Blackwood

Blackwood is Gwenda Bond’s début novel, out from Strange Chemistry, the YA imprint of Angry Robot, on the 4th of September.

I loved it.

It’s a dark fantasy story about mysterious events on Roanoak Island. After the original colonists had come from England to settle Roanoak Island, all 114 of them mysteriously disappeared (and that part is actually true, more or less). Now, in the present day, Miranda Blackwood and Phillips are caught up in events surrounding a second disappearance of exactly the same number of people. To top it all off, Miranda is cursed and Phillips hears voices.

I really loved both the main characters in this book. They work well together, playing off each other as equals. Rather than having one be the damsel in show more distress, both had different talents which together help them save the day. At the start, the transition from wariness to friendship is a bit rapid but I think given the circumstances (and especially since we actually get to see what’s going through both of their heads) it was justified. Both characters are sensible and both keep trying to trick the other into letting them keep them safe, which was endearing.

The other thing that made me happy in this book were the pop culture references. Often when (US) authors are trying to be “now” or whatnot, the references to non-universal brands go meaninglessly over my head, sometimes leaving behind confusion. Bond, however, has both her characters be a bit geeky so their references are to things like Battlestar Galactica and Firefly. Obviously, as a geek, I appreciated that, but I also thought they were grounded enough that if you hadn’t seen Firefly, you’d still get the point.

The ending of Blackwood was a bit heavy but all the more meaningful for it. No spoilers of course, but the difficult situation presented and the way it was dealt with is what pushed this book from an excellent 4.5 stars to one of my favourites of the year with 5 stars. The difficult obstacle was handled in a non-superficial way that I haven’t seen that often in YA.

All in all, I enjoyed Blackwood a lot and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for Bond’s future works. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys spec fic YA or wants a short fantasy read.

5 / 5 stars

You can read more of my reviews on my blog, Tsana's Reads. show less

[This review is of the new edition of this book, now called Strange Alchemy. But I own a copy of the original.] This is a nifty supernatural thriller/historical mystery, with a dash of romance. A clever premise to explain the disappearance of over 100 people from what became known as The Lost Colony of Roanoke, in 1590. Teens Miranda and Grant get caught up the mystery when 114 people from the present-day town on Roanoke Island all disappear in one night. Miranda fears she is connected to them because of her family history, and the fact that she was warned she can never leave the island...and Grant has been brought home because of his unique gift: he can hear the voices of the dead! Together they team up to try to solve the mystery and show more save their friends and family, before it's too late and dark mysterious forces take over. Very cool mix of mystical and mystery, past and present. I also have a copy of the original version of this book, called Blackwood, and they're both fun to read. The change to dual-narrator first person POV for Strange Alchemy puts you more into the action, but I liked the third person version too. I definitely wish they'd kept the original cover art; it's so much cooler to see a girl's face covered in a spooky snake tattoo (integral to the plot, as well as visually fascinating) than to see a generic fog-enshrouded woods. And also the original title kind of stands out more, in my opinion. But hey whatever works, it was nice that the author got a new publisher to take on her first book and keep it in print. Read either version if you can get them. Great supernatural story! Sweet romance, too, very low-key. show less

Who isn't fascinated by the lost colony of Roanoke? Seriously -- an entire town of colonists disappears without a trace, with only the word CROATOAN left behind -- that's enough to spark a million novels. Fortunately for us, Gwenda Bond was up to the task, and around this legend she's created a contemporary story with a paranormal twist. It's creepy, it's multi-dimentional, and it's edge-of-your-seat exciting. You're seriously going to love it.

BLACKWOOD is the story of Miranda, well, Blackwood, daughter of the island's most hated -- not to mention a fairly no-good drunk of a father. She's been told that she is cursed by her family name to never leave Roanoke Island. She's never really bothered to try, and spends most of her days show more avoiding her loathsome classmates and working for the local theatre production -- a play for tourists celebrating the legend of the lost colony. But things are never quite normal on Roanoke, and when suddenly 114 people go missing without a trace -- including Miranda's father -- it's up to her and the local Sherrif's delinquent and possibly crazy son, Phillips, to solve the mystery. Problem is, neither Miranda or Phillips is exactly popular in town, and it isn't long before both of them end up in over their heads.

BLACKWOOD is a fantastic mystery, full of fun pop culture references and written with wit and charm. This is absolutely one to pick up for L.J. Smith fans (and not just because of the constant Vampire Diaries references in the narrative), and a book not to miss for, well, everyone who appreciates a realistic and empowered heroine. I cannot wait to see what's next from Gwenda Bond. show less

3.5 stars

Blackwood is an interesting take on the Roanoake mystery while it tells the story of a girl trying to find her place in a town that rejected her years ago.

I requested this book solely because the summary dealt with the mysterious disappearance of 114 settlers during colonial America. It's just a great mystery as to where 100 people went and what the word "Roanoake" meant, so I knew I had to read a book that explained the disappearances with supernatural elements. The general plot held my attention because it gave snippets of information about the newly disappeared, it kept the mystery fresh. I admit that I wanted to learn more about the original disappearances than the author delivered. I also thought that the ending/plot show more twist wasn't fleshed out enough to be truly shocking, it was more of a "really? Okay, why not" feeling.

