Neverwhere is urban fantasy set in an alternative version of London. Where people who have fallen through the cracks of reality end up.
I picked up this book because I’d just finished reading Good Omens and wanted to read something else. Everyone suggested I read American Gods next, but I don’t like being told what to do.
I really enjoyed this story. I like the surreal magic of the world, it almost felt like London Below had no straight lines. It shifted and twisted in a way it’s occupants could follow but navigating it as an outsider would be impossible.
The mix of magic against what otherwise would be a mundane urban setting was delightful. I loved the floating market. It was messy, chaotic, vivid, and dangerous. It was like reading about a beautiful poisonous creature.
At its heart, Neverwhere is a quest. Each character has a role to play in collecting the pieces to reach the end goal. They are corralled by the antagonists. Thinking they are escaping someone that wants them dead they are led through a series of hoops to find answers. Without knowing they are part of the quest until they reach the end of it.
Emotionally I was never overly attached to any of the characters. I was drawn into the world, but not as submerged in it as I would have liked to be. That’s on me though not the writer. It was a fun read, and it had depth and layers, but at the surface it was just a fun adventure story. I loved the adventure. I didn’t really feel attached to any of the characters, they didn’t break my heart or make me worry about their safety.
Early in the book a character is lost. The text called them expendable, death was taken too lightly by the story for me.
The style was fun, the story was fun, the narration was fun. All in all it’s a fantastic book to relax into and forget the world for a while.
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