Something Red

For a book that's not too long, this took me forever to read.

This book has an incredibly boring (yet lovely) writing style that is bogged down with unnecessary description and details. Near the beginning, our troupe of characters sit down to a meal provided by monks, and the story absolutely stops to describe every person, what they eat, how they eat, what they're wearing, what they look like, etc., regardless of if those characters were even going to be seen again later in the book or not. It also sometimes would suddenly have lines and paragraphs that would stick out incredibly clumsily, ripping me from the story to notice I'm just looking at words.

There were also characters with written dialogue that was nearly impossible to read show more (and read, and read again):

". . . theer's t' scudding as takes off all t' rest o' t'hair and t' color as thy lime has left, then it's intae yon tubs, they well-made tub being a thing of wondrous clever fashioning, Master Hunferth's oor copper, a fine auld man, tha wilna find anither cooper t'like in t'North Country, auld Hunferth makks a tub looks like it's grown fra t' one tree . . ."

But Douglas Nicholas sure does have a knack for characterization. I immediately got a feeling for each character and each character's personal strengths and quirks and developed a fondness for each one in the main quartet (especially Jack, which was extremely unexpected, since the rough, tough silent guys aren't usually my faves).

I wish the characterization was enough to keep me interested, though. The plot went nowhere, especially in part one. Nothing really happened. Oh, there were tons of words, describing the ox, the weather, the trees, and on and on, but only very very briefly were there words about the plot (Molly, her daughter, Nemain, her husband, Jack, and their apprentice, Hob, are a performing troupe journey over the mountains who come across a "beast"). Still then, the book only hints at a plot. Something Red seems mostly like a troupe of people on a series of pit stops with lots of eating--and a hint of lowkey werewolf attacks. But it's no big deal.

The book followed a very boring pattern: the troupe goes from place to place, each one having another attack from the mysterious beast. Nothing is very personal for any of the characters, and nothing has a very great cost, so I'm not very invested. It seems like a very enthusiastic, poetic first draft that wasn't really thought out afterward--mainly "what is the plot and does it drive every scene?" Douglas Nicholas seems to bet that readers will be enthralled by the setting only, but it doesn't carry me. show less

I was wary of all the extravagantly glowing reviews I saw on Goodreads for Something Red (which I received from the publisher through Netgalley, thank you to them). In many cases it's simply a sign that the author has a lot of cooperative friends. I'm happy to report that this is not the case here.

I was dismayed by the formatting of the ARC on my Kindle; it was a mess. The decorative elements of the text, while very nice, played harry with the reader program, and it took persistence just to get from one chapter to the next. However – well, two things. First, I pushed through despite the issues; I have been known to quit a book because of excessive formatting problems (there are just too many in queue to waste time on something that show more fights me), but this time I wanted to read this book. What's wonderful about this is (the second thing): I made a comment on Goodreads when I started – and the author got in touch with me for more details to pass on to the publishers to fix it. Which they did. Mostly. Except that new problems cropped up. But I'm sure the final product will be sorted. This book deserves a beautiful format (which, Mr. Nicholas tells me, is exactly what the hardcover is – I look forward to seeing it).

I keep trying to think of other books to compare this to, and I'm finding it difficult. Maybe that's why I've had trouble writing a review for it. It's a sneaky book. What could be very dull, traveling through forest in the winter, is turned into a small masterpiece of suspense as the travelers – Molly, a temporarily dispossessed Irish queen and her tiny caravan of an ox, a mule, two carts, and three of her kin, adopted and blood – pick their way through the coldest winter in living memory to trade and heal and maintain the bonds. The tribulations of journeying on muddy roads through a freezing and vast forest are detailed without every becoming tedious – and part of the beautiful way this is accomplished is through the boy Hob, whose perspective is used, and his relationship with the animals who pull their wagons. The ox and mule are given personalities better than a good number of human characters I've encountered in lesser books. And those basic difficulties of travel begin to pale next to the fear that suddenly comes one evening as they draw near a monastery where they will take shelter.

