FR
In every way, 2025 has been a difficult year, both in terms of abrupt realisations and significant events. As a result, I've had far less time to read.
The following selection does not include the Harry Potter saga, which I've revisited in its entirety as audiobooks, with the voices of Bernard Giraudeau (volumes 1-4) and Dominique Collignon-Maurin (volumes 5-7). These two amazing French actors (both now deceased) added extra depth to the story without ever constraining the imagination, unlike the movie adaptations, which sadly did exactly that.
Also absent is the continuation of the comic book adaptation of Le Paris des Merveilles, a series of French novels by Pierre Pevel, which seemed compromised by the sudden passing of Étienne Willem, who had produced about fifteen strips. Little did we know of Capia’s talent, a young Belgian illustrator who brilliantly took up her predecessor's graphic style, much to our delight. Even so, it is still hard to come to terms with the fact that French-language book fairs will never be the same without the late pipe-smoking, kilted Belgian illustrator who always looked as if he had just stepped straight out of one of his own comic books.
I also enjoyed reading the graphic novel adaptation of the first volume of La Passeuse de mots, a French fantasy series, although I still haven't finished volume 4 because the story has become so boring. Yet the first two were so exciting. That's often the issue with series. Not so with J.K. Rowling’s, though, as she always knows exactly where she is going and how to keep the reader in thrall until the very last page.
1. The Hallmarked Man
A dismembered corpse is discovered in the vault of a silver shop. The
police initially believe it to be that of a convicted armed robber - but not
everyone agrees with that theory. One of them is Decima Mullins, who calls
on the help of private detective Cormoran Strike as she's certain the body
in the silver vault was that of her boyfriend - the father of her newborn
baby - who suddenly and mysteriously disappeared.
The more Strike and his business partner Robin Ellacott delve into the
case, the more labyrinthine it gets. The silver shop is no ordinary one:
it's located beside Freemasons' Hall and specialises in Masonic silverware.
And in addition to the armed robber and Decima's boyfriend, it becomes clear
that there are other missing men who could fit the profile of the body in
the vault.
As the case becomes ever more complicated and dangerous, Strike faces
another quandary. Robin seems increasingly committed to her boyfriend,
policeman Ryan Murphy, but the impulse to declare his own feelings for her
is becoming stronger than ever.
Robert Galbraith, 2025 - Sphere Books - 1072 pages
***
As I mentioned earlier, J.K. Rowling is one of the very few authors whose sagas never disappoint me. And this eighth instalment in the Cormoran Strike crime series (published under the pen name Robert Galbraith) is no exception to the rule. However, I found it far less compelling than the previous one, in which Robin infiltrated a cult, only to narrowly escape, though not entirely unscathed. Her trauma continues to haunt her in this new episode. This is precisely what makes this saga so appealing, combining complex investigations and twists and turns galore with the evolution of an equally complicated relationship between the two protagonists, making the most of the ’slow burn’ technique. It's clear that without these larger-than-life (and fallible) characters — much more endearing than a Miss Marple or Sherlock Holmes of yesteryear — the series would certainly lose all its appeal.
What can I say without giving away the plot?
First of all, it's better to be fluent in English or in any language other than French, since Grasset, the publisher of the series in France, is apparently at odds with the author's political views on social media and has put the release of the last two volumes on hold — even though they are bestsellers worldwide. Welcome to Wokistan, the kingdom of the self-proclaimed ‘awake’.
Despite the brief outlines on the back cover, Freemasons aren't really at the heart of the story. But shhh, I will say no more. Paedophilia, on the other hand... human trafficking... cancel culture... manipulation... corruption within the police force... You should always judge a book by its cover. Except for Cormoran and Robin, of course.
Can't wait for book 9!
2. The Institute
In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban
Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis’s parents and load him
into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes. Luke will wake
up at The Institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there’s
no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids
with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who got to this place the
same way Luke did: Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery
Dixon. They are all in Front Half. Others, Luke learns, graduated to Back
Half, “like the roach motel,” Kalisha says. “You check in, but you don’t
check out.”
In this most sinister of institutions, the director, Mrs. Sigsby, and her
staff are ruthlessly dedicated to extracting from these children the force
of their extranormal gifts. There are no scruples here. If you go along, you
get tokens for the vending machines. If you don’t, punishment is brutal. As
each new victim disappears to Back Half, Luke becomes more and more
desperate to get out and get help. But no one has ever escaped from the
Institute.
As psychically terrifying as Firestarter, and with the spectacular kid power
of It, The Institute is Stephen King’s gut-wrenchingly dramatic story of
good vs. evil in a world where the good guys don’t always win.
Stephen King, 2019 - Scribner - 576 pages
***
It's no secret that Stephen King has long been one of my favourite authors. That said, over time and given his extraordinary productivity, I've lost track of his rather inconsistent bibliography. And his tendency always to explore the same themes and the same types of characters even became tiresome. That's how I had completely missed this gem, originally published in 2020, which marks the return of the master of horror at his best. No fantasy or supernatural elements this time, though, but the exposure of real-life monsters. Not the kind that lurks in the sewers, preying on little children (It), but those who take them away from home during their sleep and torture them in the name of the public interest and patriotic sacrifice for the common good (sic). It's sickening.
