In fact, their development is at the heart of the book as much as is the quest to defeat the Nethergrim - although the one is, of course, the catalyst for the other. They are sensitively drawn and engagingly characterised. However further variation is introduced in that the Nethergrim only initially makes its presence felt through the appearance of henchmen: balgogs (loosely related, perhaps, to Tolkein's orcs) and other nightmarish creatures.Īlthough some of the adult characters are rather one dimensional (particularly perhaps Tom's 'owner', Athelstan) this does not at all apply to the book's young protagonists, the three friends, Edmund, Katherine and Tom. In this instance, the dragon has been replaced by a more enigmatic evil, the Nethergrim of the title, although it later becomes apparent that it has rather more connection with the original dragon idea than first appeared. In fact it is strongly reminiscent of those 'high romance' tales where a dragon dwells in the mountains and demanda tribute in the form of sacrifice from the local villagers. From there it is sallying forth to threaten the peace of the district and capture local children. It is in these mountains that the evil force of the story dwells. In fact it presents, in this volume at least, only a relatively small part of this world: a large village in thrall to its feudal lord, some outlying farms and hamlets together with the mountains which loom over them. The Nethergrim features an enclosed fantasy world with a distinctly medieval, almost Anglo-Saxon, feel.
It is the initial volume of what seems destined to be a sequence by a new author, Matthew Tobin. I am pleased to be able to write that the first book I have finished for this blog is a very enjoyable one.
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