Dark Satanic Mills by Marcus and Julian Sedgwick

Book Summary

Set in a near-future Britain, Dark Satanic Mills tracks a young girl's journey from the flooded landmarks of London to the vast, scorched and abandoned hills of the north. Framed for a murder she did not commit, the innocent and beautiful Christie has no other choice but to run for her life. Both a cautionary tale and a rip-roaring road trip, Dark Satanic Mills is altogether an intelligent, captivating and thrilling ride – The Wizard of Oz for a new generation, told in exhilarating shades of light and dark.

Published by Walker Books in November 2012

Pages – 176

******

This is a rather dark tale of a London from the future full of maniacal fascistic church members who take it upon themselves to to beat the crap out of any atheists that cross their path. The church has employed an army of believers,now known as the Soldiers of Truth, determined to convert everyone to their religion when they see the light that shines eternally.

At times the story did lose me a little and I found I had to reread certain parts to get a full picture of what was really going on. This book requires your full attention as the story is based heavily on religion and heavily influenced by William Blake’s poem, Jerusalem, which forms the backbone for the plot.

It is a very clever interpretation and shows an extremely intelligent mind at work. The graphics are extremely dark and depict violent scenes at times. It has all the Gothic

trademarks often associated with the writing of Marcus Sedgwick. The book has been described as a ‘punked up version of The Wizard of Oz’ and on reflection I can see how it earned that title. The characters are on a  dangerous journey towards the truth. The ending leaves you questioning the future, and I get the impression there might be a follow on from this book.

For all you graphic novel fans, this will definitely appeal to you, as you take a journey with these brave characters in search of the truth.