at a "fantastic world", and I was intrigued by the main character being a young girl who was also a refugee. Furthermore, the book had received glowing praise from two authors whose work I enjoy: Dave Hutchinson and Adam Roberts.

I am very glad I found this book, or did the book find me? It has introduced me to another gifted storyteller whose work I will read more of. (I quickly picked up a copy of Kearney's A Different Kingdom after finishing this book.) It reminded me a little of Robert Holdstock's 1984 novel Mythago Wood in its combining of myth with landscape. I recommend The Wolf in the Attic to readers looking for a different kind of fantasy story, one with strong roots in the "real world" but also roots that go deeper into the ancient myths of Albion.

Recommended.

"He has a smile like the blade of a knife, and his eyes, when he smiles, close to two slots from which the silver light gleams, and the fire has no reflection there." (Loc 2698)

(More detailed review on my blog.)