Time's Fool by Alys Earl

2.5 Stars

This is an attempt at resurrecting the Gothic in literature and the reader is continuously reminded of this fact through both the quotations (from the likes of Bram Stoker's Dracula, Mary Shelley's Frankensteins, Sheridan Le Fanu's Camille and Oscar Wilde's Picture Of Dorian Gray) that start each chapter.  It is also further driven home as 2 of our 4 protagonists (Steven and Lucy) are studying literature at University in Barchester and, along with Sophia, seem to spend large chunks of the opening chapters discussing and dissecting literature.  John is always sadly on the sidelines during these discussions, indeed he seems to be on the sidelines for much of the book.

Initially the writing isn't too bad with the dialogue between characters having a ring of authenticity and the settings and the characters being pared back so we can find out about them through their words and actions rather than being told in no uncertain terms by the author who everyone is and how we should perceive them.  When they break in to a local abandoned mansion they meet the enigmatic Julian and now there is a fifth wheel to their friendship circle.

Everything is going swimmingly until about a third of the way through.  I was captivated by the story and the characters and there was that frisson of the unknown running through where the reader knew far more than our protagonists but not as much as I thought I knew.  From this point though it began to get a little bit bogged down with internal monologues from Sophia, Steven and Julian taking the place of conversations and actions and I started to lose a little interest. 

Unfortunately, from the halfway point onwards this becomes in exercise in completely pointless prose - why use 5 words when I can use 25 to describe one single fleeting emotion?  There is an almost desperate determination to emulate what is regarded, by some, as great Gothic literature but it is self-consciously executed and pulled me right out of the story.  Sheer determination not to be beaten by a book kept me reading to the end and things improve slightly towards the end from the perspective of the writing style but from a plot point of view it descends further into ridiculous parody.

If you are looking for a Vampire Tale written in a Gothic style then please pick up Dracula and see how it should be done.  Heck even pick up early Anne Rice books (Interview With The Vampire, Vampire Lestat and Queen Of The Damned may be over-flowery in their language but at least there is a discernible plot) for your vampire fix.

I'm sorry but this book was really not my cup of tea at all as it was style over substance and the style itself was flawed.

THIS IS AN HONEST AND UNBIASED REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED VIA THE PIGEONHOLE