The Fabled Earth is another book that I hate sticking in my DNF pile. The premise of this novel really drew me in, and its beautiful cover art sealed the deal. This historical fiction/women’s fiction work by Kimberly Brock contains good writing and a good story, but it just didn’t have enough oomph to keep me turning the pages.
What’s The Fabled Earth about?
This novel packs a LOT into its pages. The Fabled Earth has two timelines that both feature a woman named Cleo. We first meet the reclusive painter version of Cleo in 1959, getting a glimpse into her solitary life and past regrets on the wild Cumberland Island in Southern Georgia.
Then we see a younger version of Cleo, when she first arrived on the island in 1932 as a companion to a rich girl at the Carnegie Estate. Apparently a lot happened one fateful night in 1932, and it changed the lives of everyone on that island forever.
There are (many) other characters in The Fabled Earth that we get to know, but Cleo’s POV was my favorite.
What I loved about The Fabled Earth
I loved the opening chapters of The Fabled Earth where we meet 1950s Cleo gliding through the salt marshes of Georgia. The descriptions and scenery gave me lots of Where the Crawdad Sings vibes. Reading the chapters was peaceful, calming, and immersive.
Exploring Cleo’s world in both timelines was entertaining. There are many different stories packed into this novel, but all of them move along in a leisurely way. It’s not a bad thing. Brock takes her time getting where she’s going with her tale, and The Fabled Earth is a relaxing read, perfect for a hot, lazy summer day.
Overall, though, the book just didn’t hold by attention. Soon after starting, I had to push myself to keep going back to Cleo’s world.
What I didn’t like about The Fabled Earth
There are a lot of different characters in The Fabled Earth. That means numerous points of view (POVs) through which the story is told. Telling the story from the viewpoint of every Tom, Dick, and Harry seems to be a trend these days, and it’s not something I’m loving. So, I think that I just got sick of seeing this by the time I got to The Fabled Earth.
The two timelines take place about 30 years apart. Some of the characters appear in both timelines as younger and older versions of themselves. The characters criss-cross, their relatives and descendants criss-cross, and there’s just a lot to keep track of. It might have been easier to keep track of everyone and how they fit into the story if the book moved along more quickly. But, the chapters are pretty long (perhaps too long), and by the time I finished a chapter/POV and started another, I was often scratching my head, wondering, Who’s this person? Why do I care about them again?
I was also expecting a bit more mystery and magical realism in The Fabled Earth, given the book description. People claim to have seen a siren one night in the 1930s timeline, and there’s talk of a “ghost photo” in the ’50s. But, the book doesn’t explore the supernatural aspect as much as I’d hoped.
All that may happen down the line, though. I lost steam on page 177 and called it a day.
Should you read The Fabled Earth?
You should read The Fabled Earth if you’re intrigued by its book description. I admittedly read this story in the early mornings in between bouts of insomnia. That easily could have affected my ability to keep track of the characters and POVs. I enjoyed many aspects of The Fabled Earth and think it has a lot to offer readers with a little more patience than I have. We all know that literary fiction is hit or miss for me.
If you liked the naturalist aspect of books like Where the Crawdads Sing or The Vaster Wilds, you’ll be drawn in by Brock’s lovely descriptions of the wild Georgia salt marshes and islands.
Although I received a complimentary advance copy of The Fabled Earth from Kaye Publicity, all opinions expressed in this review are my own. I was not compensated in any way for this review or for any other promotion/publicity I’ve done related to this book.
