I started to read the sequel or second volume, or – maybe – second half of this book in the form of Ink: the book of all hours, the first part of which was available as a sample read via Stanza. I was so lost and yet so intrigued that I sought out of the first, Vellum so I could start from the beginning.
The plot, once you work through the myriad iterations and time-twists and exuberant use of language, is simple enough. One set of stories revolves around Phreedom, her brother, and her mentor and sometime-lover, and the eternal story of betrayal they must play out with each other across time and epochs. The other set of stories centres on the brother, Thomas, and his lover, Jack, and another two men. It runs across multiple universes or worlds; sometimes Jack is driven mad by Thomas’s death, and sometimes he is the agent set to capture him. Around all this is the battle of heaven and hell, with angels on both sides determined to recruit Thomas and Phreedom into their epic battle.
The first half is a delight, as we’re thrown into the story, as little pieces are drip-fed, as time shifts back and forth and across to other worlds without warning. This is a book you have to concentrate on to get anything out of. The second half…the second half is a new set of stories, almost, though with the same characters (or archetypes, at least), and this is where it switched for me from engaging to frustrating.
I had invested all that time in the first half, getting a handle on what’s happening, who the characters are, how they interact and relate, and then, just as I was getting comfortable and involved, to have to start all over again with the second half was a struggle. I didn’t want to hear about Jack Flash. I wanted some sort of resolution with the Jacks we’d already met.
It became more and more apparent that I was not going to get a full story with Vellum, that the narrative drive was going to go straight on to Ink with little to no resolution of the current threads, many of which were introduced quite late in the first book. That might be great from a publishing and bookselling perspective, but from a reader’s perspective, my opinion changed from this being an intricate, innovative, intriguing work to it being a product of lack of discipline on the part of the author.
That said, as I mentioned early on, I started reading Ink before Vellum and now I’ve done the background reading, I can continue with Ink, and I still want to do so. I’m always looking for something different in the fantasy genre, and this is certainly different, and the little glimpses we get of the characters amid all the leaping about have been attractive and compelling. I’d just like now for the cleverness of the story-telling to get out of the way of the actual story, please.
In addition to Vellum and Ink, Hal Duncan has a new book out called Escape from Hell!.
Interested in Vellum? Buy it from Fishpond.com.au, Australia’s biggest online bookstore. All their book prices are guaranteed better than Amazon and they do free delivery for orders over $49.
