The Castle Omnibus by Steph Swainston
(Victor Gollancz, 2010, PB, £16.99)
The Castle Omnibus is one of the most fascinating and refreshingly original fantasy series I’ve ever read, gathering the trilogy of The Year Of Our War, No Present Like Time, and The Modern World. Instead of a muscle bound warrior or powerful mage as the main character we get Jant, a womanising junkie who also happens to be the only man in the world who can fly. And he’s immortal, although long life hasn’t gifted him with any great amount of wisdom. The world Swainston has created is at times beautiful, savage and even overwhelming, yet the reader is kept grounded by the humanity that is bestowed on the characters. It’s a shame that so few writers have the imagination that Swainston does.
Jonathan Taylor, Geekzine Assistant Editor (& Lead Bookseller, Waterstone’s Fort Kinnaird, Edinburgh)
Please note: This review originally appeared in issue 5 of the Edinburgh Geekzine, published in spring 2010.
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