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Monsters of Elsewhere
There is a land – let's call it Elsewhere – that is in no small amount of trouble. Giant wolves are tearing villages apart, a monster king is bringing his army across the sea to capture the legendary Hall of Glass, and the High Lord has completely disappeared.
Henry Whistler was eight when he got lost at a bus station in Hounslow. There his adventure began. For that was when he met the exiled invisible man, the monster swordsman, and the girl with the bright red hair.
Now a grown-up, Henry's childhood adventure is a faded memory... until his fiancée vanishes. Until he is drawn into another world. Until he is pursued by a blind assassin – with only a monster and a dead man for company - across a land that is in no small amount of trouble.
Henry Whistler was eight when he got lost at a bus station in Hounslow. There his adventure began. For that was when he met the exiled invisible man, the monster swordsman, and the girl with the bright red hair.
Now a grown-up, Henry's childhood adventure is a faded memory... until his fiancée vanishes. Until he is drawn into another world. Until he is pursued by a blind assassin – with only a monster and a dead man for company - across a land that is in no small amount of trouble.
- GenresFantasy
598 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2014
2 people are currently reading
566 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Waldram
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Matthew Waldram is a large flightless human.
Originally from Derby – where we call a cob a cob, duck – he now lives in Leigh-on-Sea and staunchly refuses to drop his accent no matter how many people tell him he speaks like his mouth is filled with marbles.
He believes in monsters, carbs, and scrumping.
Matthew Waldram is a large flightless human.
Originally from Derby – where we call a cob a cob, duck – he now lives in Leigh-on-Sea and staunchly refuses to drop his accent no matter how many people tell him he speaks like his mouth is filled with marbles.
He believes in monsters, carbs, and scrumping.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 22, 2015
I read the last 20% of this book all at once (I normally chip away late at night in very small chunks, so this is big for me).
So, my main gripe with this was the first 10% of the book. I don't want to give any spoilers, so I won't mention anything, but if you're reading this and you just don't get it. Hang in there. The book REALLY picks up.
Having finished it, I get why he set everything up the way he did, almost to the point where I would be willing to reread the beginning of the book, but at the time, it really dragged for me.
Things got interesting after the beginning, but it wasn't until about 60% of the way through the book that I really got hooked. At that point, I cared. That was the point that I would have happily read any and all exposition the author would throw at me.
I could nitpick a few details, but honestly, why bother?
Oh right, because it's a review...
Some things were done solely to try and act as a a twist later on. It was transparent and the reveal annoyed me more than anything. I won't say the specifics as this is spoiler free. (I'm referring to character names here, nothing to do with the overall plot)
Again, the barrier to entry of reading about an 8 year old was very tedious for me. Didn't appeal at all. It's not that it was poorly written, it was just boring.
A few names got thrown around and I had no idea who they were. A minor irk of mine. It wasn't exactly Game of Thrones levels of side characters, but there were definitely times when I broke my immersion to try and remember who people were talking about.
It's an easy to read, fun, writing style, in an original fantasy universe.
I would definitely recommend it!
So, my main gripe with this was the first 10% of the book. I don't want to give any spoilers, so I won't mention anything, but if you're reading this and you just don't get it. Hang in there. The book REALLY picks up.
Having finished it, I get why he set everything up the way he did, almost to the point where I would be willing to reread the beginning of the book, but at the time, it really dragged for me.
Things got interesting after the beginning, but it wasn't until about 60% of the way through the book that I really got hooked. At that point, I cared. That was the point that I would have happily read any and all exposition the author would throw at me.
I could nitpick a few details, but honestly, why bother?
Oh right, because it's a review...
Some things were done solely to try and act as a a twist later on. It was transparent and the reveal annoyed me more than anything. I won't say the specifics as this is spoiler free. (I'm referring to character names here, nothing to do with the overall plot)
Again, the barrier to entry of reading about an 8 year old was very tedious for me. Didn't appeal at all. It's not that it was poorly written, it was just boring.
A few names got thrown around and I had no idea who they were. A minor irk of mine. It wasn't exactly Game of Thrones levels of side characters, but there were definitely times when I broke my immersion to try and remember who people were talking about.
It's an easy to read, fun, writing style, in an original fantasy universe.
I would definitely recommend it!
April 16, 2020
DNF at 70%
February 19, 2015
Monsters of Elsewhere is a strange book. It also happens to be the best self-published book I've read so far. A gripping book that has deprived me of sleep and sucked me into its world in the best possible way.
