There’s a lot to be said for a strong authorial voice. Jeanette Ng’s debut novel, Under the Pendulum Sun is set in an alternate Victorian world where the fae are real. To match the setting, Ng employs a gothic voice akin to Bram Stoker’s in Dracula and Mary Shelley’s in Frankenstein. These are heavyweights to attempt to emulate, but Ng manages it with aplomb. The voice is absolutely perfect for the narrative and the style she is going for. Unfortunately, this is not a style I enjoy – but I am not above recognising skill, even if it isn’t my cup of tea.

I really did not enjoy this novel, though I can see how many would. If you are a fan of sweeping, meandering gothic tales where the protagonists don’t have much agency and simply let the dark, supernatural events unfold around them, then you will love this book. Under the Pendulum Sun plays into the tropes of this sub-genre perfectly and feels as though it could have been written at the same time as those classics we all know.

<b>How can you trust anything in the world of the Fae?</b>

Catherine Helstone’s brother Laon is a Christian Missionary to the fae. After he stops writing to her, she insists on travelling to mysterious and dangerous land. There, she finds herself holed up as a prisoner in her brother’s home, Gethsemane, with only a changeling and a newly converted zealot of a housekeeper for company. Her brother has gone to parley with the Fae Queen for access to the inner lands where he hopes to convert more fae. But the Queen has plans of her own. Catherine and Laon must deal with their own complicated family history as they fight to stay sane and alive in a dangerous world where the rules are constantly changing.

<b>Fantasy and religion</b>
The gothic Victoriana wasn’t the only aspect of Under the Pendulum Sun that made sure it wasn’t up my alley. The book focuses on Christian Missionaries attempting to ‘save’ the souls of the fae. This was never going to sit right with me. Suspending my disbelief for fantasy is one thing, but I simply don’t enjoy reading about religion in this way. I think I would have been more on board if it had been an entirely invented religion, but that was not the case. I found it a strange premise to get to grips with. While religion is something we see a lot of in fantasy worlds, transporting Christianity into a world of fae was something I’d not come across before. If nothing else, Ng gets points for originality there.

One of the driving factors for the characters in the novel is their relationship with religion. And while I can get on board with a novel about Catholic guilt by Graham Greene, when I read fantasy, that isn’t what I’m looking for. It is difficult when reviewing in cases like this, as this element of the narrative had nothing to do with the skill of the writer and everything to do with personal taste when it came to how I felt about it.

<b>Tension and momentum</b>
Outside of personal preference (or perhaps it isn’t… all reviewing is based on taste, is it not?!), I did have some issues with the lack of tension and plot pacing. I really wasn’t sure what I was meant to be hoping for with this novel. I don’t usually mind plots that meander all over the place as long as there is an overarching end goal. Under the Pendulum Sun seemed to have no real trajectory (as you were reading, or looking back on it from after the finish line). It appears to be built as a kind of mystery, with Catherine and Laon piecing together scraps of information to work out fact from fiction. But at no point was it clear what exactly they needed to discover nor why I should care.

Given the lack of agency of the characters, forward momentum of the plot was difficult to achieve. Much like Catherine waiting for Laon to return, the entire novel felt a bit like we were just waiting for things to happen. In the end, I didn’t feel like much of anything actually happened over the course of the story. Even the character development was minimal – the characters establish their eternal conflict but don’t really move past them or have a great revelation about what it means. Perhaps the author is saving those elements for a follow-up, but it left me cold.

Verdict: Under the Pendulum Sun is a debut novel from a writer who knows her prose craft. Ng has set out to emulate a specific style and does so with both voice and narrative. But this will only appeal to those of you who enjoy these types of stories to begin with. Read if you enjoyed Dracula.

Under the Pendulum Sun is published by Angry Robot on October 3rd, 2017.

I found the story to be really interesting and refreshing.
It is heavily inspired by gothic romance and -horror, and also explores Christian religious tradition a fair bit. These two elements pretty much make the crux of the book's central themes.

