Darkwater (review)

The imposing, gothic Darkwater Hall was the prized possession of the Trevelyan family until Sarah’s drunkard of a grandfather gambled the family’s estate and wealth away to Lord Azreal. Years later, Sarah, now sixteen, supports her family through menial labor until Lord Azreal returns to her Victorian village to make her an offer she can’t refuse: Azreal will give her one hundred years of wealth, luxury, and knowledge, but at the end of a century her soul will be his. Fast-forward several decades again and the time of reckoning is at hand: Sarah returns to Darkwater Hall prepared to pay her due, but she is disturbed when she finds Azreal making yet another bargain, this time with fifteen-year-old Tom, who is haunted by the ghost of his dead twin brother. Darkly atmospheric, this Faustian update is both compelling and accessible with an ending that interrogates notions of good and evil without belaboring the point. The characters aren’t deep, but the premise is folkloric enough that it’s appropriate that they’re archetypal rather than dimensional; the addition of Tom’s story brings modernity that will draw in contemporary readers. Most intriguing, however, is Azreal himself, a figure that by the end most readers will realize is neither entirely bad nor decidedly good. In fact, the ambiguous conclusion offers up two very different possibilities in regards to his character, and one reading has him on the side of the angels despite his seemingly cruel means. Fisher’s evocative prose easily creates a perfectly crafted gothic backdrop to this morality tale, and readers will find this slim but provocative novel an ideal companion for a gloomy afternoon.