Before we even begin to talk about the story, one of the most important things to get out of the way is to explain Matthew Waldram's style of writing.
Mr. Waldram, describing himself as a 'large flightless bird', is from Derby, and is as English as English can be. This includes levity in times of grimness and a dry and intelligent wit permeating everything he touches.
Meaning that if you like things exclusively grim and gritty then you'll want to avoid this book.
Take a dollop of Pratchett, a pinch of Gaiman, mix with two parts Eddings and Gemmell and then throw in the modern sensibilities of today's fantasy writers and the result is Matthew Waldram.
You see, the opening chunk of Monsters of Elsewhere stars a young but inquisitive child called Henry Whistler, who is adamant in his belief that there are monsters underneath his bed.
Unlike the rest of the children his age, it turns out that Henry is absolutely correct. There's a monster under his bed.
At this point I was preparing to cast aside this quaint but humorous young adult fantasy, which would have been the biggest mistake of my reading life. Thankfully I persevered, because while a small boy getting lost at bus stations wasn't precisely my cup of tea, it was written in a humorous fashion that drew me in. It really could have been the opening to a classic children's novel, such was the quality of the crafting.
Fortunately for me, the rest of the tale flashes forward after the events dictated by this initial child-like romp into a fantasy world. Henry Whistler becomes a man, he gets engaged and he forgets all about his previous adventure as the adult world surrounds him.
I'm not going to spoil the plot any further, but sufficed to say that Henry is drawn back into the world he has previously visited as a man instead of a boy. The narrative still drips humour, but certain events unfold that shake you out of that amused reverie. This is a serious book, for all its quirks.
Waldram is an absolute master of injecting serious consequences into a humorous narrative and vice versa. One minute he'll have you crying with laughter and the next he'll have you legitimately crying. That's a rare gift indeed. I actually fist pumped the air at one point, I don't recall ever doing that before.
In fact, such is the brilliance of this book that my sleep-addled mind cannot form the words capable of expressing just how impressed I am with it, so you'll excuse me if I catch a few Zs and report back with a more in-depth exploration of the text...
...I have now caught the aforementioned Zs and will continue trying to explain just how good this book is, here goes.
This is one of those rare books where even the ancillary characters are well-crafted and cared about. When the inevitable happens and you're taken away from the protagonist you wonder how the author is going to deal with these other points of view. The answer is splendidly. Not only do you care about the fate of one Henry Whistler, you're exposed bit by bit to the world he has been dropped into through the fates of others.
The antagonists of our piece are believable, have clear motivations and don't want to cover the world in a second darkness. That also helps.
One of the most important elements of this book is that Henry Whistler isn't particularly special. He's not given a fellowship of companions, just one or two decent folk that help him along the way. He doesn't have any special powers or great destiny and as is amusingly pointed out, he'd probably lose in a fight to just about any armed guard or soldier in the land.
I was going to critique the book, but I'm genuinely struggling to find anything wrong with it. In fact the only criticism I can level at it is that I wish it was even longer so I didn't have to finish it so quickly!
I guess I could repeat that the style of writing isn't for everyone. Some people might find the humour irritating, but they'd be very dull people indeed.
I won't hesitate in giving this book five stars, only the second time I've awarded an independently published title this high a rating.
I don't know if this is a one-off stroke of genius on the part of Mr. Waldram, but I sincerely hope that his next work builds on the qualities exhibited here. I also hope that he goes back to his captivating Elsewhere universe, because if he doesn't he'll be getting a strongly-worded e-mail informing him that he must!
Before we even begin to talk about the story, one of the most important things to get out of the way is to explain Matthew Waldram's style of writing.
Mr. Waldram, describing himself as a 'large flightless bird', is from Derby, and is as English as English can be. This includes levity in times of grimness and a dry and intelligent wit permeating everything he touches.
Meaning that if you like things exclusively grim and gritty then you'll want to avoid this book.
Take a dollop of Pratchett, a pinch of Gaiman, mix with two parts Eddings and Gemmell and then throw in the modern sensibilities of today's fantasy writers and the result is Matthew Waldram.
You see, the opening chunk of Monsters of Elsewhere stars a young but inquisitive child called Henry Whistler, who is adamant in his belief that there are monsters underneath his bed.
