Another daughter, another book. A Madness of Angels came from Kat as a Christmas present. She’d read it and really enjoyed it, and told me she thought I would too. And I must give credit where credit is due, because enjoy it I did.

Written by Catherine Webb under the name of Kate Griffin, this is her first adult fantasy novel. The publishers say she has written books for young adults as herself, but I’ll admit to never having heard of her before. But after this I will keep an eye out.

A Madness of Angels is another story of magical fantasy set in modern London, though it’s very different in tone from The Hanging Tree (see week 2). It has a truly different hero for a start – but you’ll have to read the book to find out just how different. The magic comes from all life, including the mechanisms invented by man. Suffice it to say that the ghosts of every phone call exist in the phone lines and talk to those who can hear. It’s a story of self discovery and revenge, of gangs, criminals and immensely powerful sorcerers and magicians (and there is a difference between the two).

It explores in greater depth than anything I’ve read since the Witches books of Pratchett’s what magic is and where it comes from, and for that alone I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading modern fantasy. It’s not a great book, but it is a good read.