FEVRE DREAM

FEVRE DREAM by George R.R. Martin

Abner Marsh has had his dearest wish come true – he has built the Fevre Dream, the finest steamship ever to sail the Mississippi. Abner hopes to race the boat some day, but his partner is making it hard for him to realise his ambition. Joshua York put up the money for Fevre Dream, but now rumours have started about the company he keeps, his odd eating habits and strange hours. As the Dream sails the great river, it leaves in its wake one too many dark tales, until Abner is forced to face down the man who helped his dreams become reality.

THERE ARE NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW

I know this will sound like sacrilege to fans of Mr Martin, but in my opinion this novel has way more potential for a TV adaptation than the recently made, and summarily cancelled, Nightflyers. I first read this novel when it was published in 1982 and immediately felt it would be a tough act to follow as far as successors to Dracula would be concerned.

Martin’s ability to invoke a setting and imbue it with real atmosphere, seriously adds to the impact of this novel. There are not many locations that could compete with a steamboat on the Mississippi and a cast of characters that could easily keep you up at night.

As we’ve all seen by now in Game of Thrones, the author’s ability to both make a bad person the hero and draw out clearly the villainous nature of so called ‘normal’ people, is well documented and this novel is no exception. The journey along the river is matched with the journey through life that the riverboat occupants embark on is of equally great interest throughout the book. It’s damn spooky too!

Have you read any other George R.R. Martin novels? Let me know what you think of them in the comments.