Martin Stewart (1)

This richly detailed debut novel by author Martin Stewart is very well done. I enjoyed the thick Scottish brogue all the characters had, which was incredibly and brilliantly narrated by James Cosmo, the actor from Game of Thrones, etc. (seriously, kudos to Blackstone audio for getting him to narrate this novel!). As I adore movies and tv shows from both England and Scotland, listening and understanding the author and the narrator was no big deal for me. (Though I do have to mention that at show more first, the word “current” was mistaken for a very naughty four-letter word that begins with a “C” as well...and I was very confused, lol. Once I realized my mistake, it was funny).
But this novel...! Seriously, for a YA novel, it rocked my socks. Tons of adventure, wonderful characters throughout the novel, fantastic and original creatures, fight scenes, vivid descriptions, and even a few jokes thrown in, here and there. I was fascinated from the very start, and couldn’t wait to get back to listening to it during the day.
If you give this novel or audiobook a try, PLEASE stick with it. You will be happy you did! I enjoyed the hell out of it.
4 stars, and recommended for lovers of huge imaginations, riverkeeps, sons and fathers, and adventure. show less

Wulliam is nearly sixteen and will take over the duty of Riverkeep from his father in a few days' time, on his birthday. While they're out on the river, his father is pulled down into the water, and it isn't him – or not entirely – who returns to the boathouse that night. Struggling to fulfil his duties while trying to find a cure for his father, Wulliam finally decides to leave for the coast to slay the mormorach, a mythical beast whose body parts are said to cure all ailments. On the show more way he picks up a motley crew of passengers. Will Wulliam be on time to save his father?

This is Martin Stewart's debut novel, and as such it has an assured, compelling and distinctive narrative voice, even if some of the plot points hint at the author's relative inexperience. Despite its unusual and imaginative setting and characters, in a way it is a traditional coming-of-age story and a quest with a very poignant father–son relationship at its heart. Some light relief in what is otherwise a very dark tale comes in the form of Tillinghast, one of the passengers Wulliam picks up on the way, even though his rude jokes become a little wearying after a time. There appears to be no end to the author's inventiveness and so it is not entirely surprising that he gets slightly sidetracked and the middle section drags somewhat as the passengers exchange banter extending over several pages and Martin Stewart throws obstacle after obstacle at Wulliam which, though unexpected, don't move the story forward to its conclusion, I feel, so that the ending feels slightly rushed.

As large sections of dialogue are written in dialect, a mix between Glaswegian (the author's native city) and inner-city London, not everybody will get on with this novel, but in my opinion it is worth persevering as the central relationship will move your heart and you can ponder on what it is exactly that makes us human – our anatomy, our memories, our compassion, or something else? I'm certainly looking forward to the author's next offering, apparently out at the beginning of next year. show less

The tone of this fantasy is as dark as the murky bottom of the frozen river that father and son are assigned to keep. As caretaker of the imaginary river, the father hastens to teach his boy all the techniques he needs to take over the duties as riverkeep when he reaches maturity in a few days. Dad is sucked under the waters and emerges as a shell of his former self, having been overtaken by an unknown evil spirit. Son finds that he is instantly promoted to riverkeep and embarks on an epic show more journey to find the source of the beast that holds the secret of a cure for what ails the father. I loved it. My thanks to the author and the Penguin First to Read program for a complimentary copy.
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As bildungsromans go, this one has a solid hero's journey, chasing down the river, in constant pain, desperate to save his Dad from death by possession. It's an interesting world, but quite bleak. Also a little off in that I read it as a kids' book, but there are several scenes with sexual innuendo that might require a teen audience to make sense of. Weird characters (straw man, wood baby, strange stranded people all along the river's edge) vie for attention with the ever expanding prose. A show more good debut, and an interesting journey, but I think I wanted more humor and charm in the characters and less carefully wrought description of gothic settings.

Advanced Reader's copy provided by Edelweiss. show less