"He felt like a coney in a snare, and he could not tell why."

There's something in the trees. They can't see it, really, but they – humans and animals – know it's there. It's a predator, and nothing so clean a killer as a wolf or a bear, nothing so stupid as a brigand. They can feel its malice, and its attention … and it is a tremendous relief for the little group when they meet up with other travelers.

There are no stereotypes in Something Red. The individuals within these pages look askance at expectations, and walk the other way shaking their heads in disgust. The people – and the events, and the setting ... this is thirteenth-century England, in the very dead of winter, and almost as alien as Narnia. Maybe more. In this England there are small enclaves of people huddling together for survival, and travelers – like Molly and her troupe and the holy and unholy travelers they encounter – move from haven to haven trading what they have, such as music and news and healing, for shelter from the elements and the bandits and beasts haunting the forest. In this England there are battle monks who can – and will – beat intruders into bloody pulp, and who have created an ingeniously walled refuge; there are kindly nobles who keep packs of dogs that are almost as scary as anything in the woods; there are Templars and pilgrims and Lithuanian travelers.

Molly is a heroine to make all others look insipid. And I am including the horde of vampire-fighting/loving girls in recent fantasy in that sweeping statement. Molly is a battle queen, and the fact that she is middle-aged (or as I prefer to say, in her prime) has only made her tougher. One minute she will be healing with the gentlest of touches; the next she will be unerringly picking off bandits with a powerful bow. She is desirable: more than one man encountered in their travels makes it clear he would be happy to have her stay with him, but she already has a man in her bed when she chooses. And she has plans to end her exile from Ireland. Her enemies will need to start gathering an army now.

That man is Jack, a big, inscrutable, terribly scarred man who trails a history behind him that he would choose not to discuss even if those scars did not make speech difficult for him. He is far more than the gentle giant a story will sometimes feature; there is always the sense that there is a great deal going on in his heart and his head. He is Molly's man, in every way, and it is that that helps save him, and all of them in the end.

Nemain is Molly's granddaughter and her apprentice, on the edge of becoming a woman and shaping up to be every bit as formidable as Molly. She is, at times, otherworldly, a sprite earthbound; at other times she is a young girl who has been rather like a sister to Hob for the year and a half he's been with the group. At still other times she is like anything but Hob's sister, and baffling to the poor boy.

Hob is a lovely, lovely character. He is all boy; whatever the setting, boys always have and always will be unchanging in some regards: he goes where he shouldn't, does what he shouldn't, is always eager for a treat and reluctant for chores – and is just becoming old enough to see the allure of the young women they meet along the way. He develops a sweet infatuation with one girl, all the while growing more and more aware of Nemain.

Many times I've found that after the first flush of a read has worn off, a cooler head and heart means that the original rating for a book edges downward. After a while I'll go back and look at the notes I made toward a review, and I'll wonder why on earth I was as generous as I was… With Something Red, though, it went in the opposite direction. I gave it four stars, a "B". But time has passed, and I find that the impact of the book is still with me. The characters are still vivid. Four is not enough. show less

I picked Something Red because of its description:

They are creatures of blood and dream." During the thirteenth century, in the northwest of England, in one of the coldest winters in living memory, a formidable middle-aged Irishwoman and her little troupe are trying to drive their three wagons across the Pennines before the heavy snows set in. Molly, her powerful and enigmatic lover Jack, her fey granddaughter Nemain, and the young apprentice Hob soon find that something terrible prowls the woods through which they must make their way. As they travel from refuge to refuge, it becomes apparent that the evil must be faced, and it is then that Hob learns how much more there is to his adopted family than he had ever imagined.

I could not show more resist such a write up, a scary story set during the Middle Ages! The back cover reviews call this a suspenseful coming of age fantasy, a pulse pounding page-turner and a book that will leave you reading late into the night. I could not wait to jump into this, so even though school had started, I eager sat down, fully expecting a very scary fantasy.

