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| goodreads.com |
In the spirit of such tales as Howl’s
Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones and The
Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent comes a debut novel by Sharon Cameron called
The Dark Unwinding. This Young Adult fiction could not arrive
at a more opportune time, with the fan-bases behind dystopian chronicles like The Hunger Games and Victorian-era Steam
Punk romances ever growing. At first glance, The Dark Unwinding belongs to the over-marketed craze for
downtrodden heroines controlled by socially secure foes, lost in technologically
rich story-scopes—and yet beyond initial prejudices, it is a fun read with
sinister complications.
Forced to investigate, or in this case verify, her Uncle’s insanity at
his estate by a scheming Aunt Alice, Katherine is willing to do whatever it
takes to keep her Aunt’s son, Fat Robert, as heir to the family fortune—in
other words, to secure her own welfare. However, upon entering Stranwyne Keep
Katherine realizes that her report could jeopardize the lives of far more than her
and her Uncle. What’s more, she understands that classifying her Uncle as a
lunatic would simplify his ingenious work.
At the start of The Dark
Unwinding, Katherine Tulman is a character more infuriating than Jane
Austen’s Emma Woodhouse. Whether her charm grows by book’s end is debatable,
although her character undeniably morphs from a stick in the mud to a most improper vixen. The introduction of her
Uncle’s apprentice spices up a plot which can move at a snail’s pace.
All the same, be prepared for twists. A slew of characters, from a
mute child to an unreadable solicitor, all contribute to a thought-provoking
climax. The mystery which grows out of Katherine’s spotty narration is
engaging, although the metaphors used to describe her plights dumb down the
writing. Furthermore, the stereotypical dialogue of the characters makes the
reading downright obnoxious, especially since historical accuracy is never the
focus of The Dark Unwinding.
For Steam Punk enthusiasts undeterred by sub-standard prose and
looking for a strong female antihero, I recommend this book. As I do for
Twilight fans wishing to time-travel away from vampires, or mad-scientist
enthusiasts. This story will not bode well with the literati of the fantasy
world. All the same, it would be unwise to categorize The Dark Unwinding as a paperback romance. The optimistic fairy
tale ending expected is shockingly unclear by the author’s hand. I believe that
readers will be eagerly awaiting Cameron’s next work, once they give The Dark Unwinding a good glance.
By Megan Foster
