3.5*

Didn't work as well for me as The Watchmaker of Filigree Street although it is still full of divine use of language and incredible imagination.

The pace was slow and a bit too languid for my enjoyment, I felt half the book like I needed something to happen and for the story to go somewhere.

There's the same whimsical almost otherworldly element to the historical novel and a feeling that you're just on the edge of something quite magical but, unlike TWoFS, I couldn't connect as well with the central character of Merrick.

Wounded and disillusioned, Merrick Tremayne has moved back home to live with his brother in a crumbling Cornish estate. He has three choices facing him:
- Join his mother in an asylum
- Become a Parson
- Take the India office up on their dangerous offer

Despite his assurance that he is physically incapable of the journey, he accepts the India office's offer to go to Peru in search of cinchona trees, an altogether more dangerous and strange mission than Merrick could have imagined.

I cannot begin to describe the joy of being approved for this book on Netgalley. Natasha Pulley has absolutely done it again, and I want her to write historical clockwork magical realism forever and ever. Another beautiful slow burn of a journey, I had the biggest book hangover when I finished this, like emerging from a thick, dream-like fog and back into the real world.

The story unfolds at a wandering pace, gently piquing your curiosity, and the characters and their relationships blossom before your eyes. Another enchanting read.

Normally I find I don't actually like books that have stacks of professional reviews saying they are brilliant, but this book was absolutely great! It did take me a little time to get into it, but suddenly it had become very engrossing. I received a review copy, but would happily have paid for this. It was evident a lot of research had gone into this book, and I do like books where you can learn about a subject and/or place, without the book becoming hard going or boring - this book remained fascinating and exciting. Nice connection with The Watchmaker of Filigree Street.

Having heard great things about the author's first book, I was pleased to be given the opportunity to read this one. Unfortunately despite starting it 2 or 3 times I couldn't get into at all.

This is Natasha Pulley’s second novel. I remember seeing lots of very positive reviews of her first, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, a year or two ago and thinking it sounded interesting. I never got round to reading that book, but when I heard about her new one, The Bedlam Stacks – which sounded just as intriguing – I decided to give it a try.

Set mainly in Peru in 1860, The Bedlam Stacks is narrated by Merrick Tremayne, a former opium smuggler and an expert in botany. Confined to his family estate in Cornwall due to a leg injury, Merrick is trying to come to terms with the fact that he will now have to put his adventuring days behind him and find something else to do with his life. Just as he is beginning to lose hope, his old friend Clem Markham arrives with a request from Merrick’s former employers, the East India Company. To tackle the problem of treating malaria in India, a supply of quinine is urgently needed – and Merrick’s expertise with plants makes him the ideal person to travel with Clem to Peru to take cuttings of the quinine-rich cinchona tree.

At first Merrick is reluctant to agree, knowing that his disability will make it difficult for him to travel through dangerous terrain – not to mention the fact that the Peruvians have a monopoly on the trees and are not about to let anyone else steal them. The alternative, though, is to stay at home and follow his brother’s suggestion of becoming a parson, so it doesn’t take him long to reach a decision! Venturing into the uncharted depths of Peru, Merrick and Clem finally arrive in the holy town of Bedlam, a place where the boundaries between magic and reality begin to merge.

The magical realism elements in The Bedlam Stacks are much more dominant than I had expected. There are moving statues, exploding trees and several other surprises which I will leave you to discover for yourself! This wasn’t really to my taste – I think I would have found it just as enjoyable to read a novel about an expedition to Peru that was based entirely on fact, without the touches of fantasy – but it was certainly imaginative and original. I did love the concept of the Markayuq statues, which apparently really exist and are still found in the countryside in Peru, originally thought to be guarding the villages. Natasha Pulley finds a clever and fascinating way to incorporate these into the story, but again I don’t want to say too much.

The sense of place is very strong – there are some wonderful descriptions of the Peruvian landscape as well as vivid accounts of more practical considerations such as the altitude sickness experienced during the journey – but I was slightly disappointed that there wasn’t a stronger sense of the time period. Neither Merrick’s narrative voice nor the dialogue between the characters felt convincingly Victorian to me; the choice of words and phrases, the grammar and the structure of sentences just weren’t right for the 19th century. I’m aware, though, that I can be a bit pedantic about anachronistic language used in historical novels and I know it’s not something that bothers everyone!

