The spiral has existed for as long as time has. It is there as a girl walks through the forest; there when Anna is taken by the treacherous waters of Golden beck, tried as a witch; there when a mad poet stares into the waves and knows the horrors they hold. And it's there when Keir Bowman realises his destiny.
This book is an extremely interesting study of the shape of a spiral and the different ways people react to it. There are those who fear it and those who embrace it, those who see it as a descent into hell and those who see it as an ascent to heaven. The spiral shape has been with humankind since the very beginning and will remain for eternity as it is eternal itself.
I have never before read a book where you choose which section to read first and at first the prospect of this decision seemed daunting. Usually I consider myself adventurous but when faced with changing the order an author thought up a book I discovered that I am a coward. However, I did find my own path through the stories and found it a unique and exciting experience for everyone to choose their way to read.
At first it seems as though the spiral may be a tenuous link between stories, but when you start reading – despite the fact that all four stories are very different – it is clear that they belong together. All of the protagonists discover spirals and what they mean to them.
I really enjoyed this book and the fascinating message it conveyed about time and the human mind and how each person reacts to something as simple as a shape. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an interesting and enthralling read unlike anything they have seen before.
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