Scar Night (Alan Campbell)

A really enjoyable gothic setting, with some interesting characters - though many of them are not really developed until the second book. reminicent of gormenghast in some ways, but lacking Peake's dense prose (Which is both good and bad!)

Excellent slice of gothic fantasy, slightly jumbled as you might expect a first book to be but otherwise very entertaining. Great interesting passage and at least one line cribbed straight from Return of the Jedi.

This book doesn't shy away from a level of darkness and nastiness not always found in this kind of fantasy setting and it's all the stronger for it. This is taken to even higher levels in the second book called "Iron Angel". An interesting commentry on some of the blind devotion sometimes shown in organised religion too to cap it off.

All in all an excellent start to what is proving a very enjoyable series.