A review by simlish
Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng
4.0
Under the Pendulum Sun is about an alternate history world where Fairyland is a real, physical place and England has sent missionaries to convert the fairies. The main character, Catherine Helstone, has gone to Arcadia (Fairyland) in search of her brother, a missionary.
Under the Pendulum Sun is delightfully lush and off the wall -- one of the greatest joys of the reading is the imagery. The sun is an actual pendulum that doesn't rise or set but swings across the sky, while the moon is a light carried by an anglerfish. The descriptions of the various fae and the Goblin Market were high points for me. Jeannette Ng was not afraid to commit to weirdness, and I really appreciated that.
On the other hand, I don't know how else Ng could have wrapped up her mysteries in a satisfying way, so it by no means ruined the book for me. It was just... kind of eh. Like, oh, okay. That's fine, I guess.
Since the characters and the relationships between them were my favorite part (aside from the lush descriptions), I would have enjoyed if there were...more characters. The focus is very tight on Catherine Helstone, and for much of the book she is not allowed out of her tower. While the limited cast contributes to Catherine's claustrophobia and functions well for the plot, it does, well...limit the cast. No one outside of Catherine and Laon gets much development.
Overall, however, I enjoyed it a lot and found it an easy, quick read.
Under the Pendulum Sun is delightfully lush and off the wall -- one of the greatest joys of the reading is the imagery. The sun is an actual pendulum that doesn't rise or set but swings across the sky, while the moon is a light carried by an anglerfish. The descriptions of the various fae and the Goblin Market were high points for me. Jeannette Ng was not afraid to commit to weirdness, and I really appreciated that.
Spoiler
I was spoiled for the incest coming in, and unlike many reviewers, I actually liked it -- I thought it worked really well with the plot. My spoilery plot disappointment was one of the final two reveals of the book, so if you're trying to avoid spoilers, really, really don't keep reading. One of my favorite aspects of the story was the concept of Christianity trying to reach into an inherently, definitionally pagan realm and create converts, so I was kind of disappointed at the revelation that Arcadia was Christian Hell. As someone who isn't Christian, I have limited patience for media that makes Christianity the fundamental underlying truth of the universe and I had really liked the conflict between a group that believed in that and a group that fundamentally contradicted it. Mr. Benjamin's questions made less sense in a world where he knew his place in Christian theology, and they had been one of my favorite parts.On the other hand, I don't know how else Ng could have wrapped up her mysteries in a satisfying way, so it by no means ruined the book for me. It was just... kind of eh. Like, oh, okay. That's fine, I guess.
Since the characters and the relationships between them were my favorite part (aside from the lush descriptions), I would have enjoyed if there were...more characters. The focus is very tight on Catherine Helstone, and for much of the book she is not allowed out of her tower. While the limited cast contributes to Catherine's claustrophobia and functions well for the plot, it does, well...limit the cast. No one outside of Catherine and Laon gets much development.
Overall, however, I enjoyed it a lot and found it an easy, quick read.