"If you've ever checked the backs of your wardrobe for snow and lamp-light -- if you've ever longed to visit Pemberley House or 221B Baker Street, to battle the Jabberwock or wander through a fictional London fog -- this book belongs to you. It's a star-studded literary tour and a tangled mystery and a reflection on reading itself; it's a pure delight. "― Alix E. Harrow, bestselling author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January "Many have tried and some have succeeded in writing mashups with famed literary characters, but Parry knocks it out of the park... Just plain wonderful. "― Kirkus (starred review) " Fun, witty, and full of insights about the powerful effect of stories on our lives, this book is highly recommended. Give it to readers who devoured Jasper Fforde, Jim C. Hines' Libriomancer (2012), and Genevieve Cogman's The Invisible Library (2016), and to readers looking for adventurous fantasy with a soupçon of family drama. "― Booklist (starred review) " A delightful blend of adventure and mystery and marvel, a story in which the fantastical becomes real. This beautifully-written novel is an exploration of the power fiction wields -- the power to inform and to change, even to endanger, our everyday world."― Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches "Part mystery, all magical, The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep is both amusing and perceptive; the novel entertains as it reminds us of the power of words and how fiction can influence real life."― Locus "H.G. Parry's ambitious debut novel is a delight of magic and literature, love and adventure. With vibrant characters and a passion for story that shines through every word, this engaging read establishes Parry as a writer to watch. "― Kat Howard, author of An Unkindness of Ghosts "A daring exploration of the worlds within words. Parry writes with the keen insight of Sherlock Holmes, the generous heart of David Copperfield, and the haunting soul of Dorian Grey. "― Jordanna Max Brodsky, author of The Wolf in the Whale " A joyous adventure through all the tales you've ever loved. Funny, charming, clever and heartfelt, you're absolutely going to adore The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep ."― Tasha Suri, author of Empire of Sand "H.G. Parry has crafted an imaginative and unique exploration of how words shift our lives in ways big and small. The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep is a rollicking adventure that thrills like Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere mashed up with Penny Dreadful in the best post-modern way. Equal parts sibling rivalry, crackling mystery, and Dickensian battle royale, it'll be one of your most fun reads this year."― Mike Chen, author of Here and Now and Then " Clever, emotionally compelling, and teeming with witty allusions. In a story reminiscent of the literary world-bending adventures of Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next , Parry has crafted a tale which will appeal to the cherished dreams-and secret nightmares-of all bibliophiles."― Cass Morris, author of From Unseen Fire "Parry does a lovely dance on and around the stage of Dickens and other classical literature, playing fast and loose with the nature of reality to tell a story about the transformative act of the reading process and the importance of family, both found and not. The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep is dead clever and enormously satisfying. "― Vivian Shaw, author of Strange Practice " Engaging and intelligent , The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep kept me turning the pages to discover familiar characters and surprising twists."― Rowenna Miller, author of Torn H.G. Parry lives in a book-infested flat in Wellington, New Zealand, which she shares with her sister and two overactive rabbits. She holds a PhD in English Literature from Victoria University of Wellington, and teaches English, Film, and Media Studies. Her short fiction has appeared in Intergalactic Medicine Show, Daily Science Fiction, and small press anthologies. The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep is her debut novel.
Features & Highlights
The ultimate book-lovers fantasy, this sparkling debut is a "delight of magic and literature, love and adventure" (Kat Howard) featuring a young scholar with the power to bring literary characters into the world.
For his entire life, Charley Sutherland has concealed a magical ability he can't quite control: He can bring characters from books into the real world.But when literary characters start causing trouble throughout the city and threatening to destroy the world, he learns he's not the only one with his ability. Now it's up to Charley and his reluctant older brother, Rob, to stop them―hopefully before they reach The End.
