Book Review: The Song of the Sycamore by Edward Cox

Title: The Song of the Sycamore
Author: Edward Cox
Release Date: 22nd August 2019 
Publisher: Gollancz

Synopsis: On the broken world of Urdezha, Wendal Finn died on the hostile plains of the wasteland, one more casualty in the endless war between the city-dwellers and the clansfolk. But now Wendal has returned to his home city of Old Castle, possessed by something he brought back from the wasteland, something old and best left forgotten. The spirits are calling it Sycamore, an ancient entity out to avenge all victims of murder. And in a city like Old Castle, no one is innocent.

With his mind trapped inside a dead body, Wendal can do nothing but watch as Sycamore turns him into a serial killer. Until the magicians take an interest in him. Preserving Wendal's body and trapping Sycamore inside it, the magicians now have the perfect assassin at their disposal. Whenever they need an enemy removed, they can set the killer loose on Old Castle. Between these moments of horror, Wendal struggles to piece together the remnants of his former life. He wants to know why his wife died while he was fighting in the war, but no one will tell him, no one wants him to know. Left to his own devices, Wendal picks at the scabs that cover the dark secrets of the magicians and reveals a threat to every city on Urdezha.

The clans are massing. A supernatural storm is raging across the wasteland. It has already destroyed one city, and now it is heading for Old Castle. And the only one who might prevent oblivion is the murderous entity who the spirits are calling Sycamore.

Review: When you open an book and it begins "The city of Old Castle rose from the wasteland like an abscess swelling on the festering skin of a diseased world" you've got me...this is the way to start! It's such a vivid and emotive description and only hints at the joys to come. It set me in mind of Dickens's Hard Times in that sense of this drag bleak monotony so you immediately feel the gloom of your environment, you're instantly in that moment.

We're immediately introduced to both Sycamore and Wendal the former an otherworldly spirit of death and the latter the unfortunate host who's world was turned upside down on the wastelands, this mad max-esq area used to fight what seems like another pointless war. Wendal is doubly cursed, as if getting possessed wasn't enough, he's returned home from the war to find his wife is dead and this plight to find her spirit forms a large part of the narrative. You want to feel for him and his search even though he's a bit of a wet character (which I feel is kinda the point). He's trapped and a product of his situation, jaded by what life has thrown at him and being moved around and played by everyone and every side. Though there's not much you can do when your possessed and threatened with death at any given opportunity! Sycamore as a you'd expect has a massive ego and this is a fun balance to play out between the two both individually as characters and in their twisted interactions, both playing games with each other to get what they ultimately want. 

Where there's raw magical energy, in this case Ether, out in the works there is obviously going to be powers in play fighting for control and here our politics come from the Magician's a creepy cult like group and the Scientists a sadistic bunch who claim to want to better understanding of the either but we all know that it's just about power and control and they're all playing in am intricate web of games with our poor unfortunate soul Wendal

This book is part fantasy, part murder mystery part adventure because that's the journey were taken on experiencing the present but also going back and understanding how Wendal got himself into such a situation and the knock on effects this had. 

I also love the concept of Sycamore; hearing the songs of the dead and acting out vengeance for the crimes committed against then. Sycamore is a mercenary, a killer but one that you side with. It was simplistic but poetic and twisted to Ed's vicious plans for his characters. It is a curse and a burden for the characters to have such an entity out in the world. A threat that never goes away and hands over you. He also has his soft side and his longing for 'home'. A little bit of Wendal definitely got to him. I "Awww'd" at the end of the book which is not something I expected to do haha but I really appreciated the circular nature of the book and where the characters had come to. It's great to finish a book and for once feel content like that...good job sir.

I have to commend the level of detail here. It is well though out and structured with little bits here and there to give you that extra touch, like the magician Dyonne having magical spell glyphs tattooed into the inside of her lip. The writing also let's your imagination run wild giving you the settings and people and letting your mind take it where it needs to go, it was almost like we were a second host in Wendal rather than overloading you with sensory information.

Can we also take a moment to appreciate this beautiful cover it is completely eye grabbing and draws you into the world before you've even opened the first page! 

The book is OUT NOW so grab your copy, let me know what you think and check out the other stops on the blog tour for more reviews and great content: