Book review: Avent by James Treadwell

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Advent by James Treadwell
Published by Hodder & Stoughton
ARC - 4439 pages
Published February 2012
Review copy received from publisher
Read the official blurb for Advent on Goodreads

It's not often that I think to myself, "What in the hell is going on?" and mean it in a good way, but that is the case with Advent. What starts out as a fairly standard fantasy scenario ('special' young boy, creepy old house filled with strange people, a connection to a powerful ancient wizard) explodes with a whole host of new and even stranger ideas. Treadwell takes inspiration from a number of different sources, from Goethe's Faust and the Arthurian legend, to more ancient and primal folklore in order to populate his world of newly found magic, nestled in the seemingly uneventful woods of Cornwall. His imagination has complete freedom, and this shows in the wonderful oddities that feature in this story, plucked from legend and given a new lease of life.

Gavin's journey from self-conscious, haunted teenager to accepting his role as the hero and his steadfast refusal to give up despite the odds was well executed and flowed well with the plot. Think less 'coming-of-age' and more 'coming-of-awesome'. Gav comes to terms with the strangeness around him quite well, in contrast with Horace, who always seems to be hurtling towards the wrong place at the wrong time. His transformation from the bitter rival to the reluctant hero sets us up nicely for a second helping of Treadwell's unique mind.

Advent was a bit of a slow burner for me. The first half of the book plods along at a slow but steady pace, then it suddenly runs along at the speed of an oncoming avalanche. Though the sudden change of pace was initially jarring, it did well in showing the sudden shift in the mechanics of the world as magic was re-established. My only issue with the sudden change in pace is that many characters never really got their moment to shine; often disappearing for large chunks of the book and reappearing just in time for the climax. I'd liked to have seen a little more on these characters and how their fates intertwined with Gav's own.

Advent is an excellent novel with a brilliantly odd world that is soaked in legend and history. It's the kind of story that makes you want to know more about the little nooks and crannies that are near you, and what supernatural secrets they contain within.