By Ocana & Runberg
Publisher: Cinebook
ISBN: 978-1-84918-110-5
Well, I wasn't expecting that.
Darwin is carrying on with his investigations into the strange animal-like attacks in Yorkshire, but as the tale unfolds it becomes more and more curious as to his misdirection and apparent subterfuge. When a girl is attacked on her farm and is rushed into town for help by her desperate father Darwin dismisses it as a dog attack when it's clearly the same type of attack he has seen before. Darwin appears to be hiding something, but is it for the people's own good?
But then there's his nocturnal behaviour, involving drunkenness, brawling and prostitutes, and this all from a man that history shows us was a mild-mannered, thoughtful family man who couldn't even bring himself to publish his most famous book for twenty years for fear of the upset it would cause. But this is a work of fiction and, like Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (and Doctor Who for that matter), there's a current spate of works that are lifting real life historical figures and spinning fantastical tales around them. And that's exactly what we've got here.
It is, unquestionably, stretching credulity, but is done well enough to keep you involved in the story and wanting to see how it pans out. Runberg also writes the rather wonderful Orbital series, and he's not afraid to do something a little different with his writing which is certainly no bad thing.
I'm intrigued as to where exactly they can take this next now that the revelation at the end of the book has been made, so I'll certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for book 3.
And if you liked that: Get yourself a copy of Orbital if you've not already done so.
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