Mark Hockley

The Magic Lands by Mark Hockley – complex and captivating fantasy

Two 14 year old boys, Tom and Jack, plan to spend the long summer holidays together exploring the extensive and mysterious gardens in which Tom’s house lies. But they find themselves sucked into a magical land of dreams, where the rules of our “real” world no longer apply and where they have to face unspeakable evil. They face a long journey, and on the way they meet various characters who offer to help them; there’s Mo the Badger, a mysterious white queen, a gruff and intimidating warrior called Dredger, a young girl called Lisa … but are they what they seem, and which of them are really helping and which are working for the forces of evil? Both boys have to grow up fast, and learn to first recognise, and then overcome, weaknesses within themselves before the White Wolf can be vanquished.

Do not be lulled into thinking this is a book for teenagers. As well as being a wonderful adventure story, it contains complex messages about good and evil, about the nature of reality, and about acquiring self knowledge and finding inner strength. Moreover, the world described in this book is truly scary, and I wouldn’t recommend this book to readers under the age of 14.

Personally I was captivated by the boys’ journey through magical, dream like worlds, with companions who come and go without apparent rhyme or reason. The boys (and hence readers) are never quite sure whether they are awake or dreaming, and never quite know who they can trust and who to fear … to the extent that they even start to doubt each other, and themselves. If they are going to win through they have to face up to their own fears and find strength and wisdom within themselves. Hocklely’s portrayal of this inner and outer battle is wonderful; the reader becomes bound up in the two boys’ adventures and really cares what happens to them.

But it is not only the two boys who suffer and struggle through this journey. Dredger (the warrior) makes his own journey and has to come to terms with the evil within himself, and Mo (the Badger) suffers periods of self-doubt. All these characters are brilliantly drawn by Hockley; indeed it is the breadth and complexity of the story line and characters that makes this book into an epic, rather than just another fantasy adventure.

Lastly, as other reviewers have said, this book contains strong messages about good versus evil (and the connections between them), and will make the reader question their own certainties.… (meer)

The story begins with two friends, Tom and Jack, who are home on holiday from school. When they climb an ancient oak in Tom's garden, they find a map and a doorway into a strange new world. The two friends then embark on a quest to find a box and restore order to a land suffering under the despotic rule of the cruel White Wolf. What begins as simple and straightforward quickly becomes dark and dangerous as the boys find themselves entangled in a desperate struggle between good and evil. This is a place where nothing is as it seems. Fighting enemies both within and without, forced to place their trust in unlikely allies, Tom and Jack must find the truth and confront their deepest fears.

Mark Hockley has written a marvelous debut novel, one I really enjoyed. The Magic Lands explores the meaning of friendship, touching on themes of loyalty and trust, loss and betrayal. It explores the nature of responsibility, of doing the right thing and helping others even if it is not easy. And it examines the necessity of sacrifice- because everything worthwhile has a price.… (meer)

What a magnificent read this was. I was drawn into the story with the opening pages. Don’t be lulled into thinking that this is a YA book though as there are some very graphic scenes that verge on horror writing. To me it seemed like Hockley has written a modern version of Narnia, but one that is far darker, full of fantastic twists and completely his own. I had to read some of the last quarter of the book over again as I couldn’t believe what had just happened, that’s how unexpected the turns of events are. Hockley’s writing style is captivating and he manages to make dreams, illusions and reality all blur seamlessly together. The overlying message in this tale is of good over evil, that nothing in life comes without a price but hope is always with us. It’s difficult to categorize this novel but if I had to I would class it as fantasy/horror. I loved the mystical and pagan elements too.… (meer)