I did find a lot to enjoy in The Bedlam Stacks, although I’m sorry that I couldn’t quite manage to love it. Maybe I’m just not the right reader for Natasha Pulley’s books, but I’m still glad I’ve tried this one – even if not everything worked for me, I can understand the appeal!

Well, this book caught me totally by surprise! I expected it to be a literary mystery, instead, I was treated to a brilliant cross-genre work that was deep, mysterious and just a lot of fun to read. It was beautifully written, vivid, well rendered with deep characters and engaging prose. It was fun to read, but also tackled some pretty important issues without being too on the nose about it. This book was rich and detailed and everything I want in a novel. Will definitely be one of my top recommends.

Natasha Pulley’s steampunk mystery extravaganza The Watchmaker of Filigree Street became last years literary crossover. It seemed nobody could resist it and I admit I was more than a little swept away by it myself.

The blurb of The Bedlam Stacks seemed like a departure from her debut except for the time period it is set in (not exactly the same but only a few years earlier).

Here it is “Deep in uncharted Peru, the holy town of Bedlam stands at the edge of a forest. Here, statues move and anyone who crosses the border dies. But somewhere inside are cinchona trees, whose bark yields quinine: the only known treatment for malaria. By 1859, the hunt for a reliable source of quinine is critical and the India Office coerces injured expeditionary Merrick Tremayne into one final mission. Merrick is dispatched to Bedlam and tasked with bringing back cinchona cuttings. But as he travels into hostile territory, he discovers a legacy which will prove more dangerous than he could ever have imagined.”

I have to tell you that that blurb does not do this book justice! What I can’t tell you is how much I loved this book – there just aren’t the words! I wanted to live in the Bedlam Stacks forever, Natasha Pulley has created an incredible world and characters with breadth and depth. It isn’t steampunk this time so much as magic realism, but it still has a dusting of mechanical madness and another connection to her debut that I can’t tell you but does mean I’m chomping at the bit for her next book … according to Twitter she’s busy researching now…!

5Bites – so far this is my favourite book of the year!

The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley
Published by Bloomsbury
Reviewed by Amanda Kennedy on 1st June, 2017

In 1859, ex-East India Company smuggler Merrick Tremayne is trapped at home in Cornwall after sustaining an injury that almost cost him his leg. On the sprawling, crumbling grounds of the old house, something is wrong; a statue moves, his grandfather's pines explode, and his brother accuses him of madness.

Thus begins Merrick's expedition to Peru in search of quinine. Despite knowing that every previous attempt has resulted in death, he yearns to escape his English home and discover some truth about the tales of his father and grandfather concerning the fairy-tales he'd heard as a child. The further he explores, the more mysterious and magical the environment becomes. Until he meets Raphael, who claimed to have known his grandfather. How can that be when Raphael appears so young, and with Merrick's grandfather so long departed from this life?

The Bedlam Stacks is the epitome of a slow-burning novel. In contrast to Pulley's initial venture in this trilogy, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, it's pace is leisurely, serving to draw readers in slowly in order to acclimatise with the fantasy in parallel to Merrick's journey to deepest Peru.

World-building in this novel is delicious and satisfying. We are presented with beautiful descriptions and smooth character development, with a smattering of cameo appearances from Pulley's earlier work. I believe this is the second of a trilogy of novels set in he same universe. Those who loved The Watchmaker will not be disappointed having reached the novel's conclusion, though may feel a little different about the method used to get there.

I did truly enjoy this book, which I was invited to read for free as an ARC from the publisher. While it took a while to get going, I was enthralled when it did and felt a sense of loss as Merrick's story came to a close.

