Book review
Written by Kaaron Warren
Angry Robot paperback
Release date Out now

Having come of age and successfully been made a Teacher, it falls to Lillah to lead the children of Ombu on the great walk around the Tree. But the walk won’t be how she remembers it as child – this time the journey promises death, discovery and delusion...

Australian author Kaaron Warren has definitely come up with something different in Walking the Tree. Between the pages lies an imaginative, original and unique world that is in every way fantasy and every way reality.

Set on the island of Botanica, the novel tells the story of Lillah, a young woman about to embark on the five-year walk around the Tree, a plant which covers most of the island and dominates the lives of all its inhabitants. Living around the Tree’s enormous trunk are various communities, each with different beliefs and practices and who will educate Lillah, her fellow Teachers and the children in the ways of survival.

With a great adventure-filled premise, it’s hard to see how Warren’s latest could go wrong, and for those familiar with her work, perhaps it won’t. For new readers, however, it may be a different story, as Warren’s distanced style of writing takes some considerable getting used to. Many sections of the novel feel disjointed and confusing due to the lack of character clarification, often leaving you wondering who said what, while frequently events occur that seem to deserve more attention than they’re given.

Due to this approach, the immensity of the five-year journey is barely felt, and it’s only through sporadic reminders that we are able to keep track of time. This also means that there is relatively little character development, and by the time Lillah completes the voyage it is hard to envision her as any older or more experienced than when she set out.

It is the setting that really makes the story and keeps the reader interested. The various communities of Botanica are well thought out and intriguing, and their differing attitudes towards disease, sex and the Tree constantly challenge Lillah’s thoughts and beliefs. It also draws on our own awareness of humanity’s evolution, and adds a sense of reality to the already convincing setting.

The tribal nature of the Botanican people and the various superstitions they observe gives the book a down-to-Earth feel, while the people living inside the Tree nicely contrast this, providing a fantastical element that is otherwise subdued. The frequent bluntness of Lillah’s thoughts give an honest account of human feeling that resonates with the reader, creating a likeable if not sympathetic character. Meanwhile, the omnipresence of the Tree creates an almost God-like presence that makes the last one hundred pages particularly poignant and by far the most exciting in the novel.

What is really original about Walking the Tree, however, is the additional notes supplied by the author at the back of the book. Included in this edition are many of the notes Warren used during her writing of the novel, providing a rare insight into the work that goes into creating such a world. It also informs us that the story is actually based in the future here on Earth, a point unlikely to be gleaned from the narrative and one that alters the reading of the book.

This edition also comes with a link to an online novella that tells the journey from the viewpoint of Morace, a sick child entrusted to Lillah’s care and one of the central child characters. This online addition offers an extension to the story without the reader having to worry about a potential trilogy or never-ending sequels. It’s a nice touch and sets the bar for future publications. Alice Wybrew

VERDICT: 6/10
Walking the Tree depicts a world that is both intriguing and believable, but loses mileage by keeping readers at a distance and preventing them from making the journey themselves.