Gogmagog
The First Chronicle of Ludwich
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
From the highly celebrated and award-winning authors Jeff Noon and Steve Beard comes Gogmagog, the first book in adventurous seafaring duology, perfect for fans of Mervyn Peake.
A journey through the sixty-mile long ghost of a dragon.
Meet Cady Meade, captain of the steam-launch, Juniper. In her heyday she carried people and goods on the river Nysis, from the thriving seaports of the estuary into Ludwich, the capital city. But that was years ago. Now she’s drunk, holed up in a rundown seaside resort, telling her bawdy tales for shots of rum.
All this changes, when two strangers seek her out, asking for transport: a young girl, very ill, and in grave danger, and an artificial being of singular character with secrets hidden inside his crystal skull.
But the Nysis is unlike any other river. Few can navigate its channels, whirlpools and sandbanks; few know of the ravenous creatures that lurk beneath the surface. And Cady’s glory days are well behind her now…
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The peculiar latest from Noon and Beard (who last collaborated on Mappaluj) takes readers on a river journey through a land of plant-human hybrids, steadfast robots, and the haunting spirit of a dead dragon. Arcadia "Cady" Meade is a 78-year-old retired sea captain who now spends her days half-drunk and searching for her next drug-induced vision. She's approached by Brin, a sickly little girl, and her robot guardian, Lek, to navigate the river Nysis and take them to Ludwich, where they hope to find a cure for Brin's illness. Brin only later discloses to Cady that she's also on the run due to her unusual powers that many covet. The journey is perilous: the spirit of the dragon Haakenur haunts 60 miles of the river, and its sickness taints everything it touches. The ragtag crew of Cady's ship, Jupiter, must survive the journey while each battles their own personal demons. Though the unique and bizarre characters gamely tackle each obstacle thrown at them, the world Noon and Beard conjure is rather murky, and side quests and tangents often overtake the plot. Simultaneously morose and whimsical, this off-kilter quest narrative meanders.
