Gus Smith

'Feather and Bone' is a dark fantasy set in rural Northumberland, where mad cows disease has made a reappearance and Alison, a government worker from the city, has been sent to investigate.

The opening scene involves Isabel, a young girl, who has the ability to talk to animals. Although I like the concept, it did feel like this novel may be aimed more at the young adult market. It certainly isn't though and the story gets surprisingly dark in places. 'Feather and bone' feels like much more show more than a run of the mill horror though. Gus Smith does a fantastic job of bringing the wilds of Northumberland to life and it is a place he obviously knows well. He really builds up the tension and creates an atmosphere of foreboding and otherworldliness. He also writes well rounded, believable characters (Isabel was a particularly enjoyable character to read about) and it is the realism of the characters and setting that make the horror elements all the more shocking when they arrive.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something well written and a little bit different. I would definitely like to read more from this author. show less

For some reason, I had expected this book to be about magic and wonder. Perhaps it was the blurb mentioning the child-savant, Isabel? There is magic but horror overwhelms any sense of wonder, including the callous inclusions of horrors no child should have to see.

Also disappointing was the time period. I expected it to be contemporary but it turned out to be situated about fifteen years ago, during the tail end of the BSE crisis but before Foot and Mouth became the scourge of the show more countryside. Digging around, I think the reason is that the novel was originally published in 2001 (see: http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/nonfiction/featherandbone.htm), just about the time that disease was breaking out. Being in such recent memory but in ignorance of such a major blot on British agriculture leaves it feeling wrong-footed.

Perhaps this will have less impact on those who don't remember the evil pyres of burning cattle that disfigured the rural landscape or in another fifteen years time but "Feather and Bone" will still only be like an unpleasant dream, populated wisp-like characters who, in some cases, act admirably but never become fully rounded. show less

Gus Smith's 'Feather and Bone' melds the harsh daily reality of farming life in the north-east of England with a blend of dark fantasy. A community is threatened by a renewed outbreak of BSE and an MAFF official, Alison, is sent to investigate. She finds herself dragged into a strange world where the hostility of the local inspector is only the prelude to a much darker induction into strange local goings on. The element of fantasy is hinted at early but comes to the fore in the second part show more of the book.

Smith builds up a rollercoaster of a narrative. The early part, which introduces a host of different characters in turn, setting up many strands to a story. They are all brought together, as the plot develops, perhaps not entirley comfortably. Did we need the journalist? (Though I confess I enjoyed his comeuppance.)

The book builds up to a fast paced ending. I found myself staying up late to finish it. And rather like many of those northern hills, every time you thought you were approaching the summit, you crested it to find another hill ahead of you. There is a dramatic and very bloody set piece ending, though I confess I preferred the earlier parts where dark menace was hinted at to the full on war of good versus evil. Not a book to finish late at night in a dark house in the countryside on your own. show less

If you took a story of modern dark fantasy and set it in the world of James Herriot's Yorkshire, you might get something like this book. One strand of the story focuses on the local population, and the way they've been haunted by a dangerous supernatural creature for several generations; the other on an agricultural inspector sent in to determine the truth of reports of mad cow disease coming from the area. Together, they intertwine into a tale that is both creepy and satisfying.

Particular show more strengths lie in the author's ability to create interesting, original (yet still believable) characters; a strong sense of pacing (I read a fair portion of this book while waiting in doctor's offices and at the hospital, and it kept my attention throughout); and a deft hand at avoiding cliché. Many books like this I read once and forget; this one I can imagine reading again, with equal pleasure. show less