The Parentations

Reviews

‘The omniscient narrative flits from character to character, creating a kaleidoscopic effect that suits the fantastical nature of the story and the hurtling passage of the years. London itself, and the Thames, are also central characters as we watch the city and the river evolve and change through the passage of time….. An intriguing novel, with elements of Nordic myth, the Dickensian underworld and Victorian gothic.'

‘Spanning centuries, this is an exuberant, vividly imagined and structurally triumphant novel with a strong Dickensian undertow.'

‘The Parentations is beautiful, innovative and atmospheric. I was completely captivated.'

‘Epic. Gothic. Magic. Somebody better snap up the film rights.'

‘Reminiscent of both Carr's Alienist and Norfolk's John Saturnall's Feast, this debut novel is utterly compelling - acute plotting, vivid characters and writing so accomplished that Mayfield has you by the throat from the very start.'

'Mayfield's delightfully rich and uncanny novel, The Parentations, manages to be pacy and addictive, while simultaneously asking profound questions about life and death. Quite unlike anything I've ever read before.'

'The Parentations is a story told on an epic scale, taking the reader from the wilds of 18^th century Iceland to present day Camden Town, and which is as much about the nature of love as it is about the nature of evil. Kate Mayfield weaves her uncanny tale with rich historical detail, creating an atmospheric read which is vivid and compelling.'

'So inventive and unexpected and original.'

‘An ambitious, wildly imaginative masterpiece.'

‘A hugely impressive novel - I loved it.'

‘The omniscient narrative flits from character to character, creating a kaleidoscopic effect that suits the fantastical nature of the story and the hurtling passage of the years. London itself, and the Thames, are also central characters as we watch the city and the river evolve and change through the passage of time... An intriguing novel, with elements of Nordic myth, the Dickensian underworld and Victorian gothic.'

‘Mayfield maintains an admirable control of the characters' evolution in sync with the long stretch of time that the novel covers and the story is consistently engrossing. The Parentations builds a wondrous panoramic view of history and disparate groups of people united like a family over centuries.'

‘The Parentations has all the twists, richness and atmosphere of a dark Dickensian epic but with a tale that casts its net over two centuries. It's rare for a debut novel to have this much ambition and flair but what Kate Mayfield promises in The Parentations she delivers in spades.'

‘The Parentations turns the epic on its head...The research is gripping and the ambition breathtaking, and the journey this story takes you on is quite unlike any other I've experienced.'

‘A blend of speculative fiction, historical fiction and fantasy, The Parentations is full of richly drawn characters...making for an excellent read and an author whose work I'll be extremely keen to see more of in the future.'

‘A strange and marvellous tale of death and long, long life from a startling imagination.  A joy to read.'

 

 

'Mayfield's prose glitters like icy stalactites illuminating the lesser-explored comers of the human (and inhuman) condition. Perfectly and sweetly chilling.'

‘A sumptuously gothic tale… this is a terrific debut from a very exciting new talent.'