THE GUTTER PRAYER

released 17 January 544 pages | Paperback/ebook

Author Gareth Hanrahan Publisher Orbit

There’s a genuine streak of strangeness running through this first book of new series The Black Iron Legacy, a grotesque weirdness reminiscent of novels like China Miéville’s Perdido Street Station. The story, concerning factions in a neutral city-state fighting to control (or destroy) the power of the old gods, and the group of misfits who get caught up in the conflict, is one that could easily have been rendered mundane if constructed from more familiar character types, placed in a more familiar setting. However, debut author Gareth Hanrahan’s created a world where alchemy makes monsters and ghouls live beneath the surface of the city. It’s a disturbing world, and because of that you pay more attention to the story.

The characters also feel well-rounded; perhaps lead character Cari is a little too much the standard plucky fantasy heroine, but her friends, Rat the ghoul and Spar, who’s afflicted with a disease that’s slowly turning him to stone, are more interesting. And Hanrahan makes sure every character has their own story, their own pasts and desires – they’re not just buttresses supporting Cari’s narrative.

It makes for a satisfying and enjoyable read, and it’ll be interesting to see if the weirdness can be sustained over the rest of the series. The first volume certainly sets a high bar. Miriam McDonald