This is no horror book; no rather it is an adult fairytale. I say adult because there are mentions of sex. Sex between two middle agers. Sex that lasts for hours (see, I told you it was a fairytale).

As much as I enjoyed the book, and admire Mr. Nichols’ writing style, there are a lot of things that leave me on the fence. Long time readers of mine know I can be picky, so maybe it’s just me. Yet I feel I need to address what I did not like. A fair review has to include criticism, right?

The plot setting: We learn that Molly and her granddaughter Nemain are Irish exiles. We never learn why nor do we learn where they are going. We just know they are traveling with Jack, Molly’s lover, across the Mountains in North West England. At one of their stops they agree to take Hob, the orphan teen that had been living with an older priest. We learn why Molly agreed to take Hob, but not until the end of the book, it would have been nice to get bits and pieces of his story throughout the novel.

Tone: the pace is not fast; in fact nothing really happens until chapter 5. You have to read half way through the book before you get to any action.

Theme: Lack of clarity. A terrible snowstorm is the backdrop, and Douglas uses it to help cloud Molly’s view of what is really going on and who it is she should be afraid of. The whiteout is external as well as internal. The problem with this theme is that at times we the readers are just as “lost” as Molly is. Because we do not really know who she is, we are not sure what’s ahead or what to expect. We know the conflict is with a shape shifter or werewolf, but because we do not really know the main characters we cannot even trust them. This does add some suspense to the story, but by the time we get to the action or heart of the book, we have figured it all out. I never like spoilers so I will not address this, but I will say those who love fairytales and know the lore of several countries will figure out who it is that is stalking our travelers.

If you don’t know much about the Middle Ages, you may have problems with some terms. One reviewer complained that many of the terms were unexplained. I can sympathize. Even though I am a Medieval scholar, some of the terms went right over my head. Douglas writes in such detail that at times the story gets bogged down. When he gets into the story it flows. His gift for words show best when he gets lost in the story. If he “fixes” anything, I hope he tells his next story more, and describes the setting less.

Despite all of this, the story works because Douglas knows he is telling us a fairytale. He never waivers in his theme, and as modern fairytales go, this is one of the best. You can almost picture the characters in Snow White living close by. If you are looking for stylish writing and wonder if grownups can still enjoy fairytales, I suggest you pick this up, just be prepared to have unanswered questions. show less

Something Red captures the purest elements of suspense: the fear of the unknown, of the mundane suddenly becoming unreal. The tale is told from the perspective of Hob, a thirteen-year-old boy recently apprenticed into a motley band of travelling musicians. Hob's companions are Jack, a dark and silent man of impressive strength and great gentleness, Nemain, a beautiful red-haired girl of about Hob's age, and Molly, the mysterious and powerful healer and leader of the group. As the band travels about the northwest of England, their ordinary experiences of travel are repeatedly interrupted by terrifying deaths and maulings that defy all attempts of defence and protection. As the fear steadily grows, it is unclear which is more terrifying: show more the mysterious beast deep in the shadows of the forest or the unknown monster within the group itself.

The book itself defies categorization. Although the blurb describes it as a combination of mystery, fantasy, and romance, I would consider it much more of a historical novel or coming-of-age story with a touch of the supernatural. The plot itself details the characters' trek across the country as they attempt to avoid the mysterious being that seems to stalk their very footsteps. Although there is a continual and brilliantly constructed feeling of suspense and fear of the unknown, to me, the story lacks the action-driven focus of a thriller. The mystery itself is not particularly complex; there are very direct hints throughout of the individuals involved, although the actual mechanism has a fantastic and unexpected twist. hover for spoiler

It instead feels focused on the experiences of the journey and their effects on Hob as he grows into manhood. The title itself perfectly captures the mood of the story, for the suspense and fear stems from the unknown, from the “something” glimpsed in the dark shadows of the forest, the ambiguous hints about the gruesome secrets of one of his companions, and his own confused feelings for the red-haired Nemain as he stands on the threshold of maturity. Red, the colour of blood, takes on the attributes of both violence and life. “Something red” becomes allegorical of Hob's fear of and fascination with the unknown as he transitions to adulthood.

