Spark and Carousel

by Joanne Hall

Spark is a wanted man. On the run after causing the death of his mentor and wild with untamed magic, he arrives in Cape Carey where his latent talents make him the target of rival gangs. It is there that Carousel, a wire-walker and thief, takes him under her wing to guide him through the intrigues of the criminal underworld. But when Spark's magic cracks the world and releases demons from the hells beneath, two mages of his former order make it their mission to prevent his magic from spiralling out of control. They must find him before he falls into the clutches of those who would exploit his raw talent for their own gain, forcing Spark to confront a power he is not ready to handle. Meanwhile, a wealthy debutante learning magic in secret has her own plans for Spark and Carousel. But the sudden arrival of the mages throws her carefully laid plans into disarray and she unleashes a terrible evil onto the streets of the unsuspecting city—an evil only Spark’s magic can control. Everyone wants a piece of Spark, but all Spark wants is to rid himself of his talents forever.

Genres: Fantasy

406 pages, Paperback

First published September 23, 2015

About the author

Joanne Hall is the same age as Star Wars, which explains a lot…. She lives in Bristol, England with her partner. She enjoys reading, writing, listening to music, playing console games, watching movies, pottering about on her allotment and playing with the world’s laziest dog.

A full-time author since 2003, Joanne’s “New Kingdom” fantasy trilogy was published by Epress Online, and was a finalist in both the PLUTO and EPPIE awards . Her short stories have appeared in many publications, both print and online, including Afterburn SF, Quantum Muse, and The Harrow.

She has had short stories published in several anthologies, including “Pirates of the Cumberland Basin” in Future Bristol, and “Corpse Flight” in Dark Spires. A short story collection, “The Feline Queen” was published in March 2011 by Wolfsinger Publications, and her fourth novel, “The Art of Forgetting”, was released in two volumes by Kristell Ink. Volume One, “Rider” was published in July 2013 to a warm critical reception, while Volume Two, “Nomad” was released in May 2014. “Rider” was longlisted for the 2014 Tiptree Award.

Joanne was formerly the Chair of BristolCon, Bristol’s premier science fiction and fantasy convention, but has recently stepped down to pursue other projects. She has recently taken on the position of Acquisitions Editor for Kristell Ink. She has also edited novels, comics, and content for social media games.

She is the co-editor, with Roz Clarke, of “Colinthology”, a tribute anthology to the late Colin Harvey, which also includes her short story “Lukewarm in Lynhelm.” “Colinthology” was published as an ebook in October 2012 by Wizards Tower, and launched at BristolCon. Roz and Jo also edited a Bristol-themed steampunk anthology, “Airship Shape and Bristol Fashion”, published by Wizard’s Tower in February 2014, and “Fight Like A Girl”, for Kristell Ink, which has been shortlisted for the BFS Award for Best Anthology.

Joanne’s latest novel, “The Summer Goddess”, which tells the story of a woman’s battle with a demon-worshipping cult to save her lost nephew, was published by Kristell Ink and shortlisted for the BFS Award for Best Novel. She is currently working on a new flintlock fantasy series.

She sometimes talks about herself in the third person on the internet and is inclined to ramble on about courgettes and greyhounds unless forcibly prevented. She is always happy to hear from readers

Reviews

[Joel Cornah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a bit of a sucker for stories of intrigue, hidden identities and chases, so I was very excited to read this book.
I guess it's not really about the intrigue, the secret identities or, now that I think about it, the chase. It's more about the characters and how they deal with the very odd set of situations they find themselves in. And the characters are bright, colourful, diverse, and sometimes just plain odd!
Spark is the main character and, alas, probably the least interesting, but still manages to be more interesting than a lot of similar protagonists you'll find on your regular fantasy and science fiction shelf. A sheltered childhood and a traumatic death have left him a shaken and unstable person and the way he struggles through his various rampages through the world are some of the most interesting parts of the book.
Carousel, on the other hand, was someone I just wanted to know more about. I wanted to know why she decided to stick around with Spark - he was infatuated with her, but I didn't really get the sense that it was reciprocated. It felt more platonic, as if she was acting as a sister to him and his weirdly possessive attitude towards her made things a bit awkward. Indeed, I kept wanting her to slap him half the time. Thankfully, the issue of Sparks horribly sexist possessiveness is addressed and dealt with so I was happy in the end.
Kyall and Elvian are a pair of mages on Spark's trail. They are the primary source of comic relief and magic in the tale. I do wonder how I would have felt about their involvement if I hadn't read The Art of Forgetting (also set in this world). AoF had a lot less magic, and a magic that felt more natural and earthy, while the magic in this book feels decidedly unnatural and can be jarring if you're not expecting it - which I wasn't. But once I got used to it and suspended my disbelief, I enjoyed the book again.
All in all, a thoroughly fun adventure with explosions, magic and mayhem. Wonderful!

