Reviews

Barker's energy shows no sign of deserting him, and this fizzing fantasy adventure for all ages is announced as the first of a quartet appearing at yearly intervals, spruced up with some striking illustrations by the author himself. Abarat is an archipelago of amazement and wonder: a land made up of numerous islands, each one representing one hour of the day, each one a unique piece of adventure and danger, all ruled over by the evil Lord of Midnight, Christopher Carrion. Candy Quackenbush (shame about the name) is a 16-year-old who crosses back and forth from our world into Abarat. Yes, Lewis Carroll is the guiding spirit here, but this is very much an Alice for the 21st century, with all the surrealistic imagery that we have come to expect from Barker.