The Bird Tribunal by Agnes Ravatn @OrendaBooks

Author : Agnes Ravatn
Title : The Bird Tribunal
Pages : 192
Translator : Rosie Hedger
Publisher : Orenda Books
Publication date : July 30, 2016

Two people in exile. Two secrets. As the past tightens its grip, there may be no escape.

TV presenter Allis Hagtorn leaves her partner and her job to take voluntary exile in a remote house on an isolated fjord. But her new job as housekeeper and gardener is not all that it seems, and her silent, surly employer, 44-year-old Sigurd Bagge, is not the old man she expected. As they await the return of his wife from her travels, their silent, uneasy encounters develop into a chilling, obsessive relationship, and it becomes clear that atonement for past sins may not be enough.

Sometimes you read something quite extraordinary and you have absolutely no idea how to put your thoughts into words. This, for me, is one of those times. However, I can already tell you now that if you’re looking for something a little different that you won’t forget in a hurry, then you should go and pick up a copy right now!

I have blind faith in the books that Orenda publishes and they’ve not let me down yet. But when I started reading The Bird Tribunal, I wasn’t sure what to expect and I may have added a few wrinkles to my forehead from all the frowning I was doing.

I think this is by far the oddest story I’ve ever read. Not odd in the sense of being completely weird, although there is something to be said for that as well, but more odd as in “I don’t have a bloody clue what’s going on!”. And yet, I was so enormously engrossed that I couldn’t stop reading.

I can’t even figure out what genre this belongs to. It is thriller-ish and has tons of suspense, drama and brilliant characterisation. It is gripping and engrossing and I soon found myself on quite a tense ride. This story is eerie, dark and haunting but fantastically well written and executed. There’s a threatening vibe that had me on the edge of my seat. Throughout the story, you know something’s coming but I had no idea what it was going to be.

It’s fair to say I’ve never read anything like it but I loved every word on every page. This story has made an indelible impression on me and I doubt I’ll ever forget Allis and Sigurd. Also, let’s not forget Rosie Hedger for the fabulous translation.

Many thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for my copy, which I chose to review honestly!

The Bird Tribunal is available now!

Amazon US – Amazon UK – Goodreads