One of the aspects that brought this story to life was the beautifully detailed renderings of the characters' surroundings. Nicholas truly breathes life into the world he creates via the elaborate details he provides. He also clearly did an enormous amount of research, and his love of the time period imbues his descriptions with a palpable combination of magic and familiarity. Nicholas' style is almost cinematographic in the depth of its visual detail. The characters' surroundings are described in so much depth that they become characters and entities in themselves. One particular moment, when Hob's senses are alive to potential attack and the entire world seems to grow silent, stood out for me. Nicholas perfectly captures that sense of inner stillness, of the world holding its breath, despite the ongoing mundane conversations that continue around Hob. I almost felt as though I could hear the faint breathing of the ox and the droning of one of the pilgrims as my ears strained to capture the whispers of danger around me.

Compared to the landscapes, the characters themselves felt curiously incomplete to me, rough sketches in an immersive and exquisitely painted landscape. Much of the narrative and description is provided by the third-person limited narrator, who, although ostensibly from Hob's perspective, does not precisely channel Hob's thoughts. Instead, the point of view is more distant, clearly telling the story to those removed from the environment. When the surroundings are described, the narrator often provides details about standard practices of the time, such as cleaning the rushes on the floor of the Great Hall during feasts. These details help to provide the wonderful lifelike realism of Nicholas' world, but in some sense detract from a feeling of closeness to Hob, since they are clearly outside of both his current experiences and his thoughts. Most of the action and narrative is provided from this third perspective, and in fact there is surprisingly little dialogue between characters. Often, I was told of Hob's thoughts or provided with summaries of conversations rather than experiencing the conversations themselves. This distanced me from the characters, for I could not hear them speak and was not privy to the details and quirks that would bring them to life. Robert, a knight that the travellers encounter and who is encumbered with a troublesome horse, is one of the most vocal characters. His dialogue and comedic antics with the horse made him, for me, one of the most rounded characters in the story.

However, the personalities I could glimpse in the characters were excellent. Molly, in particular, stood out to me, for she completely defies the standard fantasy female tropes. Although attractive, she was not given unearthly beauty; instead, she is comfortably padded and of ripe years. Formidable in both intellect and skills, she is easily the match of all the men she encounters. She defies the current religious ethics by continuing to contact and be guided by the old gods of Ireland, and it is her will which guides the actions of the others.

Overall, Something Red is a perfect read for a person looking for a unique read that defies categorization and is independent of standard fantasy tropes. The story provides a window into a beautifully researched and detailed world of the thirteenth century, with an edge of the supernatural so closely tied to historical folklore that does not feel out of place or contrived. Something Red is the perfect novel to pick up for a poetic, deep, haunting, and immersive journey.

I received this as an ebook from the publisher, Simon & Schuster, Inc., via NetGalley. show less

Sometimes a book tells you things about the author. Douglas Nicholas is an award-winning poet, and some of that poetry seeps into his novel, Something Red. There is a certain lyrical quality to it that I appreciated, and I found that quite interesting, mixed as it was with a tale of murder and mayhem.

The story is told through the eyes of Hob (Robert), a 13-year-old orphan apprenticed to Molly (Maeve). a musical troupe crossing the Pennine Mountains of Northern England during a particularly brutal winter. Although the stop at many of their usual haunts, visiting old friends, there is clearly something lethal along the trail. There is an ominous presence in the forest and there are many who will not survive the journey. It may be that show more only Molly, her granddaughter, Nemain, her lover, Jack, and young Hob will be able to save them all.

There is a bit of Irish mysticism in the story, and much about the past and future is told in hints and riddles. I had to work a bit on the language, as many of the words are obscure or regional. (Check out my Wondrous Words post on January 9, January 16 and January 23.) Maeve and Nemain have powers and there is something about Jack, something hinted at in the stories about his time on the Crusades and the horrible wounds he suffered. Hob, an orphan, was plucked from a small village where he had been cared for by the village priest; Maeve clearly saw something in him, and as Hob begins the transition to manhood, he comes into his own in this story.

