BLOG TOUR: The unlikely escape of Uriah Heep by H. G. Parry #ProvidedForReview #BlogTour #CompulsiveReaders @Tr4cyF3nt0n @hg_parry @orbitbooks #FFRC2020

I can’t quite decide how to start this review. The book was rather amazing, captivating and SO readable. And I enjoyed it. A. Lot.

In fact, The unlikely escape of Uriah Heep by H. G. Parry is my first 5 star read of the year. I was entertained.

But I think it is quite a hard book to sum up succinctly. It is one big fictional, mystery romp. It was a book with a lot going on and a lot of really interesting characters. It is a book that suits buzzwords – Magical, engrossing, wonderful, amazing.

The main character – Charley has the ability to “READ” out characters from works of fiction and he does. Often. And on more than one occasion it leads to chaos. Entertaining chaos. It certainly is a skill that makes for a fun basis for a novel.

The unlikely escape of Uriah Heep by H. G. Parry was also a clever read. And I feel like I got a wee bit of an education on some of Charles Dickens’ fictional works that I was only marginally familiar with. I have definitely been left with an urge to go and dig out my copy of David Copperfield to re-read. I will certainly never think of Uriah Heep in quite the same way again.

If I had Charley’s ability to “READ” out fictional characters into the real world I don’t know if I would have much willpower not too. And I am sure that Charley would be on my list. But maybe not the Cat in a hat! Who would you read out?

I did have a couple of small niggles with the book. I wasn’t hooked right from the beginning, I needed a couple of chapters to fall head over heels for the rather bumbling charms of Charley. I thought the first few chapters didn’t draw me in.

And I didn’t love the female characters as much as the male characters. I thought Lydia wasn’t given enough time to develop. And I wanted to like Millie more than I did. She was interesting. She was a READ out character that had lived outside of her book successfully for years – I wanted more about her.

A magical Victorian street in a modern New Zealand city. A series of impossible characters. A summoner. Family drama. A big dollop of mystery. All of which makes for a memorable read. And a book I will be recommending all year.

I received a copy of The unlikely escape of Uriah Heep by H. G. Parry from the publisher, via the blog tour organiser – Thank you!

Book Blurb:

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. His older brother, Rob — a young lawyer with a normal house, a normal fiancee, and an utterly normal life — hopes that this strange family secret will disappear with disuse, and he will be discharged from his life’s duty of protecting Charley and the real world from each other. But then, literary characters start causing trouble in their city, making threats about destroying the world… and for once, it isn’t Charley’s doing.

There’s someone else who shares his powers. It’s up to Charley and a reluctant Rob to stop them, before these characters tear apart the fabric of reality.