Unlike the rest of the children his age, it turns out that Henry is absolutely correct. There's a monster under his bed.
At this point I was preparing to cast aside this quaint but humorous young adult fantasy, which would have been the biggest mistake of my reading life. Thankfully I persevered, because while a small boy getting lost at bus stations wasn't precisely my cup of tea, it was written in a humorous fashion that drew me in. It really could have been the opening to a classic children's novel, such was the quality of the crafting.
Fortunately for me, the rest of the tale flashes forward after the events dictated by this initial child-like romp into a fantasy world. Henry Whistler becomes a man, he gets engaged and he forgets all about his previous adventure as the adult world surrounds him.
I'm not going to spoil the plot any further, but sufficed to say that Henry is drawn back into the world he has previously visited as a man instead of a boy. The narrative still drips humour, but certain events unfold that shake you out of that amused reverie. This is a serious book, for all its quirks.
Waldram is an absolute master of injecting serious consequences into a humorous narrative and vice versa. One minute he'll have you crying with laughter and the next he'll have you legitimately crying. That's a rare gift indeed. I actually fist pumped the air at one point, I don't recall ever doing that before.
In fact, such is the brilliance of this book that my sleep-addled mind cannot form the words capable of expressing just how impressed I am with it, so you'll excuse me if I catch a few Zs and report back with a more in-depth exploration of the text...
...I have now caught the aforementioned Zs and will continue trying to explain just how good this book is, here goes.
This is one of those rare books where even the ancillary characters are well-crafted and cared about. When the inevitable happens and you're taken away from the protagonist you wonder how the author is going to deal with these other points of view. The answer is splendidly. Not only do you care about the fate of one Henry Whistler, you're exposed bit by bit to the world he has been dropped into through the fates of others.
The antagonists of our piece are believable, have clear motivations and don't want to cover the world in a second darkness. That also helps.
One of the most important elements of this book is that Henry Whistler isn't particularly special. He's not given a fellowship of companions, just one or two decent folk that help him along the way. He doesn't have any special powers or great destiny and as is amusingly pointed out, he'd probably lose in a fight to just about any armed guard or soldier in the land.
I was going to critique the book, but I'm genuinely struggling to find anything wrong with it. In fact the only criticism I can level at it is that I wish it was even longer so I didn't have to finish it so quickly!
I guess I could repeat that the style of writing isn't for everyone. Some people might find the humour irritating, but they'd be very dull people indeed.
I won't hesitate in giving this book five stars, only the second time I've awarded an independently published title this high a rating.
I don't know if this is a one-off stroke of genius on the part of Mr. Waldram, but I sincerely hope that his next work builds on the qualities exhibited here. I also hope that he goes back to his captivating Elsewhere universe, because if he doesn't he'll be getting a strongly-worded e-mail informing him that he must!
October 27, 2015
I do not care to write reviews, but to have completed this debut and found less than 20 ratings waiting was a terrible thing. Thus:
This is a wonderful book, though one I know to be very flawed nonetheless. Stronger story editing would certainly have given it a more even and cohesive feel and there were times when I noticed certain devices and techniques being repeatedly used to their detraction. This novel’s self-published roots run deep.
Yet I suspect that I will remember Monsters of Elsewhere for a long time to come and I wonder if that same lack of constraint that led to those mishaps was the exact same freedom that permitted the author to create a vision that feels so genuinely unique. This novel is about the journey, recapping its plot would be doing you a disservice, so know only that I followed the protagonists development (and the supporting character's vignettes) with unrepentant glee throughout and having now finished the story I can safely say that I enjoyed every minute.
For all the niggles noticed I never lost that sense of fun, and I think everyone can occasionally use a book like that in their life. It warmed my heart, I hope it might warm yours.
This is a wonderful book, though one I know to be very flawed nonetheless. Stronger story editing would certainly have given it a more even and cohesive feel and there were times when I noticed certain devices and techniques being repeatedly used to their detraction. This novel’s self-published roots run deep.
Yet I suspect that I will remember Monsters of Elsewhere for a long time to come and I wonder if that same lack of constraint that led to those mishaps was the exact same freedom that permitted the author to create a vision that feels so genuinely unique. This novel is about the journey, recapping its plot would be doing you a disservice, so know only that I followed the protagonists development (and the supporting character's vignettes) with unrepentant glee throughout and having now finished the story I can safely say that I enjoyed every minute.
