If you can influence someone’s dreams, you can control their thoughts.
Fern King is an outsider – at her old school, where she was bullied, at her new school where she feels at odds with her privileged class mates, and within her family, where she is tormented by her twin brother Ollie. When Fern discovers a world inside her dreams where knights protect sleepers from nightmares that harm them, she finally has a chance to fit in. Before she died, Fern’s mother called in a favour so that her daughter would have a chance to try out as a knight. Fern is given a chance to learn what makes her different but she must contend with her brother being part of the same ranks. She also learns that her mother’s death wasn’t a random tragedy.
As a dark political force enters both the dream world of Annwn and influences the minds and hearts of those in the real world, Fern realises that imagination and the power to control it is a dangerous weapon. The worst nightmares may not be those we have in our dreams.
Imagine a fantasy that looks not only at the darkness out to return but at the society that enables it to happen. The willing supporters, those too afraid to speak out and, more than anything, those manipulated into believing that by supporting one person’s agenda they are creating a better world. A better future. Where does it begin? How does it escalate? Who is pulling the strings and why?
As the dream world of Annwn becomes narrower and more frightening, the real world becomes more hostile. More obedient to the will of one man. This is spectacularly clever worldbuilding because it gives a visual representation of the changes one person can make to the minds of others before we see the resulting changes of behaviour in the real world. The fear that is masked by hostility. The crowd-mentality. People swept up by speeches and chats when they are unable to put into words exactly what it is they are supporting or how the great changes they believe in are to be achieved.
Antagonist Sebastian Medraut is a villain of the present day – more rounded and realistic than many dark-is-coming villains of the past 20 years. That isn’t to say the other antagonists had no place. Now we are living in times of political lies and oppression we need something more nuanced. Voldemort was a villain for times when the right wing could, at any moment, return. A reminder of what lurked in the shadows of our society. Medraut offers more for times, like now, when dangerous politics is in action. We’re past questioning whether dark times could return. We need to ask deeper questions – how is behaviour in society changing and why? What will happen if we remain silent? How can we speak up for kinder values when so many people listen only to one voice?
Holly Race draws on myth and legend like many books before – Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table form the basis for the world of Annwn. However, instead of unquestioningly bringing back old heroes in old roles Race uses these myths to explore her theme further. What do we mean by hero anyway? How far can we trust the old stories?
This is a spectacular story in many senses. It starts slow but builds in rich detail, and the uneasy bond between Ollie and Fern makes for strong character development. Nobody is the chosen one beyond reproach. Instead there is one society led by a powerful but manipulative man. The hero Fern faces the same choices and internal scrutiny as everyone else.
Myth meets nightmare in a page-turning adventure. Midnight’s Twins is a compelling and intelligent fantasy which brings old stories up to speed with the modern day. This is the first in a trilogy and I look forward to seeing where the story goes.
- Midnight’s Twins is available now from Hot Key Books, RRP. £7.99. (Provided for review. With thanks to Faye Rogers PR)