I really enjoyed Something Red. I enjoyed the interactions among the troupe members and the story of life on the road, its hardships and friendships, was very interesting to me. What would it have been like to live on the road, performing for noblemen, trading your healing skills for food shelter? It’s a life modern people cannot imagine. It’s a suspenseful story, as you worry about the creature clearly stalking the travelers. Hob makes an excellent narrator — even though he spends his days walking along the trail, leading their ox, just trying to keep warm, he never seems to feel sorry for himself. Instead, he is filled with the wonder of a boy discovering life on the road, making friends, and seeing strange and glorious sights. He has Molly and Jack — and possibly Nemain — to protect him, but he does his part as well. His story kept me turning pages, racing towards the final confrontation. show less

“Something Red” is a beautifully written, patiently drawn, mood-filled literary thriller. It’s not outright scary, but one could classify it as horror. It’s not a straight out mystery, though poet-turned-novelist Douglas Nicholas drafts an expectant, slow-boil whodunit.

“Something Red” centers on a small band of travelers winding their way through northern England at the earliest onsets of winter. The story is told through the eyes of Hob, a young orphan in the care of Molly, a world-wise woman who's equally as skilled with a bow, as she is with the medicinal powders and elixirs she keeps in her wagon. Molly’s granddaughter Nemain and the silent, brooding and terrifically strong Jack, flesh out Molly’s troupe.

Nicholas show more uses his remarkable linguistic skill to build his plot and shape his characters, slowly like the earliest bubbles within a pot coming to boil. The story thread develops patiently, always on the verge of exposing an important clue, always promising to unlock a key riddle in a characters’ development.

This following quote not only describes a scene midway through the book, but aptly describes the reading experience itself. “Life with Molly’s troupe was a constant procession of revelations…like suddenly stumbling upon an old Roman road in the midst of thick forest. Questions rose to his lips, so many that his thoughts became too tangled to choose one."

There’s a supernatural element to the story, but it’s subtle and suggestive, and not fully explored until the final 75 pages or so. The dark and purposefully trudging plot persistently pulls the reader towards an inevitable peak - supernatural, but realistic and very human in its portrayals of emotions and motivations.

Nicholas serves the story like a feast of accents. The core narrative is written in a form of middle-age English, but the various characters are written with both soft and hard Irish brogues, peasant medieval English, and a heavily accented Eastern European.

So wonderfully epic in his storytelling, Douglas establishes a broad mythology that hints at the possibilities of a sequel.

If a monastery, forest inn and castle form the backdrop for the expositional narrative, then the building pressure and promise of snow and its eventual release in an monster blizzard provides its voice.

A great autumn or winter read, I wanted to step away from my reading nook and find a snowy forest dell to envelope myself further within this tale. But not too far.

As Hob asks from within the confortable and warm confines of an English castle: "What could harm us here? What could reach us here?”

Much. And more. show less

Something Red absolutely blew me away. This is one of the best debuts I've read in years and the story itself still haunts my dreams. It was all the best elements of Irish folklore, historical fiction, and a very frightening mystery at its cores.

Mr. Nicholas' is a very talented writer and storyteller. I love the way he puts words together and describes scenes, events, and people. He also writes great and slightly mysterious characters that I couldn't help, but fall in love with almost immediately.

Imaging being a trader in the 13th century - I couldn't before this. There is the community of travelers, pilgrims, traders, and inns that supply the necessaries along the way. There are bandits and things that go bump in the night and weather show more that can quite literally free to death anyone unfortunate enough to be out in it.

It's the things that go bump in the night that are at the core of this book. Wrap these things with exiled Irish queens, Lithuanian travelers, monasteries with mastiffs, inns and pure survival and you get a tale you won't soon forget. Highly recommended. show less