Book review
Written by Mark Charan Newton
Tor hardback
Release date Out now

Villjamur is a city in trouble. Rife with murders and fanatical politicians, thousands of refugees camp outside the walls seeking the safety of ‘Sanctuary City’. But there are bigger problems afoot as shell-clad aliens systematically wipe out the northern population and temperatures continue to plummet into an unavoidable ice age…

Desperation is the driving force behind the events of this dark story set in a whitewashed world where snow never stops falling.

The characters gracing these pages are filled with a bleak sense of determination - whether it’s for love, life, power or all three. Key in instigating this sentiment is the inescapable threat of the coming freeze, a welcome change of tack in a genre that thrives on conflict. A foe that cannot be stopped by sword or magic, this adversary has no face, and adds to the impressive ambience of Newton’s multi-tiered Villjamur.

That’s not to suggest there’s a shortage of old-fashioned iron-clad clashing. The armoured black aliens, who butcher anything that moves, provide a fitting fantastical adversary, while subtler political and personal conflicts spread like a plague within the city’s walls.

Sadly, the characters participating in these conflicts aren’t quite so striking. Although each possesses a certain intrigue, none of the stars of this particular show are that memorable. The most engaging of the bunch is Investigator Jeryd, a Rumel trying to solve a series of brutal murders while simultaneously patching up his marriage. His treacherous aide, Tryst, supplies some much-needed suspense, although the motives behind his actions feel unconvincing.

Brynd (a warrior of the court), Estevu (a chiselled womaniser) and Urtica (Chancellor of the council) are all standard character tropes, and it’s a particular shame that the latter’s most pivotal scene (the arrest of the Empress and her sister) is over so quickly as it squanders a potentially thrilling opportunity. Surprisingly it’s the lesser figures of Jurro and Tula who feel more like fleshed-out, convincing characters.

Written in an offbeat, literary and often uncomfortable style, Newton’s technique serves to compliment the uneasy atmosphere that surrounds the story itself. The world he creates is almost palpable in its reality, demonstrating the author’s skill at generating atmosphere and bringing his setting to life. Let’s just hope there's a little more depth to the characters in the next volume. Alice Wybrew

VERDICT: 6/10
A tentative step in the right direction for a series with potential.

Click here to buy Nights of Villjamur at Forbidden Planet (forbiddenplanet.com)