Publishers Weekly
01/25/2021
Meditative and elegant, this speculative novel from Langmead (Dark Star) combines a high-flying adventure plot with the pacing and poetic flourishes of magical realism. Langmead introduces Adam, the biblical first man, while he is working as security for a high-profile actor in contemporary L.A.—a job that soon turns sour, forcing Adam to take on a new identity. It’s a familiar pattern for Adam who, because he was created before death, has lived countless lives, aided by Eden’s other creatures, the platonic first animals who are able to transform into humans at will. Now Rook, a successful lawyer in his human form, asks for Adam’s help finding his brother Magpie. Adam’s search soon spirals into a quest to recover scattered flora from the Garden of Eden and save paradise from his descendants’ greed. It’s a fascinating premise and stylishly told, but occasionally the novel undercuts its own ambitions by tightly orienting the story around the U.K., introducing only half a dozen Edenic animals, and pitting the hero against an unfortunately obvious villain. Still, at its best, the sparse styling lends the novel a fairy tale quality. Readers of Neil Gaiman and China Miéville will enjoy this lyrical, ecologically minded adventure. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
"Fresh, fast-paced and wholly immersive. Love it!"
Joanne Harris
"Astonishing. Riveting. Powerful mythic fiction." – Ellen Kushner, author of Swordspoint
"Birds of Paradise sits in a place between Plato and John Wick, a place which frankly I didn’t know existed. And it is profoundly human too: whoever has ever known loss will resonate with it." – Francesco Dimitri, author of The Book of Hidden Things
"A beautifully written novel." – R. J. Barker, author of Age of Assassins
"Told with style and subtlety. A beautiful, thoughtful read." – Aliya Whiteley, author of The Beauty and The Loosening Skin
"A swooping, poetic novel that meditates on ecology and human’s responsibility to our home" – Tor.com
"Meditative and elegant ... combines a high-flying adventure plot with the pacing and poetic flourishes of magical realism. ... Readers of Neil Gaiman and China Miéville will enjoy this lyrical, ecologically minded adventure." - Publishers Weekly
"A true masterpiece to rival—perhaps to even surpass—Gaiman’s work. 5*" – Spoiler Rotten Reviews
"A beautifully lyrical book, with a perfect final line." – Girl Who Reads
"A poignant and heartwarming story about friendship and loyalty, beautifully written." – Books, Bones and Buffy
"A bold fable rooted deep in religious mythology that holds up a mirror to modern society for all our good and evil, touching on climate change and inclusion... all wrapped up in a beautiful, sad parable for the ages." – The Frumious Consortium
"A story like no other...[that] will stay with you long after reading it." – Book Referees
PRAISE FOR O.K. LANGMEAD
'I was thrilled by Oliver Langmead’s Dark Star. A sci-fi noir detective story told in verse (think Blade Runner meets Dante’s Inferno), it’s one of the most original novels I’ve read in ages.'
– Sarah Waters, Guardian Best Books of 2015
"A deep and often beautiful foray into the nature of dreaming, with imaginative overtones of Gaiman and Borges."
— Lucy Hounsom, author of The Worldmaker trilogy
"Dark Star does something that is both obvious and audacious: recycles an ancient narrative form to lend grandeur and gravitas to a gripping space fantasy. A saga for the galactic age."
– Stephanie Saulter, author of the ®Evolution trilogy
"Easily one of the most unusual novels of the year, Dark Star deserves more attention."
– Barnes & Noble
"Metronome is a remarkable novel, a crafty and brilliant interweaving of the real and the imaginary, the sleeping and the waking, the dark and the light. Oliver Langmead’s previous book Dark Star made a very strong impression but this follow-up is even better."
– Starburst
"Metronome is an engaging high concept fantasy, incredibly readable and beautifully written."
– Fantasy Faction
