The heroine who's heading for Hell | Review | Guardian Unlimited Books
Josh Lacey on the first volume Kai Meyer's unusual trilogy, The Flowing Queen, winner of the Marsh Award:
In this adventure story set in an alternative version of the 19th century, the Egyptians have conquered most of the known world and only plucky little Venice holds out. Mermaids pull boats up and down the canals. Stone lions fly overhead...Curiously, the trilogy has already been published in the US under a different title and in a different translation. Anthea Bell, the translator of Egmont's edition, has won the Marsh Award twice already in its 10-year history and occupied two of the six places on this year's shortlist. That may be a sign of her skills as a translator or the lack of children's books in translation. Or both. She has previously translated Stefan Zweig, WG Sebald and every Asterix. Although Kai Meyer isn't quite in the same league, The Flowing Queen is enjoyable, inventive and full of imaginative details, and should please fantasy fans.
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