With the sequel, Runelight, and the promise of further books, Runemarks is elevated to the beginning of a promising series.ĭoubleday, 2011 Runelight, Joanne Harris, Black Swan, 2012, paperback

Its theme of alienation and imagination, relatable to many a fantasy fan, and its fun portrayal of the Norse pantheon make it a winner. When I read on Harris’ website that the book came into being as a bedtime story told to her daughter, things became clearer.Īs a stand-alone novel, Runemarks is an entertaining fantasy read with an oft-bemusing tone. From the first the style is reminiscent of Pratchett or Gaiman, but between the depth of description and the sometimes shallow portrait of the characters, it’s difficult to know exactly whether this book is aimed at children or adults. If the book suffers, it’s from a wavering tone. While the force of dream is in fact exactly as chaotic and dangerous as the villagers fear, the will to conformity is equally potent, spurring characters on to monstrous fundamentalist cruelty. Harris presents both sides as dangerous in their own ways. The book is set in an alternate England apparently founded upon lines more Norse than Roman, and five hundred years after Ragnarok, to boot.Īnother recognisable element is the dichotomy at the heart of the novel: the religiously fundamentalist population are closed-minded, stifling and cruel, while Maddy is an effective outcast due to her wilfulness and imagination. Malbry – the fictional Yorkshire village that featured in Harris’ previous books Blueeyedboy and Gentlemen and Players – appears as the hometown of Maddy Smith, Runemarks’ thirteen year old protagonist albeit significantly changed. However as I read, I discovered familiar notes popping up everywhere.įirstly, it’s set primarily on familiar ground. Despite her impressive back catalogue (twelve books before Runemarks’ original publication in 2007) this is her first fantasy novel*.

Doubleday, 2007 Runemarks, Joanne Harris, Black Swan, 2012, paperbackĪt first glance, Runemarks, the first book in what author Joanne Harris has stated she intends to become her Rune series, seems a departure from Harris’ norm.

Joanne m harris runemarks series