''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 l ...

historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

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 drama ...

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

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 ser ...

. 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 ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of ...

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