Praise for
The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep
:
"A star-studded literary tour and a tangled mystery and a reflection on reading itself; it's a pure delight." ―Alix E. Harrow, Hugo Award-winning author"This beautifully-written novel is an exploration of the power fiction wields -- the power to inform and to change, even to endanger, our everyday world." ―Louisa Morgan, author of
A Secret History of Witches
"Equal parts sibling rivalry, crackling mystery, and Dickensian battle royale, it'll be one of your most fun reads this year." ―Mike Chen, author of
Here and Now and Then
For more from H. G. Parry, check out:
The Shadow Histories
A Declaration of the Rights of MagiciansA Radical Act of Free Magic
Customer Reviews
Rating Breakdown
★★★★★
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Most Helpful Reviews
★★★★★
5.0
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Very clever and literary without being boring or pretentious
Certainly, having characters come to life from the pages of books isn't a new thing. Just Jane Austen fan fic alone is filled with that sort of thing, and that's only the tip of the iceberg.
But this one seems really clever and I found it quite intriguing.
The novel is set in New Zealand (although the author seems to be a person of mystery, he or she is evidently from there), and the more interesting characters are from Dickens. Dr. Charles Sutherland, a child literary prodigy, is able to bring characters and objects out of books and into the world, to the dismay of his lawyer brother, Rob. But it turns out Dr. Sutherland isn't the only one ... and suddenly, reality as we know it is at risk.
That sounds a bit clichéed, and on the surface, perhaps it is. But it's just all so much fun. The book characters --- Millie especially --- are engaging and multi-dimensional. Rob's clashes with brother Charlie have a ring of truth and are really humorous. And the author displays a wide knowledge of Victorian and Regency literature. If you're a fan of that era, this book is a must read. If you're not a fan, it just could make you one.
One thing to note, although it perhaps takes a careful reading not to miss this: the characters are not necessarily true to their book selves, and in some cases vary a lot. The explanation is that the characters are brought forth as the reader might have envisioned them. This is a subtle point and if you read the book attentively will become more clear.
The prose is stellar. Whoever this mystery author may be, he/she has a fabulous background in literature, is a very accomplished writer, and above all--- the thing missing from many such writers and MFA students--- knows how to tell a story and keep the reader turning the pages. There is tension and suspense throughout, with hardly a letup, marred only slightly by a tendency to be a bit repetitious in spots.
I just love this book and I hope the mystery author will continue to write and publish. Five stars.
10 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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I literally just finished this masterpiece...
I literally just finished this masterpiece and I am not quite sure how to start this review. The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep is a book for book lovers at its heart. It is full of so many beloved characters of literature, while also letting the new characters of this story room to shine. And while yes this may be a book for book lovers, the true intent of this novel is the theme of family whether it be blood or found. Those kind of stories for me always hit home.
So this novel deals a lot with Dickenson and Dickensian themes. H.G. Parry executes it wonderfully. I truly don't think you need to be a Dickenson expert to enjoy this book. She does an excellent job on that front. The research and detail she puts forth is exquisite. For example, I have only read David Copperfield and Oliver Twist and I still felt totally in control while reading.
Good heavens did I love all the characters in this book, new and old. I'll really only talk about the new characters because they are what really helped this story soar. So, this story is told primarily from Rob's POV. He is the older brother of Charley. So even though it is told in first person from Rob's perspective, they are both are main characters. There relationship is so dynamic and tumultuous and you truly feel for both of them equally. I'm not going to get into to much detail for spoiler reasons, but this brother relationship hit me deeply in my emotions. On the other hand we have Millie and Lydia and they get side chapters sprinkled throughout the book. When this happens the story switches to a 3rd person POV. It was not jarring for me the switch in style but it may be for others, so that's why I'm letting you all know. Millie was just fantastic. She was my little fire cracker of the story. Everything I adore in my female characters, strong and in charge. While Lydia, who is Rob's girlfriend, is a woman who just wants to help and be supportive but struggles to do so, for reasons. Again the cast is wonderful and brings such life to the pages.
Lastly, I will touch briefly on the story only because I think it best to go into this book with as little knowledge as possible. I summed it up nicely up above to. The story from start to finish is intricately well paced. It is mysterious, tense, informative, sad, hopeful, and so much more. I personally was shocked by some of the twists and turns throughout. The plot threads and bread crumps that were sprinkled throughout all coming together during the climax were chefs kiss brilliant.
