No Clock in the Forest

by Paul J. Willis, Britt Taylor Collins (Cover Artist)

William, a young mountain climber, loses his partner near the peak of the South Queen, but when he climbs down he finds himself in another world

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Christian Fiction

219 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Laura]

I don't remember thinking this book was just like the Narnia books or thinking this book was a Christian fantasy novel either. This wasn't even the cover of the book I read. But it is the same book and I remember enjoying this book a lot. Basically a mountain climber gets lost and ends up in a fantasy land and learns quite a bit about himself. I remember reading about him walking around outside (possibly in snow, I always associate snow with this novel) and the author's depiction of him completely lost made you want to look up from the book just to make sure you knew where you were.

[Chrissy Garwood]

The cover illustration and the reviews on the back cover promised me a good read, and once I got past the unfamiliar setting, this book was hard to put down. It is set in a northern hemisphere wilderness and includes helpful information about climbing mountains, a pursuit that is not on my to-do list. I enjoyed reading about how the different characters dealt with the unexpected challenges as the world they knew swapped over to one where magical things happened. The protagonists have believable strengths and weaknesses that contribute to their adventures. The antagonists are persuasive in the pursuit of their goals and prepared to try anything to win.
The conclusion was satisfying, with a couple of surprises, and the suggestion that the adventures are not over. When I finish this review, I will search to see if the author has any other Christian fantasy books published :)

[Stephanie Boisvert]

I did enjoy the book but I felt the story telling was a but skewed. The beginning was slow and then it ramped up almost too fast. Then it added characters that almost didn't make sense. The ending us vague and open ended enough that you think there is a sequel but I doubt there is. It's not very long so if you like fantasy it's a good pallet cleanser.

[Karen]

A friend who doesn't read this sort of book gave this to me. It has some "The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe" feel to it, but I think it was ultimately too short to live up to its potential. It's not a bad story, it just didn't feel complete. I think one of the best parts of it is the marmot attack.

[Nadia]

The character motivations were confusing. A lot of the action happened in telling, where a character would tell another character what happened to them. It took me out of the story many times.

[David K]

C.S. Lewis wannabe...

[Matthew Dickerson]

A unique blend of Roald Dahl surrealism, George MacDonald Fairy Tale, and modern "environmentalism" of a Wendell Berry novel.