MALACHI and I by J J McAVOY

“We’ll make it. You’ll see. This is the last one. Our last life.”

We absolutely love when an Author takes what can be considered a risk, writing something completely different to what came before. Daring to be brave and following the path on which her characters tread. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, however it is always such a wonderful thing to experience. This time it completely worked for us.

“I’m a firework. Only here briefly and then I fade. While the stars stay where they are.”

JJ McAvoy wrote a story that we have a feeling is going to be a bit of a marmite book; it was so unique yet a tale as old as time, it was original and intelligent. It was without question one of the most well researched stories we’ve come across in a long time. It was an epic journey of grand proportion. It was a story of love through time. It was a story where you felt the Author’s intense love of literary history.

‘It was as though the ground beneath me broke away when he kissed me. I was falling and he was falling with me. All around me I felt the sun rise on us. I felt snow and rain and the wind blowing. I felt the sand under my feet, then grass and I couldn’t help but hold on to him tighter.’

We fell in love with Malachi and Esther as the story progressed, both inhabiting characteristics of that JJ McAvoy personal stamp to her characters. They had such depth, such inner strength and eccentric idiosyncrasies. The subject matter is at times heart-breaking yet well timed sparks of humour eases the heart.

“Our next life shall be our last.”

The premise of this story was fabulous, the message it brought absolutely brilliant. It was relevant whilst steeped in history and so very intriguing; we loved every moment spent travelling an epic history of love. Bravo JJ McAvoy for daring to be bold and brave.

‘Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away. Doesn’t sound very exciting, does it? But it is!’ – Louis de Bernieres

We read an unedited ARC copy of Malachi and I, and did find a few chapters to be confusing with sporadic errors.