Rating: 9/10
Synopsis:
In this world, two souls inhabit a single body, one by day, one by night. But though they live alongside one another, their ends do not always align. For Special Inspector Morden, whose hunt for a dangerous witch takes him far from home, this will be a problem…
Christophor Morden lives by night. His day-brother, Alexsander, knows only the sun. They are two souls in a single body, in a world where identities change with the rising and setting of the sun. Night-brother or day-sister, one never sees the light, the other knows nothing of the night.
Early one evening, Christophor is roused by a call to the city prison. A prisoner has torn his eyes out and cannot say why. Yet worse: in the sockets that once held his eyes, teeth are growing. The police suspect the supernatural, so Christophor, a member of the king’s special inspectorate, is charged with finding the witch responsible.
Night-by-night, Christophor’s investigation leads him ever further from home, toward a backwards village on the far edge of the kingdom. But the closer he gets to the truth, the more his day-brother’s actions frustrate him. Who is Alexsander protecting? What does he not want Christophor to discover?
And all the while, an ancient and apocalyptic ritual creeps closer to completion…
Praise for Equinox:
‘Clever, original and beautifully crafted, half the fun here lies in getting to grips with the ramifications of this complex world, but the story holds like a vice’ Daily Mail
‘Spellbinding fantasy… This innovative work is sure to please’ Publishers Weekly
‘An ambitious and gruesome tale of intrigue, witches, and the warring self – utterly transporting’ Ian Green, author of The Gauntlet and the Fist Beneath
Review:
This is a book of conflict between two souls. One who is in the sun, and one who is in the night. It’s a complicated subject in its own way, and that’s the beauty of this world. This novel explores the horrific investigation of a suspect that is having some terrible pain, and by terrible I mean terrible. And that is our MC, Christopher, or perhaps Alexsander, is sent by the King to investigate the very cause of this issue.
What then occurs is a myriad of multiple mysterious events, conflicts between characters, and historical rivalry by nations. The writing itself is solid, but sometimes I was confused with the point of view switch between Christopher and Alexsander. I think there could have been improved in that area, as I strongly identified with Christopher’s view on the world, and as an investigator, he stood quite out strongly. He was sharp, witty, and knew what he had to do. Alexsander was the opposite, rather spending his time in leisure.
And there are a lot of hidden truths in this book. The ending does have a very…interesting ending. And the climax does do that well. Though I felt some parts of the books were slower paced, and could have been shortened for a faster pace. Still, this book is great because it reminds you of the consequences of decisions. Poor decisions can happen due to the nature of apathy itself perhaps? Or is it something else? This novel has great prose, an interesting adventure, and mysterious truth that must be covered. I totally recommend it!
Al-Alhambra Book Reviews 