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Thank-you to the publisher and author for providing me with an ARC copy of the Lyme Brook Mist to review via Netgalley.
It’s been a while since I last wrote a book review! I’ve been reading a lot this year. I don’t typically set myself reading goals, as I’d much rather focus on content than numbers.
Yet considering how bleak 2020 has been, I figured why not. Small joys, right? My Goodreads Challenge has pushed me to finally read the books collecting dust on my shelf. I set a reasonable goal of 48 books, and I’ve now surpassed 57… nearly 58.
Today I’m reviewing a fun, Lewis Carroll-esque read: The Lyme Brook Mist by Anton Corvus.
The Lyme Brook Mist by Anton Corvus
The Lyme Brook Mist by Anton Corvus was a short read. A fun, curious tale, featuring a ridiculous political system. I lost myself in reading it, a joy I haven’t felt in fiction for a while.
Leo, a teenage boy from Newcastle, finds himself on an unintentional adventure. He meets some strange characters and goes on a Wonderland-style journey. The alternate reality Leo ends up in is very different, but at the same time, very similar to the world he left.
The resulting situations are hilarious, mysterious, and entertaining. The characters were endearing, sometimes surprising, and very British. I adored the references to some of my favourite writers, Edgar Allan Poe and Edward Lear. If you love Lewis Caroll’s work, you’ll probably enjoy this! It’s nonsensical in the best way. Once you understand what ‘beakery’ is, you won’t be able to get it out of your mind.
I would have loved The Lyme Brook Mist as a child, but I enjoyed it as an adult too! Anton Corvus is a wonderful storyteller. I appreciated the intentional ridiculousness of the plot, language play, and mystical elements.
I did, however, find myself a bit surprised by Leo’s vocabulary and knowledge. He was certainly very well-read for a 12-year-old boy! At times I forgot that the novel is set in 2018, as he referenced many Classical music pieces and literature works. I’m not sure if that’s particularly representative of a 12-year-old British boy in 2018, but perhaps I’m over-analysing.
One scene did ‘drag’ a little for me, involving a courtroom scenario. Otherwise, I enjoyed the plot, the mood, and especially the language and references. I love a bit of nonsense, and the Lyme Brook Mist ticked that box!
Get your copy of The Lyme Brook Mist by Anton Corvus.
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