This is another book (trilogy) that I have long meant to read and, finally, I have read the first book, Titus Groan. This covers the events from the birth of Titus, to his becoming 77th Earl of Gormenghast, just after his first birthday.

The pacing of the book feels quite slow, initially, and does take some getting used to. But the atmosphere is incredible and as the manipulative Steerpike navigates his way upwards through the House of Groan, I founds myself utterly sucked into the story.

Obviously, I have only read one novel out of three so far, but if the trilogy continues like this I shall be rating it 5 stars and pushing it at everyone I encounter.

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Unfortunately, however, the following two novels were a lot less satisfying. With Gormenghast, the second novel, Peake introduces an expanded cast of characters without really (in my view) having a clear idea of either backstory or motivation. The result is that far too often I had a sense of someone turning up to nudge the plot along and then wandering off again. This is especially noticeable in the final chapters which have a strong sense of clearing the decks so that the next novel can be started.

And it's in the next novel -- Titus Alone -- that things really start to fall apart. Without the presence and rituals of Gormenghast Castle, the weaknesses of the plotting start to become painfully apparent.

The result is a rather disjointed novel in which scenes that should have felt heavy and inevitable now feel inconsistent, incoherent and driven primarily by narrative convenience.

Titus Groan, the first novel, is well worth reading but the rest of the trilogy is best ignored.