[Suzanne Rogerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a beautiful book to read with its smooth cover and soft creamy pages. It's heavy for just under 400 pages and I loved reading it in this form rather than ebook. I don't like the cover art very much because you can't get a feel for the characters, but the darkness suits the story and there is a hint of the demons that will soon be unleashed on the city of Cape Carey.

The inclusion of demons in a fantasy was something I haven't seen much, so this really drew me into the story.

All the characters are well drawn and believable. I liked the characters I was supposed to like and hated the ones I was supposed to hate but I didn't feel any great personal attachment to any of them. This is a shame, as caring for the characters is what makes a book great and truly memorable.
One of my favourite characters is Lord Carey's daughter, Allorise. She is a nasty piece of work and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

Spark and Carousel was a real page turner and I had a lot of late nights when I just couldn't stop reading. I will be looking out for more of Joanne Hall's books.

I recommend to all fantasy fans, especially those who are not phased by graphic sex and death scenes.

[S. Naomi Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

There are some books that are just an absolute pleasure to read, and this is one such book. Seriously, if you haven't already, read this book now! I'll be back soon with a full review.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can find my (slightly longer) review of Spark and Carousel on my speculative fiction book blog.

Spark and Carousel is the story of two youngsters. Spark is a former apprentice of a powerful sorcerer, on the run. Carousel is a former urchin, making her living as street acrobat, working for one of the gangs of the city.

It's also the story of the two sorcerers trying to find Spark, the city's ruling family and their youngest daughter. Not to forget the merchants, landlords, gangmasters and other inhabitants who live in this world.

There are some things that make Spark and Carousel stand out from other fantasy novels. We meet characters of every class, from the lowest street rats to the highest aristocrats, and it is the interactions and intersections between the different characters's lives that drive much of the plot. Each character has reasons for the things they do. There is evil, but it is not the evil of a moustache-twirling villain. Instead, the evil is a bi-product of people' actions and desires. Some is unleashed by accident, other evil deeds start out as self-defence against oppressive and abusive situations. Even some of the 'good guys' are distinctly flawed. Noble, a black gang leader, inspires great loyalty and strives hard to earn and repay it, but he is also a pimp and a gangster, ruthless and brutal in the pursuit and punishment of the disobedient. Finally, there is realism that rarely appears in fantasy novels: we see Alzheimer's disease ravaging one character. We see prostitution that seems authentic, neither glamorised nor villified. Spark and Carousel is surprisingly complex for a fantasy novel, and not at all run-of-the-mill.

In other aspects, Spark and Carousel is following current trends. It's part of the grimdark sub-genre / movement. There's violence, rape, incestuousness, and worse. The aristocracy could have come straight from a George R R Martin novel, while the lower classes could be meandering into a Brandon Sanderson one without raising an eyebrow. There's sex that's enjoyable for women in the book, as well as persecution-free bisexuality and homosexuality. It's a novel that would probably not have been written this way twenty or thirty years ago.

In terms of the writing, I would put it on a par with the novels of Joe Abercrombie. There's less of a sense of humour in Spark and Carousel, and the characters, while memorable and charismatic, are not quite as larger-than-life as Abercrombie's, but they feel more real and believable as a result. If I had to sum it up in one glib sentence, I'd describe it as "Juliet McKenna meets Joe Abercrombie" - if you enjoy the novels of either, you'll enjoy this one, too.

