This novel was something different, full of magical realism set in a time that isn’t too far off for us climate-wise, this was an original read full of descriptive and emotive language.

I enjoyed this novel, but I wanted to enjoy it more than I did given the reviews I’d read before picking it up. Whether it was just my mood when I read it I don’t know, but it took me quite a long time to make my way through this novel.

With a mythological slant, we meet several characters whose lives intersect, mistakes are made and important lessons are learned. Initially, we meet the Rain Heron, a beautiful and magical bird I could see clearly in my mind. We meet soldiers in the jungle, hunting for the Rain Heron, determined to get it no matter what, despite not knowing why their superiors want it; blind obedience. We then go to a coastal village where magical ink is harvested from giant squid by a select few using a method held secret by those who give their life to this job, where an encounter with a man from the north has drastic consequences. Back to the soldiers and the Rain Heron, and the outcome of the hunt and capture of this magical creature. There are plenty of lessons hidden within this story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for a digital copy of this novel in return for an honest review.