4 out of 4 stars
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Bitroux is a sci-fi fantasy novel written by Jordan Harcourt-Hughes. It is set in a world rather like Earth around the time when the railway networks were being built. It explores quite a few themes such as family, extra-terrestrials and magic. It is the first book of the series 'The Metalsmith'.
The plot revolves around Merouac, a senior metalsmith working to build a huge railway line, and his niece, Evra. Merouac’s sister supposedly dies and leaves her daughter, Evra, in his care. However, soon we see that not all is as it seems. There are strange accidents that befall some trains on the line and the appearance of unearthly creatures with Top Hats that only Merouac and Evra can see. Things become even murkier when a strange Ayuherica woman named Heyla enters the story. She reveals that Merouac has the ability to ‘tune’ metal, which means that he can use metal as a conduit to communicate with other worlds. The characters come together to understand what is happening to the planet Ahm and the atmospheric shield that protects it. The shield seems to have disappeared, and this has opened the world up to contact from other planets. Along the way, there are several human moments where Merouac and Evra bond. We see them become a family.
The loveliest thing about this story was the sheer surreality of it all. The planet that the story is set on is so similar to our own that we can so easily relate to it. Yet, there are so many alien elements to it that we never once lose interest. From the spectacular artwork to the style of narration, the author does all that he can to ensure that the reader is mesmerised and spellbound. The narration has a certain lilting feel to it. It causes the reader to feel as though the story just moves along, as if by its own accord. It is all extremely cohesive and comes together beautifully.
The characters are also complex and nuanced. Merouac is the gruff bachelor who is saddled with a child. He must come to terms with guilt over his sister’s apparent death, his confusion at the bewildering events around him and the antics of his new niece. Evra is an innocent child who plays around a lot. Later, we see that she is not without her own secrets. The side characters also have hidden depths, and this makes the book all the more enjoyable.
The only real problem that I had with the book came from its greatest strength. The narrative style works wonderfully when the author is setting up her world or describing mundane events. However, it does not change along with the pace of the story. As the action becomes intense, the lilting, steady flow of the narrative seems rather jarring and out of place. Apart from this minor fault, the book was excellent and complete. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
For the above reasons, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend this book to all fans of fantasy or science fiction, especially younger ones. This is a lovely story with hardly any adult content, making it ideal for younger fans of the genre.
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Bitroux
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