Set in a not too distant future, we first meet young antiquarian bookseller Cameron Raybould amongst the shelves of the bookstore left to her after the death of her beloved mentor Alister. Cam is still struggling with her grief as she attempts to keep Alister’s legacy going by running the store and taking on commissions and assessing collections.

Closing the shop for the day, she makes her way to see two new clients. The first job is to assess a highly unusual collection – a job that unsettles her. The second commission is what looks like an ancient codex, which sets her on a path of enquiry and discovery that will cause her to question all that she knows and holds dear.

Crossing her path along this journey is the famous and enigmatic artist Maddison Worthington who Cam finds herself working for and a young refugee, Jhon, who makes his home in the store and helps Cam to unlock the secrets of the codex.

It is not a surprise to learn that this is the debut novel of a translator, as words and their meanings play a vital role in the layers of understanding that are peeled away as you turn the pages.

This is a very different read and is not the sort of book you can pick up and put down at random intervals. This book demands time and commitment, even pushing the boundaries of how you physically read the words. It is one of the strangest books I have read in a long time, although lovers of other-worldly stories or imagined futures might find it less so. For me, the compelling storyline and characters make the investment worthwhile. This is an author to watch.

Reviewed by Maryanne Vagg