Natasha Pulley is cementing her reputation as an author to watch out for. I sincerely cannot wait to read her third novel and see how the characters and threads return for the final story.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Merrick Tremayne is trapped at his home in Cornwall following an unfortunate accident involving his leg. Unable to walk properly, his family thinks he's slowly going mad as he claims to witness his grandfather's statue moving, and the trees exploding. Brought on board by the India Company to harvest quinine in deepest Peru, Merrick feels like the expedition is doomed to fail, like every other expedition before it. However, while in the town of Bedlam, he becomes embroiled not only in the political, but the magical history, behind the majestic statues that stand on a salt line or begins to question what happened to the previous crew.

I really struggled reading this book, to the point where it took me nearly three weeks to finish it. I wanted so desperately to enjoy it, but unfortunately I found I couldn't. It starts extremely slowly, and frequently goes off on tangents within the first third of the book with many discussions about the build up to the expedition and side stories about going to the East India office and how Merrick hurt his leg. I felt these didn't really add anything to the story, and only served to further slow down the already meandering plot.

However, that said I did like the information included about quinine and the danger and politics behind the need for the trees. The author has clearly put a lot of research behind her novel, and this shines through. The novel itself is very well written and beautifully descriptive. When the expedition finally reaches Panama, I could almost imagine myself there, personally experiencing these events. I particularly liked the small comments about the guinea pigs in the rafters. You also get a real sense of atmospheric foreboding as the expedition starts their quest for the trees, which was great.

Merrick, as the main character, is rather dry in his demeanour. Some events that occur throughout the book he mentions without much emotion, and at pivotal points he seems to lack any emotional depth to describe what is occurring in a way that seems hardly exciting. Even when the action cranks up slightly near the end, I felt Merrick hardly mustered up any kind of emotional response. He's very lacklustre, and there's no kind of build up or emotional payoff whatsoever. Raphael by comparison was a much more interesting character, with a purpose and the emotional attachment to Bedlam and the holy statues. At times, I almost wished the story could have been told through his eyes instead. In terms of the other characters mention in the novel, didn't really get a feel for any of them, and I actually found that some characters that were heavily involved in the first third of the novel disappeared and weren't mentioned again until the last chapter. This was disappointing, and felt like I didn't really get the payout I'd invested in during the beginning of the novel.

I think I came to expect more from this novel than what I actually got. I was expecting something magical and adventurous, set in deepest darkest Peru but in reality I felt that this was more like one man's telling of an expedition that didn't really have proper purpose or conclusion. Disappointing.

Merrick Tremayne, a gardener and former opium smuggler crippled in the shelling of Canton. Tremayne is mouldering away at the family home in Cornwall, about to reluctantly become a vicar but fascinated by the exploits of his grandfather and convinced that the statues in the garden can move. Tremayne travels to Peru to try to steal cuttings and ends up at the town of New Bethlehem, a place his grandfather visited and one in which powerful beliefs still hold sway. Around the town is a salt line, a border no-one can cross on pain of death but there lies the cinchona trees that Merrick wants.

Starting off as a straightforward historical novel about the exploration of Peru, this book rapidly develops into something more. The hint is in the statue in the Cornish garden very early on but the trajectory that this narrative takes is both fantastical and also deeply moving. Taking a South American belief system and weaving a tale that is magical, Pulley has created something really special. Whilst the tale doesn't seem logical, the writing is so beautiful and the characters so sympathetic that the reader just gets drawn in. I didn't want it to end!

This is an interesting combination of historical fiction with some fantasy & a bit of steampunk thrown in.
Merrick is sent off to Peru on an expedition with his "friend" Clem with whom he seems to have a love/hate relationship. They are sent by the Government, with some input from the East India Company, to smuggle out some trees that produce quinine in order to tackle the growing problem of malaria in India. Whilst in Peru Merrick meets Raphael a seemingly ageless man who lives in a very strange community on top of glass stacks.
I struggled with the beginning of this book as I originally imagined Merrick as a woman which took a long time to get out of my mind. I have no idea why I felt Merrick was female. Merrick is a second son whose older brother has inherited the family home which is sinking into disrepair. Merrick has had an interesting past life smuggling tea and opium in China before an injury has made him retire home. Merrick is a generally nice character and one to whom I found it easy to relate & want the best for. The supporting cast are far more complicated. Clem is an upper class bore who thinks he is better than everyone else and knows all there is to know about everything. I did laugh at one point when Merrick got fed up of him & pushed him into a river!
This is a complex book with many strange ideas which are not going to suit everyone. Many of the events and places within Peru, including the vegetation and stone statues are very strange and will require a large leap of imagination. I was quite happy to accept these and enjoyed the great imagination of the author.
The historical background for this book seems to be well researched. I am not an historical expert but it certainly rang true for me. The travel arrangements and stories about opium trading in China certainly fitted in with my limited knowledge of the period.
I read this author's previous work - The Watchmaker of Filigree Street - and didn't really get on with it. However I did settle well into this book and enjoyed it much more than the previous one. I am glad that I gave the author a second try.
So if you fancy a strange combination of history and fantasy with exploding trees and moving stone statues then theis is well worth a read!
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

