Lost Sky

by Andrew Grossman

"At first he thought the object was a mirage caused by the queer vaporous light. But as he continued to stare downstream, a strange vessel sliced through the rushing water and sped against the current toward the narrow spit of beach. The boat was shaped like a leaf. Its veined sides rolled inward and its elongated prow extended over the river like a stem. Seated at the bow was a man, whose golden skin glowed in the darkness like candlelight." It all began with a letter from a lawyer that later Matthew Mason would wish he'd never opened... A bequest from a mysterious relative he never knew he had and a series of seemingly unrelated circumstances bring a dramatic turn of events to his life. Shy, stammering Matthew is forced out of the quiet world he's built around himself and cast into the unknown. A twist of fate leads to a meeting with an extraordinary and supernatural being whose home is both a prison and a fantastic refuge. The secrets of Salal and his subterranean island sets Matthew on a dangerous journey that changes his life forever.

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Elisa Rolle]

Lost Sky is almost an eco-adventure novel, very visual in its development; the strength of the story is in the description of the subterranean island that Matthew discovers once he accepts the inheritance of his great-uncle Alexander; but with the island arrives also Salal, a supernatural being who was Alexander’s lover and who is still quite upset that his chosen companion decided to go back to the human world, leaving him. It seems almost natural that Matthew substitutes Alexander in Salal’s life, even if Matthew’s sudden attachment to Salal is quite strange, especially for someone as shy as he is.

The odd thing is that, I didn’t particularly like Salal, I find him quite brusque, and not really a good matching for a gentle, and sometime meek soul like Matthew. Their relationship seemed unbalanced, but for sure I didn’t wish to Salal what will happen in the end. Maybe there is an hint of non consensual relationship, meaning that I’m not really sure Matthew was aware, or fully willing, to engage with Salal, at first it seemed to me that Salal pretended from Matthew to replace Alexander, willing or unwilling.

The story starts a little slow, and actually Salal enters the scene more or less at midnovel. That is maybe the reason why I didn’t manage to connect with him. Anyway he is for sure an interesting character and he will redeem.

It’s a bittersweet story, and while the ending is good for one of them, it’s not so for the other. That is the reason why, more than a romance, I consider this the story of Matthew’s evolution and of the time when, leaving the safe shelter of his secure life, he will find the answers to who he is, what he wants and whom he wants to love.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/192044114X/?...

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of book you pick up on a Saturday morning and clear your calendar until you finish it on Sunday afternoon. It's many things: a love story, nature journal, coming-of-age story, science fiction fantasy. But none of those words really do the book justice. As the title suggests, each of the characters is lost in some way. They do come together and salve each others' loneliness, at least for a time. But as in life, the relationships are messy and imperfect, which only adds urgency to the story and its ultimate conclusion. Lost Sky left me feeling transported to another place and time.

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice job, Andrew!