“That’s the problem with summoning demons, you see. Sooner or later, somebody else raises them against you.”
The Devil and the Dark Water was for sure one of my most anticipated books of the year. I loved The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, and i’ll probably pick up pretty much anything Stuart Turton decides to write.
This book is a combination of Sherlock Holmes, Pirates of the Caribbean and Titanic (sound weird? …good.) It’s historical-ish fiction – set in the 1600s but not entirely historically accurate (but that’s not the point! Just enjoy the story for what it is.)
Arent and Sammy- the Bear and the Sparrow – are like a spin on Watson and Sherlock. Sammy is imprisoned on the ship for reasons unknown, and Arent is trying to find out why. There’s also a dead leper, the mark of a supposed devil/demon named Old Tom and some dead livestock to add to the fun.
Sara is married to a total jerk, who just so happens to kind of be in charge of this entire operation. There’s a relatively large cast of characters here, but each person is different enough that it’s not hard to keep them all straight.
What happens in this book? I really can’t tell you. It’s wild and fun and unique. You can’t really begin to try to solve the mystery of Old Tom, you just have to let Turton guide you through the twists and turns of the story. It’s not perfect, but it’s still an amazing read.
Read with Aimee 