Monuments by Will Kostakis
Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9780734419224. 280p; p/b.
High schooler Connor gets caught up in the affairs of the world's
creator gods, Monuments, after stumbling across a hidden sanctuary
at his school. The action-driven plot engages the reader almost
immediately and goes in unexpected directions that keep things quite
fresh. It sets up nicely for a sequel while still resolving enough
of its own questions to not feel unsatisfying. The humorous,
light-hearted tone makes the novel a treat to read. The quick pacing
fits the story's circumstances of being suddenly thrown into an
unbelievable situation, but it does sometimes feel like the focus
changes a bit too fast to keep up with. The novel's characterisation
is quite strong, with Kostakis doing a good job fleshing out even
tertiary characters in the short amount of time they have.
The novel explores themes of duty and responsibility, both to roles
and other people. Connor and others struggle with their duty that
comes from inheriting the Monument's power, and later experience
guilt when they realise what they've caused to happen to others.
Interestingly, Kostakis seems to imply that not going along with the
Monument Jivanta's plan wasn't entirely incorrect, which is a
refreshing take on a message that can otherwise be kind of trite.
The novel is set largely in a modern real-world Sydney, with the
addition of the fantasy elements. The realistic setting is
established well enough without being belaboured, and the fantastic
additions are explained clearly enough to get used to.
Vincent Hermann