A solidly entertaining read for those who enjoy reading fantasy and don't mind grimdark elements.

[Steven Guscott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply put- Spark and Carousel, by Joanne Hall, is one of the best magically themed fantasy books I’ve read! (I hate trying to genre books as I always get it wrong. The style and a little of the content reminded me very much of The Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan

And here is why I loved it so much:

The story opens with a captivating introduction to Liathan, one of our main characters. I was sucked in straight away by this opening and the mysterious events surrounding Liathan. By the end of the first chapter I was desperate to see what would happen to him and I couldn’t wait to read chapter two.

My hopes were shattered! Chapter two was an introduction to a couple of other Characters! NOOOOOOO!! At first I was very disappointed, until I started to really get interested in these characters and their story. In fact, the whole story actually became even more captivating. These characters opened up the scope of the plot and the potential for so much magical entertainment. No longer was I disappointed! The style and structure of following characters by chapter worked so well!

I continued to read with a hunger and thirst I have not felt in quite some time. I wanted to absorb this story through diffusion if it was possible!

The story had every element that grabs my attention: it was very very well written- a perfect balance of technique and plot progression etc, fascinating and well developed characters, a great plot that has original aspects to it, the feeling that you’re in the story, and some dark and creepy aspects to it.

I highly recommend this story! Just be prepared to enforce all your will power to stop at the end of a chapter! There are so many great cliff hangers! One last point, there is some mature content so if you’re easily offended by such things this might not be your thing. But if you don’t mind, it is highly likely you will love this story!

[Steven Poore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spark and Carousel certainly lives up to its title - a furious, whirling plot of magic, loss, identity and shifting allegiances, mixed in with copious helpings of sex, demons and shoes, all served up with panache and colour.

Where The Art of Forgetting paced itself over two volumes, Spark and Carousel stands alone, self-contained. Joanne Hall's style changes to suit the pace: Liathan's opening chapter might hark back to Rider in tone, but once he washes up in Cape Carey, the cauldron in which the rest of the story boils, everything speeds up.

Liathan isn't the most engaging character to follow at times. He seems held back, unwilling to change or embrace what he is until far too late. To be fair to him though, Carousel and the two wizards on Liathan's trail are set in their own ways, whether by choice or by necessity. Many of the remaining characters go by two names or by pseudonyms, and it quickly becomes apparent that nobody in Cape Carey is quite as they appear.

Not least among these are Allorise and her brother Bastian. Not to spoil matters, but while Allorise is a proper villain, her brother is somehow creepier than Jaime Lannister. Carousel herself - despite second billing in the title, she's the character around whom everything and everyone revolves - has a journey that is as painful as it is redemptive. Jo Hall definitely doesn't gloss her characters or their lives, yet at the same time this stands apart from the grimdark tidemarks of pillage and abuse.

Only the unlikely last-act team-up - especially given the events before it, with a brilliant action sequence in (and above) a graveyard - feels like it could have been better, but it does at least read true to the continuing themes of identity and shifting alliance. An excellent standalone fantasy, it'll be a shame if we never see either Spark or Carousel again.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.

I have previously read some of Jo’s other writing, and I admit I wasn’t entirely certain of that story. It’s wonderful writing but the characters, the world, didn’t grab me; I found it hard to get into the story. This book is set in the same world, but it grabbed me from the start.

Spark and Carousel is wonderful.

It’s magic and cities and brilliantly written characters. It’s loyalty and love and learning. It’s choices, and the echoes of those choices. It’s a boy having to deal with decisions that he doesn’t want to make, with power that he doesn’t want but can’t get rid of, with feelings that he isn’t sure what to do with. It’s a girl, a woman, trying to choose the path that will keep her safest, stepping between loyalties and loves and the simple practicality of trying to survive. And in the midst of their relationship, there’s a city torn by factions and then by a bigger danger that forces Spark to confront everything he doesn’t want to face.

