About the book

It is said there is a price that every passenger must pay. A price beyond the cost of a ticket.

It is the end of the 19th Century and the world is awash with marvels.

But there is nothing so marvellous as the Wastelands: a terrain of terrible miracles that lies between Beijing and Moscow. Nothing touches this abandoned wilderness except the Great Trans-Siberian Express, an impenetrable train built to carry cargo across continents but which now transports anyone who dares to cross the shadowy Wastelands.

On to the platform steps a curious cast of characters: a grieving woman with a borrowed name, a famous child born on the train and a disgraced naturalist, all heading for the Great Exhibition in Moscow.

But the old rules are changing, and there are whispers that the train isn't safe. As secrets begin to unravel, the passengers and crew must survive their journey through the Wastelands together - even as something uncontrollable seems to be breaking in...

Why we love it

There's always been something magical about train travel - the steady rhythm, the shifting landscapes and that strange stillness within motion. It’s no wonder rail journeys have long captivated writers and filmmakers.

Set at the turn of the 20th century, The Cautious Traveller's Guide To The Wastelands follows the Great Trans-Siberian Express as it travels from Beijing to Moscow, carrying cargo and passengers from one continent to the other. It soon becomes clear though that this is no ordinary rail journey and no ordinary train.

The vast hinterlands that lie between China and Russia have been struck by a mysterious blight, transforming hundreds of miles of lakes, forests and arable land into dangerous wastelands, abandoned by humans. 

Enclosed within impenetrable guarded walls, it's a area where the laws of nature and physics defy understanding and where just gazing too long at the ever-changing landscape can trigger madness, hallucination and sickness. Nothing is allowed in or out except the heavily fortified train.

The story is primarily told through the eyes of three characters: WeiWei, a lonely orphan born on the train; Marya, seeking answers on the death of her father; and Henry Grey, a disgraced scientist desperate to restore his reputation. 

WeiWei is curious and brave and a particularly engaging, well-drawn character. Her deep connection to the train is primarily what drives the story forward and it's through her perspective that we learn more about the Wastelands, the train and it's passengers and crew.

This is a darkly atmospheric book, filled with tension and a creeping sense of the danger waiting just beyond the tracks. Sarah Brooks skilfully captures all the claustrophobia of life aboard the train and the growing unease amongst the crew and passengers, despite their vain attempts to maintain an illusion of safety and normality.

A novel which works on so many different levels, it is on the one hand a gripping fantasy filled with mysterious flora and fauna. But on the other, it's a cleverly observed allegory for the way multinational companies, with the power of empires and armies behind them, have repeatedly through history sacrificed lives and the environment in a relentless pursuit of profit.

Imaginative and unsettling, this captivating debut fantasy has a powerful message at its heart - thoroughly recommended!