Reviewed for a free copy

Ross Dinwiddy’s Danyrogof Deep is a coming-of-age story set in a world of magic, fantasy and adventure. Jake Darrow is just another unassuming kid with big dreams and a quirky, but weak talent for ventriloquism when his life is torn apart by tragedy. Scared and angry after the violent and fiery deaths of his family, he isolates himself from the world, with only a ventriloquist dummy as a friend. Matters worsen when his theories about the explanation behind his family’s deaths are met with skepticism and ridicule, leaving him vulnerable to violent bullying. It is after one such bullying attempt gone wrong, however, that he falls (literally) into the strange new world deep underground. Bewildered but brave, Jake attempts to navigate the treacherous politics and violent wars that are tearing this world apart, and in the process of helping his new friends, he slowly unravels the mystery of his family’s deaths and grows into his own as a leader.

Dinwiddy’s Danyrogof Deep is, in a word, brilliant. Dinwiddy’s strength lies in his absolute mastery in world building - the underground realm that Jake explores is utterly, delightfully alien in every aspect. The smallest details were intriguing, from the attic shaped like a witch’s hat to the sinister grandfather clock with its thirteen hands. Droll humor was often injected at unexpected, but welcome times. The only bit which took some getting used to for me was how fast paced the plot was - initially, I felt like I was given barely any time to take in Jake’s grief or see the characters develop properly. The bullies, for example, were evil in a very two-dimensional fashion and even the characters we were supposed to be sympathetic to, like Jake’s Nan and his friend Rhodri, were somewhat stilted. However, as the story progressed, I grew used to its style and increasingly invested in the characters. I mourned when I saw the good guys die and grinned when a little romance unexpectedly popped up for a couple of funny side characters.