The Cautious Traveller's Guide to The Wastelands
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Average rating3.7
The extraordinary and engrossing debut novel set onboard the Trans-Siberian Express - available to pre-order now! It is said there is a price that every passenger must pay. A price beyond the cost of a ticket. It is the end of the 19th Century and the world is awash with marvels. But there is nothing so marvellous as the Wastelands: a terrain of terrible miracles that lies between Beijing and Moscow. Nothing touches this abandoned wilderness except the Great Trans-Siberian Express: an impenetrable train built to carry cargo across continents, but which now transports anyone who dares to cross the shadowy Wastelands. On to the platform steps a curious cast of characters: a grieving woman with a borrowed name, a famous child born on the train and a disgraced naturalist, all heading for the Great Exhibition in Moscow. But the old rules are changing, and there are whispers that the train isn't safe. As secrets and stories begin to unravel the passengers and crew must survive their journey through the Wastelands together, even as something uncontrollable seems to be breaking in . . .
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slight spoilers Historical fantasy with elements of gothic mystery, ecological horror, steampunk; following the passagers and crew travelling from Beijing to Moscow aboard the Great Trans-Siberian Express train, crossing a Wild alternative Siberia at the end of the 19th century.
This was such an incredible read. I just loved the slow burn plot combined with the eerie, fever dream like, atmosphere of the voyage. There was a feeling of inevitability reading the encroaching wilderness wanting to invade the train and its occupants. I also loved how the train company felt like an entity pulling the strings from the shadows, contrasting with the lands of Wild Siberia. The weird gothic atmosphere reminded me of other books like What Moves The Dead by T. Kingfisher or The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean. I really liked the characters, they were all compelling to read. I also loved the descriptions of strange fauna and flora, reminiscent of Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer. Pacing wise, I felt that some of the answers could have been revealed earlier, some side characters were swiped off screen a bit too quickly, the ending confrontation was a bit rushed.
