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Book Review of Weaveworld

Weaveworld
Weaveworld
Author: Clive Barker
Genre: Horror
Book Type: Paperback
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A Pure Venture of the Imagination, July 6, 2004
Reviewer: Alexander Babbie (Dannemora, NY United States)

After reading Barker's other fantasy epic, Imajica; I couldn't wait to get my hands on Weaveworld, and now that I'm done reading it I am convinced that Barker is one of the most talented authors alive.
Calhoun Mooney, a 20 something free-spirit, accidentally falls into a magic carpet which serves as a refuge for the Seerkind, who have been hunted by mankind (Cuckoos) throughout history for their special abilities. Cal's fall into the carpet sets into motion an epic confrontation for the carpet and the wonders it contains. With the aid of the beautiful Suzanna, whose connection to the carpet is deeper than she can possibly realize, Cal must protect the carpet from Immacolata, an "Inncantrix" who once ruled the carpet; Shadwell, a salesman by nature who considers the carpet the ultimate prize; and the Scourge, an ultimate evil whose very existence is tied to the extinction of the Seerkind.

If all that doesn't make too much sense, don't worry...its not supposed to at first glance, and that's the wonderful part reading Barker...he has such a wonderful imagination and is able to convey his imagination so well, that the only real way to understand what his books are about is to read them. Barker also has a gift for making wonderfully complex "villains" that never fail to dazzle. By the end of the story, even the Scourge, which was the ultimate evil to the Seerkind was able to provoke profound empathy from me over the emptiness and sadness that it felt.

Anyone who enjoys fantasy, horror, or simply a good yarn will love this book. Admittedly it does start out somewhat slow, but the pace soon picks up and you will not be able to put it down.