Where some mention references to mind control projects such as MK Ultra (now declassified), it seems to me that the activities of this secret institute are more closely related to a secret programme run by the US military for decades (during the Cold War until the 1990s) that used 'psychoenergetics ‘ — psychokinesis, telepathy and, most prominently in the case of the now infamous Fort Meade experiment in the 1970s, ’remote viewing' — to collect intelligence. As part of Project Stargate, the collective name for a series of programmes with code names like Grill Frame and Sun Streak, the US government was training an army of telepaths. Or, at least, they were trying to.
Notably, an 8-episode mini-series adaptation aired this summer on HBO. Although the actors were all excellent and the script remained fairly faithful to the novel, some of the plot shortcuts struck me as questionable, especially since they robbed the story of all its tension. In addition, many elements have been toned down to appeal to a teenage audience, and the children look much older than in King's story. I'd therefore recommend reading the book instead.
3. Caraval
Wecome to Caraval, where nothing is quite what it seems...
Scarlett has never left the tiny isle of Trisda, pining from afar for the
wonder of Caraval, a once-a-year week-long performance where the audience
participates in the show.
Caraval is Magic. Mystery. Adventure. And for Scarlett and her beloved
sister Tella it represents freedom and an escape from their ruthless,
abusive father.
When the sisters' long-awaited invitations to Caraval finally arrive, it
seems their dreams have come true. But no sooner have they arrived than
Tella vanishes, kidnapped by the show's mastermind organiser, Legend.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only
an elaborate performance. But nonetheless she quickly becomes enmeshed in a
dangerous game of love, magic and heartbreak. And real or not, she must find
Tella before the game is over, and her sister disappears forever.
Stephanie Garber, 2018 - Gollancz - 1552 pages
***
I admit it: I've always hated cheesy romance. And that's not what the Caraval trilogy (or quadrilogy, if you count the ‘bonus’ novella) is, even though it's labelled ‘fantasy romance’. Aimed at a ‘young adult’ audience, it's a far cry from the steamy — bordering on hardcore — erotica of Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, which is marketed under the same label.
A carnivalesque, theatrical world that immediately reminds me of Tim Burton's films, but also more specifically of Ciro Marchetti's illustrations — particularly his Oracle of Visions. In fact, the second and third instalments feature divination cards, as well as a rather roguish Jack of Hearts.
My take on these novels probably has nothing to do with the author's intended message, but I couldn't help drawing parallels with the Matrix simulation. Again, I can't elaborate without potentially spoiling the plot. The main theme revolves around false pretences, projections, dreams within dreams and, in a larger sense, the nature of what we call ‘reality’. It's a shame the last volume fails to maintain consistency, but as I said above, this seems to be a recurring issue inherent to many sagas.
4. The Secret of Secrets
Robert Langdon, esteemed professor of symbology, travels to Prague to attend a groundbreaking lecture by Katherine Solomon—a prominent noetic scientist with whom he has recently begun a relationship. Katherine is on the verge of publishing an explosive book that contains startling discoveries about the nature of human consciousness and threatens to disrupt centuries of established belief. But a brutal murder catapults the trip into chaos, and Katherine suddenly disappears along with her manuscript. Langdon finds himself targeted by a powerful organization and hunted by a chilling assailant sprung from Prague's most ancient mythology. As the plot expands into London and New York, Langdon desperately searches for Katherine . . . and for answers. In a thrilling race through the dual worlds of futuristic science and mystical lore, he uncovers a shocking truth about a secret project that will forever change the way we think about the human mind.
Dan Brown, 2025 - Bantam Books - 688 pages
***
I must confess that I enjoy Dan Brown's books as a way to escape the tedious routine of my daily Matrix life. However, since the publication of The Da Vinci Code in 2003, I soon realised that there's nothing more to it than pure entertainment, capitalising on the esoteric conspiracy theories made popular by the events of 9/11.
After an eight-year hiatus and 250 million books sold, the formula still works, making Dan Brown one of the most widely read (and best-selling) authors in the world. It's mind-boggling to see all the anti-leak measures surrounding the global release of this new instalment of the adventures of Professor Robert Langdon. For eight months, the translators had to work in "a secret location, some kind of bunker" without access to the internet. Every evening, they had to leave their papers "in a secure safe in a locked room". And once the books were printed, they were locked away "in rooms guarded by security night and day".
Incidentally, the Secret of Secrets is about an important manuscript that was stolen from a publisher's premises. Regarding the French translation, it is best to read the original English version if possible, as the translation is riddled with errors. In the opening scene, the character involved changes gender every other sentence, making it difficult to understand. It's unacceptable that no proofreading was done before publication.
As for the story itself, the theme is strangely reminiscent of The Institute, but unlike King's story, which is much more down-to-earth, Brown is much into happy endings, where the bad guys aren't really that bad after all. Otherwise, the guided tour of Prague was pretty cool.
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