I enjoyed Ng's writing style. Her prose is very pretty, descriptive and atmospheric and I truly felt like I was following the events in a different world, because she makes the world and the characters and creatures in it feel very real and unsettling.

Throughout the book there is a sense of creepiness and unease, as the point of view character, Catherine tries to find her bearings and uncover the mysteries of the Fae realm of Arcadia. I found her introspective, unreliable point of view to be very engaging and interesting to read.

The story moves in a rather slow pace and it really sucks you in. A lot of time is dedicated to explore the history of the discovery of Arcadia and the mystery the characters are trying to solve in the present. That's why it feels a little bit of a let down when the story just comes to an end, in a very abrupt manner.
I was 90% in the book and feeling like "Okay, how is this going to end in 80 pages, there's so much things going on still?" and then the ending just happened.
I felt like it could have used a little more fleshing out to be more effective, especially since the rest of the book is so heavy in atmosphere and exploration.

I also felt that the characters didn't have that much character development. They start a certain way, there's development in the middle but then in the end it almost feels like they go back to being the characters they were in the start. This could have used a bit of work.

All in all I still enjoyed the book. It is a very different story compared to anything I've read before and I can't wait to see what this author does next.

The Victorians have discovered Arcadia, the land of the Fae, and have sent missionaries to convert these godless people. When Catherine Helstone’s brother, Laon, goes missing in Arcadia, Catherine sets out to find him. It is a journey beset with peril, no less because of the attentions the siblings attract from the Queen of the Fae.

I usually become increasingly irritated by novels recreating a the voice of a Victorian heroine. But Jeannette Ng, has got a wonderful feel for the preciousness of a genteel woman of that age, who must gather up her skirts and stride boldly out into the unknown.

Certainly the author gives the impression of having absorbed the culture of this era, while adapting it to a modern fantasy. Throughout the book there are echoes of novels of the mid 1800’s. One scene from Jane Eyre is particularly significant and woven brilliantly into what has gone before, and is only one instance where the reader begins to realise they are in for an interesting time. The writing is elegant, laced with a perceptively wicked humour, at times very steamy, and rippling with an undercurrent of the diabolically sinister. There is a constant discomfort of something being off (or in the case of the Fae’s interpretation of cow hide seats, downright wrong).

This is a book where the author messes with your mind and expectations, as much as the Queen of the Fae does with the brother and sister, particularly where Catherine is concerned and the conclusions she comes to as the book weaves its convoluted way through the plot.

Definitely a book which deserves more than one reading to get the most out of how Jeannette Ng has subverted the Gothic novel and given it a fresh lease of life.

Under the Pendulum Sun is a remarkable book. It's at once gothic, literary, magical, and comfortable with the viewpoint of a mid-Victorian world of missionaries and Christianity (whilst equally comfortable dissecting their viewpoints).

To begin with, the story looks as though it is going to be a variant on the Heart of Darkness/ Apocalypse Now myth: a White Man has disappeared or gone rogue in Native Country and must be tracked down, at some peril. Here the White Man is missionary Rev Laon Helstone, and the would-be rescuer his sister Catherine. We see Catherine at the start travelling to a far country by ship and the story is largely narrated from her point of view 9others being introduced only as diary readings or quotations).

The twist is that the far country is the country of the Fae, Elfland, or as it's called here, Elphane, or Arcadia. Through some colonialist triumph the British Empire has secured rights to "open up" Arcadia to trade and influence just as it did countries like China and India: exactly how isn't ever clear and doesn't really matter. Laon, as a dutiful son of the Church of England, has travelled to convert the heathen ("those that languished in the grim epires without word of the Redeemer") - but nothing has been heard from him and so his worried sister obtains the blessing of the missionary society to seek him out.

We discover in time that there's more too it than that, of course, and so the story begins...

Arcadia itself is a well realised, fantastical and gruesome creation, spread out as it is under a sun that is, literally, a pendulum. Ng makes this deeply credible, emphasising not the magical nature of the pendulum but its obedience to physics, with the period constant even as the amplitude changes over the seasons. The idea is curious but works and counterpoints the even stranger nature of Arcadia's moon.