Carousel is fiery, vulnerable, wilful and fierce; Spark is lost, lonely, scared and angry; the villain is beautiful, scheming, charming and spine-chillingly evil. Their loyalties and choices are brilliantly mapped, and the wider web of decisions fractures the city.

My favourite character has to be Kayall, if only for his love of shoes and his continual despair when he’s forced to abandon them. Jo’s writing is effortless, and the story flows beautifully; I was forced to stop reading half-way through and was counting the hours until I could start again! This is a fantasy story that has gripping characters, an increasingly enthralling danger, and a wonderful cast and world that makes it a pleasure to read and re-read.

[Scott Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Spark and Caorusel. It's part coming-of-age story, part horror, part adventure, and part erotic thriller. Following the story of reluctant mage Spark and acrobat-turned-thief Carousel, it is an exciting and action-packed romp through a world full of demons, rogues, wizards and frying pan-wielding washerwomen.

One thing I will say for Spark and Carousel: it's deliciously dark. Joanne Hall isn't afraid to tackle some pretty taboo themes, and she writes them with a welcome frankness that makes them a crucial plot element rather than something simply thrown in for shock factor. Her narrative is strong throughout, and laced with an element of humour that can be lacking in contemporary fantasy. Most importantly, the plot canters along at a pace which means that there is always something happening, and another reason to turn the page.

It's not a book for everyone, and if gore, prostitution, incest, or homosexuality aren't things that make you feel comfortable then I would suggest you avoid Spark and Carousel. However, if you can accept these elements within a novel, I highly recommend you give this a read.

[Stephen Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. The situation, the problems, the people are very real in a very unreal fantasy world.

I don't like to give away the plot of books except to say that this is a tale of a young lad born with a magic he's not had the training to control. His journey, his mistakes and his efforts to put those right make up the basis of the story.

The depiction of a woman taking control of her dead father with a spell and some knitting needles will stay with me for a long time. It is my favourite part of the whole book and is written so well.

This is one the few books where the main evil-doer is actually my favourite character. I won't name them but if you can imagine a film where the bad guy steals the movie - for me it is much like that.

Grown up fantasy that is not afraid to be fun, serious and everything in-between.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to have an early read of this book. Excellent story, very entertaining, recommended!

[Heather Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely story full of mystery and magic. But it is mostly a coming of age story with the two main characters trying to work out where they fit in the world if they can survive that is!

[Maja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating 3,5

[Joanne Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote it, so I'm biased. But I think it's pretty good... ;)

[Juliet Kemp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the pace of this, and the challenges that both Spark and Carousel faced. Cape Carey was well drawn; I like fantasy set in cities. Allorise's magic at the start was genuinely unsettling, and her amorality throughout read very believably. I'd be interested to find out what happens next (and in particular to read more of Kayall, probably my favourite character).

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's very different to a lot of fantasy I've read, and refreshingly so. It has a touch of grimdark, a gritty realism that runs through it and helps to make a compelling narrative.

The main characters include a teenage boy who can't control his magic powers, Spark, and an older girl who befriends him when he hides in the big city, having committed what he regards as an unforgiveable crime. He believes himself hunted and takes refuge in the criminal underworld where he is befriended by the feisty Carousel, a "street rat". Carousel is a waif; tough yet vulnerable, on the edge of womanhood, who has grown up under the protection of a (mostly) benevolent underworld baron, and who aspires to work in a brothel, without fully understanding the hardship involved.

The two Mages who come to rescue - or punish - Spark are my favourite characters: Kayall, the man, is a peacock who loves good clothes, sleeping with men and women, and beer. Elvienne, the woman, is more austere, but a strong and powerful character. She is much older than Kayall, and she is definitely the leader, someone of greater wisdom than her charming but unreliable friend.

The story builds to a satisfying conclusion. I was caught up in the fate of the eponymous hero and heroine; Carousel in particular is strong and likeable, much more than a victim of her circumstances. And the city itself is like a character in the story, with a believable history that is hinted at. Spark grows throughout the story, and has to try to control his powers, which have unleashed a demonic threat.

[Hilda Ellis-Davidson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reasonable fantasy.