Where The Time Goes

Western Lights #9

by Jeffrey E. Barlough

For as long as most anyone can remember, there has been a monster in Eldritch's Cupboard. Just who is this Eldritch, you may ask, and where is his Cupboard? And why does he keep a monster in it? So begins author Jeffrey E. Barlough's account of the extraordinary adventure on hand in the new, ninth volume of his acclaimed Western Lights series of fantasy-mysteries. Set in the remote, small town of Dithering in the Lingonshire dales (it's on the road to very few places), the new work is described by the author as a grim little tale, unlike any other in the Western Lights series ... a wild ride through some of the strangest country in the sundered realm. Dr. Hugh Callander, formerly of Maunder College, Penhaligon, has returned home to Dithering to find that the cavern known as Eldritch's Cupboard is active once again. Who is behind the livestock losses on the neighboring farms, the mysterious disappearances of Dithering townsfolk? Is it poachers who are making use of the Cupboard? Thieves and murderers? Or is it something else entirely? Might the dark tales of a monster actually be true? Tales of a ravenous beast that for centuries had made the Cupboard its lair, and Dithering townsfolk its prey?

Genres: Horror, Fantasy

331 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2016

About the author

Author, veterinarian and research scientist, Author Jeffrey E. Barlough has been publishing scientific journal articles, novels, and non-fiction books on a variety of subjects since the 1970's.

Reviews

[mark monday · Rating 4 out of 5]

The basic premise of Western Lights already asks a lot of its readers: (1) imagine an Ice Age that never ended while the rest of the world continued on, for the most part, as is it normally did, until (2) sometime during the Victorian Age, 200 or so years ago, a strange object fell from the sky that caused such a global catastrophe that every city and every person is wiped out, except (3) a chunk of the West Coast of the U.S., where a roughly England-sized and English-colonized slice of inhabited coastal land remained intact. These three foundational ideas allow for: (1) the inclusion of Ice Age beasts of all sorts, but in particular sabretooth tigers, giant woolly mammoths, teratorns, glyptodonts; (2) "The Sundering" - as it is called - basically froze the societies on display in the series within the Victorian era, and so the standalone books in the series all recall the style of novels written during that era, or the style of a modern steampunk novel; (3) the premise that the lands of the Western Lights are all that's left of humanity gives the series an underlying tone of contemplative melancholy, while also allowing various supernatural or science fictional elements to be rather easily introduced - what better setting for strange things to occur than within the rather small, very isolated Last Country on Earth?

All of that is a lot. But Barlough's calm, carefully considered writing style - basically a streamlined, less-ornate version of "Dickensian" - makes it very easy to swallow. It doesn't hurt that he has a lovely empathy towards both his human and his animal characters, as well as a lightly satiric and ironical perspective on those characters' personalities, foibles, and ambitions.

Where the Time Goes takes all of the strangeness and moves it even further. This is surely the most eccentric book in the series so far, because this novel explores - in addition to everything written in the spoiler above - time travel. Because why not! The author has done everything else in this series: comedies of manner, supernatural horror, steampunk science fiction, dark fantasy. In this book, two characters travel back in time repeatedly. For the first half of the book, it is via an elderly doctor's memories coming to roost in his young solicitor's head, in the form of long, intricately detailed dreams. For the second half, it is via that solicitor's actual insertion into the past, in order to stop an accident that will claim the life of the doctor's love. Hard to do, if you are thrust into the past but don't recollect why, while still remembering the details of your past viewings of the doctor's memories. All of this is surrounded by the main story: who or what is coming to the town of Dithering every 6 years, to kidnap and then consume various livestock and various villagers? Could it be a band of poachers and cannibals? Could it be a monster from the cave system known as 'Eldritch's Cupboard'? Could it be the work of the Woldfolk, a soulless, faerie-adjacent people able to roam the land unseen? All will be explained by... a strange being that can freeze time. This surpassingly odd book ends with... the beginning of a horrific alien invasion. As recounted by... a brave slain cat who is currently sauntering around invisibly before moving on to her next life. Because why not!

Beyond the plot, the novel is somehow also a rumination on how quickly time flies, and how easily we can miss out on life if we fail to understand how short our lives actually are.

[Blaise Carland · Rating 4 out of 5]

First one, for me, in the series. Black gate website recommended this as a good starting point. I had tried Dark Sleeper but couldn’t get into it. I got a deal on the first 5 and they should arrive this week.

I liked this book but I feel that the whys of the series got revealed too much. Maybe this wasn’t the best book to start with?

Anyhoo, solid little cosy horror/mystery.

[Julie Sandel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great as usual from Jeffrey Barlough

[Trish Graboske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inventive. No one does a horror cozy like Jeffrey Barlough.