The Wolf In The Attic by Paul Kearney

The Wolf In The Attic is far more than the description promised. It went far and beyond in exceeding my highest expectations. It is as I said to my boyfriend MAGICAL.

I was privileged to read the advanced proof copy of the novel and I cannot wait for the book to come out so all fantasy fans out there can laugh and  cry with the characters as I have been doing these last couple of days.

I remember reading The Way to Babylon and A Different Kingdom some years ago... If you haven't read them while you are waiting for this jewel to be published. It seem that Kearney has drawn a full circle going back to his roots to write this one. It is devilishly pure, and clean, and mostly stripped of all the heavy, unnecessary and boring stuff we find in fantasy lately. 

The Wolf In The Attic is  indeed a magical journey that lingers in your mouth for a lot longer that you would normally expect from a recently to be published fantasy. I don't fear to admit that more than once I found myself in the exact same statement of excitement I was in 20 years ago reading The Hobbit, The Last Unicorn, The Narnia Chronicles... I experienced the same pure, childlike enjoyment of reading and adventure story. My boyfriend even said that he hasn't seen me in a state like that EVER... which coming from the guy who has held me more than ones when I was crying or mooring a character or who has had to endure the years of midnight cackles from the cupboard is a lot! ( All these are syndromes of an average bookworm, I hope, for otherwise I am simply a woman possessed by madness). 

Thank you Paul Kearney, for bringing me back the joy of reading and for reminding me how this love affair with books began for me. 

Now back to the novel: it tells the story of Anna - a Greek girl who is coping with the harsh life of a refugee in cold and rainy England. Having survived the Greco-Turkish War and the loss of her mother and brother, she has not the slightest idea of what perils destiny has set for her in the upcoming months. She is a strong willed and brave girl, which you instantly fall in love with.

The narration is of first person and takes you on an adventure as seen through the eyes of an eleven-year-old... her voice managed to captivate me -  a grown-up woman (don't make me say the ugly word - ADULT) of 25. She is rich and engaging as a character and you will find yourself, as I did, saying: "You go girl!"

Paul Kearney has done an amazing job building up the world of his novel around Celtic folklore. He managed to patch reality and myth so well that I was left muting "HOW" for hours before I set to writing this review. I am having one of my worst book hangovers after reading it.  

If I have to compare The Wolf In The Attic to a work that managed to engage me the same way, that would probably be the series of M. D. Lachlan(this man is a GOD), although Kearney is far less  grim.

For fear of spoiling it for you, I will  not discuss the plot any more... But by all means, please read the book. It might not be epic and bloody, and there might not be any battles in it, but if you only stop to read between the lines not even 100000000000 readings would be enough for you to read it all.

It is simply OUT OF THIS (GRAY) WORLD!
Thank you NetGalley.com!!!!