The Dark Volume [Paperback]

This is the sequel to The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters - a book destined to divide literary loyalties - and I am sure it was as 'eagerly anticipated' around the world as it was by me. I should say that I was just as apprehensive about this book as I was excited. I enjoyed volume one enormously, despite some pretty serious flaws, but how often does the follow-up disappoint? Far too frequently, in my experience, and as such I approached this title with excitement, tinged with some concern.

The cover isn't as pretty. It's pretty and enticing but not as startlingly beautiful as the original hardback edition was. For some reason, despite the old adage of not judging a book by its cover, this did disappoint me; it spoke of economising and corner-cutting which worried me a little.

It's considerably shorter than the original - not a spurious point at all - the apparent brevity is probably due to an editing process Glass Books could have benefited from. Indeed this book benefits from a much tighter plot with just enough extraneous detail to delight and develop character rather than distract as too often happened in Glass Books. Aside from a few (utterly necessary) sections designed to remind the reader of crucial events from book one the story is even faster-paced, darker and more desperate than the original - if that is possible!

The book manages to be even more epic in feel than Glass Books, too, partly because the heroes (as they often are in book two of trilogies) have gone their separate ways and are converging on their desperate denouement (I'll say no more).

The book takes place in an expanded world which adds to the sense of the epic. Unfortunately, it means that the city, which was one of the major 'characters' in book one, is virtually missing from the plot entirely. This means a lot of what made Glass Books feel a bit Dickensian is also missing. It's a shame but not a disaster. The environs still play a significant part in the plot and Dahlquist uses the environment in a way a little reminiscent of Hardy - although I felt a map would have helped keep track of where the characters were in relation to each other.

The episodical nature of Glass Books is not so apparent here - further distancing this book from that Dickensian feel - but that again is not a problem as each chapter leaves you wanting more - just as Glass Books did. Because The Dark Volume is tighter than Glass Books in terms of plot there isn't that sense of story unravelling in front of you. While it isn't AS gripping and there is a sense that the characters are moving towards something just a little contrived, it does seem a much more considered package.

Once again, there is plenty of Conan Doyle here, mixed with more than a little Neil Gaiman, as well as any one of the mock-period adventure stories that are so popular at the moment. But Dahlquist's secret is that, while he focuses on the fantastic, he makes excellent use of sporadic references to reality (various places around Europe are named for example). Somehow this makes the darkness even more disturbing.

There is a large cast in this book and I struggled a little to keep track of who was who and what they were working towards. It was difficult enough to keep track of the characters from book one (only the darker characters for some reason), and in particular their complex relationships, but the addition of a plethora of additional 'bad guys' with particularly complex loyalties threatened to detract from my enjoyment but ultimately didn't. Phew.

I am relieved to say that this book managed not to disappoint - despite my high expectations. Dahlquist and his publishers seem to have worked on a lot of the issues Glass Books 'suffered' from, mainly at the planning and editing stage. This makes the book appear safer; it takes fewer risks something which both adds and detracts from the book. It has resulted in a book which, while a thoroughly enjoyable and gripping read, just lacked that bit of magic Glass Books had in abundance; the magic that made Glass Books special. Oh well, it's still brilliant. Can't wait for book three.

As the title suggests, this book contains the fascinating and deep characters from the first volume. The other best part of the `Glass Eaters' was intricate plotting which was complex rather than confusing. Sadly, this trait descends into plot anarchy in the `Dark Volume'. After waiting patiently for my copy of the book, I was unable to properly finish it due to an almost comical number of twists and turns the story took. I admire the author and his clear talent, but feel that he needed an editor to sit him down and force a little (or a lot) of pruning.

To those who are considering a purchase, only buy this book if you LOVED the `Glass Eaters' and are determined to find out what happened to the intrepid trio. Otherwise, leave it well alone.

As any self-respecting film franchise would do, the 'Glass Book' saga gets darker with its second installment - The Dark Volume. You might say that the clue's in the name. As a huge fan of the first novel, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed reading this second book even more. The question is - why?

Well, as other reviewers have noted, the plot is a great deal more focused. Right from the start, you get the sense that Dahlquist has planned ahead, and that we are involved in the unfolding of a plot that has already been mapped out - and not one that is (perhaps) being made up along the way. Mirroring that, there aren't as many of those occasions in which various characters run blindly around never-ending corridors. Make no mistake - they do run! - but it all seems a little less pointless, and a little easier to follow as a result.

Of course, it is the wonderful characters in Dahlquist's world that draw us to these books; the diminutive - yet feisty - Miss Temple, who always finds time to bemoan a lack of biscuits/cake with her tea, even when in the hands of her enemies; Cardinal Chang, the ruthless, red-coated, stick-weilding assassin with a broken heart; and Doctor Svenson, the upstanding ex-naval surgeon who is unable to profess his love for Eloise. Our three main protagonists are all so richly drawn, as they were in the previous book, that you can't help but get drawn into their every predicament. And that's not to mention the various other superb characters that populate the novels..........

In fact, the veritable sea of characters in Dahlquist's world is perhaps a point of crticism. So many subsiduary characters are introduced, and often without a great deal of description, that the reader is at risk of becoming utterly confused when they later reappear or are referred to. Especially as so many new names and faces crop up, only to be despatched a few pages later!

As a result, I would strongly reccommend that anyone who wished to read 'The Dark Volume' should read 'The Glass Books..' first. Although the author does state that his second book is a stand-alone volume, and provides us with a brief run-down of the characters from the first, I really cannot imagine that a reader would have any chance of getting to grips with the various events, plot threads and ever-shifting alliances in this imaginary world without having been involved from the word go. Even for someone who had read 'The Glass Books' fairly recently, it took me a great deal of concentration and memory-searching to keep myself up-to-date with the numerous narrative strands running throughout!

However, this does all make 'The Dark Volume' a higly satisfying read. At 500+ pages, it is that bit shorter than its predecessor, and is an ideal length. Dahlquist writes some excellent dialogue (a scene between Miss Temple and the Contessa on the train springs to mind), and creates a powerful sense of foreboding, as everything that was known before is suddenly turned on its head. Who is the shadowy figure that hunts our protagonists - both good and bad? What is the significance of Eloise? What has happened to all the mysterious technology of the Comte?

'The Dark Volume' was a gripping book that had me reaching for it at any possible moment, and its conclusion was both astonishing and exciting. Surely, if there's anything that recommends a book, it's that you want to read the next one directly after finishing it. If so, in the case of G. W. Dahlquist, it's 'job done'. A complex, involved, thrilling and always-surprising read.

But if you've not read the first one, I suggest you take a mesmerising look into that particular 'glass book' first.......