Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Tinderbox (1835) but set during The Thirty Years’ War, Sally Gardner’s latest novel could not be further from a flowery children’s fairy-tale. However, it cunningly utilises the format to offer an unflinchingly honest look at love, loss and the brutality of war.

The opening chapter depicts scenes of shocking violence, but while Andersen’s protagonist eventually gets his happy ending, you get the feeling Gardner’s might not be so fortunate.

The story follows Otto Hundebiss, a destitute soldier who has lost everything in the war. In his final battle he has a vision of Death extending a hand to him, which Otto refuses. When he is propelled back into the aftermath of the battle scene he is left musing, “Maybe I should have gone with Death when he offered me his bony finger.” He is rescued by a mysterious stranger who gives him a pair of boots and a set of dice, which he claims will show Otto the right path. But when Otto inevitably deviates from this path in pursuit of wealth and power, he finds himself once again at Death’s door.

The tale is dark, harrowing and beautifully told, but offers little by way of consolation to the bleakness of war. During Gardner’s research she spoke to soldiers who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as looking at the plight of child soldiers in Rwanda. Her tying together of contemporary as well as historic conflicts brings home the very real horrors of war; this was particularly poignant for me as I read the book just before Remembrance Day.

Still, there are some redeeming moments of happiness. Otto’s relationship with Safire, a lone girl he encounters, is genuine and touching, and the final passages of the book are exquisite. While Stephen Jones’ collection, Fearie Tales, was deliciously dark and gruesome, it didn’t resonate with me as much as Tinder. Gardner’s narrative is fast-paced and gripping, but most of all it manages to mix in witches, wolves and black magic – all while being thought-provoking. And that’s quite a feat.

★★★★☆

FEARIE TALES

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