Corbenic
3.5/5
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About this ebook
It starts when Cal gets off the train at the wrong stop in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere. He's stranded.
Following a muddy path leads him to a castle that appears to be deserted. But inside is Corbenic, a magnificent hotel filled with rich people preparing for a banquet—and Cal is their guest of honor. During the meal, he experiences a disturbing vision, but when he is asked to talk about what he has seen, he denies it. What if he's becoming crazy, like his mother?
When Cal wakes the next morning, the elegant castle turns out to be nothing more than an abandoned ruin. But something inside him has changed—he now knows he needs to right the wrongs in his life. It will be a difficult journey, and if Cal achieves his goal, it will not be without cost. The first step—he must return to Corbenic.
Catherine Fisher
Catherine Fisher's acclaimed works include Darkhenge, Snow-walker, and The Oracle Betrayed, which was a finalist for the Whitbread Children's Book Award. She lives in Newport, Wales.
Read more from Catherine Fisher
Snow-walker Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDarkhenge Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for Corbenic
38 ratings1 review
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cal leaves home to work for his uncle, believing he has left the squalor and his alcoholic mother’s psychotic visions behind him. However, he accidentally gets off at the wrong train station, and finds himself with no option but to stay at Castle Corbenic with its elaborate medieval décor. The people he meets are perplexing, and the castle's owner, Bron, claims that Cal can heal him. When Cal is shown things which remind him of his mother's visions, he denies what he sees. The following morning, the castle is a ruin, and Cal is left with a sword and the feeling he has failed more than just himself.Cal resolves to dispose of the sword, and in the process meets Arthur’s Company, an odd medieval-battle re-enactment group. They confuse Cal with their talk of being immortal, and the extent to which they have embraced a life of medieval legends, but they are also prepared to help him. Cal realises that his mistakes have hurt people, including himself and as he attempts to distance himself from his past, he finds that it has more to do with his future then he ever imagined. His quest becomes more than a simple search for the Holy Grail; it is an emotional quest for self discovery which challenges his values and forces him to confront his fears. I love the way Corbenic ingeniously merges modern-day British life with the centuries-old legends surrounding King Arthur, the knights of the round table and the Holy Grail. The characters, especially Arthur’s Company, are vivid and intriguing, with believable depth and humanity. I am frustrated by things regarding minor characters which are alluded to and left unexplained, but I love how I am left free to wonder. It makes them seem real. Cal is not always an easy character to relate to, but his motivations and experiences are well explained. Even when his determination turns to desperation, I felt sympathetic, and he really grows throughout the novel.Corbenic is wonderful and slightly unusual story about about growing up, family bonds, human endurance, forgiveness, the waste land and the Holy GrailSome years ago, I said that it was "mature and complex, suspenseful and heart-warming". I have since read other books which have been all of these things and more so, yet Corbenic is still something I want to read again. It stills feels like an original retelling of familiar legends, and continues to makes me wonder. It remains my favourite novel by Catherine Fisher.