Assessment:

Plot/Idea: Earthedge is a delightful novel that takes place in a parallel universe in 1967 which is, as the author explains, "an alternate history full of mischief and nonsense." In this world, King Edward VIII never abdicated, and England and America keep making war on each other. Oh...and the Royal and Ancient Academy of Knowledge is hiding a centuries-old shattering secret, one the Academy will kill to protect.

Prose: Blake's prose is amusing and visceral, including hilariously revolting food pairings.

Originality: There are several books about England and the 1936 abdication, but none like this. Even better, Earthedge is stuffed with delightful worldbuilding, from automata to meditators to the Corps of Smartypants (the Academy's enforcers, so named for their founder, Brigadier Hironimus Smarty). But no matter how absurd this parallel universe is, the author also makes it seem like a real place harboring real people–some rotten, some saintly, most somewhere in between, and all complex.

Character/Execution: Blake's enthusiasm for and deep research into the topic is apparent. Other characters are as well-drawn, like Lord Edmund of Muckyheath, a sinister sort who will stop at nothing to keep the Academy's most explosive secret–that the world is flat, The author also has fun with ridiculous names.

Date Submitted: August 27, 2024