By Christine Yunn-Yu Sun
A review of Deep is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson
Deep is the Fen, by Australian author Lili Wilkinson, shares the same setting as her previous YA fantasy novel A Hunger of Thorns.
Here is a contemporary world where magic is forbidden, except for the most benign potions and charms mass-produced by big corporations as commercial products that make life easy, convenient and pleasant.
The first-person narrator Merry is happily spending the summer holiday with her two best friends, Teddy and Sol – until she discovers Teddy’s plan to join the Toadmen, a secret society disguised as a harmless village men’s club.
Determined to save Teddy from the creepy cult, she enlists the help of her academic nemesis, Caraway, who has his own secrets.
Merry soon finds herself drawn into the Toadmen’s sinister traditions and dark magic, as she and Caraway travel to Deeping Fen – a foul swamp full of monsters – to attend an ancient ritual where Teddy is to be initiated.
Like a nightmare, it’s the place where nothing is as it seems.
It reminds this reviewer of the masquerade ball in the 1986 film Labyrinth.
But, instead of David Bowie, we get a character like Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars, plus some seriously evil and vile villains.
The horror elements are truly terrifying, not just what those powerful and greedy can do, but particularly their sense of entitlement to all there is and their
indifference to the pain and suffering of others.
Still, there’s love and kindness, friendship and romance, forgiveness and redemption, and, most importantly, courage and compassion.
There is a character from A Hunger of Thorns, and we get to explore the “recovery centres” mentioned in that book.
Those witches, who have long been misunderstood and feared, turn out to be pretty awesome.
Like Maude, Merry transits from hiding her talents to fully accepting and utilising them.
Both girls set out to save the world, and both are fiercely stubborn, so convinced of the worthiness of their pursuits that they often make mistakes, with their attempts to fix them simply leading to more disasters. Indeed, both protagonists are flawed heroines that are authentic and adorable.
In Deep is the Fen, the author effortlessly leads readers through a magical journey full of surprise and suspense.
The plot twists are masterfully executed, fluently manipulating our emotions between comfort and terror, grace and gore, joy and dread.
There’s a sense of smoothness and spontaneity in the writing that can only be achieved with years of experience and hard work.
But there’s also a unflinchingly honest and daring dive into the dark depth of humanity.
A word on mettle, the magical life force that is found in all living things: First introduced in A Hunger of Thorns, its function – and the impact and consequences of its use – are even more impressive in Deep is the Fen.
Magic can be constructive or dangerous, depending on one’s belief, desire and intention.
It’s the point of all great fantasy writing – to this reviewer, at least.
Highly recommended.
