''The Erstwhile'' is a

dark Darkness, the direct opposite of lightness, is defined as a lack of illumination, an absence of visible light, or a surface that absorbs light, such as black or brown. Human vision is unable to distinguish colors in conditions of very low lu ...

historical

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

novel by multi-disciplinary artist B. Catling that was first published in March of

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

. It is the second in a trilogy of novels focusing on 'the Vorrh,' a massive and magical African forest.

Critical reception

''The Erstwhile'' received generally positive critical reception, garnering coverage from a wide variety of publications. By contrast, the review at Kirkus calls the book "slow and murky" and criticizes its relentless focus on imagery over plot, characterization, or theme.

Editions

References

Dark fantasy novels Historical fantasy novels 2017 fantasy novels 2017 British novels British fantasy novels Vintage Books books {{2010s-fantasy-novel-stub