The Escapement by Lavie Tidhar

“A cloud of butterflies had engulfed the broken train in the night. The train crawled along the tracks, a wounded, dying beast, and the butterflies hit the broken windows and burst inside and fluttered along the corridors where blood-soaked carpets lay ruined. The Kid and the Stranger were holed up in the enigneer’s cabin and the engineer kept muttering and twiddling his instrument panel and in the boiler the ghosts kept fluttering half-heartedly. It was possible that the butterflies were drawn to the ghosts, for it was said that butterflies, on the Escapement, were merely the vessels of spirits from the other place, and who was to say whether it was true or not?”

The Escapement by Lavie Tidhar

The Escapement by Lavie Tidhar is one of those books that blends a lot of genres. It’s a melding of western, fantasy, and a bit of horror. The world and its characters are surreal, twisted and unusual but also incredibly intriguing. I think this is one of those books you would get more out of on every read. It’s almost begging to be read more than once. And at its very core, I can’t help but get Dark Tower vibes from this book. I really enjoyed it!

The story follows The Stranger, a man who is traveling through The Escapement in search of a cure for his dying son. But the world of the Escapement is parallel to another world, a world where a man watches his son slowly fade in the hospital. The man seems to slip between both worlds, the realities blending together until you’re left wondering what is real and what is a dream.

As the Stranger travels through the Escapement, he encounters many strange, bizarre and horrific situations. The world is a reflection of a circus, but one where cowboys spill with evil, trains are filled with ghosts and butterflies, and where clowns are not men in costume, but a race of people born into that form. The Stranger at times travels alone, and other times with bounty hunters, The Kid, and a conjurer.

This book is brimming with adventure and heartbreak. It’s a gorgeous, yet terrifying world, and it’s hard to wrap your head around. I finished this a few weeks ago now, and I find myself thinking of it often. I don’t know if I even understand the ending or if I just think I do. That’s why part of me wants to read it again, to see all the bits and pieces of story I might have missed on the first read.

I have a really big backlog of Lavie Tidhar books, having only read Unholy Land to date, but all of his books continue to impress me, and I am really excited to read more of his works.