The inhabitants of this unknown country are convincing, too, from Mr Benjamin the gardener (and the only convert) to Miss Davenport the changeling to the frightful Queen Mab, who has taken an interesting in the missionaries and their doings. Then there are the less structured residents such as the "ethereal sylph faces" glimpsed in the mist and the "gnome forms" with a gait "like that of a strutting Lancashire moonie". There are strange beings such as the Salamander, cook to the mission, and the court of Queen Mab with its clockwork revellers

Most of the story is set in a remote house, ominously named Gethsemane ("...more of a castle than a manor, a knot of spires and flying buttresses atop a jagged hill...") which has been granted to the mission. Here Ng is able to indulge in all the trappings of Gothic - from that spiky first glimpse, to the mysterious Lady in Black to the Door to Empty Air which will keep opening in the night and letting bad dreams in. In case this sounds over the top, it's actually marvellously grounded through such details as the salt "from human hands" which must be sprinkled on food to make it safe ("Captain Cook and his crew, the first British explorers to reach Arcadia, were said to have perished because of their misdealings with salt"), or the marvellously convincing chapter headings: Ng quotes equally from real 19th century texts (including some wonderfully pompous hymns and religious tracts, which she does amend somewhat but I couldn't see the joins), from the "journals" and writings of her characters and from fictitious histories. The effect is very convincing, and - although you don't spot this until some way on - she's also laying a trail of breadcrumbs that, with hindsight, shows a little of where the plot came from. I've rarely seem such careful or effective worldbuilding, with the reader never feeling that there's an infodump going on.

All this creates an increasingly menacing atmosphere as the mysteries deepen. Where is Laon? What is the nature of the relationship between him and Catherine? There are hints that it is very intense for a brother and sister. ("I had been taught to tame my wild impulses" she remarks at one point and "I remembered the curve of his ears agianst my lips") In passing, the details of their early life seem rather Bronteish - the remote moorland background background, writing fantasy stories about toy soldiers, dead siblings ("...the very idea of ghosts both enthralled and repulsed us. We had buried so many in our youth.")

Above all, what is the real nature of Arcadia, and what part to Laon and Catherine have to play there? In a world which is all shifting mist, surface glamour and illusion, what is there to hold onto? Will faith serve, or are Catherine and Laon they so far from the face of God as to be cast adrift? What are they even doing there? I think it's a notable achievement to write a work of modern fantasy that takes seriously ideas such as the soul (do the Fae have them?), transubstantiation and the proper interpretation of parables (Mr Benjamin is troubled and raises many questions about the Bible with Catherine: she doesn't have the answers).

If you think seem rather dry, Sunday-schoolish questions, that couldn't be further from the truth. This is in many ways a deeply sensual book - not only in the more obvious sense ("I leaned into his touch... at some point he had dropped the rag and it was his hands that traversed my body...") but in its focus on the nature of the body, the soul, its characters' real sense of sin, of shame, of temptation: the possibility of literally going astray in this strange land (at one point we visit the Goblin Market, where anything can be had, for a price). Identities, and with them, whole systems of values, shift - almost as though Arcadia is a furnace of the self, melting down and reforging the very self and calling forth strange, grotesque behaviour (This was not the innocent games of our past selves, even as I wondered how innocent our games had been").

Ng's writing is first rate and this is an enjoyable, immersive book that is able both to take seriously the perspective of its Victorian characters and to show their worldview under assault from a cultural encounter for which they're wholly unfitted. It's a haunting, intricate book which is like nothing I'd read before. I'd strongly recommend it.

This book is weird. Let me clarify, I rarely use the word weird in a negative sense and I don't mean it negatively now. Some of the best things in the entire world are a bit weird. My favourite books tend to be weird books. This is no exception. So much thought went into how this world would be set up and how things would interact within it. I'm not sure all of that thought is imparted to the reader in a clear manner. For instance, I could attempt to explain to you how fairyland works, and I have a fair amount I could say, but I don't think any of it would make any sense. That definitely feels like a deliberate choice on the part of the author and it makes the atmosphere of the book quite powerful but it is mildly frustrating when you're trying to explain it to other people.

