Book Log 39/2011 - Ben Macallan: Desdaemona

[jacey]

Ben Macallan: Desdaemona

I love this book. Ben Macallan is the new pen name for Chaz Brenchley, whose writing is always beautifully crafted. Spare and elegant, deceptive in its simplicity, this British urban fantasy story keeps up the tension right to the end, a real page-turner.

Jordan makes his living by finding kids who are on the run and guiding them back home. But he's on the run himself from something he doesn't want to admit to anyone. Not even himself. He looks like a regular teenager, but he isn't. He knows far too much about what lurks in the shadows in city, town and countryside.

Desi approaches Jordan to find her sister, Fay, who did a very bad thing involving an immortal. But  is everything quite as it seems? The short answer is, no, but that's as far as I'm going. No spoilers. You need to read this for yourself. Highly recommended.

I should just say, though, that it gave me quite a turn to discover a male character by the name of Jacey. There aren't many Jaceys in the world but I've carried my name around for a long time and it's definitely female.

Comments

[julesjones]

Gave me quite a turn to read it in Chaz'z book as well, because you're the only Jacey I know. :-)

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

I know one other (named after me and about 12 years younger) and my daughter met one much her own age, nothing to do with me as far as I know. All girls. Though the name's been out there on the internet since Artisan started on the web, of course.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Heh. Maybe it's like Hilary and Evelyn and Shirley - you read it as female until proven otherwise, but occasionally otherwise can provably happen? Or maybe it started out as J.C. and it's been wossnamed, smudged in the use thereof, I can't remember the proper - elided. That's the word. Maybe its dots have been elided.

But anyway, he's very male. I am writing more about him as we speak, and he is being an utter boy.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

I dunno. It's a name that I can't find reference to as a forename before mine in 1950. (Though it is a furniture company and was a rather disreputable cinema in the 1960s.) Barnsley education authority couldn't make their minds up either, because as a small child I used to get called for school medicals with the boys.

Just curious to know what decided you on that name and what your previous connections with it were.

Looking forward to a follow-up to Desdaemona.
:-)

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Tragically, I have Absolutely No Notion where it came from. I will have been sitting there, typing away, and needing a name for this inconvenient boy, and hey: there it was. Jacey he shall be called. I dunno...

(But yeah, Pandaemonium is Desi's book - and it's all about her and Jacey. Which will continue to confuse you throughout. Sorry 'bout that...)

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

I'll get used to it.
:-)