Black Spring

June 17, 2013
Croggon (the Pellinor series) returns with an homage to Wuthering Heights, trading the English moors of the original for the remote northern wilds of Elbasa, a land of powerful wizards and strict rules concerning vendetta. In language and pitch, the pastiche is spot on: the mincing southern fop (Hammel, in Croggon’s tale) and the pragmatic serving woman with hidden depths (Anna, standing in for Brontë’s Nelly) are captured in detail and in general through their narrative voices. It’s a fantasy setting, but Croggon maintains the north/south, high/low, and male/female class divisions Brontë explores; Lina, born a witch, takes the place of Catherine, while “swarthy” Damek il Haran has his analogue in Heathcliff. The plot, in its essentials, is identical. And therein lies the potential rub: the story does not have its own inherent propulsion. The conflict is patterned, not driven—it isn’t discovering something new. Does it matter? In a tale as well written as this one, probably not. Devotees of Brontë’s original work will still enjoy Croggon’s amplification of the story’s supernatural elements. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jenny Darling and Associates.