Vellum
by Hal Duncan
Published by Macmillan
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Reviewed by Sarra Borne
Debut author Hal Duncan has crafted an innovative look at the age-old war between angels and devils in this dark fantasy. A blend of ancient Sumerian and Grecian mythology with futuristic science, Vellum is a wild, mind-blowing ride through space and time.
The Book of All Hours, also known as the Macronomicon, is an artifact said to have been commissioned by God himself. Lost somewhere in the sands of time, the content of the book is subject to much speculation. Some contend it is a laundry list of the names of all that have lived, and all that have yet to be. Others say it is the devil's book of hours, and to read it is to die. Still others say it is merely a legend and doesn't exist at all.
The Carter family, who in generations past is rumored to have been the guardians of the book, are likewise divided. Young Reynard Carter determined to prove the books existence, one way or the other, discovers to his delight and chagrin that it is a gateway into the world beyond, into the Vellum.
Reynard and the other main characters, Jack, Joey, Phreedom, Thomas and Finnan are unkin, a condition that makes them more than human, and perfect to be used as pawns in angelic war games. These characters are used to link recurring events from the distant past all the way through into the future present; being unkin allows them to freely traverse the Vellum where time is liquid and "not just a straight path from the past to the future."
Duncan's non-linear style of jumping through time may be confusing at first but once the reader realizes that "eternity doesn't pay much mind to clocks and calendars," they are in for a thrill.
This is a fantastic tale of dark fantasy, which not only promises but also delivers. This book is subtitled as being volume one, happily there is more story to come, and any loose ends will be tidied up in a future volume.
Armchair Interviews says: Readers who enjoy the writing of Neil Gaiman and China Mieville will be enthralled.