I thought I was going to find the missionary angle annoying or forced but it actually works incredibly well in this setting. There's something about the attitude of the characters and the way their mission shapes their actions that drives the plot in a far more fascinating way than if they had simply been explorers or cartographers or something similar. It adds another dimension and is largely what makes this book unlike any other fae based fantasy novel I have ever read.

For my personal taste, I would have preferred a little bit more world building but I think that is preference as opposed to criticism of the book. I did enjoy the many twists and turns the plot takes throughout the book. Unlike a lot of books lately I didn't manage to guess the end before it happened which was refreshing.

One thing I might criticise, the romance plot is...well weird in not necessarily the best way. It's too much of a spoiler to say here but be warned when you're reading that all is not sunshine and rainbows.

If you think you're stuck in a bit of a reading rut and you want something to shake you out of it I highly recommend giving Under the Pendulum Sun a go. I can't promise you'll love it, it's more a book that will pull you in about fourteen different directions and refresh your imagination. I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for what else comes from Jeannette NG!

My rating: 3/5 stars (I can't say I loved every moment but I am intrigued)

Under the Pendulum Sun releases on October 3rd!

By the way, I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Under the Pendulum Sun is arguably one of my most anticipated book releases of the year. My excitement was only heightened by the reveal of the cover. After all, it’s been some time since I read anything that was specifically Fae related. There was a lot about Under the Pendulum Sun that I actually did like, but what I didn’t agree with kind of outweighs the former. I’ll start with what I liked.

Jeannette Ng knows how to tell a story. The opening chapters were particularly good, and perfectly illustrated how foreign a land of the Fae could appear to someone who isn’t accustomed to the society—especially to people like the main character, who was a missionary. Having a missionary as the main character was an interesting choice for a setting like this. It was a good idea since Fae/magic was put in the same environment as staunch religious beliefs. It was interesting to see how Catherine Helstone navigated life in a strictly limited environment, surrounded by more mysteries than even I could count on one had.

For me, one of the highlights of Under the Pendulum Sun was Arcadia. There was something uniquely sinister about the setting. There was a constant air of mystery that played into the tone of the story, which was dark and sometimes very twisted. One thing in particular was the influence Arcadia’s authoritative figures had over the other inhabitants, whom were as mysterious as they were subtly creepy. I also liked the fact that the Fae weren’t nice—sometimes tricky—beings. They were cruel and the very rules of their society were kind of dark in nature.

So, when I take into account the vast majority of the story, there was so much that I loved about the book. However, that being said, there was one specific thing that was alluded to in the latter half of the book that kind of ruined my enjoyment of Under the Pendulum Sun. I mean, there were circumstances that led up to what happened, but that detail was something I couldn’t get over. I was grossed out by it.

If not for that one thing, my rating would have been higher than it is. Although Jeannette Ng has talent, I am conflicted regarding whether or not I would read another one of her books.

I didn't really know what to expect going into this book. Fairyland, with missionaries? Hm. And then it kept sounding like a Gothic novel, too. Really, it delightfully combines all of that stuff: deep philosophical ponderings about the nature of fairies, fairies which are cruel and truth-telling and difficult to understand, and Gothic atmosphere and twists. The pace can be a little slow at times, and I'll admit I called both of the twists regarding a certain character... but I enjoyed the atmosphere and the way the various puzzles built up and came to a conclusion.

If you're not interested in something dark and twisted, step away. And if you're really allergic to theological stuff, bear in mind that the main character is really pious, and the other main character is actually clergy. The fact that Jeannette Ng knows her stuff re: medieval and missionary theology is really clear, and the characters wonder about it and struggle with it to an extent that you might find boring. I was a little lost by it, honestly, but interested enough in the overall puzzle of it to keep going. And I really love the way the Fae are portrayed: confusing and cruel and capricious and, yes, beautiful but alien.

