Review: Herrick’s End by T.M. Blanchett

Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash

There’s a particular kind of fantasy or fabulism that has become synonymous with one name: Neil Gaiman.

When you pick up a Gaiman book, you know exactly what you will get. Even when he steps into other genres, it follows him. The Doctor Who episode “The Doctor’s Wife” is classic Doctor Who and classic Gaiman.

Anyone who tries this kind of literature invites a comparison to Gaiman…and is likely to come up short.

Herrick’s End falls into this realm and invites that same comparison to a true master. It’s easy to dismiss it as a Neverwhere ripoff.

But it’s actually a pretty good book. Spoilers to follow.

Justice and Vengeance

Our protagonist, Ollie, is an everyman. He’s very ordinary, but when his best friend goes missing and he suspects she is being abused by her boyfriend, he has to find her.

He’s also fat, and this is made a plot point. In fact, we first see him at a weight loss club called Lighter Tomorrow. Which isn’t working. Ollie’s struggle with his weight and self image is presented in a way which is not remotely fatphobic but rather echoes the struggles of many to live in a world which demands they take up less space. On top of that, most “fat positive” heroes are naturally women. It’s nice to see a man…