A Novel Wonderland

Review by Ronica Wahi

Aliens in My Garden

By Jude Gwynaire

First published: October 9, 2018, Prodigy Gold Books.

Pages: 280.

ISBN: 9781939665720

This book is one of those kinds that run like a film in the reader’s mind’s eye - the description so vivid that the reader as if watches the action taking place in the book. If a cinematic reproduction were to be taken up for this one and justice done to it, it sure would make for an enjoyable piece.

Jude Gwynaire, a musician and a writer whose writing combines elements from nature and folklore, besides other things, creates a novel, beautiful, thriving wonderland, full of magic and adventure in his young adult fiction Aliens in My Garden. “The Garden”, as the said wonderland in referred to within the narrative, is located within a garden like any other we know. But the Garden – as mentioned - is like no other we know.

The Garden has sentient beings of all sorts; among them are Old Tom who is a “potato farmer” – both a potato and a farmer, the Green Man who looked like a walking tree, and talking books one of whom is endearingly naughty. Among the key characters are the witch Alditha with her poetic spells and her lively little owl Harper who had “never been good at being an owl” but could see spaces and horrors that others around him could not. There is the evil, brutal wizard Skoros, whose ‘magic’ lies solely in his engineering abilities and the machinery he develops; apart from this magic bit, he lacks the all-too-necessary characteristic beard and terrifying laughter.

And, of course, there are aliens in the Garden. Celeste is quite cute and likeable. These aliens – Astarians – come with their advanced technology and bio-mechanoids, and an interesting story of why they are in the Garden.

The Garden has a wood, a meadow, forests, homes of the gardenfolk – Skoros Castle and Alditha’s Cottage among them, shops, etc. The actions move across spaces in this Garden, letting the reader in on what is happening simultaneously in different parts and with different characters in this wonderland.

Like all fantasies are in some way or the other, this too is grounded in reality. There are the usual components that make up a society – hierarchy, division of labour, challenges of existence, concerns about basic necessities, the need for a home and for stability, cultural stuff such as local legends and festivities, and the sense of community. And yes, there are the all-important emotions – love, hope, happiness, anger, fear, grief.

The writing is lucid. Various elements to up interest are added – a dash of humour here and there, names and terms from different languages, and scenes that make the reader smile – such as the training scenes of a little spellbook. Gwynaire uses some captivating metaphors too. For instance, to talk of how Alditha was struggling to recall where she’d seen a red star with wings, he writes, “…when she tried to reach out and touch the memory, it skittered away like a mouse under the floorboards of her mind.”

Aliens in My Garden is quite an imaginative and intriguing tale, full of thrill and enchantments. Not only young adults but also adults can enjoy it.

 

Amazon India link for Aliens in My Garden (Paperback, Import): https://amzn.to/3FIljPd

 

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