Overall, it does a lot right and I'm pretty intrigued by the world. The pacing is sometimes a little off, but that's pretty much part and parcel of the Gothic atmosphere.

There were some fantastic ideas here but the whole thing was really difficult to read, it was overly thick with religious passages and felt almost academic in parts. It started and finished well, but I'd have pared down the middle significantly.
Beautiful descriptions and well crafted characters, unfortunately it really wasn't for me - I do imagine that it will be popular with lovers of literary works, if they're not offended by some of the key twists. I won't elaborate but it was highly unexpected. Some very adult themes, although not overly graphic which was a saving grace.

If you found yourself wanting something more in the same vein as Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak, wait no more. Jeannette Ng's Under the Pendulum Sun expertly weaves fantasy, the Gothic, academia, and religion in this compelling novel about missionaries to Arcadia, the land of the Fae.

The story explores a lot of the conventions and repressions of the times and of Gothic tropes (it's got that weird castle with hidden passage ways, clever uses of light, and the madwoman down below); delves into folklore, fairy tales, and the Fae; and manages to make you think about how we view those ideas, concepts, and social constructs if you're familiar with them. The story also manages to twist and invert all of that and make it very new, something that I think can be difficult to do well and Ng makes it look effortless.

I loved the inclusion of documents at the beginning of each chapter and spread throughout to ground the story in its own reality and explore the beliefs of Catherine and Leon. The narrative moves in such a way that you, as a reader, begin to question everything, especially once Queen Mab makes her appearance and throws everything for a loop. As we are experiencing all of this through Catherine's eyes, once the veil is lifted, all we can do is experience the horror and awe as truths come to light.

Under the Pendulum Sun is dark, twisted, and well-executed, and it's a debut. There was much failing and ahhhhh-ing from me while reading it. If you are already interested in Gothic literature, religion and its functions in society, the taboo, the Fae, you'll want to read this. You won't want to put it down once you've started, and you'll be thinking about Arcadia long after you turn the final page.

You find out very little from the summary, in relation to the vast amount of plot twists and events that happen, which make talking about this book incredibly difficult. But it’s kind of what I’m supposed to do, so here we go. I want to say that the writing absolutely blew me away. Ng has amazing turns of phrase here that just reduced my book to highlights. There is a wisdom, but also an exquisite beauty in her words that stun you, especially considering the books I’ve read recently. Furthermore, Ng produces a work that is well researched in religion, fairy folklore, and even emulating the gothic. This book channels Jane Eyre and Mill in the Floss. It doesn’t hurt that I enjoyed the character of Catherine even more as the book went on. There are a few points in the book where she talks about the difference in privilege her brother as, versus her, and they just resonated so deeply with me. And the plot was amazingly complex. The world building is detailed and evocative. All in all, Under the Pendulum Sun is a gorgeous book.

This will be published in the Oct 1, 2017 issue of Grimdark Magazine.
http://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/catalogue/

[It seems that this website did not retain the Word paragraph formatting. Sorry about that.]

Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng
Review by malrubius
Over on his blog, Mark Lawrence (Broken Empire, Red Queen’s War, Red Sister) is making an effort to “nail down grimdark.” In doing so he offers two camps of people with differing views of what grimdark means: “[T]here are grimdark aficionados who see the term as descriptor for an aesthetic that requires the presence of a number of distinct elements which may include moral greyness, bleakness, and nihilism, and there are an (apparent majority) who just see it as the setting on a control knob relating to general levels of violence and ickyness...” We here at GdM tend to lean towards the first camp. Don’t get me wrong – we love the stabby stuff, the blood, the muck, the dismemberment, and an occasional crippled torturer shitting in his bed, but it’s really the morally grey, bleak worldview that makes us stay up into the wee hours with the glare of the Kindle on our faces. Which brings me to Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng. Although only one person gets stabbed throughout the book’s 416 pages (I admit, a few more characters deserved a few slashes, but nevertheless) Under the Pendulum Sun is decidedly bleak, nihilist, and perhaps the most morally grey novel you will read in some time. In addition to being grimdark to those of us in the aesthetic camp, Under the Pendulum Sun is also beautifully written, evocative, provocative, fascinating, and, foremost, fantastic in the true sense of the word. [Unfortunately, because I received an uncorrected advance copy of this book from the publisher, I am not allowed to quote directly from the text, despite its beautiful language and vivid imagery.]


