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Review by:Cadet Author: Chris Wooding Style: Fiction Status: Finished Read Rating:   Published: 2001 Publisher: Scholastic Books |
| Description: The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray is an interesting tale that walks the lines between Steam Punk, in its almost perpetually Victorian Setting, Gothic Horror, in the almost Lovecraftian “unspeakable horror” nature of the greater evils in the book, and an alternate history novel. The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray takes place in an alternate London following a disastrous British/Prussian war, which is described in terms of World War I like unending trench fighting costing millions of lives. The horrors of this war released the Wych-kin, demonic creatures that now inhabit every city, stalking the streets at night. In this world humans have developed who can detect, track, and hunt Wych-kin, appropriately called wych-hunters. The hero of the novel is Thaniel Fox, a young apprentice wych-hunter. One evening while hunting a wych-kin, Thaniel encounters Alaizabel Cray in confused state, with no memory of who she is. The novel has an interesting progression to the two characters relationship. Thaniel initially helps Alaizabel out of a simple sense of duty and chivalry. However, as the novel progresses he slowly begins to care more for her and his actions become more and more motivated out of concern and love for her. In aiding Alaizabel, Thaniel unravels a terrible plot to summon and release the “greater” wych-kin and most stop a secret fraternity from releasing them, while figuring out what their interest is in Alaizabel and the cause of her condition. Overall this is an excellent book, with fantasic writing and character development. It was not after I had finished this book that I learned it had actually been categorized as “Children’s Fantasy” by the library, which was a fact that amazed me because this book is as well, and in some cases better written, than many of the “Adult” fantasy and science fiction novels I have written. At no point in the novel did I get the impression that this was a book aimed at pre-teens, but if it actually is, it is a nice introduction for them to some of the more obscure and often misunderstood facets of fiction, mainly Steam Punk and Gothic Horror. | |
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray
