I am pleased to be able to write that the first book I have finished for this blog is a very enjoyable one. It is the initial volume of what seems destined to be a sequence by a new author, Matthew Tobin.
The Nethergrim features an enclosed fantasy world with a distinctly medieval, almost Anglo-Saxon, feel. In fact it presents, in this volume at least, only a relatively small part of this world: a large village in thrall to its feudal lord, some outlying farms and hamlets together with the mountains which loom over them. It is in these mountains that the evil force of the story dwells. From there it is sallying forth to threaten the peace of the district and capture local children. In fact it is strongly reminiscent of those 'high romance' tales where a dragon dwells in the mountains and demanda tribute in the form of sacrifice from the local villagers. In this instance, the dragon has been replaced by a more enigmatic evil, the Nethergrim of the title, although it later becomes apparent that it has rather more connection with the original dragon idea than first appeared. However further variation is introduced in that the Nethergrim only initially makes its presence felt through the appearance of henchmen: balgogs (loosely related, perhaps, to Tolkein's orcs) and other nightmarish creatures.
Although some of the adult characters are rather one dimensional (particularly perhaps Tom's 'owner', Athelstan) this does not at all apply to the book's young protagonists, the three friends, Edmund, Katherine and Tom. They are sensitively drawn and engagingly characterised. In fact, their development is at the heart of the book as much as is the quest to defeat the Nethergrim - although the one is, of course, the catalyst for the other. This is very much a coming-of-age story with all three of its young protagonists moving out from the constraints (or, in Tom's case restraints) of childhood. Katherine is a feist young lady with a loving and supportive father. With his full connivance, she is determined to avoid her conventional future as an arranged and totally subservient, bride; she is a strong character. Tom is a foundling, taken in by a brutal and unfeeling master who treats him even worse than a surf, as a total slave, and from whom he desperately needs to be free.
However it is Edmund who is most fully at the heart of this first volume. He is in many senses a classic apprentice magician charachter, although, in this case, he has no actual master and is attempting to teach himself magic from books. Perhaps not too surprisingly, he lacks confidence in himself and his spell-casting ability. It is hopefully not giving too much plot away to report that by the end of the book he is beginning to see himself much more of a real magician, as indeed are others.
The writer's use of language is a strong and positive feature of the book and rich description abounds. True this is just occasionally over-lush and a little self-regarding - but this can probably be forgiven in a first novel. More generally the word-painting is evocative and effective. If this sometimes means the pace is relativly slow, then the payoff is enriching and enlightening insight into both the lives and characters of the young protagonists. A particularly fine example is the passage describing Tom ploughing. Another is the gripping but disturbing scene where Tom's master tries to . . . No, that really would be a spoiler. Incidentally I suspect the author knows his way rather well around horses, as they too are often well drawn and quite significant characters in the tale.
When needs be, though, Matthew Jobin can rack up both pace and the tension; there are some gripping engagements between the human characters and their inhuman adversaries.
Relationships are developing well in this first story, with interesting and often touching connections between the adolescents and their parents - both bonds and tensions. There are elements of embryonic boy-girl romantic feelings in the story too, but nothing beyond what would be acceptable to the younger end of the intended readership and resonate realistically with the older.
Having made clear, I hope, that this is a good book and most certainly worth reading, do I think it is a great one? In itself, no. Both it's imagined world and it's principal conflicts do not have the total spark of originality in either creation or treatment to quite justify that. But it is only a first book, both for the author and in the intended sequence. This is definitely a writer who feels like he will develop further and is already showing a potential for greatness in the future.