I mean truly this book blew me away, such a home run. I will definitely be talking and thinking about this book for years to come. H.G. Parry has skyrocketed up my list of authors to watch and I for one cannot wait to read more from her. Just WOW!!
7 people found this helpful
★★★★★
4.0
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Interesting book, well used plot with many twists
I received a copy of this book specifically to write a review. That said, I try to be honest and open in all my reviews.
You have seen this plot before. The movie "Inkheart (2008)" had this plot as did the books: the Sword and the Pen, the Number of the Beast, the Eyre Affair, the Clockwork Affair, ... and hundreds of others.
The premise of the book is that the protagonists brother has the ability to bring fictional characters to life.
Well, that creates some interesting complications because his family does not want the world to know about.
Then, the twists kick in.
Before talking about some of the twists, overall, it is an interesting twist on a well loved theme. I found it a little hard to suspend disbelief by the time I reached a certain point in the novel (one, two, half a dozen too many improbable leaps).
Also, there are some very nasty, grim things that happen in this book. It is not really suitable for children in spite of the descriptions to the contrary.
Your mileage may vary.
**Beware Spoilers Follow**
The sibling that can bring characters to life is interesting, but well plowed ground.
The author changes things up by introducing the mundane protagonist (the brother of the creator/character enlivener) to the now real literary characters by introducing the notion that there are lots and lots and lots of characters that have crossed over since writing began many millennia ago. In fact, the book says that this is the origin of stories about supernatural creatures.
By the by, it is not a leap for you to realize that those creatures are still out there today. It is apparent from the story that most of the characters that cross over are essentially immortal, or at least ageless. In fact, the creator can imbue the characters wit supernatural abilities.
The next twist is that there is a parallel dimension, "the street," where many of these characters congregate, and the brothers travel there.
The next twist is that the end of the mundane world is about to occur based on these fictional characters, and there is absolutely nothing that the brothers can do about it.
The next twist is that the brother/creator is not a human at all, he is a changeling!
Which leads to biggest reveal, though the audience suspects it at the 1/3 point in the book, the mom of the boys is also a creator! And, she pulled the creator/Charlie out of the other dimension.
The main, big bad, evil character is called the summoner. The summoner is the one who is going to cause the end of days for the mundane world.
The next major twist is that Charlie actually created the summoner, who happens to be a supernatural power endowed fictional character that Charlie has pulled across.
The final, and honestly unwelcomed, twist is that even after the villain and her minions are killed, the mundane world is in fact still doomed.
What?!? Yes.
The book is well written. The dialogue is interesting and feels natural. The setting is good, though I was confused about which mundane areas were supposedly real and which were supposed to be completely fictional. The book muddles this more than a bit.
For me, it was just too many twists ("a hat on a hat"), and I very much disliked the ending. After investing dozens of hours to reading the book, having there be no way for the forces of good to prevail felt a bit disappointing.
Some will love this book, others will not.
7 people found this helpful
★★★★★
3.0
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Great Expectations From the Get-Go! That Eventually Suffers... Too Much Magic.
I really looked forward to this read. The plot description was very interesting. I looked forward to meeting literary characters I've read in the past being brought to life in adventure and mystery.
All started extremely well with the author bringing his master writing skills to the fore instantly from page one. The characters, settings and atmosphere were Goldilocks' perfect. The reader is thrown into the world of the two brothers, who have lived this unusual life with characters from well known literature, for most of their lives. The author brings Uriah Heep into the story right away, and then gives background to the reader on how this came to be.
Soon there's a problem that the brothers find is rather perplexing, in that its new and hasn't happened before. Drawing their combined intelligence and contacts they soon realize they aren't the only ones with this unusual background.
The problem develops, as the flow of the story gets booged down in extraordinary world building; suffering a suspension of belief, as more circumstances, requires more magic. And quite frankly, the magic is just too much.
