Will I love Imajica?

Barker's theory of parallel worlds in this book totally captivated me. The story world is so layered and nuanced—and nightmarish! Themes of God, gender, sex, and death weave together effortlessly.

I love it so much that I read this book at least once a year! What I liked most was the journey of the dual protagonists, Gentle and Jude, not to mention that killer twist at the end. 

I love that the first impressions laid out in this tale are so easy to judge. It is a grand opportunity to test your ability to allow this protagonist to unfold at his own pace.

There is magic there, and it is sacred. This unwinding yarn weaves through our streets, otherworldly mountains, to a tower of tyranny, before threading back home. It is a two part journey that is worth the hike!

Barker is known best as a master of body horror, and this book certainly has some grotesque images. But it’s also a gorgeous meditation on memory, identity, love, and the use and misuse of great power.

Along with a vivid travelogue of the five realms that make up Imagica, Barker explores the use of the body itself as a canvas; malleable, changeable, and as fascinating as the view from the window of your train. That said, the view is often stunning, always inventive, and immersive enough that I feel I’ve walked the streets of Yzordderrex myself. 

I believe this is the greatest dark-fantasy novel ever written. Clive Barker is canon in the world of imaginative horror and fantasy, and this magical story balances both genres in exciting and revelatory ways. Gender, greed, and power are central themes in a work that weaves Christianity and sorcery together in extraordinary ways.

Pie ‘oh Pah is one of my favourite literary characters—assassin, magicians’ assistant, lover, sex-worker, and a devout and loyal friend to Gentle. Pie ‘oh Pah transcends any binary understanding of gender. It is their tragic love that drives the narrative and connects the main protagonists Gentle and… show more.