In The Bedlam Stacks Natasha Pulley brings us to a world which is undoubtedly real – the East India Company has become the India Office, malaria is still hampering Britain’s ambitions in the East and Peru has banned the export of the seeds or saplings of the trees whose bark supplies life-saving quinine. The main character, Merrick Tremayne, is a gardener/botanist who has worked as an opium smuggler for the East India Company during the Opium Wars with China is the perfect person to send in to try and succeed where others have failed. Tremayne, however, was seriously injured during his last mission and is living on his family’s dilapidated Cornish estate. He is on the point of taking a job as a curate when he is called to travel to Peru, accompanied by his good friend Clem and his wife Minna. There they find themselves in a world which is ruled by cartels controlling the sale of cinchona (the tree from which quinine is derived) but also superstition, religion and the mysterious geography of the region. This, of course, is where the magical part of the story happens. Living statues, exploding trees, a mysterious community built up from children with disabilities left there by the inhabitants of other villages deep in the forbidden forests, not to mention a key character, Raphael, the village priest who seems to suffer from a strange condition.

I’ve often enjoyed books which feature magic realism (or quirkiness, as I insist on calling it – it sounds so much less daunting and lit-crit-like) and I enjoy good historical fiction. This, I think, is one of the first times I’ve been able to enjoy them together – I have to say it is a combination I will try again in future. In fact, I think I may have to go back to Pulley’s previous book, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, which seems to involve at least one character from Bedlam Stacks…(my to-read pile is never going to get any smaller, is it?)

Lovely, rich, magical read, full of intriguing folklore and an immersive setting. The relationship between the two main characters is a joy to observe unfolding. I loved the character cameo from Pulley's previous, similarly lovely book. Overall a massive pleasure.

4 Days after its release I finally swiped the last page of Natasha Pulley's The Bedlam Stacks on my kindle. Often books I read during reading slumps quickly become D.N.F's but thankfully the intrigue of Pulley's premise kept me going and I was able to enjoy a story wholly different from those I've had the pleasure of enjoying in recent months.

I was drawn to this book for two potentially superficial reasons: (1) I had heard of the author and (2) the cover was my kind of fabulous. Having looked again at the cover (after finishing the book) it is clear that the same attention to detail lovingly written into the pages was also employed in the cover design.

The Bedlam Stacks tells a journey of generations from the perspective of one man in particular, Merrick Tremayne. He is introduced in a way that paints him as almost definitely old, he's injured and uses a cane to move around but other information seems to alter this initial perception. I still don't feel as though I have a proper sense of the man himself, though Raphael (who Merrick meets later) I feel like I know intimately. I would've liked more emotional insight from Merrick but the dialogue between him and Raphael kind of makes up for that for me. Their conversation ebbs and flows so gloriously and has both poignant moments (though never to heavy) and hilarious banter melded among normal human chatter and it's completely captivating. I haven't read dialogue so real to me in a very long time.

What also really stood out for me was the interplay between fact and fiction - Pulley utilises traits of magic without painting a fantasy world - she maintains an entirely believable magical web of a world an does so flawlessly - the pollen was used superbly and I thoroughly enjoyed the way she made it all seem so simple, so natural (though I imagine maintaining that balance would've been a difficult balancing act).

