Sean Williams, Honour Among Ghosts, Allen & Unwin, August 2022, 336 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781761065767
Nothing is as simple as it seems in this fast-paced, crime mystery, penned by enigmatic author, Sean Williams. An open and shut case of a stolen cup quickly dissolves into an intertwining series of seemingly unconnected good deeds that, ultimately, reveal a darker and otherworldly mischief. The mystery is tackled head-on by a feisty group of young teens drawn to the originating theft by their own personal needs, each one more alike to the next than they realise, and yet, so extremely different that only a paranormal conundrum would ever bring them together. Set in a mythical land of magic and sorcerers, in a pre-industrialised era, the young team of four brings a wonderful diverse energy to the story, capturing a very real culture clash still very present in our modern world. Amongst the intrigue and sleuthing, Williams dabbles in themes of rich verse poor, haves and have-nots, freedom and oppression, family values and self-worth. In fact, the narrative is alive with complex social and moral paradigms that every character has the potential to speak directly to any young reader.
At the heart of this story are justice and truth. Solving a crime to free those unjustly charged is the Modus Operandi of our four young wards. The closer they get to the truth the more surreal the real culprit appears to be until the arrival of a master sorcerer helps shift the puzzle pieces the team has gathered into just the right position for the whole wild and outrageous picture to take form. The pace of the plot is fast enough to keep young minds engaged, but not so fast that relevant plot points are lost amongst the secondary storylines of the individual characters. It is also not so complex that the target age group of 8 – 12 years can’t keep up or fail to interpret cause and effect.
The prose is alive with challenging language, and while this makes for a fabulous opportunity to extend the vocabulary, there are many places where the structure and eloquent wordsmithing was perhaps too bold for the age group and better suited to the older 13 plus, readers with a few longer novels under their belt. The language did give a lovely old-timey feel that matched the setting of the story but could have been simplified to keep attention on moving the plot forward, leaving the more intricate language for the side lines where the personal lives of the antagonists unfolded.
Honour Among Ghosts is a wonderful thrilling adventure, with very real and personable characters, full of plot twists to keep a keen mystery seeker engaged, right up until the paranormal leaps off the page. It makes for a great well-paced story for the younger aged confident reader, but may be too challenging for those not so ready to field a book of extended language.
Reviewed by Kayt Duncan
