Guppy

by James Kearns

Split between the twin realities of a modern-day research institute for the mind and the constraints of a royal court in the distant past, two unconnected lives begin to merge in myriad ways. Guppy weaves together the unfolding threads of disparate worlds, connected and unconnected, real and imagined, immediate and distant, to reveal that each and every observed narrative stability is already shifting, unfolding, and brilliantly diverse; indeed, as we find out, we all lead lives fraught with the possibility of shocking conclusions.

A fusion of myth, magic, and wonder and the stories we make for ourselves, Guppy is a sustained exploration of the fluidity of time and its effect on two introspective young individuals, both of whom dream of escaping the oppressive worlds around them for something new.

319 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2023

About the author

James Kearns has written three interlinking novels, the first of which is GUPPY (2023), the second, HERRING, was published in 2024, and the third, HAKE, is due in 2026; GURNARD, an "Addendum" text, was published in 2025. He a higher education lecturer and lives in Cornwall.

For further information, please refer to:

jameskearns.net

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I won this in a giveaway, but am genuinely confused by it. Did he use AI to write this? It’s impossible to get a rhythm down with the lack of appropriate grammar. It’s easy to get confused and muddled with the run on sentences and comma after comma. In part/chapter two, we start to see the usage of quotation marks which is helpful, but it is still difficult to follow. Perhaps I misunderstood the intention.

[Sherrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Practically unintelligible.

Two thin and repetitive plots, a vaguely interesting animated tapestry concept, characters that are little more than repeating names, and a puzzling writing style that adds to the frustrating obfuscation.

I resent the time I felt obliged to spend on this in return for receiving a Kindle copy through a Goodreads giveaway.

There are two more? Pass.