For all the niggles noticed I never lost that sense of fun, and I think everyone can occasionally use a book like that in their life. It warmed my heart, I hope it might warm yours.
October 24, 2015
I love me a good fantasy and this debut novel did not disappoint.
It follows the story of Henry at various points in his life and his adventures with monsters in another world, Elsewhere. I found the book chock full of some brilliant dry humour, and a lot of hilarious comments about facets of everyday British life. Humour aside, there was also serious bits too, some gory bits and absolutely loads of fantastical adventure. I really enjoyed reading this book.
There are loads of characters that the reader is introduced to and I loved the way in which all their individual stories converged into one for a load of interesting twists and turns in the story.
If you want a fairly fun, lighthearted read with a load of British dry humour (with the occasional serious and gory bit) and an epic fantasy tale, then give this book a try; I did and wasn't disappointed.
****Disclaimer*** I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads - all the opinions and views stated in my review are entirely my own.
It follows the story of Henry at various points in his life and his adventures with monsters in another world, Elsewhere. I found the book chock full of some brilliant dry humour, and a lot of hilarious comments about facets of everyday British life. Humour aside, there was also serious bits too, some gory bits and absolutely loads of fantastical adventure. I really enjoyed reading this book.
There are loads of characters that the reader is introduced to and I loved the way in which all their individual stories converged into one for a load of interesting twists and turns in the story.
If you want a fairly fun, lighthearted read with a load of British dry humour (with the occasional serious and gory bit) and an epic fantasy tale, then give this book a try; I did and wasn't disappointed.
****Disclaimer*** I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads - all the opinions and views stated in my review are entirely my own.
February 26, 2015
Incredible.
I picked this book up when Matt was doing a reddit giveaway and decided to read it on a whim - I'm so glad I did. The story was very immersive and engrossing. There were several nights where I had to bargain with myself (one more chapter before bed.... OK one more... OK just one more). Typically, the fantasy genre can yield very dry and slow passages where the particulars of the world are described in minute detail; that is definitely not the case here. With the several story arcs and the interjections of humor (seriously, this book is laugh out loud funny sometimes) this book is never boring or slow. As a reader who was very invested in these characters, I am very happy at the way all the loose ends seemed to come together in such a way that we all know it was planned from the start.
5/5 if you like fantasy but can't stand a long winded author check this book out!
I picked this book up when Matt was doing a reddit giveaway and decided to read it on a whim - I'm so glad I did. The story was very immersive and engrossing. There were several nights where I had to bargain with myself (one more chapter before bed.... OK one more... OK just one more). Typically, the fantasy genre can yield very dry and slow passages where the particulars of the world are described in minute detail; that is definitely not the case here. With the several story arcs and the interjections of humor (seriously, this book is laugh out loud funny sometimes) this book is never boring or slow. As a reader who was very invested in these characters, I am very happy at the way all the loose ends seemed to come together in such a way that we all know it was planned from the start.
5/5 if you like fantasy but can't stand a long winded author check this book out!
February 14, 2016
This was a fun, well-written, sweetly crafted twist on the traditional fairy tale story. I think what I enjoyed most was that it wasn't exactly far-fetched and dependent upon stereotypes or tropes, but rather, written with an eye to humour, realism (as much as can exist in a fantasy world), and characters with true development. I want to say that the ending was tied up too neatly for my tastes, but ultimately I can't as it was just as charming and sweet as the rest of the tale. Definitely worth reading, and as enjoyable a first entry as any I've read. I am quite curious to see what else Waldram comes out with.
January 10, 2017
Solid 3.5, giving it 4 since it's not widely reviewed on here. The plot and universe are amazing, but somehow, despite torture, murder, and imprisonment, the plot and characters are unrepentantly jolly. I never really worried about certain characters surviving, you know? Still a fun read, and it could be a great book for younger readers as well as adults. Just lacking a touch of dimension and threat.
January 19, 2015
A grand imagination on display in this highly impressive debut novel. Heroic fantasy with a twist. Get it and be swept off into Elsewhere!
May 15, 2015
Full review at the Quill to Live: https://quilltolive.wordpress.com/201...
January 20, 2015
Fantastic!
Well written fantasy with a huge dollop of dry humour.
Great read
Well written fantasy with a huge dollop of dry humour.
Great read
October 16, 2015
Its a good book, a pleasant read for a rainy day.
March 2, 2018
A super fun, adorable book.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews