Synopsis

On the surface, Peter McAllister has a good life: a good school, good friends, good times. So what if his best friend is a girl – and sort of a geek? And so what if she might be more than a friend.Underneath, it’s a different story. It’s been years since the death of his parents landed him in this small town with his hardly-there uncle, but he still feels as if his life in Clarksbury is just an inch deep. Does he really belong? Only Rosemary seems real. But that reality comes crashing down the first time he kisses her – and she rejects him.

Then a mysterious woman named Fiona appears. She tells him he’s a changeling – a fairy child left to live in the human world – and that it’s time to come home.

Can Rosemary convince him that Fiona is lying?

Or is it possible that Fiona is telling the truth?

You may remember when I talked about James’ first book in Unwritten Books series, it took Amazon an age to source and deliver it (however, well worth the wait, as I said at the time – and it did have to come from Canada!). But this time I didn’t want to wait , so I pulled out my contacts book (aka blogroll) and got a copy of Fathom Five along with Imogen, direct from James himself. (Thanks for that James!)

It actually arrived and was promptly read a few weeks ago now, but other events – like my brother’s 40th birthday party/trip to Barcelona and changing jobs, have conspired to delay this review until now.

“What family?” said Peter. “I haven’t got a family, except– What are you talking about?”

“Your real family, Peter,” said Fiona. “Our family. You are one of us. You are not human.”

“Excuse me?!”

Peter and Rosemary, are a few years older than the events in The Unwritten Girl, and are once again, both, immensely likeable characters.

Once again they are both thrust into a strange new world, populated by friends and foes alike, everything isn’t necessarily what it seems and who is friend and who is the foe, is for them both to work out.

This time it’s the turn of Rosemary to follow and rescue Peter, as the mysterious woman named Fiona, tries to pull him from all he knows and take him away forever.

A misunderstanding, between Peter and Rosemary doesn’t help, and along with his desire for a real family, Peter is more than ready to accept everything, Fiona, tells him.

This is Peter’s story, and his journey into this strange world and everything that happens to him (and Rosemary) slowly shows him things aren’t always what they seem, and sometimes you have more than you think you do.

In a way Rosemary’s physical presence in the world (and in the story) isn’t as important as her presence in his life, it’s this that slows the effects of Fiona’s lies enough to allow her to attempt to rescue him for real.

I think I preferred ‘The Land of Fiction’ and it’s inhabitants to this world, but the book is still a cracking read, and hurtles along at a fabulous pace.

For me the highlights are the scenes either side of the main story, were we get to see Peter and Rosemary in more relaxed frame of mind, if we don’t get to like the characters here, then the rest of the story would never work, thankfully James has more than made sure you care about his characters here, and his writing has some lovely light touches as the two’s friendship, blossoms into something stronger.

Once again, this is a book that is destined to be re-read, go and buy it now, and see for yourself.

• Listen to James read from the first two chapters, here.
• Read about The Unwritten Girl, here.

Fathom Five: A Rosemary and Time Book: The Unwritten Books[rating:75/100]