I really liked Miranda and "newly reformed" Philips. They were both great characters and both entered the novel with their own strengths and weaknesses, they did not depend on each other like some YA couples do. I liked how Miranda was so desperate to leave the small island life and was extremely reluctant to welcome a boy who tormented her back into her life. I also loved the small town feel of the novel. I'm a city girl so books and movies that depict "small-town America" always fascinate me.

Like I stated earlier, the snippets Bond gave of the newly disappeared kept me interested and helped remind the audience that there was a mystery afoot while two teenagers fell in love. I would have loved for flashbacks to the Colonial days but other than that, the writing style was fairly solid. show less

Before I started reading Blackwood I’d never heard of Roanoke Island, let alone the legend of the Lost Colony. After the first couple of chapters I actually looked it up to see whether it was an actual legend or one created by the author for the book as I’ve read books where this has been done. It’s a genuine legend though and one that I definitely want to read more about now as a result of reading Blackwood.

The book opens with some spooky goings on right in the first chapter, this was enough to hook me as my brain went into overdrive trying to work out what might be going on. Over the next few chapters things get increasingly strange as the legend seems to be repeating itself with 114 of the island’s residents going missing show more overnight. The plot is fast paced with the whole book taking place in a really short period of time which I thought worked well to heighten the reader’s experience.

The story is told in the third person following the two teenagers at the centre of the story, Miranda and Phillips. Both of these characters are interesting and well drawn, they’ve both had difficult lives and as a result perhaps don’t always react the way a typical teenager would but this feels genuine and right for the characters. I really liked that for some of the minor characters their actions were explained and justified in a way that had me changing my opinions about them over the course of the book.

I really enjoyed this book, it incorporated the legend of the Lost Colony well into a contemporary setting blending the past with the present cleverly. The way the plot twists and turns keeps the book exciting from start to finish, there were a couple of moments that left me feeling completely surprised. I shall certainly be looking forward to reading whatever Gwenda Bond writes next. show less

Before I started reading Blackwood I’d never heard of Roanoke Island, let alone the legend of the Lost Colony. After the first couple of chapters I actually looked it up to see whether it was an actual legend or one created by the author for the book as I’ve read books where this has been done. It’s a genuine legend though and one that I definitely want to read more about now as a result of reading Blackwood.

The book opens with some spooky goings on right in the first chapter, this was enough to hook me as my brain went into overdrive trying to work out what might be going on. Over the next few chapters things get increasingly strange as the legend seems to be repeating itself with 114 of the island’s residents going missing show more overnight. The plot is fast paced with the whole book taking place in a really short period of time which I thought worked well to heighten the reader’s experience.

The story is told in the third person following the two teenagers at the centre of the story, Miranda and Phillips. Both of these characters are interesting and well drawn, they’ve both had difficult lives and as a result perhaps don’t always react the way a typical teenager would but this feels genuine and right for the characters. I really liked that for some of the minor characters their actions were explained and justified in a way that had me changing my opinions about them over the course of the book.

I really enjoyed this book, it incorporated the legend of the Lost Colony well into a contemporary setting blending the past with the present cleverly. The way the plot twists and turns keeps the book exciting from start to finish, there were a couple of moments that left me feeling completely surprised. I shall certainly be looking forward to reading whatever Gwenda Bond writes next. show less

I had only vaguely heard of The Lost Colony before reading this book, so I was immediately hooked by the premise. Blackwood is dark and mysterious, filled with action, ancient curses and some seriously creepy magic – all of which I enjoyed!

Miranda and Phillips are a great pair of protagonists, whose story is told in alternating points of view. They play off one another’s strengths well. since they both have interesting powers – Phillips can hear the voices of spirits and Miranda cursed. Their interactions seemed realistic to me: initial fear and caution slowly fading into mutual respect and then admiration. I also liked how the two handled their blossoming romance in the face of the dangers besetting their island – they were show more able to push it all away and deal with their issues properly, which is always great to see.

I found the mythology used in Blackwood very interesting – no one really knows what happened to the 114 people who mysteriously disappeared, and I love Bond’s interpretation. The disappearances were creepy, and I was even wary of Phillips for the first few chapters. I enjoyed the introduction of John Dee – I’ve always found that mean creepy in history, and this book takes that and builds upon it until he is downright fearsome. Near to its conclusion Blackwood it gets a little confusing, and I found myself having to read a few passages twice to really understand what was going on, but I think this is intended because of the complex nature of the curse on the island.

Gwenda Bond’s debut novel is an intense read, perfect for YA readers who enjoy a darker kind of Fantasy. Blackwood is a perfect book for those bored with the usual paranormal aspects and want to try something new, and will be enjoyed by a wide audience because of its easily accessible themes.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic. show less