Under the Pendulum Sun tells the story of Catherine Helstone, a provincial young Englishwoman in the mid-1800s. Catherine travels to Arcadia, land of the fae, to check up on her brother, Laon, a missionary who has travelled to Arcadia to convert the fae creatures to Christianity. She has not heard from her brother in quite some time, so she has decided to board a ship for the unknown and unchartable land of Arcadia and check on his well-being as well as the success of his mission. Upon her ship’s getting lost enough for the voyage to actually find Arcadia, Catherine is shuffled through the mist directly to her brother’s castle, Gethsemane, and told not to go outside. (For those of us unfamiliar with Christian theology and symbolism, Gethsemane in Biblical lore is the garden where Jesus and his disciples prayed and slept on the night before his crucifixion.) However, Laon is not there. Catherine is greeted by a housekeeper, Miss Davenport, and a steward of sorts, Mr Benjamin, a goblinoid with speckled birch bark skin. Catherine waits at Gethsemane until her brother finally arrives, and things start getting even weirder.

The story is told in Catherine’s first-person point of view, which beautifully captures the sense and sensibility of 19th century gothic novels like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre as well as later novels that contain gothic themes of entrapment, extreme distress, and the inexplicable such as Turn of the Screw and Tess of the D’Urbervilles. When she arrives at Arcadia, Catherine is distraught about the lack of correspondence from her beloved brother. When she finds he is not home and she takes a room in tower of Gethsemane, she is nearly frantic. And a damned door that leads to nothing but open air and a steep drop keeps mysteriously opening no matter how many times she is sure she has closed and locked it. Much of a story is in the telling (in the opinion of this humble reviewer, anyhow), and Under the Pendulum Sun, with its nod to the great gothic novels and its complex themes, is top notch literary fiction in addition to being crazy and dark as hell.

While waiting at Gethsemane, Catherine is entertained by Miss Davenport and Mr Benjamin. Miss Davenport seems to be quite friendly and has spent a good deal of time in London and is therefore more cosmopolitan than Catherine herself. And Mr Benjamin, Catherine soon finds, is Laon’s most devout convert, but in Laon’s absence he has an agonizing habit of asking Catherine, herself an extremely devout Christian, an endless stream of extremely unsettling and unanswerable theological questions.

She also finds some writings of the missionary, Roche, who preceded Laon and who seems to have met a mysterious but decidedly unhappy end. Part of her mission is to bring Roche’s papers back to England—without reading them. Not likely. She delves right into the papers and discovers many references to the Enochian language, the language of angels and pre-human beings, which she knows will be key to learning Roche’s fate. While surreptitiously perusing Roche’s papers, she learns much about the fae creatures by whom she is surrounded, most importantly perhaps, that the fae love to lie and obfuscate, and would just as soon tell a deliberate falsehood than the truth for no other reason than to fuck with humans’ minds. Thus her interactions with everyone she meets must be highly guarded and are fraught with confusion.

Theological questions abound in Under the Pendulum Sun, mostly regarding the parables of Jesus, and the obsequious Mr Benjamin’s concerns with the matter of the Christian elect. Was his seed “sown on stony ground,” so despite his devotion to Jesus and Christianity he and his kind will wither away on their way to endless fire and brimstone? The fae are not mankind—are they excluded from God’s grace? And if so, why the fuck is there a missionary here trying to convert them all? This may seem like a lot of Christianity for a grimdark novel about fae creatures, but rest assured this is only a taste of the depths that questions, especially from the parables, befuddle the characters in this novel. And, indeed, they may sometimes befuddle the reader as well but they form an integral part of the main themes of the novel and ultimately its grimdarkness. Definitely do not let that scare you away from this fascinating novel. I myself am an atheist who knows less about Christianity than about how to play the French horn, and I enjoyed every minute of it. In fact, most books on writing advise using some specialised knowledge (mining in Graham Austin-King’s Faithless, the life a travelling actor in The Name of the Wind) to entertain readers and provide verisimilitude. Laon and Catherine are authentic missionaries, deeply concerned with the Christian implications of all that they do. And what they do is grim indeed.