But whilst the conversation, and indeed the nuances of genre blending, ticked all the boxes I couldn't help but feel there were major plot points that didn't hold the significance they should've to me as the reader and though I found that disappointing I continued reading hoping for a more significant emotional payoff. when I got to the final page I didn't feel so much overwhelmed by the events of the book but more deeply satisfied (which was weird to me because I was sure I needed pace and panic to enjoy a book). Pulley writes a very deep narrative and conveys a style I really haven't appreciated properly until now. I feel as though I'm still working out my response to it but I'd highly recommend it to readers keen on  beautiful imagery and a fabulously creative and meaningful premise.

In terms of other characters I found many of them to be a little underdeveloped in favour of developing the scene around them. I wish Clem had been written a little less two-dimensionally  as I found him to be pretty disagreeable from the start - If he'd had more likeable qualities it definitely would've added something for me.

Overall what it lacked for me was that real drive; it was a slow burn of a book and I guess I went in expecting something a little more fast paced. It's a beautiful literary work without a doubt but it tells a gentle and beautiful story rather than a particularly frightening or dramatic tale. I think the suggestions of fear and danger in the first chapters (the exploding trees, missing keys, moving statue) set it up to be a little bit more 'indiana-jones-y' in terms of pace (I wish I could think of a better example but hopefully you get what I mean!) That being said I don't think I could've quite comprehended the world Pulley was creating if it had moved any faster - some of her descriptions were almost beyond the scope of my imagination - a trait I found frustrating but also fascinating and impressive. Pulley is a wonderful writer and I'll definitely read more of her stuff.

SPOILER PARAGRAPH: I haven't read The Watchmaker on Filigree Street but was intrigued by the reference in The Bedlam Stacks. I'd be interested to hear from readers of both texts to see the relevance of Keita's address in Knightsbridge. I also found the addition of Harry's deeds to the lands surrounding Bedlam to be a little predictable given the nature of its reveal. I felt as though I was supposed to be surprised but perhaps that was the intention?

So exciting and unique! I loved the setting of South America too. That cover is also to die for and also describes the novel perfectly. Thank you to the Publisher for the review copy!

I enjoyed this book immensely, but I must admit it took me a long time to get into it - I would say I read the first half with vague interest, but it didn't really grip me. However, the second half blew my mind in all the best ways! It tells the story of Merrick Tremayne and his expedition into the mountains of Peru in an attempt to locate and take cuttings from the valuable Cinchona trees that provide quinine for malaria treatment. The first half seemed quite disjointed - the author just throws you straight in, which is fine but it can be a little disorientating until you find your feet, especially as the book deals with subject matter that is largely unfamiliar to me. As I said though, once I grew accustomed to the style and the characters, the second half of the book was just excellent. In the vein of other novels set in remote locals in South America, there is a great magical realism quality to the action, with things happening throughout that are totally believable and yet full of wonder. My particular favourite were the ducks - I won't say any more but you'll know when you get there! Overall, the awkward pacing of the first half kept this from being a five star book, but I would definitely recommend it.

