Last weekend I was thinking how local television had made a sudden leap forward and was actually attracting at least two of my senses. Then I realised that my wife had moved the sofa around, and I was looking at a bookshelf. And thank goodness for the depths to which our terroir television has sunk and to the magic with which the written word sparkles, because thus my little universe could conspire to bring It-Tielet Qamar to my attention.
John A. Bonello's first novel is a muscular crossover that occupies the pages with an authority rarely held by a debutant. A wonderfully inventive brew of mythology, prehistory, mediaeval warfare, dreams and magic makes It-Tielet Qamar a joyous read and a fresh, young book that will help your bookshelf, and you, grow up.
Mr Bonello draws on his imagination and carefully builds the parallel worlds where the events of the novel unfold. On his deathbed, Salvu, a 95-year-old from Dingli, leaves his nephew Xon a mysterious legacy in the form of a riddle and a book, both of which will help him discover the keys to a parallel world. Xon, together with his friends Marku and Riku, form a gang of three to unravel a secret that leads them to Ħaġar Qim, the gateway to their journey and to a place where time, literally, stands still.
In this parallel world, the easy living that the wise inhabitants lead is threatened by the return of Mikiel l-Anġlu, once Salvu's nemesis. As the inhabitants from all over the island's prehistoric dwellings gather to defend their fantastical land, a final showdown between good and evil is set.
The structure of It-Tielet Qamar is that of the classic hero's journey as researched in Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces. There is the solving of the riddle, the journey, the test, the meeting with the goddess - in this case, a wise woman - and the hero's potential return. It is a sinewy structure that allows for flexibility and that plays to the advantage of Mr Bonello's storytelling credentials.
The novel's double timeline is effective and effortless, and the author skips from the real to the parallel world with nary a stumble. Both the real world and the imagined one of Ħagar Qim are well drawn. Malta in the present is a believable one while its parallel equal proves that the island, with its prehistoric temples and the various interpretations of their original use and meanings, is a wonderful location for fiction. The topography is magical, yet real.
It is here that Mr Bonello's love for his place of birth, Dingli, comes through and, having been raised in the same village myself, I can attest to the mysterious aura that shrouds places such as Ġebel Ċantar, Miġra Ferħa, il-Qaws, il-Madliena and l-Għar il-Kbir. In fact, it is these settings that make It-Tielet Qamar a big budget work, not in terms of money of course, but for the grand locations, the magical backdrop and the costumes.
Mr Bonello makes good use of the vernacular, giving it the flexibility that only those who are in love with the Maltese language can. This is shown, for instance, in the adrenaline-soaked raids, attacks and battle sequences which, through language, become pure adventure. Further proofs lies in the nicknames given to the novel's main characters. Riku, known as "Landa", is well built and old beyond his years; he's the tough guy with the proverbial heart of gold whose knowledge of all things military comes in handy in the final battle. Marku, nicknamed "Il-Fieres", is the wily one who adds bounce and humour while one of Mikiel l-Anġlu's henchmen is called Bomblu because of his hefty stature.
The cliffhanger ending of the novel is left to blind contingency and to the roll of a dime - whatever number is up, a sequel is surely in store. It-Tielet Qamar reads so well that you think this is the novel Mr Bonello had in him and which he managed to translate from mental images to paper. Let's just hope he has more novels in him.
• In times of trouble, Mr Borg turns to a good book and the ice cream tub.
• A review copy of this title was supplied by the author.
John A. Bonello's first novel is a muscular crossover that occupies the pages with an authority rarely held by a debutant. A wonderfully inventive brew of mythology, prehistory, mediaeval warfare, dreams and magic makes It-Tielet Qamar a joyous read and a fresh, young book that will help your bookshelf, and you, grow up.
Mr Bonello draws on his imagination and carefully builds the parallel worlds where the events of the novel unfold. On his deathbed, Salvu, a 95-year-old from Dingli, leaves his nephew Xon a mysterious legacy in the form of a riddle and a book, both of which will help him discover the keys to a parallel world. Xon, together with his friends Marku and Riku, form a gang of three to unravel a secret that leads them to Ħaġar Qim, the gateway to their journey and to a place where time, literally, stands still.
In this parallel world, the easy living that the wise inhabitants lead is threatened by the return of Mikiel l-Anġlu, once Salvu's nemesis. As the inhabitants from all over the island's prehistoric dwellings gather to defend their fantastical land, a final showdown between good and evil is set.
The structure of It-Tielet Qamar is that of the classic hero's journey as researched in Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces. There is the solving of the riddle, the journey, the test, the meeting with the goddess - in this case, a wise woman - and the hero's potential return. It is a sinewy structure that allows for flexibility and that plays to the advantage of Mr Bonello's storytelling credentials.
The novel's double timeline is effective and effortless, and the author skips from the real to the parallel world with nary a stumble. Both the real world and the imagined one of Ħagar Qim are well drawn. Malta in the present is a believable one while its parallel equal proves that the island, with its prehistoric temples and the various interpretations of their original use and meanings, is a wonderful location for fiction. The topography is magical, yet real.
It is here that Mr Bonello's love for his place of birth, Dingli, comes through and, having been raised in the same village myself, I can attest to the mysterious aura that shrouds places such as Ġebel Ċantar, Miġra Ferħa, il-Qaws, il-Madliena and l-Għar il-Kbir. In fact, it is these settings that make It-Tielet Qamar a big budget work, not in terms of money of course, but for the grand locations, the magical backdrop and the costumes.
Mr Bonello makes good use of the vernacular, giving it the flexibility that only those who are in love with the Maltese language can. This is shown, for instance, in the adrenaline-soaked raids, attacks and battle sequences which, through language, become pure adventure. Further proofs lies in the nicknames given to the novel's main characters. Riku, known as "Landa", is well built and old beyond his years; he's the tough guy with the proverbial heart of gold whose knowledge of all things military comes in handy in the final battle. Marku, nicknamed "Il-Fieres", is the wily one who adds bounce and humour while one of Mikiel l-Anġlu's henchmen is called Bomblu because of his hefty stature.
The cliffhanger ending of the novel is left to blind contingency and to the roll of a dime - whatever number is up, a sequel is surely in store. It-Tielet Qamar reads so well that you think this is the novel Mr Bonello had in him and which he managed to translate from mental images to paper. Let's just hope he has more novels in him.
• In times of trouble, Mr Borg turns to a good book and the ice cream tub.
• A review copy of this title was supplied by the author.