Were Under the Pendulum Sun merely a treatise on Christian theology with fairies, I probably would not recommend it. Far from it, Ng has written a dazzling novel. From the tension of Catherine’s isolation, to the revelations of Roche’s papers, to the spectacular party that Queen Mab throws at Gethsemane and the horrifying hunt that follows, to the human ex-pat that builds clockwork creatures to fill the role of humans, to the compelling and complicated problems faced by Christian missionaries in a land that is decidedly without god, this is a highly entertaining read, populated by beautifully imagined fae creatures, and told with precision and verve. My only disappointment is that Laon and Catherine are never given permission to bring their missionary zeal to the outback of Arcadia despite their attempts to persuade Queen Mab. (Sorry for the tiny spoiler, not integral to the plot.) I hope this will come in a sequel, but considering the depths of grimdark grey morality Under the Pendulum Sun plumbs, I’m not sure a sequel makes sense.

Is Under the Pendulum Sun grimdark in aesthetic sense? Yes, and it is also extremely beautiful, entertaining, and emotionally compelling. Have I left out the best parts to keep from spoiling it? Yes. Read this excellent novel when it comes out October 3rd from Angry Robot.

This gothic tale is stylishly told; imaginative and full of wondrous imagery. In rich prose, it tells the story of a young lady who seeks her missing missionary brother in the land of the fae. The premise is great, and the language is lovely, but unfortunately, after a strong first three chapters, the story turns slight and painfully slow. It's also curiously devoid of any sense of conflict. The book seems to assume that in-depth theological conversations and an evocative 19th century fae setting will be enough to maintain interest for the average reader. I'm not convinced. Despite having studied both Christian thought and British magic as part of my history degree, I found the unrelenting focus on those elements of the story to be too esoteric and academic to be enjoyable. It might have got away with it if the characters were more interesting, but I found them, and in particular the protagonist, to be dull.
I suspect that this young author will go on to do great things, she's certainly capable of them, but I can't see this book working for that many people.

Quality Rating: Three Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Three Stars

This book had a promising start and I found myself pleasantly surprised in the opening chapters. But the more I read, the more it felt like I was walking in circles - albeit, very pretty and whimsical circles in this creative interpretation of the the old-fashioned kind of fae - but in aimless directions nonetheless.

Under the Pendulum Sun's strength was undeniably in its whimsicality and imagination. I haven't read any Young Adult fantasies that draw so strongly from the 19th Century style of fae. This was a breath of fresh air for me; the 1800s is a favourite of mine, and I read a lot of this kind of thing when I was little. Ng also adds to the traditional ideas of the fae with her own creations which was what made this book interesting. The only problem was that I don't think it was her priority. At some points there's a great deal of care and imagination that goes into describing and explaining the world (how the Pendulum Sun works, the sea whales that live in the ground, the clockwork dancers at the ball), but at others it's lacking in much detail at all if the characters are more important at the time. It's a shame since the world building was the most enjoyable part of the book.

The story of this book takes after traditional gothic mysteries, where the protagonist is told precious little and has to work it out for themselves. The problem is that 80% of Under the Pendulum Sun is Cathy complaining that no one will tell her anything, and that's about it. As you can imagine, it gets old and repetitive pretty fast (which is why the elaboration in the world building was the interesting part and should've been given more attention). I also have to say, I didn't entirely understand the explanation of what was really going on when it was revealed at the end. I'm still not sure what actually did happen.
This is, in part, to do with the abundance of Christianity in the plot. At first I thought it was for the time period and the connections to the fae were interestingly done, but as I read on it became so tied into the plot that it became harder to understand all the metaphors and references. It expected you to know quite a bit about the teachings of the Bible (either that or it thought referencing it every sentence is all the explanation you need), and since I'm not overly familiar with it I was lost pretty quickly. I thought I'd be able to appreciate the references and the eventual conclusion of the novel without being given this information, but I don't think I was right.