Many people are familiar with Natasha Pulley’s writing after reading The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, I am not one of those people. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street somehow passed me by and after reading The Bedlam Stacks I am very disappointed I didn’t get around to reading The Watchmaker of Filigree Street first.
The Bedlam Stacks was an unexpectedly magical read and one I am looking forward to returning to in the future.
Merrick Treymayne is feeling stifled and unwanted since moving back to his family home in Cornwall with his curmudgeonly brother Charles. As a former smuggler for the East India Company Merrick sustained an injury to his leg which left him needing a cane.
So, when his old friend Clem arrives to convince him to come on an expedition to Peru. Merrick takes some convincing. Clem and the East India Company want Merrick to help them take cuttings from the Cinchona tree in order to get quinine, a substance needed in the cure for malaria. The locals want to maintain the monopoly on their trees and they aren’t happy with foreigners trying to take their product away.
Those who have arrived in Peru on previous expeditions to gather this precious resource haven’t made it out of Peru alive. Knowing this, Merrick knows it is madness for him to try where others have failed, especially with his injured leg. All that awaits him in Cornwall is a fractious relationship with his brother who thinks Merrick is slowly descending into madness.
On arriving in Bedlam Merrick and Clem are surprised by the level of superstition among the locals. The newcomers are warned not to cross the salt lined boundary into the forest but with the time sensitivity of their mission will they listen.
The longer they stay in the village the more fascinated Merrick becomes with the strange stone statues that line the village and almost seem to be alive. How do they work? And why does the young priest Raphael seem to know Merrick’s grandfather even though he visited Peru decades earlier.
Natasha Pulley has a beautiful and wonderfully descriptive writing style. It made me feel like I was with Merrick every step of his journey and I didn’t want the journey to end.
The pace of this novel is quite slow but that is one of the things that makes it great, it helps the reader to immerse themselves in the world Natasha Pulley created.
The Bedlam Stacks begins in Cornwall the night after a major storm has brought a tree branch crashing through the roof of the dilapidated house he shares with his brother. Merrick decides to take a walk with his St Bernard Gulliver to inspect for any more damage.
The tree that came crashing through the roof has a special sentimental value to Merrick as his father used to read to him from its trees. Charles hated their father though and can’t wait to get rid of the tree and this is just one of the many things that he and Charles disagree on.
“He stared at me and I stared back, and I think we both saw then what should have been obvious for years: that we belonged to different classes. He was a gentleman, and I never had been. His eyes filled with tears and then I looked away at the hopping crows so I could pretend not to have noticed. ‘You have no pride have you,’ he said. ‘There’s nothing left for you to be proud.’
It was fortuitous that Clem arrived when he did to convince Merrick to go to Peru. Merrick had been convinced that a statue his dad had brought back from Peru was being moved around the garden and that someone kept breaking into the greenhouse he liked to spend his time in. Charles was convinced this obsession was the onset of madness.
One of my favourite things about the book is the way Merrick is following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. By choosing to go to Bedlam, Merrick and Clem visit the place where Merrick’s father was born and where he made many friends throughout his lifetime. I like the way his father’s stories of that time influenced his childhood.
Merrick points out that they would have to ask where to find the village because neither his father nor his grandfather ever chose to record it on a map.
“Dad said there are things that shouldn’t go on maps.”
I liked that Merrick isn’t a traditional hero. He has a bit of a dark side, the fact that he was a smuggler for one. Also, when his boss tells him that if they can’t get the cuttings he will need to create a political reason for the government to send the troops in by getting Clem killed, Merrick doesn’t say he won’t do it.
For me, the best bits of the book were the bits involving the legends around the forest and the statues. I thought it was a unique idea and made for a fantastic book.
The Bedlam Stacks was an intriguing read and was unputdownable from start to finish.

Having read Natasha's debut novel, I waited for Bedlam with anticipation. She certainly knows how to write good fantasy and steampunk. There's a little bit of magic and unusual goings on. Overall, I enjoyed her use of characters that are damaged and need bolstering. Great scene setting and humorous.

Well,I think I'm in the minority here as I am very confused by this book and it has a very slow pace! Nothing seems to happen for ages and it takes so many pages to achieve this sense of .. What exactly is the story here? So many storylines disappeared with no satisfying conclusion and the characters were hard to read and understand. The book was simultaneously boring and magical and interesting, but it didn't hold my interest at all, it seemed rather pretentious, despite it offering such opportunities for a great story, East India Company and their world wide trading exploits, British spies and superstition plus piracy, but the action never really got going in my view. It was too wordy and I basically thought there were better books to read and enjoy, hence my 2 star rating. I did enjoy the exploding trees and the moving statue in Cornwall, the description of relations between Merrick and Charles was really well written, in fact the home grown domestic part of this novel far outshone the rest of the book.
On reflection, not for me, but this is my honest review, so take it or leave it. I have posted this review on Goodreads today.

Reminiscent of a H Rider Haggard or H G Wells novel, his book deals with a pair of English explorers in Peru to bring cinchona bark to India to make quinine and prevent a malaria epidemic. They travel to "Bedlam" of the title and meet a variety of local characters as well as encountering "magical" phenomena.

With 1st person narration, this perhaps overlong novel is quite entertaining and interesting, incorporating the sort of magic realism of Marquez. The characterisations and descriptions are elaborate and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good yarn.