Book 10 - Shadow Beaks V Not-Witches

Title: The Ocean at the End of the Lane Author: Neil Gaiman Genre: Surrealist fantasy

At the end of the day, there is nothing quite like a well-crafted, beautifully written story.

The writing is classic Gaiman: simple, fun, energetic, and absolutely mesmerizing. He describes things he shouldn't be able to describe, making them come to life in all their wonderful and terrifying glory.

The mixing of science and myths and history and fairy tales gave me sort of aWrinkle In Time-esque feel. I love love love when authors smash all that stuff together, attributing science with such amazing capabilities that it seems magical - and Gaiman does so with absolute mastery in this story.

A taste:

Shall I bind you in the heart of a dark star, to feel your pain in a place where every fragment of a moment lasts a thousand years? Shall I invoke the compacts of Creation, and have you all removed from the list of created things, so there never will have been any hunger birds, and anything that wishes to traipse from world to world can do so with impunity?

I can't say much else about it, or I'll give things away. This story really just needs to be experienced with a mind open to all kinds of wondrous and horrendous possibilities. I will say that while I've enjoyed the Gaiman I've read, I've never been dazzled by them - UNTIL NOW.

Rating: 🌜🌜🌜🌜🌜/5

Would 100% recommend and will reread