Up for Review: The White Forest

Despite the crap cover – yet another girl in a big dress with her back to the the viewer; haven’t we seen enough of this shit? – I was intrigued by the plot, particularly the part about the protagonist being “able to hear the souls of man-made objects”.

And I’m trying not to be so prejudiced against books with these lame covers.

The White Forest by Adam McOmbre (Touchstone)

Marketing copy from NetGalley:

Jane Silverlake is a lonely young woman with a strange, inexplicable gift – ever since her mother’s mysterious death she has been able to hear the souls of man-made objects. The frightening sounds from the artifacts in her father’s crumbling estate on the edge of Hampstead Heath plague her constantly, but she finds solace in the peaceful silence she hears from nature. Jane is happiest when exploring the heath with her only companions, Madeline Lee and Nathan Ashe.  Nathan’s fascination with the mysterious young woman compels him to try and understand Jane’s odd talent and sparks his intense interest in a secretive cult led by Ariston Day, a charismatic mystic. Competing for Nathan’s attention drives a wedge between Madeline and Jane; their cherished friendships evolve into a complicated love triangle.

Suddenly Nathan disappears from the streets of Victorian London without a trace. The famed Inspector Vidocq arrives to attempt to untangle the events that led to his disappearance; however, Jane quickly discovers she can trust no one. In order to save everything she holds dear, she must infiltrate Ariston Day’s mysterious secret society, discover the origins of her talent and use it to find Nathan herself, before it’s too late.  This search will lead Jane to a place beyond her wildest imaginings and will reveal vast reserves of power and strength within her she never dreamed she possessed.

Both hauntingly beautiful and rigorously researched, THE WHITE FOREST lures readers into a dark, mythic world full of  epic danger and surprises as McOmber’s compelling, distinctive heroine uncovers her true identity and is deeply empowered by that knowledge.

The White Forest was published on 11 September by Touchstone, an imprint of Simon & Schuster

Links:
Website for the novel
Video of Adam McOmber talking about The White Forest
Order it from The Book Depository
Add it on Goodreads

About the Author
Adam McOmber teaches creative writing at Columbia College Chicago and is the associate editor of the literary magazine Hotel Amerika. Stories from his collection, This New and Poisonous Air, have been shortlisted for Best American Fantasy and nominated for two Pushcart Prizes in 2012. - from NetGalley
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Up for Review

I thought I’d try and make a regular Monday feature out of my Up for Review posts. I’m always getting new stuff, and it’s a fun and easy thing to share, so here goes I thought I’d start out with Strindberg’s Star, the last of the May publications that I’m planning to review.

 

Strindberg’s Star by Jan Wallentin (Viking Books)
Written by Swedish journalist Jan Wallentin, cross-genre thriller Strindberg’s Star was originally published in 2010 as Strindbergs Stjärn. It’s already become an international bestseller with rights sold in 20 countries. It’s been particularly popular in Sweden, Germany and France, and now Viking Books, a division of Penguin USA, is bringing out their edition.

Here’s the marketing copy from NetGalley:

STRINDBERG’S STAR opens on amateur cave diver Erik Hall exploring the deep recesses of a flooded mining shaft near his home in Sweden.  In a cavern seven hundred feet below sea level, he discovers a well-preserved corpse wearing an ancient ankh, the Egyptian symbol for eternal life.  It doesn’t take long for the press to appear on the scene and news of the strange find to spread.

 

When a German expert in religious symbols and Nazi history, Don Titelman, learns of the ankh he seeks out Erik only to find him dead-and immediately becomes the prime suspect in his murder.  Don and his lawyer, Eva Strom, are taken to the German Embassy in Sweden for questioning only to be inexplicably imprisoned in an old wine cellar.  Don and Eva manage to escape, seeking out refuge with Don’s sister, Hex-a mysterious recluse who lives in an abandoned railroad deep underground.  Soon a ruthless secret society is chasing Don and Eva across Europe, in search of the ankh and its secrets…and that’s only the beginning.  Nils Strindberg’s arctic expedition, Norse mythology, ancient mysteries, and horrific Nazi secrets are all woven into this seductive, sophisticated, and thrilling adventure story.  In the hands of expert translator Rachel Willson-Broyles, fans of history, fantasy, crime, suspense, and well-told fiction will all find a new favorite in Wallentin.

Viking Books’s edition of Strindberg’s Star is due 24 May 2012.