Character-wise, I wasn't overwhelmed. It's a small cast and people drop in and out when necessary to the plot. In the story they're all pieces in the Pale Queen's games, but in the context of the novel they're the author's puppets instead. It doesn't feel like any especially meaningful relationships are developed past that of the romance. Regardless of the morality of the situation, I didn't feel much chemistry between the characters as lovers (ironically they felt more genuine in their previous relationship). I'm still not entirely sure if the reader was supposed to feel conflicted about their affections, but I was just waiting for the next piece of magic honestly.

Under the Pendulum Sun is a creative and different look at the fae that got too bogged down in the complexities of a religion it expects you to know the details of and a controversial romance that lacked chemistry, while you sit there hoping for another whimsical creation to distract from the weak plot.

Not what I was expecting! This is a dark and twisted tale of Victorian era missionaries who travel to the Faelands of Arcadia to try to convert the fae.

Catherine Helstone's brother Laon is a missionary who has been sent to the fairy land of Arcadia in an attempt to convert the fae. When he stops replying to her letters she Catherine is so worried about him that she travels to Arcadia in an attempt to find him.

When she arrives her brother is not there at Gethsemane, the manor house Queen Mab of the fae provided for him to stay in. Her brother's staff are vague about his location but assure Catherine that he will return soon. As she waits for him, she hears rumours about the death of the previous missionary, Reverend Roche, but no one will straight out tell her what happened to him. When Catherine finds the dead Roche's journals full of strange rambling entries and a book written in a language she does not recognise she decides that reading and deciphering them will provide the key to understanding the strange place that she has found herself.

The characters are missionaries, so obviously are going to be religious. I read that the author has studied theology, and it shows. Religion plays a massive part in this story, with discussions around theology making up a lot of the book. Catherine spends a lot of time praying and thinking about God, and pondering whether the fae have souls or not.

There are so many layers to this story. The main story is easy enough to follow but there's a lot of hidden meanings that as the reader you need to decipher to fully understand what is going on. If you enjoy working out the meaning behind what the author is showing us for yourself, you will love this book! There is a lot to think about or things that if you research a bit will make a lot more sense. Even the name of the manor house Catherine and Laon are staying in has meaning.

Honestly, I struggle with hints and subtle suggestion, I prefer things that are spelt out for me. I like knowing what the author intended without having to make guesses myself. So it took me a while to get into this. It was very slow to start with, and I had no idea where it was going, it took me a while to work out the point of the book, Cathrine spends most of her time reminiscing about her childhood and how wonderful her brother is. But I slowly got caught up in the story telling, and the second half is much better paced.

Queen Mab turns up and throws a (very nasty) winter ball full of clockwork automaton and things start to get more interesting. Then Catherine starts to find out what happened to the Reverend Roche, and why no one will talk about how he died.

I loved the way the fae are cruel and unkind, playing games with the few humans that are allowed into Arcadia. This is fae as they are meant to be! Queen Mab is very, very scary and I can't understand why Catherine and her brother want to go further into the interior of Arcadia. I'd be running for my life after that Winter Ball.

It's very twisty and turny, just when I thought I understood what was going on the story changes again. Even though most of the action takes place in Gethsemane, it's still full of secrets and intrigue and strange and unusual creatures and sights.

Very dark, very gothic, Under the Pendulum Sun is not an easy read. But the writing and the world building are an absolute treat and the story is very original.

I'm wavering between 3 and 4 stars, but the narrator is just too religious and pious for my liking. After a while, she started to grate on me, so I'm going with 3 stars.

I recommend this for readers that like original takes on dark and twisted gothic fairy tales or books with layers and hidden meanings that make you think.