Having completed his conjuring to place his hometown of Northampton at the centre of the country's collective historical consciousness with his epic tour de force, 'Jerusalem', Alan Moore now turns his sights on London and the creative hold it's had on generations of artists, seers and mad(wo)men; those who can walk the streets of it's mythic, sidereal counterpart, 'The Great When'. In this, the first of what's intended to be a five book series, we meet the hapless hero, 'Dennis Knuckleyard', who is thrust, entirely unprepared, into a world of imagination and danger, of archetypes, avatars and artists. Arriving at 'The Great When' through the imaginings of Arthur Machen and traversing it with the aid of Austin Osman Spare, Dennis is tasked with the return of a book, a fictional book removed somehow from 'The Great When', that has found its way into his possession and which, if he can't get rid of it, could be the cause of him being turned inside out. Obviously this is the first step in what will be a long journey and so there's a lot of worldbuilding, but Moore is a master of such things, and you rarely feel bogged down in exposition as the story weaves its way across post-war London, setting up events that'll take decades to resolve. The story at this early stage is relatively straightforward, playful and populated by a delightful cast of rascals, reprobates, ruffians and wrong uns who variously embrace or are embraced by that other London. For those, like me, who are long time Moore devotees it's an absolute joy to know that we are setting out on another journey with him, and you'll see an obvious kinship here with some of his previous work. The London of 'From Hell' is just behind the curtain - although a very different Ripper is held responsible - as is 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen', particularly the 'Century' trilogy, and it's cultural crate-digging that allowed Moore to play with the very character of the times, rooting around in its basements, unveiling secrets and dusting off intrigues, but 'The Great When' is it's own thing and has it's own story to tell, and I for one cannot wait to revisit.

A word of warning when you start to read this book, there is a prelude - The Music at the Beginning - and it will not make sense. Read it with an open mind (Or skip it). The book properly begins at Chapter 1 - The Best Way to Start a Book. Once you've read the book, refer back to the prelude, and it all starts to make a bit of sense. The book itself is brilliant. The general concept is that there is an alternate London (in my head a psychedelic jelly like version) in parallel to the real London. There are secret hidden entrances known to a few. And these few are quite colourful characters. The story follows a bookseller, Dennis, and his adventures into this alternate London, quite by accident or deliberately. Expect some fights, some romance, some insane cartoon-like chase scenes, and even more wacky characters. It's a thrilling hold on to the seat of your pants ride. You will get hooked.

What a wonder this book is! Just when I thought that the fantasy wells of London had run dry comes this magnificent and unexpected treasure, opening up London as a new battleground in an uncertain clash with a macabre and eerie world that is only a thought away. What I love about it is how the Maestro Moore has created a mid-century Britain that feels alive and then peppered it with a technicolour Otherworld, as if The Wizard of Oz were taking place in 1940s London, bookended with spivs and crooks that are equal parts East End and Cthulhu. The cast is stunning, barely dipping into any of them before the book draws to close, hinting at some of the adventures to come. This is the first in an intended series of five, and I cannot wait for my next journey to the Great When. Five stars and more.

A phenomenal achievement. Whilst The Great When requires some serious concentration to understand it is easily one of the best books I’ve read. Dennis Knuckleyard, Coffin Ada and Grace are some of the best characters I’ve encountered and I can’t wait to meet them again in book two.

The multiverse of Londons is a fecund idea in fantasy, home to some of the best stories of the genre. So, when one of the genre’s greatest writers turns to the concept, readers sit up straighter. This ought to be good. The Great When is comic book legend Alan Moore’s first mainstream novel (purists will look to Jerusalem but that vast experimental text is a tricky introduction to the great man’s written word). In it we meet the startlingly named Dennis Knuckleyard, an orphan searching for some sense of himself in the immediate post-war years. By accident, he is sent hurtling into another version of the capital; a place where nightmares lurk alongside dreams (of the fever variety), archetypes walk and weird doesn’t even begin to cover the rest of it. Along the way, he pulls in the help of a cluster of oddballs, some of whom know the Great When and some who do not. Throughout he is pursued by a variety of enemies, some of whom only become apparent very late in the piece. That Moore can craft a pulsing fascinating story is not in doubt. He is among the very best at this. The challenge comes in falling into step with the occasionally very stylised prose. It can be dizzying at first but once you find your footing, it is propulsive and, a little surprisingly, laugh out loud funny. The Great When is the first of the Long London series. It appears to be a standalone tale as this one wraps up appropriately but, with Moore, who honestly knows what he has up his sleeve. A great read from a master. (Proof copy supplied. Opinions my own.)