It is said there is a price that every passenger must pay. A price beyond the cost of a ticket.
It is the end of the nineteenth century and the world is awash with marvels. But there is nothing so marvellous as the Wastelands: a terrain of terrible miracles that lies between Beijing and Moscow.
Nothing touches the Wastelands except the Great Trans-Siberian Express: an impenetrable train built to carry cargo across continents, but which now transports anyone who dares.
Onto the platform steps a curious cast of characters: Marya, a grieving woman with a borrowed name; Weiwei, a famous child born on the train; and Henry Grey, a disgraced naturalist.
But there are whispers that the train isn't safe. As secrets and stories begin to unravel, the passengers and crew must survive their journey together, even as something uncontrollable seems to be breaking in ....
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I had to go and look up what genre this novel is being sold as. It is most certainly a mystery novel, but it is so much more too. Historical fiction, combined with a healthy dose of magical realism, and a smidge of fantasy, and a real steam punk feel to it. This one will appeal to so many readers.
It's a captivating story that kept my interest from the opening pages. The novel takes place during the twenty three days of a journey on the Great Trans-Siberian Express. It makes its way from Beijing to Moscow and has to cross the land known as the Wastelands.
Narrated in three voices; Weiwei Zhang; know as 'the child of the train', she was born on the train and has remained on the train ever since. Weiwei knows the hiding places, she knows the secrets and she knows that the company that own the train are frightening, and corrupt. We also hear from Marya Petrovna, a first-class passenger who appear to be a widow, dressed in black and keeping herself to herself. However Marya has her own reasons for boarding the train, and it is not just to attend The Great Exhibition in Moscow. Finally there's Henry Grey. Henry is an angry man, he is a naturalist and his recent findings were debunked. He feels humiliated, but determined to clear his name and to prove his worth.
The character creation is wonderful. Each one of the passengers is so perfectly formed and the supporting cast are magnificent too, I was especially freaked out by the two men known as the Crows!
This is a story of exploration and discovery. As the train continues its journey, unexpected discoveries are made and there's so much to consider within the writing. The author cleverly shows the dangers of capitalism, portraying the Trans-Siberian company as greedy, responsible for the changes in the landscapes, not caring about the environment, and only interested in money in their coffers. The significance of the two large walls cannot be ignored either; this is a historical tale, with futuristic elements that are totally relevant to our world today.
The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands is an ambitious, clever and carefully constructed novel of past and future combined. The addition of magical realism gives it an other worldly feel, yet the characters are truly human.
Mysterious and a bit wild. Recommended by me
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She works in East Asian Studies at the University of Leeds where she also helps run the Leeds Centre for New Chinese Writing.
She has a PhD on monsters in classical Chinese ghost stories.
She is also co-editor of Samovar, a bilingual online magazine for translated speculative fiction.
Originally from Lancashire, she now lives in Leeds.
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