5 people found this helpful
★★★★★
3.0
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Too Good to be True
When I picked up this novel, I expected an adult version similar (yet different) to "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke. A story of fictionalized characters being read to life was too tempting for me to be able to resist but I will say that I was disappointed.
I had a very difficult time getting into the story and then maintaining an interest in it. Between the characters and the writing style, it was just not the novel for me. It eventually became a chore to read (especially with the writing style combined with the length of the novel).
I loved the overall premise of the story and what was eventually revealed regarding a certain character's past; however, I think the story being told was failed in the execution of how it was delivered.
As a fan of literature, this novel sounded like a dream but some things are too good to be true.
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
4.0
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A book lover's delight
This is a clever book that breathes life into favorite fictional characters, including the scheming Uriah Heep of Day Copperfield fame. Charley, the main character of THIS book is a summoner who can conjure up characters who only live between the pages. The dynamics between Charley and his thoroughly normal brother Rob -- the push pull of the genius and the down-to-earth sibling -- is beautifully explored. This is particularly good for fans of books such as Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore -- readers who can free their mind and let their imagination take flight. Think of it as a love letter to stories.
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
3.0
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Fictional Characters on the Loose
The premise of this book is intriguing! A young man who can bring characters out of books and into the real-world. There were times when I found myself grinning in recognition and other times when I had to look up the references. However, there is much more at play in this book than just name-dropping fictional characters. The main protagonists are brothers, Charley the intellectual giant who can summon characters by thinking about their place in a story and Rob, the older brother who vacillates between support and frustration with his sibling. Soon Charley and Rob find themselves having to figure out why characters are appearing without Charley’s help and if there is a more dangerous situation on the horizon. The book mixes literary heroes, sibling dynamics, good versus evil, and sacrifice. There are times when it feels like the story might have take on too many elements, but overall it is an entertaining read for any bibliophile.
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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Libromancy!
Charley is a book summoner--a rare reader with the power to read characters out of their books, though it's much more difficult to put them back, as it turns out. Throughout history, even regular readers might form a magical connection with a certain character, bringing them to life our world, often without knowing it. Maui, Scheherezade, Heathcliffe, Matilda, the White Witch (who rides a motorcycle) all make appearances. Mr. Darcy is a reader favorite, understandably--there are five known versions, all a bit different according to the interpretation and era in which the reader lived!) But being fictional doesn't make them benign. When Charley accidentally summons the knife-wielding Dickensian villain Uriah Heep, he has to call his older brother Rob for backup. Uriah has a message for them: there's another summoner in the world, reading characters to life for a dark purpose...
There's some wonderful metafictional romping in this book, and I enjoyed how literary analysis is used to inform the story. I especially loved the central relationship between Charley and Rob. Rob provides the narrative voice for much of the book, which is especially fun because as a lawyer he's an outsider in the academic and literati circles of his Oxford-grad little brother. Their relationship is quite a complex one, rooted in childhood jealousies and insecurities, and while they clearly care deeply for one another, they clearly drive each other up the wall. No matter how crazy the plot might get, their relationship always remains grounded and real. My favorite part might be when Charley and his brother stumble across a magical Victorian street populated by classic characters in their hometown of Wellington, New Zealand. They each have reactions that perfectly match their dispositions, and that section had me laughing. If you're looking for a fun read with a magical, classic lit touch, might I suggest this one?
Thanks to Netgalley and RedHook Books for providing an advance reader copy of this book.
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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Enchanting! If you love Charles Dickens, you'll want this on your shelf.
Some books touch me on an intellectual level and make me think. They eloquently express ideas and thoughts. Some books draw me emotionally to the characters. Few books do both and really pull me into their world, making me forget I’m reading a book—make me live the book. How fitting that a book about characters being pulled into the real world would pull me into theirs.
*I originally read this as a library book, but wanted it for my own shelf. I requested it for my birthday.*
★★★★★
5.0
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Fun read!
Enjoyed the concept - once established, it was plausible and fanciful. A fun read - seeing many of our favorite characters in new environments. Keeps you on your toes:)